Showing posts with label Disney University. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Disney University. Show all posts

Friday, October 2, 2015

Being a Bell Service Dispatch/Greeter

How y'all doing welcome to Port Orleans!

     And welcome to being a Bell Service Dispatch/Greeter at a Moderate Resort at Disney. This role is genuinely what you make it, you have a fair amount of freedom without management or guests constantly watching your every move. That being said when managers are around, you never get stressed about if your doing it right or not because it's so simple. And when guests enter and exit the property, you simply interact with them as you see fit, just always say hello and have fun!
     For my resort, being a moderate, we had a few different positions you could have for a shift...luggage greeter, lane greeter, dispatch and transfers. Each nearly as easy as the last. During a luggage greeter shift, your primary responsibilities are to greet guests coming off the Disney Magical Express (DME) from the airport or returning from the parks, wish them well as they depart the resort for the airport or head to the parks, answer any questions they have and store their luggage when necessary. Lane greeter is essentially the same, but rather than store luggage you are more responsible for keeping the lane where cars pull in and out clear and making sure no one parks there. Transfer shifts were some of my favorite and you'll realize you are literally "making the magic" for guests. So....when guests change resorts during their stay, they can have us move their bags from resort to resort for them rather than taking them themselves. That's where the transfer shift comes in, you drive the big 'ol transfer van full of luggage to the resorts that guests are moving to. Each day your trip length will vary, I've been done in 30 minutes while other days I'd be gone 5 hours. Once your done with the transfer shift, you'll return to your resort and do a normal luggage greeter shift until your 8 hours are up. 
     Lastly you have dispatch, this is where your job can get stressful but not to the point where you'll break down. You'll be in front of the computer answering phones and putting in work orders for bellmen to deliver bags to rooms. It took nearly a month and a half before I got trained for this part of my role because it requires you to take a class at DU but it's not terrible. The system you'll use is super simple and once you understand it you can do it in your sleep.
     And there you have the Bell Service Dispatch/Greeter role at a moderate resort. If you end up at a Deluxe Resort, basically eliminate the greeter roles. You'll only be doing dispatch, transfers and luggage room, where you stand at the bell service desk and get luggage from the luggage room when guests need it.
     At the end of the day I loved my role and the people I got to work with. I had a ton of fun at work once I got comfortable there and the fellow cast members became some of my best friends!

Friday, September 4, 2015

Traditions

And now you're an official Cast Member...

     Don't hold in the excitement, let it out and get jazzed up, you are a Cast Member, you have your name tag and can finally go to the parks! Traditions was a great day, long, yes, but as magical as you may suspect it to be. It is about 5 or 6 hours of nothing but why Disney is the best at what they do.
     I had the second session of traditions (sad face) so I started at 2:30, my bus left Chatham at 1:30. We arrived to Disney University and they began dividing us up into our different classes, it is completely random so if you arrived with your roommates there is a good chance that you will be split up, which is good because it gives you the opportunity to meet new people! We got into class...don't touch the red box...and for the next few hours we learned all about Disney's history and their standards.
     The class was certainly long but was not too boring or egregious, the coordinators keep you engaged and try and make it fun with trivia and prizes. Once the class begins its conclusion, a special guest arrives and brings your name tags and your employee IDs! When you are out of Traditions, I highly recommend you do as dreamers do and go to the Magic Kingdom ASAP and watch Wishes.
     It worked our perfectly for myself and a few friends as we walked under the railroad as the clock struck 10 and Wishes began, could not have been more perfect. We watched, I smiled, the whole time, like a 5 year old and then enjoyed the final 45 minutes the park was open. We hit Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear and Peter Pan's Flight all before they closed Magic Kingdom. Needless to say I was extremely excited and could not contain it, I was shameless. Having tons of fun, dancing around having a great time as I recommend you do too. You are now officially in Disney World and a Cast Member, you are in The Most Magical Place on Earth, where dreams come true, have fun and let it all hang out!