Well I applied in early Feb, and I got a package in the mail saying I was accepted for Fall 2007. I applied to do the bell services/dispatch, and I got the job. Anyone ever done that before? I figured those are the people who take lugage to the room, and unload cars, and stuff like that. I figured that wouldn't be to bad, and you probably get tips also along with the hourly wage. Anyone do the college program, and how do you like it.

Congrats! I should be getting my letter from Disney this week too. I was accepted before, so I'm expecting to be accepted once again. I pushed it off to get my classes out of the way though.

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Congrats EDH!!

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Just finished my CP status in January. I did the fall advantage program and for the most part it was a lot of fun. Are you doing Fall or Fall Advantage? Either way, you get the holiday rush. Not-So-Scary and Very-Merry are a lot of fun to work and you'll get a bunch of extra hours (like it or not XD).

Yes, you will be working bellboy. A few of my roommates did them for extra hours and said it was pretty simple work, but some of those luggage excursions can be grueling in the humid summers. If you are doing Fall Advantage, see if you can get cross-trained for another position in September or October so you have some variety to your schedule.

BRING YOUR OWN CAR IF YOU CAN! If all you want to do is stay within five miles of Disney property the whole time you are there, then come without a car. If you want to go to Universal, Sea World, BGA, Cypress Gardens... bring your car. You aren't going anywhere outside property without it.

Also, are you shacking up at Vista Way or Chatham Square? Vista's where you go to party. Chatham's where you go to rest. Nicer apartments too.

Have fun! You'll never forget it, believe me!

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Back in Iowa... I miss Disneyworld...

my friend stayed in vista way when she was there and loved it. i have another friend right now that stays in chatham square...i dont know if he loves it there. i think he likes it but he's ready to come home.

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Kennywood Team Member 2004 Kiddieland
2005 Racer/Jack Rabbit Crew
2006 Racer/Skycoaster/Paddle Boats Crew
2007 Thunderbolt/Turtle/Gold Rusher Crew

I would be doing it for the August-January semester. And I didn't choose yet about housing, but Vista Way sounds like a better choice. And I am planning on bringing a car. It would be nice to be able to drive to the other theme parks.

I'm on my second college program right now.

Only I'm a fake bellboy

and a Backlot Tour guide.

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Nice. That beats working in the Magic Kingdom Auto Plaze and TTC custodian. When we closed the park on New Year's Eve, I learned just about every swear word in Spanish, French, and Polish ^_^"

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Back in Iowa... I miss Disneyworld...

Well, I before transfering last year, I started out at Tomorrowland Indy Speedway at MK. Probably one of the worst job locations I could have gotten. Constant gas fumes, loud noises, heat, and almost getting hit by cars.

Not fun

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I got my acceptance letter yesterday! I was accepted as an Operations cast member!

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Congradulations guys. We'll see ya around the parks.

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2009 Carolina Cobra Crew
Go Panthers! 4-6: Week 12 @ New York Jets

#6 North Carolina Tarheels 4-1

I too just got accepted into the program. What is your arrival date?

Mine is 8/13. Where are you working at?

So, what banks are in the area? I want to switch away from Bank of America because they are really ticking me off right about now...

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Ahhhhh good old Disney Bell Services, I knew thee well.

I did the Disney College Program back in Spring 05' and loved it. I loved it so much, I fear doing a second program because I don't believe anything could top the experiences I had in the first college program, and would just leave me disappointed.

I worked at a hotel called Disney's BoardWalk Resort & Villas, originally contracted to the Front Desk and later moved to Bell Services in my remaining month, due to low staffing. It is my understanding that every hotel runs their bell services differently, though some are more similar than others. The way my hotel ran things divided your work into four different areas: Bellhop Dispatch, Valet Dispatch, Point, and Transfer.

One common misconception is that you will be in a position of being tipped. I don't believe college program students are allowed these positions, but one way to check is to check your pay rate. If it's the same as everyone else on the college program, you won't be getting any tips. Your job will mostly consist of keeping the bellhops and valets organized.

Bellhop Dispatch- In this position you stand at the Bell Services stand in the hotel and take phone calls and then write up tags. These tags tell the bellhops what room to go to and the number of luggage that needs to be carried. You also need to keep the bellhops in order so they don't cut in front of each other and steal the other persons tips. Like most jobs in Bell Services, it's very quiet most of the day, and then absolute chaos during check-in and check-out times.

Valet Dispatch
In this position you stand in the valet booth and receive keys from the valets. You then organize the keys in a locker and log the information into a computer. Then when people come back for their car, you pull their keys, ring up a valet to get their car. You also have internet access on your computer to give people directions around Orlando.

Point
This was my favorite job, but very chaotic and high-pressured. At the front of the hotel is a loop where people drop their cars off to the valets. The road width in this loop is a little more than 3 cars wide. It's your job during high volume times, to direct the cars into certain areas of this loop by pointing. Your main objective is to keep the center of the road clear and keep the cars unloading on the left and right side of the road. This way, once a car is done unloading, it can use that center lane to leave the loop and be driven to the valet parking lot. If that center lane is blocked, you will have a traffic jam of 20 cars and several valets screaming at you. Your secondary jobs are whistling for taxi cabs that sit on the entrance to the loop and using a radio to notify the hotel when a VIP has arrived.

Transfer- This is a great job when you don't feel like doing anything. You get a list of luggage that somehow ended up at your hotel, and needs to be shipped to a different one. So they give you this van and you load up all this luggage and drive around to all the hotels dropping it off. Nothing made the time go by faster than cruisin' in that van, blasting the A/C and jammin' to my favorite radio station.

Ah great memories. I met friends and had experiences I will never forget. Good luck edh, let me know if you have any more questions.

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'09 Area Supervisor, Merchandise, Michigan's Adventure
'08 Area Supervisor, Merchandise, SFoT; '07 Area Supervisor, Merchandise, Cedar Point
'06 Ride Operator, Batman:TR, SFGAm; '05 Front Desk, Disney's BoardWalk Hotel, WDW
'04 Merchandise, CP, Coaster Count: 268

Thanks for all the information. Do they randomly put people at different hotels, or is it first come, first serve. Because I was hoping since I applied early, I would get one of the nicer hotels. But all those positions sound fun, I cant wait.

I am working in Operations too. I arrive 05/16

I believe you have already been assigned a hotel, it's just Disney doesn't tell you until you process-in. I think it's just so you don't change your mind when you find out you're at the crappy location. They usually have some old lady tell you and she acts really excited for you.

"And you have been assigned to...OMG the BoardWalk! Hurray!"
"The WahhhWalk?"

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'09 Area Supervisor, Merchandise, Michigan's Adventure
'08 Area Supervisor, Merchandise, SFoT; '07 Area Supervisor, Merchandise, Cedar Point
'06 Ride Operator, Batman:TR, SFGAm; '05 Front Desk, Disney's BoardWalk Hotel, WDW
'04 Merchandise, CP, Coaster Count: 268

So I finally was able to accept my invite. I officially arrive on the 27th of August in Vista Way!

So, any word on what banks are in the area? LOL

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Suntrust and Wachovia are two of the bigger banks in the area.

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TV/Event Guide Editor

Good ol Wachovia. I wish I never left that bank to avoid fees while at Montclair. Thanks!

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Don't forget, Disney has their own credit union you can use too. Vista Federal Credit Union. They gave me an AMAZING rate on my car loan (3% on a 36 month loan). Have a lot of fun, but don't forget, Florida is a right to work state. Essentially you can be termed if you sneeze the wrong way. ESPECIALLY as a CP. So be carefull with your attendance. Otherwise, learn a lot, make new friends and have a great time! Oh, and don't buy into all of the dumb CP rumors like

Vista Way is the number 2 place to get laid in the nation...
Disney MAKES money on CP housing because they get it for free from the government...
You can get pregnant from the hot tub in vista...
Tink gets paid 400 dollars a night...

Don't be stupid and believe this crap. When you hear it, let the people know how disappointed in them you are!

I've always heard that Vista Way was once mentioned as the number 2 place for college students to get laid in America. But I'm not sure what the magazine was.

True or not, a lot of sex goes on there.

Obviously, you can't get pregnant from the hot tub in Vista... but I still wouldn't go in there... lol.

I've lived in both Vista and Chatham, and I strongly recommend Chatham unless you're into partying and drinking. Vista is slightly better for those who don't have a car, though, but Chatham is a LOT quieter and a LOT nicer.

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Theres a reason it got the nickname Vista Lay.


If you want to get the most info possible search through the employment threads over at WDWMagic. http://forums.wdwmagic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=36

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TV/Event Guide Editor

I found this site for Vista Way.... At first I thought it was some sort of adult site, but I was wrong. http://www.vistawayallstars.com/5main2.htm

And what does Bell Services people usually wear? I saw your susposed to bring a nice dress clothes for the traditions program, but I am guessing they give you something for the actual job.

Yes, every position at Disney is given a "costume". In bell services, your costume will most likely be some khaki shorts, and a polo shirt. Your shoes must be provided by you and I would wait to buy them because I believe some locations require all white, while others require all black. You can also wear a white tee under your polo. Every location has different colors and designs, mine for the BoardWalk was a swamp green and a berry red. If you're desperate to see some photos, I got a few pics on a slideshow on my myspace (link in my TN profile) in my Bell Services uniform, one at the valet dispatch stand with a fellow CPer, the other at the bellhop dispatch stand with all the bellhops.

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'09 Area Supervisor, Merchandise, Michigan's Adventure
'08 Area Supervisor, Merchandise, SFoT; '07 Area Supervisor, Merchandise, Cedar Point
'06 Ride Operator, Batman:TR, SFGAm; '05 Front Desk, Disney's BoardWalk Hotel, WDW
'04 Merchandise, CP, Coaster Count: 268

Have any stories, stuff like that? I am sure Disney has special events for the people in the CP, so I was wondering what those are like.

Also, what are the hours usually like? I heard people working up to 60 hours a week! I can't see how bell services can be that bad though, since they probably need the most people in the peek times. Just any tips about anything would be helpful. I was also wondering about discounts on the Disney Cruise line, and how that works.

I thought I would bring this back up, since it is getting closer. I still was wondering about those questions. And is anyone else here going to be doing it, and where are you working?

So I was just wondering, Is there a major difference between the actual Disney college program as opposed to the other opportunities they offer such as interships and co-op programs? I'm a civil engineer major and I was considering doing the Disney college program in my junior year, but if anyone knows this question, how exactly does the Professional Development Studies fit into the program. I know Disney offers one for engineering majors that lets you network with various engineers at the company, but is another part of the program you complete while working at the park?