California Grill

Expensive yes...worth it...also yes

     Now first off, if you wanna go to California Grill make your reservation as soon as you know your are doing your DCP and put the money aside for it, otherwise you will likely be unable to do it when you are here. That being said the way this all worked out for me is pretty crazy but at the end of the day I could not have been happier that I went and had the opportunity to eat there because aside from Victoria & Albert's, California Grill is the next best restaurant on Disney property.

     As soon as I found out I got accepted I immediately started bringing up with family and friends, who was visiting and when. So all the way back in March, months before my arrival, I made the reservation for California Grill for myself, my brother and his girlfriend to eat at when they were planned to visit. I had been looking forward to it for months and unfortunately they could not make it for financial reasons. But there was no way I was cancelling this reservation because it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. 

     Therefore between my arrival and the date of the reservation I had been stressing about who I would ask to come and if anyone at all would be able to afford coming. Everyone doing the CP knows how expensive this place is and not everyone is in the financial place to afford such a meal. Thankfully, I was fortunate enough that two of my roommates and one of my other friends were willing to drop the coin on this meal and were just as excited to join me.

     I was massively nervous when I got my work schedule for the week of this reservation when I saw I was scheduled on this day, but lucked out because I was out of work with enough time to get to the Contemporary. 

     We arrived at the Contemporary about 45 minutes before our reservation just to wander around and explored the hotel. None of us had ever been in the Contemporary before, other than cruising through on the monorail. So we took our time, perused the shops they had and enjoyed the atmosphere. It was a great time to just relax and enjoy the fact that we have this opportunity to be in Disney and do this kind of thing leisurely.

     We finally went to the restaurant for dinner and from the moment you get up there it is unreal the views you have. You can see over the entire Seven Seas Lagoon, inside all of Magic Kingdom with a great look into Tomorrowland and you are even able to see EPCOT from the observation deck. We took our time and enjoyed our meal just mind blown at everything they had to offer. The perk of eating at Cali Grill is you are able to come back to the restaurant to watch the fireworks in Magic Kingdom. It was great that we had the reservation on a night of MNSSHP so we got to come back later and watch Hallowishes. 

     We had about 2 hours to kill between the end of our dinner and the fireworks, so we spent time out on the observation deck taking in the views and taking pictures and then went back downstairs to roam around the resort again.Watching the fireworks from atop the Contemporary is amazing. We were so high up it felt like we were in line with the height of the fireworks and you get a great view of the all the perimeter fireworks as they pop off. End of the day, if you have the opportunity to get a reservation, DO IT! You will not regret it!

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!

Discounts & Perks

It is what we all look forward to...

Let's be honest, it's main reason I wanted to do the DCP.

First and foremost Free.Park.Ad.Mission. enjoy it while you can, we are subject to blackout dates at certain parks at certain times but that's something you'll check on TheHub, the Disney employee website.

20% merchandise discount and for those of you lucky ones doing the fall program, 40% when the holiday celebration begins. This applies to all Disney merchandise in the parks and at Downtown Disney, also all those Starbucks mugs your gonna see. Enjoy it, don't regret not buying something.

Food discounts are limited and minimal but are out there. Quick service discounts are far and few between and nonexistent in the parks, it's mainly only at resorts. Full service restaurant discounts are more common but usually not at the big name restaurants. The discounts are usually either 20% or 

40% depending on location and service type, the locations and percentages you will find on TheHub.

Special events and tours give Cast Member discounts. What you're gonna care most about, Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. These discounts apply for select dates and prices vary, I think mine were about $50 and $70 respectively, but check TheHub for those. Likewise for tours, I only did the Wild Africa Trek which was about 50% off and all are also listed on TheHub.

Backstage tours are gonna vary depending on your workplace. From how you sign up to do them to where you will do them. At Port we straight up had a sign up sheet in the bellstand and it was luck of the draw, we benefited from getting a CP exclusive one that all CPs from Port got to do, but it's all about where you work. I did two, one of Great Movie Ride and the other at Fantasmic. I know of people who did Rock N Roller Coaster, Expedition Everest and Haunted Mansion...overall your time will come, just be patient.

Company D has Cast Member exclusive merchandise and is where you purchase all discounted tickets and passes. I only went there to pick up tix and passes, they have cool Cast Member exclusive merchandise as well, all I purchased was a Cast Member magnet, but they have pins, apparel, etc.

Cast Connection is basically the Disney merchandise thrift store. There's gonna be a lot of old, undesirable cheap merchandise there that is refreshed almost daily. But every now and then you will find a diamond in the rough there but it's all by chance. It's cool to wander around and check it all out knowing it's exclusive and when you hit gold, get pumped.

Florida Resident Universal Annual Pass, cause you live in Florida now. You have to go to your housing front desk to get proof of Florida residency, just go ask and they know why you need it, everyone asks for it. They'll print it out, take it with you to the Universal ticketing window and your good to go.

The outlet malls and various restaurants in the Disney area give Cast Member discounts. The full list is on TheHub so you can fully explore that list, I know I used mine at the Nike outlet and Noodles and Company.

At the end of the day, if your in Disney and buying something...just ask if you get a discount, I did it all the time and it's easier than just wondering, you know they get asked it all the time.

Essentials to Pack

Obvious and not so obvious...

This is the short list of things I recommend packing, other obvious stuff like tank tops and shorts I won't bore anyone with. Some of these are obvious but they are all items I cannot stress enough to people doing the DCP. They all made my life so much easier during my time in Disney, and they should do the same for all of you. I'll even throw some links in here to what I used.

Rain Gear: It's Florida, rain is about as predictable as lottery numbers and is spotty as a dalmatian. I've left Chatham where it's pouring, showed up to MK and it's gorgeous, so ya never know. Last thing you want is being caught without some form of rain gear, so always keep a poncho or rain jacket with you when your at the parks.

Portable Phone Charger: I commend anyone who can survive a day at the parks on one full phone charge, I know I couldn't. So invest in one, they can be cheap or expensive depending on how much extra charge you want with you, but you'll be happy when it's 2PM and you can fully recharge while standing in line or eating.

Portable Phone Charger

Refillable Water Bottle: It's hot, your gonna get dehydrated easily and there are water fountains everywhere to refill. Get used to drinking like a fish to stay functional and avoid headaches, never left my apartment without mine.

Water Bottle

Running Shoes: Don't be the person complaining about your feet hurting. They're comfortable, you'll have plenty of support and you'll be able to walk all day without issues. These are an essential.

Sweatshirt & Sweatpants: Whaaat??? But it's Florida! And your not paying utilities so your apartment will always be an ice box. And if you do the fall program, the winter months can hit 60s and 50s at night, you'll want that sweatshirt....trust me.

Cheap Sunglasses: Keyword here is cheap. Mine fell off my face, got tossed in my bag, into the storage nets on rides and just all around beat up. They cost $20, so I could've cared less what happened to them or if I lost them. Was just one thing I never had to stress about.

Sunglasses

Backpack: Between work and the parks, your gonna be bringing stuff with you everywhere you go. For me, I always had my water bottle, rain jacket, keys, portable phone charger, wall charger, wallet and who knows what else depending on where I was going. So you probably have a backpack already. I was rarely seen without mine, bring it down with you and you'll probably use it religiously.

Brita Filter: You will use it every day in your apartment, especially knowing how hot it gets. Even though I had no issue using the water fountains in the parks for water, but when I could use my Brita in my apartment I did.

The hunt for 999,999 and MNSSHP

It has been almost a month...

     And it is hard for all of us in the apartment to believe. Between working all the time and going to the parks consistently, time is FLYING by and that is not an understatement, but we are making the most of it. Out of the 25 days I have been here, 13 of them I have been to the parks, and I could not be happier.

     So far I have been to Magic Kingdom the most (shocker I know) but it has the most to do and always has the longest hours. During one of these trips I purchased the Mickey's Kitchen Sink Sundae, $15 yes but 1000% worth it, I got a great souvenir and serious stomachache, totally worth it though. If you plan on getting it I'd recommend sharing it with a friend as I did, even though I ate most and my stomach paid the price, its a significant amount of sugar that should be shared among two people in my opinion. 

     Since day one here, I have been determined to get 999,999 on Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin and I swear it will happen eventually. I have been on it 8 times already and the closest I have come is 918,000...I was LIVID when I missed by so little, but I'm getting there and before I leave Florida I will complete the quest for 999,999.

     On this past Tuesday myself and a few friends made the decision to go to Magic Kingdom all day and do nothing but character meet and greets. It was a great decision and a great day, we got to the park about an hour after opening and just went to work. We met Woody and Jessie by Splash Mountain, Donald, Daisy, Goofy and Minnie at Storybook Circus, Buzz Lightyear in Tomorrowland, Merida by Cinderella Castle and on our way out we met Aurora next to Guest Services. Sadly, I forgot my autograph book that day, but did not forget it that evening for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party!

     Yup, it is that time of year in Disney where the special ticketed events are in full force, and we are starting with the Halloween party. I went that evening with my friend from my building, she went as Spongebob and I essentially Disney Bounded as Mickey. Although 5 hours is no where near enough time to explore the entire party, you'll just have to prioritize what you want to do and do it. We ended up meeting Lots-O, Gaston, and Minnie, Donald and Daisy in their Halloween costumes, riding Space Mountain and Buzz Lightyear, watched the Hocus Pocus Stage Show, the Boo To You Parade and Hallowishes, and Trick or Treated around MK. There is so much to do at the party with all the special characters out for meet and greets and the trick or treating locations, but just make the most of it and have fun, we did and had no regrets on what we ended up doing while there. 

     Lastly, work has been the same old same old for the most part, continuing to enjoy it for what it is and being content that it is rather stress free. The newest part of my job has been transfers, where we load up a van with guests' luggage who are moving from our property to another Disney resort. The most intimidating aspect is driving the big van with all the luggage, but after I do it enough times I will get more comfortable with it.

     As you may or may not be able to tell, I am loving it down here. I am making the most of my time, have met great people along the way and continue to enjoy my time here. Food and Wine starts today, more plans for other activities are in the works and I cannot wait to see what next week has in store!

Work Hard, Play Hard

Work has begun...but I won't stop playing...

     I'm exhausted and it is 100% worth it. Over the past days since my previous post, I have started working at Port Orleans as a Bell Service Dispatch/Greeter and I have gone to parks on almost all of those days and I could not be happier about it.

     Work is incredibly simple and, thankfully, after a rocky first day, it is a great role to have. I have worked primarily day shifts but I know that is changing as my upcoming week is all closing shifts #CP #ClosingPersonnel. And I know a lot of CPs will complain about them. but being here a week, I'd rather have the closing shifts because all my roommates and friends work them as well and we would all rather work at the same time so we can go to the parks at the same time.

     As a Bell Service Dispatch/Greeter at Port Orleans, we are first trained as greeters, which is as simple as it sounds. We stand outside the resort, say hi to everyone entering and exiting, store luggage, answer questions and things along those lines. So far it has been rather stress free and now that I have started to become more talkative and cordial with my co-workers, it has become rather enjoyable. I stand outside all day in the shade with a Mickey Glove on and wave to everyone, kids and parents love it and seeing the smiles on people's faces make it all worth it.

     So for the most part that is work, pretty easy and simple, not much to it yet. On the flip side, I continue to run myself ragged going to parks all the time and I love it. I've had 2 days off and went all day at the parks both days. Even after work, getting out at 5:30, pending the day and park hours, I could have 2 or 3 hours to spend at one of the parks....so I have. Whether alone or with others, I have tried to do something everyday after work. I have been to EPCOT and Magic Kingdom the most, primarily because their hours are the longest, but on my day off I did Animal Kingdom in the morning since you really need the park's full hours to get the most out of it, at least in my opinion.

     I have been keeping track of what parks I go to on what days, how many times I go to each park and how many times I ride everything. Just a personal thing, and I know a lot of other people do it as well, but I'd like to see at the end how much I REALLY did during my program.

After Traditions...Before Work

The honeymoon phase...

     It's too real, you have so much freedom for a few days I knew I could not contain myself. After my first night at Magic Kingdom after Traditions, I had nearly 4 full days of freedom with the exception of one, 4 hour class. During these 4 days, I can confidently say you have the opportunity to either make the most of it, or waste it away but that depends on who you are. For me, I went to 4 parks, 1 water park and am pretty sure I cemented some pretty solid friendships in the process.

     As of now I lucked out with roommates, we are getting along swimmingly, both in and out of the apartment, and I could not be happier! Likewise I have a few friends that I met through Facebook prior to the program, friends of friends who I finally had a chance to connect with and my Australian/New Zealand girls who live on the 3rd floor of my building who are loads of fun!

     Friday started slow, all of my roommates had class that day, I did not. Got away with a late start, hit Publix with some of my new friends from down undah in the AM and then rolled over to Magic Kingdom in the afternoon with one of my roommates who finished at 12:30. Spent a few hours there having a blast then picked up my friend from school after work (she was on Main Street), met up with another roommate and went to Hollywood Studios for a few rides and the Frozen Fireworks. Fireworks were UNREAL! I thought Frozen was good, I enjoy the music but the fireworks Studios put on were over the top incredible!

     Saturday was the day with 1 class at Disney University, but it was in the morning so I had the entire latter half of the day to have fun. Therefore I made the most of it, some of my roommates had training, one had laundry, I was ready to get out and do stuff. So I agreed to take one of my friends to work and then just spend my time at EPCOT after I dropped her off. Although I was alone, it was immensely relaxing to have nothing tying you down and being able to do whatever you want. For about 4 hours I just wandered, did a few rides, explored some of the pavilions and then my roommates met me that evening to watch Illuminations. My biggest recommendation is do not be afraid to go the parks alone, you have the chance to do WHATEVER you want with no one stopping you and you can just relax, it is great!

     Sunday we planned all too well, hit Animal Kingdom in the morning, head home for a pre-nighttime nap, pick up our friend from EPCOT then hit Magic Kingdom for Wishes. That is exactly what happened, Animal Kingdom from open until 3ish, with breakfast at Tusker House, solid hour and change nap, throw in the curveball of hitting EPCOT at 8 to get a ride on Soarin' (10 minute wait....WHAT WHAT!) and run out and catch Illuminations. Grabbed our friend at 9:15, walked through the entrance of Magic Kingdom at 9:45, caught Wishes, grabbed my first Dole Whip then enjoyed the attractions until midnight when they closed.

     Monday wasn't quite as packed but goodness did we have a blast. Typhoon Lagoon in the mornin', did all the slides, wave pool and lazy river in 3 hours, murdered it. Came home to relax and rest our feet, then went to Studios that afternoon to catch the final showing of the Frozen Fireworks...not gonna not. It was the most enjoyable, amusing night ever and I feel like the group I was with bonded real well. We all grabbed ice cream of various types (Mickey Bars was the majority) ended up dancing like SAVAGES on Hollywood Blvd. for a solid 45 minutes leading up to the fireworks at 9. When you are at Disney, let it all hang out, no one will judge you, it is Disney, everyone is there to have fun, so HAVE FUN! We watched the fireworks, loved every second, and now I have entered reality where I have work all of the upcoming 4 days. I am ready, I am excited and cannot wait to get into the work groove at Port Orleans!

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!

Between Check-In and Traditions

You'll be stuck in a weird limbo...

     During this time you will get a chance to see how your apartment will function with your roommates, if you like your roommates and meet some new people in your complex. I'm lucky to have some solid roommates and we met our neighbors from upstairs the day we checked-in and they're awesome, I've also taken the time to find the pool and fitness center as well as the closest Publix for all my grocery shopping.

     The first day after check-in you will have your housing meeting at The Commons Clubhouse, its long and pretty boring but we all have to do it so you just gotta tough it out. The remainder of that day is yours to enjoy, I chose to lay by the pool for a few hours and that evening my roommates and I went to the Boardwalk to walk around and ended up getting surprised with a magical moment from a cast member at  the Yacht and Beach Club. He approached us asking what were up to, I told him we are CPs that just arrived and it turned out he offered us a fireworks cruise to watch Illuminations.....ummmm YES PLEASE! It was unexpected, surreal and amazing, I was smiling like a school girl the whole time and loved every second of it!

     Definitely take the time during those few days to find everything in your complex and do some resort hopping if you can, it is a great way to get acquainted with your surroundings and spend the days with people you want to get to know. The more you do and busier you keep yourself the happier you will be, I do not want to stay in my apartment during these days so I've been trying to do whatever I can to get out and enjoy my surroundings.

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Arrival and Check-In

It's finally real....

     And now your official a member of the DCP, you have your housing ID, your program guide and all the anticipation begins to fade, you move in and realize you are here for good. It was a crazy day, constantly occupied with something and by the end of it all I was exhausted, but it was all worth it.

     Check-in at 7:30, arrived at Vista a little after 7 and was one of the first in line which 100% paid off in the end. They started walking us through the check-in process starting with getting your sticker name tag so EVERYONE addresses you by name (only Disney) and you find out your work location, housing complex and roommates, get your ID, get a brief breakdown of your itinerary for that day and the ones to follow...next thing you know your on the bus off to casting.

     Since my check-in was so early they took me straight from check-in to casting (my casting time was 8:30) and when I was on that bus I realized it was real. When you pull up to casting, the building itself is whimsical and pure Disney. Depending on what time you arrive there will determine how long it will take you, but at the end of the day they just do all the usual pre-employment shenanigans and once your out of there you head back to Vista and then to your respective complex

     Being so fortunate, I headed out around 10ish and got to my apartment at Chatham Square at 10:30. I was lucky to end up with the 3 roommates I found on Facebook and linked with through DORMS, but we also ended up with 2 random roommates and are in a 2 bedroom....not pumped about the bunk beds but we'll make do. 

     Today has been pretty exhausting, I have traditions on Thursday my first training class Saturday and my first day of training next Tuesday...oh yeah, I'm working at Port Orleans, pretty excited. When you first move in I'd recommend heading past Walmart on 535 and going to the giant Target at the end of the road on the left. One of the guys from the Auto Train told us that and it was great advice, cause there was no one there; where Walmart (as I'm told) is a madhouse on move in day. Got some household essentials and did some grocery shopping as well.

     If you have a car you will also need to pick up your parking decal from your complex's clubhouse. It couldn't be easier, they ask for your license, vehicle registration and proof of insurance. Took literally a minute and I was done....while at the clubhouse you can grab any kitchen essentials that are not in your apartment. There was a sheet of paper for us to fill out upon arrival in our apartment and we took it to the clubhouse and came back with everything we needed.

     All in all I'm fried, if I lay down I'll be out for a good 2 hours. But it's nice to be all moved in, slowing getting settled and figuring out how the apartment will function, looking forward to the next few days for sure!