Got accepted into the disney college program

edh101985 · #1 03-19-2007, 03:00 PM

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.

rjholla2003 · #2 03-19-2007, 03:06 PM

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.

**Andrew Polcyn** · #3 03-19-2007, 10:45 PM

Congrats EDH!!

ImmelMatt · #4 03-20-2007, 12:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by edh101985

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.

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!

PGH_Steeler · #5 03-20-2007, 10:19 AM

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.

edh101985 · #6 03-20-2007, 04:56 PM

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.

Raptor · #7 03-20-2007, 07:57 PM

I'm on my second college program right now.

Only I'm a fake bellboy

and a Backlot Tour guide.

ImmelMatt · #8 03-21-2007, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raptor

I'm on my second college program right now.

Only I'm a fake bellboy

and a Backlot Tour guide.

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 ^_^"

Raptor · #9 03-21-2007, 09:24 PM

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

rjholla2003 · #10 03-24-2007, 11:59 PM

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

Carowinds 73-03 · #11 03-25-2007, 09:51 AM

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

frehner9 · #12 03-29-2007, 10:40 PM

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

edh101985 · #13 03-30-2007, 08:11 PM

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

rjholla2003 · #14 03-31-2007, 03:35 PM

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...

**Marcus** · #15 04-01-2007, 04:32 PM

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.