dcplifeadvice

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THINGS YOU SHOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF

So there’s lots of cool things you can do in Disney and I wish like hell I would’ve done them

-Sunrise yoga in MK

Magic kingdom offers sunrise yoga in front of the castle for cast members. I never did it because “ughhhh earlyyyy” but missing sleep for one day won’t kill you

-Mickys not so scary/ Christmas party

I didn’t do either of these because I didn’t think it’d be worth it. But it is, because how many times will you be able to say you did?

- Club Villian

IM SO MAD ABOUT THIS ONE

So in Hollywood Studios on the weekends, if you are 21+, there is a night club where it’s all you can eat (and drink) while partying with villains. I wanted to do this so badly but no one else did.

-Breakfast at Beast’s castle

It’s so much cheaper to have breakfast at Be Our Guest than dinner

-Eat everything at Food and Wine

If your program is in the fall like mine was, food and wine is a must. But I missed out on so much food because I worked at Epcot and obviously didn’t want to go there on my day off BUT GO ANYWAY

-Any parade

I only got to see electric light parade once and it was the last night and I wish I had gone more (the ones in DAK are amazing too)

There are so many more but if you know of any others, message me and I’ll post them!

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REASONS DISNEY IS BASICALLY THE MILITARY

So the DCP is amazing but it tends to share some resemblances to living on a military base.. **disclaimer- no im not saying Disney is harder than the military or bashing the military. This is satire** REASONS- 1. Must carry issued ID. Disney insists you carry your housing and blue ID with you everywhere. As does the military 2. Need aforementioned ID to enter housing/base 3. Any guests must present government id and be signed in 4. No overnight guests and no one enters after a certain time 5. "Amenities". Bases have movie theaters, we have movie nights and pools. Commons has The Grid, bases have NEX. 6. Formal events. Fall programs get formal, military has balls every year 7. Required uniforms for certain times. Different camo for different things, different costumes for the same reason 8. Garbage food. Seriously, Sodexo needs to step it up 9. Main boss that you never see but all know. Disney has Bob Iger, military has the President 10. At the end of the day, your job sucks and you're underpaid, but you get to see cool shit no one else does. Ex- military gets to blow shit up/ take apart planes. We get to ride space mountain with the lights on. I could honestly go on all day, but that's a bit much. Feel free to add more in the comments!

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I want to share with you all some photos of my program to prove that there is fun to be had

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Got a question? Let me know!

I'm a sad adult who always has her phone and is always available to answer any questions you may have. And if I'm not sure, I have an arsenal of 50+ people that I met on my program who I talk to on the daily. We are here for you, so ask away!

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Money saving tips- Expectation vs. Reality

It's no secret that while on your program you'll want to save money so you don't go broke. So here are the common tips vs. what's actually going to happen #1- E:Buy your own groceries! R: You'll buy them the first week and then once a month after. MAYBE #2 E: Don't spend money on food at the parks! R: That sounds great but have you tried the corn dog nuggets at Casey's Corner? #3 E: Don't buy merch at the park, go to cast connections! R: It's all garbage. With an occasional gem. But they do have cheap food essentials #4 E: Even though you're not supposed to, get a PT job! R: Do you want to get termed? Because that's how you get termed. #5 E: You won't have time to party, so don't worry about spending money on alcohol! R: In your spare time you'll most likely make friends with a cheap bottle of wine #6 E: If you're in food service, don't eat it! R: 99.9% of my time I was doing exactly that. A girls gotta eat That's all I can think of right now, but trust me, saving money there is hard. It's Disney for crying out loud. But appreciate it while you're there. Being broke isn't the worst thing in the world.

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Traditions!

So I know the waves of acceptances are coming out and congrats if you got it!! It's an amazing opportunity that will lead to great jobs in the future. But this post is about your first day of "work" called traditions. I can't tell you exactly what happens because that ruins the surprise for you, but I can tell you what to wear and what to expect. CLOTHES- So whenever you have to attend something that isn't in costume, you'll be wearing business casual. And a lot of people are confused as to what that means. The Disney program blog tells you, but in my opinion it's confusing. So, - if your arrival is in the late summer or early summer, it's hot in Florida. You'll be inside most of the day, but you still want to be comfortable. A lot of woman wore nice dresses with something to cover the shoulders. - you are allowed to wear jeans but make sure they are dark wash. It looks better. Pair it with a nice blouse and either a sweater or a blazer. - if you have any tattoos, make sure they are covered. I have one and it wasn't an issue because it was covered. - on the topic of tattoos, they honestly don't care if you have a full sleeve. Just keep it covered while you're working - SHOES wear comfortable shoes! I know your heels look cute as all get out, but you could be standing/ walking for a period of time. -make sure your shoes are already broken in. I'm a dummy and didn't break mine in and it was awful. Even sitting became painful FOR MEN - you want to wear either a button down shirt or a nice sweater - pants should be wrinkle free and pressed -shoes should be dressy and clean -ties are optional but they always look nice WHAT TO EXPECT -you'll be going to Disney university on the cast buses crammed with other new cps. Buses can be late or early so be at the stop 15 minutes early - you'll get checked in and cast members will be looking to see how you're dressed - at traditions they discuss the park and the magic you will be making for your program - cast members may tell stories of magical moments they experienced on the job. It's actually really cute - you may take a walk, you may not. It rained my day so we stayed inside - make sure you bring snacks. Traditions is 8 hours and you'll get hungry -DO NOT FALL ASLEEP. They will make you stand up and it's pretty embarrassing Other than that, it's a pretty normal day. Have fun, and don't stress out!

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Shoutout to my 100th follower!

@disneyfreak93 Thank you for the support guys. It means a lot!!

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Considering self terming? Read this first

Well, as much as you hate to admit it, maybe your program isn’t what you thought it would be. Your job sucks or your roommates are horrible, or your own personal reasons. ITS NORMAL. I considered it probably 80% of my time there. But you need to find your reason to stay. Remember these things first-

- you wanted this so badly - you did your interviews and made it - you’ve put in the time and effort for this, moving your home, changing your life for this - no matter your role, Disney will always make you stand out in the future

And I know you don’t see it that way. I’m a theatre major and I worked in food. I questioned how the hell this would help me. But it does. Every day you put on a show. You could be having the worst day ever; guests yelling at you, managers are being assholes, and maybe even your coworkers suck. But you choose to ignore it and make magic, that’s no small feat.

It’s hard, it really is. But try to see the benefits of you doing this. It’s only 5 months, you can do this and there is always someone to talk to. You can talk to me if its getting rough. I will listen and offer whatever advice I can. Remember the motto for your program- we are all in this together. I believe in you.

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STORY TIME

So, when I started the program I was super excited because I've waited 3 years and 3 tries to get in. I was excited to see my roommates and start working a great job. WRONG. My roommates and I didn't really get along and I had probably one of the worst jobs there is. The job itself wasn't bad, but my managers were. They didn't care about us or our concerns. They would talk down on us and treat us like children. Eventually it lead to many people calling out. Including myself. Mostly for health reasons but we aren't perfect. Anyway, the program is nearing its end and we are all excited to get out of this job. I clocked in for my last shift, got my assignment, and was on my way. I got stopped by a leader who told me another manager was looking for me. Now, it's my last day, and I have to see her immediately? I knew what was coming. I said a few goodbyes to friends I knew I wouldn't see again, stepped into the office, and proceeded to get termed. On my last day. The moral of this story is that, it doesn't matter how much of yourself you put into your job. How nice you are, or respectful. If your managers genuinely don't care, you could end up like me. I'm not bitter in any way. In fact, I thought it was funny. But to some, this could be the worst thing ever. PEOPLE GET TERMED FOR STUPID THINGS. So if you do end up like me, take it with a grain of salt. It's not you, it's them. I promise. Stay golden ponyboy ✌🏼️

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Housing

Okay so I live in Commons which in my personal opinion is the nicest complex but here's a basic run down of the complexes I know with a little extra for Commons Patterson- Honestly I've never even set foot in Patterson but from what I've heard it's very quiet and slightly boring Chatham- Chatham is VERY nice. Pretty sure it's becoming the new Vista with the sheer amount of parties that are hosted there. Apartments are nice and good size and it's right near mickeys retreat ( as if anyone actually goes there) Vista Slay- Oh vista, what would DCP be without you? Vista is known for its party reputation and that's true to a degree. Yes I've been to a few and they were nowhere near as crazy as I was promised. Though a few things do hold true to vista. Day one of being at Disney I had my drug test (not all roles get tested) and it was at vista. As soon as I stepped off the bus I smelled weed. Not to mention I've seen people smoking openly (DONT DO THAT YOU CAN GET TERMED) but other than that it's pretty basic. Commons- Okay so commons is dead quiet. I rarely see people outside ever. For the first 2 months, my roommates and I were the only parties happening. It's gotten better though. We have the washer and dryer in the apartment which is the best part, we have the grid (basically an expensive convenience store) and are pool is really nice. Overall I'd give it 8/10. 8 because it's so damn expensive. My 3 bedroom 6 person is $110 a week. Do you know what I could buy with $110? Groceries. I could finally buy groceries.

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DCP Apartments - Part One!

I got a request to give out some info on Disney Apartments So here is part one. It’s more about how you request your preferences and prices. Part two will be more about the differences between them regarding what each of them has to offer :) This is all information from the Disney Blogs if you want to find the page where I got the information from.

10 days before your arrival date, Disney will e-mail you a link to access DORMS (Disney Onsite Resident Management System).

There you will be able to request;

Apartment Community (apartment complex)

Unit size

Name(s) and roommate number(s) of individuals with whom they would like to live

Disney’s Program Blog says, “We will do our best to accommodate all preferences, but we cannot guarantee any specific placement requests.” so keep that in mind. You may request Chatham, but you could get Vista Way. 

The site to request roommates will look like this;

There are four different apartment complexes; Vista Way Two Bedroom = $96.00 a week Three Bedroom = $86.00 a week Chatham Square One Bedroom = $101.00 a week Two Bedroom = $101.00 a week Three Bedroom = $91.00 a week Four Bedroom = $91.00 a week Patterson Court One Bedroom = $101.00 a week Two Bedroom = $101.00 a week Three Bedroom = $91.00 a week The Commons One Bedroom = $105.00 a week Two Bedroom = $105.00 a week Three Bedroom = $93.00 a week Four Bedroom = $93.00 a week The form on DORMS to make your requests looks like this;

Your housing payments are due every week. (That is why the prices are listed per week). Your payments will be taken directly out of your paychecks! I believe that if you want to pay your apartment upfront you can. I also believe that if you had to miss days a work and your paycheck will not cover that weeks rent, you can just pay it out of pocket at an office down there. 

Stay tuned for Part Two :) 

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DISNEY COLLEGE PROGRAM: the shit they don't really tell you. PART 6.

SHIT YOU CAN GET TERMED FOR THAT DISNEY MIGHT NOT TELL YOU

Okay so Disney World has a long never ending list of shit you can get termed for. Unfortunately, they don’t really tell you all of it and some DCPers had to find out the hard way that some things they thought they were allowed to do, were not okay. Aside from the obvious underage drinking type ones, ill tell you guys the not-so-obvious ones too, so you can make sure you don’t make a mistake that can cost you your program.

FYI: THESE ARE NOT ASSUMPTIONS OR JUST “SHIT I HEARD.” these are actual reasons, that people i actually know, actually got termed for.

1. CALLING IN AND GOING TO THE PARKS. This is one of the main reasons people get termed. There are two types of call-ins; Sick or Personal. Some locations say you can go to the parks if you call in personal, some locations say you can’t go to the parks no matter what kind of call-in you make. I don’t think anyone even knows for sure, but I’ve seen people get in trouble either way. DO NOT use your cast member ID for ANYTHING if you call-in. You can’t get into the parks from backstage if you call-in. And your locations WILL check. You CAN go to downtown Disney, just be sure not to use your ID number for any discounts. You can show them your ID if it’s a third party store (like the harley davidson store, or one of the non disney clothes stores) but don’t use it at a store that sells disney merch that disney cast members work at.

2. GETTING CAUGHT UNDERAGE DRINKING Okay, this is the actual main reason people get termed. If you’re going to drink underage, you better be smart about it. DO NOT let anyone take pictures of you holding ANY type of drink or with ANY type of drink in the picture. My first program they called 16 of us into the housing office because someone saw a picture on Facebook of one of my friends with a box of beer in the background of his picture. We all would have gotten termed but he took the blame for it and went home instead. I’ve had friends who had snapchats of them drinking screenshotted and shown to Disney. You can’t trust none of these hoes. Don’t let people take pictures of you no matter how on point your outfit looks. Also, don’t stumble into your apartment complex obviously shitfaced. I had a friend get termed for this too.

3. USING A PARENTS CREDIT CARD TO BUY MERCHANDISE This one is fucked up because if your parents come visit and you want to buy merchandise with your discount, you CAN NOT let a cashier see you take the money or credit card from your parents hand. A friend of mine bought over $1000 worth of merchandise, the cashier saw him get a credit card from his mom and wrote down his ID number and he was termed the next day. He didn’t even realize he was doing something wrong. Make sure you get the credit card or money from your parents before you go into the store.

4. FAILING BACKGROUND CHECK If you lie about being convicted of something or whatever on your initial application, and they find out when they run your background check, you will be termed the first day. Even if its something that happened a long time ago. Don’t lie!!

5. DRUGS This one is fucked up too because I had no idea they could do this until it happened to my friend. The Disney housing security apparently smelled weed outside their doorway at 4am. They literally banged on the door at 4am and woke them all up. They then made all of the girls go into the living room while they rummaged through ALL OF THEIR SHIT IN THEIR BEDROOMS. I mean ALL of their shit including their underwear drawers . They can straight up violate your shit and look through whatever they want to look through. Its fucked up but they are allowed to do whatever they want. Just be careful.

6. POSTING SHIT ON THE INTERNET Don’t post anything negative about your job, disney, a co-worker, a roommate, ANYTHING on the internet. Anyone can turn anything around and Disney literally shows no mercy. Don’t hashtag “disney problems” or anything. A friend of mine posted a meme with mickey mouse giving the middle fingers or some shit like that, and a co-worker of hers turned it around and said she posted it about her and she got termed. She later got un-termed because someone else stuck up for her and its a long story but just dont post stupid shit or anything negative about Disney on the internet. They have people whos literal JOB is to search the internet for shit like that and its really not worth it.

7. HAVING YOUR BLUE ID SHOWING ON STAGE Do not EVER walk around the parks EVER with your Blue disney ID showing on your lanyard. If a manager or anyone sees this and is feeling extra asshole-ish that day, they can have you termed. (Managers are allowed to wear theirs, but if you see a fellow CP with theirs showing, be nice and tell them to put it away because sometimes people forget!)

8. USING BACKSTAGE ENTRANCES TO PLAY IN THE PARKS AS A GUEST If you are going into the parks on your off-day, you are considered a guest and must enter and exit the same way the guests do. Technically. Most CPs don’t follow this rule. I got screamed at by Epcot security backstage for doing this, and YES it is grounds for termination, so be careful. If you end up getting caught, just say you worked earlier and changed so you can play in the parks, or you had to go to costuming, or your costume is in your locker and you’re changing for work.

9. SNEAKING PEOPLE IN This one is obvious, if you get caught sneaking people into an apartment complex you will get termed, but the security guards DO do random trunk checks on occasion, so don’t put anyone in your trunk. Also, I heard my first program people got termed for going into the complex sitting in the bed of a truck, obviously not trying to sneak in.

10. HAVING ANOTHER JOB Apparently you’re not allowed to have another job while you’re on the DCP. People still do it, just don’t post about it online anywhere.

11. MAINGATING PEOPLE IN AND THEN GOING HOME If you use your maingate passes to get people into the parks, you’re supposed to stay with them. Disney has a creepy way of knowing if you stay with them or not. Don’t be obvious and let them in and walk in with them and then turn around and exit right away.

12. SELLING YOUR MAINGATES I don’t know how the HELL my first program roommate got away with selling literally all of hers, but the amount of people that got caught selling theirs my second program was ridiculous.

13. WEARING YOUR NAMETAG OUTSIDE OF WORK If you go out to eat or anything with co-workers after work, make sure you take your nametags off! You can get in troubsssss.

14. BEING A SHITTY WORKER By this I mean, stay the fuck awake. If you fall asleep at work (Lifeguards, Attraction Tower positions, etc) You will get termed on the spot. Having your phone out at work too can get you termed on the spot. Also, my friend in QSFB was termed for LEANING ON THE COUNTER AND NOT SMILING although he was already in deep shit at his job and they hated him. Just be a good worker and if you’re not one, fake it.

15. CURFEW If you fuck with the curfew rules, obviously you can get termed. Like if you are caught leaving Vista at 3am and you’re housing ID says patterson. Security doesnt really check when you’re walking out of the complex but just pretend youre on the phone so they don’t say anything to you.

16. TAKING TIPS AT WORK Unless you’re housekeeping, you don’t get to keep any tippys. If you do and someone knows about it and rats you out, you’re done.

17. PUNCHING SOMEONE IN THE FACE OUTSIDE OF MY APARTMENT AT 2AM Yep. Dont do that.

Thats all I can think of for now. Aside from the obvious attendance reprimand stuff, which can be slightly confusing SO if anyone has questions about that let me know!

-DANNI NICOLE <3

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Housing sometimes does really cool things like character meet and greets. (Also pool parties, movie nights, grocery bingo, and field trips)

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Working

So when I got cast it was as a lifeguard. For my own personal reasons I got a role change (yes you can change your role if you don't feel comfortable with it) and got switched to outdoor vending. My job is super easy. The people i work with are incredible and I love them. However, outdoor vending is pretty low on role totem pole. Guests can be shitty and so can your management team. But that doesn't mean I don't get the full experience of working for Disney. I still get the magical moments and have actually made friends with guests. So if you're struggling with your current role or your nervous about what you got cast as DONT BE. Talk to people who work that role! You'd be amazed with how many people keep vlogs of their life down here. And they love answering questions and I can too.