Magical Moments: My Disney College Program Experience

 # 8 Leave Early for Your Shifts. Disney Housing is close by to all of the parks and resorts, however, if you are taking advantage of the bus system Disney provides, you need to plan on taking the bus before the one you think is going to get you there on time. There is no reason to have a high amount of attendance points and repremands when you can avoid them by planning on simply getting to work about 15-20 minutes before your start time. You want to save those points for emergency situations when you can't come into work or need to call out. Even if you are bringing your car, like I did, this can apply to you too. Plan on clocking in sometime during the 15 minutes prior to your shift. Keep in mind that some locations require walking or taking a bus to a second location which could increase your travel time. It also good to be aware of events and important dates, such as marathons, holidays and the opening of new attractions at the parks as these can lengthen your trave...

# 9 Communicate with the people around you.     Lack of communication between you and the people you are working and living with 24/7 can cause a lot of tension and problems. My roommates and fellow cast memebers were great, but I have definitely observed horror stories that were caused because someone wasn't communicating and problems became worse. Your managers and leaders are there to help you and want to see you succeed, but if there are issues with your work environment that are causing you concern, it is very important that they know so the situation can change.       Also, it is smart to establish ground rules with the people you're living with too because Disney housing is very strict and if someone in your apartment breaks a rule, it is most likely that everyone living there will be penalized, which could be something as mild as a fee or as devastating as being termed from your program.    Additionally, talking with and getting to know ...

#10. Smart Spending.     Most likely, you will be making less money per hour during your college program than with your previous job and although you will get enough hours to cover rent and the cost of living in general, you should be putting money away into your savings, especially if you plan on staying with the Disney Company afterwards and moving out of DCP housing.      Make a plan about how much you're going to spend every week in the parks and bring a sandwich lunch with you, if need be. Little things like that will allow for you to buy more gifts for your friends and family back home, in addition to saving up for bigger things, like a Disney Character Dining experience, a Touring Broadway show in Orlando (because the DCP does have special trips to events that you can sign up for and some do cost money) or even a plane ride home to visit your family.      In the end, making a budget will add to the positivity of your overa...

         Disney is known for their incredible attractions, movies and live entertainment, but it's people who are real stars. Both castmembers and guests alike create an environment that is unlike any other. The Disney College Program is the perfect way to experience this magical effect first hand.        It doesn't matter whether the role of a cast member is merchandise, attractions or entertainment, there are always opportunities to go above and beyond and create special, life-long moments for guests.         I want to take this moment to say a big thank you to all of my fellow DCPs, both current and alumni for your dedication and your heart towards serving people <3