Why Do You LOVE the Disney College Program?

[PrincessBetsy]

For those of you that have done the program, why do you love it? What are some of your favorite memories?


I absolutely love Walt Disney World and I plan on doing the college program either the semester before I graduate or the semester after I graduate. I'm really curious to know about some of the best experiences you've had while doing the program. Thanks everyone!

 

[Joanna71985]

When I did my CPs, I absolutely loved it. I had so many great experiences, and met a lot of wonderful people. Some of my favorite moments include:
*Winning Grocery bingo
*going to Typhoon Lagoon with friends
*being trained at Great Movie Ride (it's my dream ride)
*riding the Teacups with Alice and Mad Hatter

 

[PrincessBetsy]

When I did my CPs, I absolutely loved it. I had so many great experiences, and met a lot of wonderful people. Some of my favorite moments include:
*Winning Grocery bingo
*going to Typhoon Lagoon with friends
*being trained at Great Movie Ride (it's my dream ride)
*riding the Teacups with Alice and Mad Hatter

All those moments sound awesome! Thanks for sharing! It would be completely surreal to ride the Teacups with Alice and the Mad Hatter - a true definition of a magical moment!

Do you plan on getting a full time job at Walt Disney World once you graduate from college?

 

[InPerfectClouds]

Where to begin?

-The long drive down.
-Chatham Square.
-New friends, with no old friends, no cliques, fresh starts.
-Working Custodial.
-Working at Magic Kingdom.
-Meeting my current boyfriend there.
-The Mouseketeeria.
-Barbecue sandwiches at Pecos Bill.
-Getting free anytimeyouwanttouseit FastPasses from Attractions hosts by telling them you're a CP too.
-Riding Rockn Rollercoaster twice in a row by sitting in the very back and asking the attendant if we could go again.
-Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Parties, and watching the parade at 8 and 10 and the fireworks at 9.
-Dancing to the Hoedown Throwdown in the street, while on the clock, and getting paid for it.
-Dancing in the Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It! Street Party... and getting paid for it.
-Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Parties.
-Watching the parades so many times from the same place that the character performers recognize you and wave/point/etc. every time they pass.
-Being there for the beginning of Tiana's Showboat Jubilee, knowing all the songs from the movie before it came out, and seeing the Midnight showing at Downtown Disney with almost all other Cast Members.
-Tunnels.
-French boys at the bakery at EPCOT.
-Calling in to work to play in the parks on my birthday.
-50% merchandise discount for Christmas.
-30, 40, and 50% off coupons for full service restaurants during Christmas season.
-Peanut butter and jelly milkshakes at 50's Prime Time.
-Getting picked out of the crowd at Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor.
-Singing along to Wishes while I work and having everyone amazed that I have it memorized.
-Awesome managers.
-Really slow days at the park.
-Having Restrooms on a really slow day, especially Splash restrooms, and being able to sit in the break room and watch the entire movie of the Incredibles and not get in trouble because there's no work to be done.
-Cinderella telling me I have beautiful hair on my first day of "Once Upon a Time is Now" training at MK.
-Laying out at the Chatham Square pool in December.

So many more. I haven't even begun to describe how wonderful everything was.

 

[graygables]

Do you plan on getting a full time job at Walt Disney World once you graduate from college?

She did already.

InPerfectClouds list is awesome, too, but some of those things I would NOT recommend that CPs do. ahem!

Getting to go into the Food & Wine Festival anytime you want just to pick up some lunch.
Seeing Goofy and Pluto out your "office window" every day.
Getting to BE "goofy" at work and have it be OK.
LAUGHING.
Stocking ice when it's hot outside.

 

[sfgadv02]

I love all the people that I met while I was in Disney-- now I can say I have friends around the world. From my local state (NY) all the way to Australia! A lot of us still keep in contact and we're planning a big reunion next June in Disney (where else? ).
- Buffalo Wild Wings (BDubs!)
- Going into all 4 parks within one day.
- Being a regular in a certain attraction and getting FP every time I visit (Everest).
- Sneaking a drink in Vista Way before I turned 21.
- Speaking of, I turned 21 while I was doing the program and of course I went to EPCOT to get my first LEGAL drink.
- SPRING FORMAL!!!!!
- Pretending that my program is ending and "begging" for FP-- it worked 90% of the time. lol...
- Going to work at 5am or ending work at 2am.

I have countless memories, but I don't know where to end!

 

[DisneyGirl421]

I've only been down here 3 months, but so far I am loving basically every minute of it

+ I absolutely LOVE dancing around with guests and fellow cast members, either along Commissary Lane to tv themes, to High School Musical 3 by Idol Standby, to Block Party Bash, or to the Rock 'n' Glow dance parties during Nightasic. Guests love it, and I get paid to have fun!
+ My insane, awesome, crazy, amazing, and nerdy dysfunctional Idol family. The greatest friends and coworkers anyone could ask for!
+ Grocery bingo
+ Ladies night at Ale House
+ Karaoke at Rising Star
+ Playing in the parks whenever I want to!


...and I can't wait for awesome times to come... MNSSHP (going 9/30!), MVMCP, 50% Christmas discounts, etc, etc, etc.

 

[sfgadv02]

I've only been down here 3 months, but so far I am loving basically every minute of it

+ I absolutely LOVE dancing around with guests and fellow cast members, either along Commissary Lane to tv themes, to High School Musical 3 by Idol Standby, to Block Party Bash, or to the Rock 'n' Glow dance parties during Nightasic. Guests love it, and I get paid to have fun!
+ My insane, awesome, crazy, amazing, and nerdy dysfunctional Idol family. The greatest friends and coworkers anyone could ask for!
+ Grocery bingo
+ Ladies night at Ale House
+ Karaoke at Rising Star
+ Playing in the parks whenever I want to!


...and I can't wait for awesome times to come... MNSSHP (going 9/30!), MVMCP, 50% Christmas discounts, etc, etc, etc.

Wait till you go to the Winter Formal!! I assume you are doing the Fall Advantage?

 

[PrincessBetsy]

InPerfectClouds, I love your list! Thanks for sharing so many amazing memories!! I especially like this one:

French boys at the bakery at EPCOT.

Gotta love them!


Thanks graygables, sfgadv02, and DisneyGirl421! Everything sounds like so much fun! You guys make me want to do the College Program right now! What is everyone's role?

 

[sfgadv02]

I was a merchantainer (Merchandise) and I loved it! I love creating and preserving the "magic!" I worked at World of Disney (the largest Disney store in the world) and sometimes I have shifts that start at 5am, but sometimes I have shifts that end at 2am. The bad thing is they would give me a 10am shift the same day I end at 2am!

 

[PrincessBetsy]

I was a merchantainer (Merchandise) and I loved it! I love creating and preserving the "magic!" I worked at World of Disney (the largest Disney store in the world) and sometimes I have shifts that start at 5am, but sometimes I have shifts that end at 2am. The bad thing is they would give me a 10am shift the same day I end at 2am!

That's awesome! I think Merchandise is going to be my first role choice when I apply. I feel like that role is one that gets a ton of guest interaction. It would be great to work at the World of Disney, but I think I really want to work at the Magic Kingdom (my favorite park), even if you do get really long, late hours.

 

[sfgadv02]

That's awesome! I think Merchandise is going to be my first role choice when I apply. I feel like that role is one that gets a ton of guest interaction. It would be great to work at the World of Disney, but I think I really want to work at the Magic Kingdom (my favorite park), even if you do get really long, late hours.

... or fighting your way for the A bus (thats the bus that takes you from the housing complex to Magic Kingdom). CPs (at times 60+) literally run over each other just to catch a ride on those coach bus. Remember that there are other people on the bus in the stop before, so the bus is not all empty. Now if you try to fit 60+ people on that bus, that's not going to happen. It's entertaining when you're on the bus watching these CPs fight to get in. Not a happy ending for people that work late shifts (after park closing is the worse!)

But I love merchandise, you really get to interact with all the guests however you want!

 

[mgriffi6]

I requested Merch at the magic kingdom too. The bus doesn't sound too bad though; I already have to deal with that at my college! You'll learn to fight your way through the crowds really fast haha.

 

[Joanna71985]

All those moments sound awesome! Thanks for sharing! It would be completely surreal to ride the Teacups with Alice and the Mad Hatter - a true definition of a magical moment!

Do you plan on getting a full time job at Walt Disney World once you graduate from college?

I actually am FT now. I went FT in May after my last CP ended, and I am absolutely loving it

She did already.

Heh, thanks Gray

 

[PrincessBetsy]

I requested Merch at the magic kingdom too. The bus doesn't sound too bad though; I already have to deal with that at my college! You'll learn to fight your way through the crowds really fast haha.

I hear you there! At my college we get 15 minutes between classes, so most people try and take the bus to get from one side of campus to the other. The bus drivers pack so many people into the buses that you are literally lying on top of one another. I have even been squished into the stairwell!

I actually am FT now. I went FT in May after my last CP ended, and I am absolutely loving it

That's awesome! I'm glad you are enjoying it!!

 

[PrincessBetsy]

Hey guys! I just wondered if anyone else had anything they wanted to share.

 

[epfootballcutie04]

I absolutely LOVVVVED my CP... I was in Hospitality and my favorite memories included:

- Night before check in dinner at the rainforest cafe where 73... yes SEVENTY THREE of us met up to get the CP started off right
- Sleepovers with your 7 other roomies in the living room with all of our mattresses brought out.
- Playing in the parks whenever I wanted
- upgrading a family to a 1 bedroom villa from a studio and having the mom burst out in tears from being so excited
- Being on the opening team for the treehouse villas at Saratoga Springs... and having the grand reopening on my BIRTHDAY... and being the first offical paying guest to stay in one (thanks mom and dad!!)
- Meeting my current boyfriend there, and we are seriously talking about marriage <3 Disney love <3
- Spring Formal
- Doing the hoe down throw down all around the world showcase
- having friends from literally ALL OVER THE WORLD.... my goodness

After my CP ended I actually sat down and wrote out all the memories that I made sure to never want to forget... i have PAGES upon PAGES of them. No joke. But do you want to know the absolute BEST part of it?

- Still tearing up when I see a Disney commercial on TV
- Still talking to the people I met there
- Working at a hotel now... and everytime a kid comes in with ANYTHING disney... shirt, toy, bag, whatever... i STILL share a moment with them, talk to them about how I'm friends with (buzz woody, etc etc etc) and ask them all kinds of questions... and seeing their faces LIGHT UP that I actually KNOW these people!

and the most exciting thing... I'M GOING BACK TOMORRRRROOWWWWWWW!!!!! Just for the day, quick trip, but I'm staying the night where I worked with my boyfriend that I met on the CP and I could NOT be ANY more excited than I currently am <3

If you have ANY question about to do/not to do the program: DO ITTTTTT!!!! It completley changed my life 100% for the better and I would not have done anything differently AT ALL!!

 

[Frizzbird]

Where to start? B/c seriously the CP was the best 7 months of my life.

Going to see the last nighttime space shuttle launch and not getting home until 7am the next morning (it didn't even end up launching lol)

Watching Wishes with my training group friends the night of our last day of training

Watching wishes with those same training group friends on our last night as CPs.

Meeting Chip and Dale in their rescue ranger outfits and pretty much all of the welcome parties.

Regularly getting to ride on golfcarts (pargos) with world famous celebrity characters like Mickey Mouse.

Seeing the joy on children (and adults) faces when they meet their favorite character.

Getting paid to play with characters everyday (I was a Character Attendant)

Watching Buzz and Woody have a dance off and then do the single ladies dance all while onstage.

Getting to go to the parks whenever you want.

Seeing Joey Fatone, a childhood idol, while working. Really more importantly being within 5 feet of him. It was a bit of a spazz out moment.

Meeting Chewbacca and an Ewok.

Seeing Darth Maul and Darth Vader walking around back stage. That never got old.

Going to Epcot for my 21st birthday and watching Illuminations with friends.

Meeting my best friend who I call my twin. I donno how I lived without him in my life.

Meeting, working with, and making friends with some of the most amazing people ever.

Honestly the people you meet and the friends you make are probably the best part of the CP. Working for Disney is amazing but the bonds you make while there are truly something special. I love my D-fam and I know I will be friends with many of them for the rest of my life.

 

[PrincessBetsy]

Thanks Frizzbird and epfootballcutie04 for sharing all that. Reading about all those experiences really makes me want to go to WDW right now.

Frizzbird, I can't believe that you got to see Joey Fatone. That is awesome!!