#dcp tips

[thatdisneydame]

DCP TIP (Make Yourself Known)

You have hundreds of CMs and CPs at your home location. Stand out. Don’t just punch in work and punch out. That’s a quick way to not get your ERs approved. I’m not saying suck up to the coordinators and leaders. What I am saying is work hard. Go above and beyond. That shows you’re reliable, a hard worker, and willing to do the work. They’ll “let things slide” if they know you can be trusted. Or if there’s a mistake they’ll help you out a lot more too. Other people are more likely to help you if you help them. Now, don’t let yourself get walked over, don’t be a push over because nobody will respect you. You’ll get the respect and love/help from fellow CMs, coordinators, and leaders, if you work hard and are willing to help other people. It’s going to seem thankless at times, but it helps you in the long run. I’ve asked coordinators and leaders to be references and everyone I’ve asked has said yes. You’re in this for the long game. Make every minute count.

[madison-on-mainstreet]

With the new DCP season here, I just wanted to remind everyone that I'm always here to help! I'm an alumni of the program with experience in Front Desk, QSFB, and Park Greeter. I've worked at the All Stars, DAK, and MK. And I'm a current Disney professional intern. Don't be afraid to ask me stuff! My ask box is always open!

[thatdisneydame]

DCP Tip 1 (Do it)

Tip the first. Well, it is super hard to pick the first tip because there are so many thoughts I could put down. However, after thinking about it I decided that tip 1 should be “do it.” Now, I don’t immediately mean the program, I’m not saying do the program. What I mean is apply for the program. I thought tip 1 should correspond to the first thing you need to do if you are considering applying for the program.

If you are considering applying go ahead and apply. You lose nothing by just applying. “Do it.” The application is free and regardless of the outcome (at any point in your application journey) you don’t lose any money. I think of it as a win-win because if you apply and get accepted you get to do the program, if they say not this time, you don’t miss any part of your higher education, and you don’t have to move to Florida or California which is costly and could be very costly depending on how you get there. If you get rejected, it’s ok to feel bad, especially at first. DO NOT GIVE UP HOPE! Apply for the next round ASAP. I know I’ve already talked about this a bit in my blog but, I had a friend who applied four times for the program and got rejected three of the four. Don’t stop because the next time could be your time. The moment you quit you will not be able to go back because your mentality will be all wrong and you have given up hope that you will ever be able to do the DCP.

On the flip side (because balance is very important)

Do not apply if you know you are not mentally capable of working 30+ hours a week and ~50+ during the holidays where there is extremely high capacity all the time. Do not apply if you would have to stretch the truth or lie during your pi (phone interview). The recruiters know when you’re doing this, and if by chance you do get hired, you will be 1) in for a very rude awakening because as awesome as the DCP is, it is not Mickey Mouse and sunshine and flowers all the time. Sometimes it is getting yelled at by a guest for something you didn’t do or can not control, staying in the park until several hours past close because it was such a mess and now it has to be cleaned. It is roomate problems sometimes because we are all human and make mistakes. But 2) you will also be taking the place of someone who is willing to work those long hours and just genuinely wants to make magic and be there. Personally I got “upset” when I would work with any CP who complained the whole time they worked and complained all the time after work. When they applied they may have thought it was going to be going to the parks every other day and hanging out with your friends, but it is not. It is hard work no matter what role you end up getting. There are aspects of each that are challenging and can be even more challenging when you have hot and angry guests yelling at you. I’ll just mention it here but I’ll do a whole other post on this one. When you get hired, go into the program with the mentality that this is first and foremost a job. You moved to California or Florida for the purpose to work and Disney (your leaders, coordinators, trainers, and fellow cm/CPs) expect you to work.

I don’t want to end this on a negative so I’m going to do a quick bounce back to the “Do it” mentality. If you can mentally handle the responsibilities of living and working on your own, I say apply because you have nothing to lose! Do some research on the roles you want to make sure that is what you actually want because every role you check is a role you’ll be considered for. After you decide you want to do the program, go ahead and apply. Pull a Nike and just do it.

[thatdisneydame]

DCP Tip update

So I’ve not gotten a lot of action on my post about asking if you all would like to see more DCP tips and have a whole section dedicated to it. I’m not sure why, but I know when I was applying and doing my program I wished there were more tips and such online. That being the case I am going to create a DCP Tip tag on my blog that anyone can look at from now until this site no longer exists. It will be called DCP Tips so keep your eye out because I need to go back through my blog and add some more tags on some of my DCP posts to get them sorted correctly.

[madison-on-mainstreet]

How to Survive Florida Heat

Hey guys, so as you all know, summer is almost here and Florida is already burning up!  I decided to make this post to help everyone stay cool and stay safe in the sun!

 Wear Light Colored Clothes!  This is just science, but white clothes reflect sunlight, keeping you cooler and dark clothes absorb it.  so I know its all cool and ~aesthetic~ to be goth, but trust me, you’ll thank yourself later

Wear Loose Clothes!  A loose, flowy dress is 100x cooler than cutoff jeans and a tight tank top, you feel more of a breeze in loose clothes

Drink Water!  So this might seem obvious but you NEED to drink water, not tea, not soda, WATER. It’s free at all Quick Service locations with a soda fountain, USE THEM.  Bring a refillable water bottle to pour it into to hold onto. REMEMBER: if you’re thirsty, you’re dehydrated

Buy a Fan!  Buy a cheap battery powered fan from a Walgreens or Publix. It’s like $4 and you will thank yourself

Wear Sunscreen!  You need sunscreen! Put a timer on your phone to remind yourself to reapply!

Stay Inside from Noon-3PM!  Either go back to your hotel and nap or plan to go on rides with indoor queues or to eat inside. 

Get Up Early and Stay Out Late!  Get up early when it’s cooler, nap in the middle of the day, and then come back at night.

Eat Food!  You need to eat even if you feel too hot to eat. go to an indoor Quick Service restaurant and cool down and get a snack every few hours.

Take a Break!  Do not be afraid to take a break and cool down. Disney World will always be here and can wait.

If You Feel Sick, Tell Someone!  If you feel sick/like you’re going to pass out, TELL A CAST MEMBER! WE WILL GET YOU HELP.  Do not be embarrassed, we will get you help.

Disney Specific Tips! 

Animal Kingdom is shaped like a giant bowl and has more walking distance between rides, so plan this park for the coolest day of your trip.

EPCOT is mostly outside, specifically the World Showcase, however because it is on a lake, it often has a breeze.  Pick it for a normal range day

Hollywood Studios is small and not too spread out, especially with construction happening right now.  You can safely do this park on your hottest day, take breaks, eat and still see everything.

Magic Kingdom is medium sized but attractions are EVERYWHERE.  There is a lot to do and most people make this park and all day thing, so I would also plan this for a cool day.

[madison-on-mainstreet]

Cast Member Perks

Hey all!  I decided to make a list of all the perks Cast Members get, at least from what I can remember in my Spring 2016 program

1. Free Park Entry- All CMs can get themselves into the park for absolutely free! You also get three free park hopper tickets for ever 150 hours you work.

2. Discounts on the Halloween Party and Christmas Party- We do have to pay to get in on these nights but it is discounted for CMs

3. Full Service Dining Discount-  Most places offer a 20% off your bill discount for CMs, just be sure to double check because for some you have to be eating within a certain time frame to get it.

4. Merchandise discount- It’s normally around 20-30% but during the holidays it goes all the way up to 40%!

5. Cast Connections- A huge discount store for old or discontinued merchandise. I once got a Haunted Mansion Dooney backpack here for only $50

6. Company D- Cast member only merch is found here and when we have to buy park tickets we get them here for 10% off the current list price

7. Family Holiday Coupons- During the Fall program we get mailed a coupon book for discounts on hotel stay, park tickets and more!

8. Disney Cruise- you get a discount from anywhere to 20-60% off Disney Cruises

9. Free Locker Rental and Stroller Rental- Just show your ID!

10. Disney Springs- Most Disney Springs stores have a CM discount, just ask!

11. Hotel Discount- When I was there we got Disney Hotel stays for approximately 50% off, we once stayed at the All-Stars for around $50 a night

12. Free Parking- Showing your cast ID gets you free parking at all Disney theme parks, which will save you about $20

other places off Disney property in Orlando also offer a CM discount, be sure to always ask! 

[madison-on-mainstreet]

Where Should I Live During My DCP?

I thought since I am an Alumni this post might be helpful for some people!

Patterson Court - where I lived! - the newest complex - doesn’t have a bus stop, you have to walk to Chatham - known for being a quiet complex overall, not a lot of parties - private balcony - Most expensive, rent is well over $100 a week

Chatham Square - where most CP events are held so it can sometimes be loud and parking can be a nightmare at times - has a bus stop - private balcony - mid-range rent, around $100 a week

The Commons - has a washer and dryer in every unit - mostly houses international CPs, though anyone can live there - has several Disney classrooms here - parking is kind of sparse here compared to other complexes - each apartment is subtly different in the commons so you don’t really know what you get until you move in - some have a balcony, some don’t - does have a bus stop BUT not all busses go to the commons so sometimes you have to either call and request they stop or walk to Chatham - mid-range rent as well, around $100 a week

Vista Way - oldest complex - known as the party complex - has a bus stop - apartment and rooms are overall smaller - no private balcony like most other complexes - this complex is pretty far away from the other housing complexes, which can be isolating - cheapest, rent under $100 a week

Overall housing stuff:

- rent is based on how many people you live with. In general the more people you live with the cheaper rent is - each complex now has its own wi-fi so you don’t need to bring routers -some dishes, pots and pans are provided but I found I needed more - the thermostat has a preset range so it cannot go lower than 72 or higher than 82 - the beds are twin, but I used twin XL college bedding and thought it worked fine -you’re able to select your housing and roommate preferences about 20 days out from your arrival date

[madison-on-mainstreet]

I've seen some posts on here saying that DCP acceptance waves only happen on Fridays/weekends and I just wanted to say that I highly doubt that's true. My last program I was accepted on a Monday, so don't think you have to wait for the weekends to be accepted!