Facilitating "All Jazzed Up" - Port Orleans' Property Orientation

Hey Ya'll!

That's our themed greeting at Disney's Port Orleans Resort! It took a bit of getting used to as I am from a Northern state, but now it just flows naturally!

Back in May I had the opportunity to audition to become an All Jazzed Up facilitator. This position would allow me to teach our resort property orientation to new Cast Members 1-2 times per month. I was selected and went through a training process before finally being officially signed off to facilitate in July!

All Jazzed Up is the property orientation for Port Orleans. Every Cast Member, regardless of their role takes this four hour class before beginning their on the job training. During the class they learn the exciting activities and amenities our resort has to offer and get to take a walking tour of both sides of our resort.

I wanted to audition because I felt this would give me a great opportunity to share my love of the resort with new Cast Members and get them excited for their new role with us! Also I knew that this role would help me both personally and professionally, by working on skills like communication, training and leadership. And I knew it would be FUN!

The audition process required me to get my leaders to sign a leadership support form, saying that they supported me for the role and that I met all the requirements (You needed to meet record card requirements, have great communication skills, worked at the resort for at least 6 months etc). I was also given a portion of the class script, that I would need to present at the audition. Finally there was an interview portion. I was excited and nervous during my audition. There were 3 people there, two were training mangers at Port Orleans and the other was the Operations Training Assistant.  I did not know how to feel after my audition, I felt it went well but not sure that I had "nailed it"

But I was selected to become a facilitator! The next step was training, for 4 days we learned the script, and how to manage different situations that might occur during the class. We also went to Disney University to take a 'Facilitator Skills' class which helped us fine tune our skills.

My facilitator costume!

Then came time to actually teach! My first time I taught with Jenna, who also had just completed training with me, while Danny, a seasoned facilitator, sat in the back and watched, jumping in to help if we struggled.

I was nervous but as soon as I got up there and started teaching, it felt completely natural, like this was what I was born to do! I really loved it!

I taught two more times with a seasoned facilitator before my "check out day" During this class the Operations Training Assistant sat in on the class and offered me feedback on my performance. She was very happy with how well I was doing, and offered a few areas of opportunity for me. But I had passed and was a full fledged facilitator!

I really enjoy facilitating and I feel that this has opened the door for other training related opportunities for me. I have always been interested in Cast Development and what better way then to get them started and set up for success at our resort!

Finding my Full Time Home at Disney's Port Orleans Resort

Back in October I was told I would be transferring to part time concierge at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground. Unfortunately this location could not accommodate my medical restrictions. This was a process I was all too familiar with as I have had difficulty being placed in a location before because of this. However this time the process was different. Someone from the Health Services department had contacted me ahead of my transfer, she had told me the process had changed for transfers and that they now reviewed restrictions ahead of time to make sure people would be able to be accommodated in their new locations before they were transferred, that way they didn't encounter the issues I had run into in the past.

Unfortunately, after speaking with the leadership team at Fort Wilderness the health services team decided due to the unique set up of Fort Wilderness and their Concierge locations, they could not accommodate my restrictions. I could not transfer to that location, and my transfer date of Nov 7th was canceled. I would be placed back in the pool and wait for another spot to open up. The person I spoke to seemed to think that nearly ANY other resort on property would be able to accommodate my restriction.

Then I got my call that I would be Part time at Disney's Port Orleans Resort! That would allow me to work at both Port Orleans Riverside and Port Orleans French Quarter. My Transfer Date was Sunday  Dec 7th!

So on Wednesday  Dec 10  I went to casting to  to put my name on the list for full time. I chose 5 resorts for full time, I picked deluxe resorts because I was interested in the club level experience. On Friday Dec 12, Casting called and offered me Full time at Port Orleans. At first I was confused. I told the casting representative that I had not put Port Orleans as one of the choices for full time. She said that I had been pulled from the 'Any' list. I said that I thought I had taken myself off the 'Any' list when I picked my 5 locations on Wednesday? She said that I had been pulled on Monday.

So I guess Port Orleans was just meant to be! And now that I have been there for the past 8 months I am so glad that this resort is my home. I work with a fantastic group of cast members and an awesome leadership team. I have learned and grown so much in the short time I have been at the resort and had some awesome opportunities. One of which is teaching our property orientation "All Jazzed Up" which I will post about in a future post!

Vacation Planning Role

I spent about 3 months in the VP role before I transferred to Concierge. I thought this was a fantastic role and I was sad to leave it, but I knew moving to concierge would set me up for my career goals.

Working at the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC) at Magic Kingdom was a great experience. It was often very busy, some days so much that we would have all 9 booths open with 6 people in each and there were still long lines at the ticket booths!

My previous knowledge of ticketing helped me in this role, but honestly Disney teaches you everything you need to know to sell the tickets. There are some people that come on the College program and have never been to the parks before and no nothing about tickets and they still do an awesome job!

VP Costume and Baymax

Lots of people have asked me if I felt there was a lot of pressure to meet a quota or goals. There are goals that you need to reach, but I never felt pressured or like it was difficult to meet those goals. If you are friendly and a people person you can meet these goals easily. And if for some reason you do not meet the goal one month they have people to help you review your process and see what you can do to improve and meet the goal next time.

Vacation Planners also get to participate in a few different product knowledge events. I received one free ticket to the Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. We also got to sit in on info sessions about Memory Maker, Food and Wine Festival and much more!

On Halloween or Christmas Party nights we got to wear a different themed vest with our costume, and on Halloween Party nights we played "Costume Bingo" were you would mark off if you saw certain costumes. Some nights it was super easy, like the night the leader made every square say "Elsa and Anna" and other nights it was really hard .

Halloween Vest for MNSSHP Nights

As I have mentioned before MK VP does Parade Audience Control or PAC. I disliked this at first as it was so hot during the day. But throughout November and December I picked up many night time PAC shifts. I really enjoyed working at night and seeing the  Castle Lighting, Main Street Electrical Parade and Wishes.

Parade Audience Control Costume

Updates to Follow

Life has become crazy lately and I have let this blog slip my mind! I will be adding additional posts in the coming weeks to catch up on my adventures including:

Vacation Planning at Magic Kingdom
Transferring to Disney's Port Orleans Resort
Getting FULL TIME!
Front Desk and Concierge Training
Facilitating "All Jazzed Up"

Stay tuned!

Vacation Planning Training and Exciting News

I have finally finished my training for Vacation Planning and I really enjoy this role. However I am excited to announce that my stay at MK VP will be short as I am transferring to Concierge at Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground!

I will be transferring on Nov 9th, this is a big move for me as I am finally joining the lodging line of business and can work toward my goal of becoming a lodging leader. I will still be part time but will be on a waiting list for full time in the role. Fort Wilderness will give me a very different resort experience than I had at Pop Century and I have always said I want to learn everything there is to learn about lodging. 

But let me get back to Vacation Planning training. This role is really fantastic and I am sad to leave it behind. The first day of training was a property orientation for Magic Kingdom, we toured MK and talked about all the areas and major attractions. This was a lot of walking, unlike the property orientations at the other parks I have done, we had the chance to ride an attraction. We rode Haunted Mansion, some people had never ridden the ride before so that was a neat experience for them. The only downside to this orientation was that we didn't visit the TTC, where I was going to be working. At the end of the orientation we were met by an area trainer. So myself and a woman who was going to parking and our trainer rode the ferryboat to the TTC. Then we took a tour of that area. Costuming for TCC and MK resorts is located in one of the parking lots of MK so we had to be driven there to pick up costumes. (On a side note I have done a property orientation for every park and Downtown Disney except for Blizzard Beach)

Then I had 5 days of training at Disney University for Vacation Planning Core. There were four of us in the class and we were all going to MK. Our trainers Judy and Vanessa were really awesome! In this class we learned about the different ticket types and how to use the computer system to sell tickets. Now because of my Guest Relations experience this was extremely easy for me and honestly I knew a lot already. I told the instructors that I was allowing the other girls to think it through and try to answer questions versus just blurting out the answer each time. But there was MORE to learn than just the tickets. VP has a very specific way they want you to interact with guests and try to find the best ticket option for them.

Then there was 4 days of on the job training. These days I was in the booths at MK with my trainer, Travis. Travis was very helpful with anything I was unsure of and offered suggestions for improvement when talking with guests or collecting information to find the right tickets for them. At the end of the 4 days we took a written test and became almost full fledged VPs. I spent a few shifts alone in the booths and had no issues. I really like the role, and I really like that we get to wear Halloween vests on Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party nights! 

But there was still more training! We also had one more day at Disney University for a Product Knowledge class. This class taught us about the major attractions and experiences at each of the parks, we went inside MK again and walked around again. I was nervous that we were going to do basically the same thing as the property orientation and I was not too happy about that. It was very hot and walking around MK in business professional clothing was not something I was looking forward to. Luckily it was a quick trip and we did get to ride Pirates of the Caribbean and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train!

But wait there's more! This past week I had training for Greeter and PAC. The greeter position makes sure guests are getting into the correct lines and trying to keep each line the same length. When the tram pulls up people tend to get in the first line in front of them, even though there may be no wait at the next booth. The greeter directs them to shorter lines. PAC stands for parade audience control and is a role that only MK VPs do. Each day 6 VPs go to assist PAC for the afternoon parade at MK. 

We had someone from PAC train us on this day. She showed us how to set up an area with the ropes and stanchions. Then she showed the 6 positions VP would do, and we helped out in one of those spots. As the parade was ending she instructed us to start taking down any ropes that weren't holding guests back and what to do as soon as the banner went by. I was shocked how quickly everything was broken down. Every PAC cast member had a specific job and position. As soon as the parade was through the gate and the gate was shut we were backstage where cups of water where set up for us. It was super hot and I ended up getting sunburned. After the parade we learned how to roll the rope and let me tell you it was more difficult than I expected. You have to keep the rope tight so it doesn't fall onto the ground, because if you pull it up a guest could trip over it. The trainer made it look easy!

New Role! Vacation Planning

Tomorrow I start training for my new part time role in Vacation Planning!

Several months ago I applied to a posting on the MyDisneyCareer site, it remained in progress for a very long time and finally at the end of July I was invited to do an interview. I made it through the interview process and was placed on the transfer list. About two weeks later I was called and was told I would be transferring to part time VP at the Ticket and Transportation Center (TTC) This is the location for Magic Kingdom.

I am still on a waiting list for Full Time in this new role. I am very excited to start this new role and share it with you. If you do not know what this is, Vacation Planners are those you see in the ticket booths outside the park. It will be my job to assist guests in purchasing the ticket combinations that can help them get the most out of their vacations!

Tomorrow I have "Once Upon a Time is Now" the property orientation for Magic Kingdom. After this I will have done property orientation at all of the parks and Downtown Disney.

Next will be 5 days of Vacation Planner Core training at Disney University. I am wondering what we will be covering in those 5 days. Guest Relations only had 2 days of ticketing training, so I assume it encompasses other information about the role.

What happens when your internship is over?

Today was the last day of my internship in Guest Relations and I will be moving to a new role in Merchandise at World of Disney.

I'd like to talk a little bit about the process of what happens at the end of your PI. There are several options.

1. You leave Disney

Maybe you aren't finished with school, or maybe there is another opportunity for you at home. Either way I'm sure you had a blast and learned some great skills to bring to another position

2. You get a position in your current role.

Some internships may have the ability to take you on in your current department. Every area is different, some may offer you a statused position as part or full time, while others may offer you a Temporary Assignment or TA. Guest Relations at this time did not have any positions available, but many interns will take option 3 and be chosen for a TA later on. Some internships do not have any capability to take on even TAs so be aware of what other options you have.

3. You take on a Part time or Full time role.

This is the route I had to take. 6 weeks before your internship end date you can visit casting. You will then need to book an appointment for an "interview" to discuss role choices. You may remember my career goals are in Lodging. Well I was quite disappointed to discover that you cannot just transfer to Front Desk or Concierge any longer. Infact all of the positions that would be a good match for my skill set were not available to me. If you are interested in Front Desk, Concierge or Vacation Planning, you must wait for a posting to come up on the MyDisneyCareers website, apply and go through an interview process. After that if you are selected you will be put on a transfer list and wait for a spot to open up. They last posted in October of 2013 and there is no indication of when these posting will happen.

I told the person I was interested in Merchandise as I had done that role previously. Now was another shocker, the first available appointment was on May 27th. 10 days before my internship ended. The person at Casting was unsympathetic to this fact and told me to ask my leaders about a seasonal position (Which wasn't available) She said I could call back and see if other days would open up. So that's what I did. I kept calling and eventually an earlier time opened up. When I went to my interview it was very short, I was told only Part time was available, and he read me a list of places to pick from. I picked World of Disney because I felt it would be easy to get more hours there. The recruiter told me he was sorry he didn't have anything better to offer me for my skill set.

Honestly, working Merch feels like a waste of my skills but it will allow me to focus more on "soft skills" Some feedback I got from the team at DTD was that my technical and problem solving skills were very good but that I had difficulty with "soft skills" while doing the technical stuff. Basically I found it difficult to have those conversations with the guest like "Where are you from?" or "What parks have you visited?" while working to fix their issues. Working in Merch is going to allow me to step away from the technical side of things and really just talk with guests. If you've met me before, you know I am good at talking, its the merging talking while working that I will work on.

So in my new role I will take the feedback from my previous area and work to improve. Also working Merch is a fun job! Lots of positive guest interactions and the chance to help guests locate a special item. It's important to remember that while this role may not be the one I wanted, it is a chance to learn and work toward my goals.

Networking while on your Internship

Let's talk about Networking! This is a very important skill at any company but espcieally so at the Walt Disney Company.  The Disney College Program and Professional Internship Program boasts that you will have the chance to network with others in the company. While this is true, it does take some effort on your end to make this happen. I did not do very much networking on my first college program, my second was also very limited, however I chalk that up to nervousness and inexperience. This time around I have done several meet and greets with different people in different areas of the company.

First the programs office offers several networking events each season. Make sure to attend the speaker series that are advertistised in the Housing emails. Attending these events will give you the chance to learn about other areas of the company and to mingle with those working in other areas. Get contact information at these events from these people.

Can't attend the events due to your work schedule? Living outside of housing? Don't worry there are other ways you can network.

Start by talking to your leaders.
Your leaders can be one of your best resources in helping you network and work toward your career goals. ask to schedule one on ones with them to discuss your performance but also your career goals. Leaders at Walt Disney World have often worked in many other areas and can offer advice based on what you should do to move your career forward. If your career goals are outside of your current role don't be afraid to ask if they know anyone who works in Marketing, Events, Finance, Recreation, Entertainment, or whatever it is you are interested. The Walt Disney Company is a very large company, but because they often promote from with in it is very likely that someone your leader worked with at The Great Movie Ride 15 years ago is now working in Public Relations.

Talk to other Interns 
Have you met any interns working in other areas or an area that you are interested in? Ask them who their leader is or who would be a great person in the department to talk to. Connecting with other Professional Interns can be tricky because unlike CP you are not all living in the same housing. You may be the only intern in your department, floor or even building! Utilize the facebook group to connect with other interns across property. 

Ask new contacts for additional contacts
Once you have had the opportunity to network with someone always ask if there is someone else they could set you up with. Did they mention their team works closely with another team or department frequently? Ask for a contact in that department to learn more about different aspects of the company.

Here is an example. I am trying to get a feel for the different areas of events at the company. I spoke with a friend who was a former PR intern who referred me to someone in the Marketing department. I emailed this person saying that so and so had given me your name and that I was very interested in learning more about Marketing Events and would you be willing to set up a time to do a meet and greet? That person then gave me the name of someone in Park Event Operations who then gave me a contact in Catering and Conventions. Once you get started it is easy to get the ball rolling.

How to ask for a Meet and Greet
Now here is the intimidating part, but once you do it a few times it becomes easy. Once you have your contact you will want to email them to ask to schedule a meet and greet. Depending on the situation this person may already know you will be contacting them. Sometimes a leader or someone else you have met with will send an email to that person letting them know you will be contacting them. Other times all you have is a name.

I always start out by introducing myself and where I currently work. Then I explain how I got their contact information (Ex, Your current intern "Joe" spoke very highly of you and said you would be a great contact in Events) Then state that you would like to schedule a time to talk about their current role and the operation as a whole in order to learn more. I usually give examples of my current schedule and days off so they have an idea of when I would be available then thank them for the opportunity.

Sometimes it might take a few days for people to respond. Remember that most roles do not have regular days off so you might have sent an email while this person is out of the office. Other times it can be very busy and the person may forget but then email you later. Only once have I not received a response from someone. And honestly you do not have anything to lose. The worst they can say is No, or not respond. But it has been my experience that many people at the Walt Disney Company truly want to help others succeed and reach career goals.

If they email you back to set up a meeting time, Great! Now think about what you want to know about their role, such as daily tasks, how they got into the role, how you can transition into a role like this, and also don't forget to ask for contacts in other areas! Other important things to remember is to wear business professional clothing AND your name tag. I like to bring a copy of resume and always remember to write a thank you follow up email.

Adaptability

You know the saying "Roll with the punches" well that's sort of what is like being in Guest Relations. We recently had a "town hall" meeting with our Guest Relations cast at DTD. We talked about the changes that Guest Relations has gone through in the past year and what additional changes were still coming.

The ability to adapt and work through new processes is a very important skill to have in any job. Being in  Guest Relations right now is very demanding in this sense. But I am enjoying the challenge. As the weeks progress there are new issues, procedures and opportunities to make our guests feel special. Something new this week is the ability for Annual Passholders to order their very own Magicbands! This is very exciting as many of our Passholders have been asking for months when they would finally get the chance to have their very own Magicbands!

DTD Training, Working, and Construction

I've finished my training at DTD. I did not have to do very much because I have spent the last 6 months at Animal Kingdom.

One thing I did need to do is become Window and GR@PE trained, as well as do property orientation at Typhoon lagoon.

Window training typically involves more complicated ticketing situations. I felt like I had a strong background in our ticketing system so I did not have much trouble with this training. In fact I'd say in the last two weeks at DTD I have become so much better at ticketing than I was before!

I am really enjoying DTD so far, I think the team and the leaders here are excellent! Everyone I have worked with is friendly and helpful and I feel that the leadership team is very cast focused and supportive. I also really enjoy the different positions at DTD. Because we rotate with Greeter positions and GRAPE at Disney Quest it really adds variety into the day. So each day I spend some time at the counter/window, then sometime out at our greeter positions assisting guests find shops/restaurants and answering questions. It makes the day go by quicker by not being in the same spot all the time.

Of course DTD is undergoing a huge overhaul as we transition to Disney Springs. There are big changes happening and almost everyday there is a new construction wall or signage for future expansions. This does make navigating DTD a little confusing for our guests, but that is why we have greeter positions at some of these new construction walls to help our guests get to their destinations!

Some exciting things that I know of that are coming to DTD is of course a PARKING GARAGE! Now this may not seem that exciting but if you have ever been to DTD on a Friday or Saturday night you know what a nightmare parking can be. And since with the expansion we will be almost doubling in size we will need more parking! And there will be not one, but two Starbucks! Slated to open in Spring of 2014 there will be one near World of Disney on the Marketplace side and one where Wetzel's Pretzels used to be on the West Side.

I myself am looking forward to the release of more information on new restaurants that will be joining the property. Most recently DTD added Food Trucks and House of Blues opened a quick service BBQ stand. I haven't tried out these yet, but I've been told they are very tasty!

Greeter Training at Downtown Disney Guest Relations!

Yesterday and today I had my Greeter training at DTD. My trainer's name was Christine who is called "Christine the Machine" by nearly everyone and Kyle who was shadowing to become a trainer. Both were really helpful and knew so much about DTD. Lauren, another PI who is extending from Magic Kingdom was also training with me.

So DTD is a big place. It is actually 1.5 miles from end to end. The first day of our training was focused on the Marketplace side. The purpose of these two days was to learn the greeter role at DTD. Basically it is our job to create more of a Cast Member presence at DTD, answer guest questions and welcome them to DTD. The greeter positions rotate with the lobby and West Side window locations. What is interesting is the majority of Cast at DTD aren't really Cast Members at all, they are operating participants, meaning they work for an outside company.

We went into every shop and resturant DTD has to learn more about what they have to offer our guests, as well as learning where the ATM's and restrooms are. We got to learn some really neat things about some of the places we went into, like getting to see how they print the T-shirts at the Hanes Create a Tee and even getting to see the kitchen at T-REX! Which interesting enough has two full kitchens, one for even numbered tables and one for odd numbered tables. Another interesting fact I learned is that the bars at Ragland Road were REAL bars from Ireland, they actually packed them up and shipped them here for the restaurant. We even got to eat lunch at Pollo Camperno.

The day was exhausting because of all the walking around we did. We did get to play some scavenger hunt type games to learn more about the stores so it was fun over all. However due to all the changes coming to DTD we were cautioned that things would be moving or be replaced by other things.

Today we did it all over again but on the West Side. The West Side is home to DisneyQuest, House of Blues, Cirque du Soeil and other shops and restaurants. We started off with a tour over at Cirque, which is celebrating it's 15th year at WDW. We got to see some cool backstage things today because the theater is dark  tonight (meaning there are no performances).

Later, Lauren and I had a scavenger hunt inside DisneyQuest.  If you aren't familiar Disney Quest is a 5 story interactive amusement park. It is like an arcade but also has several virtual reality games. We played a Pirates themed game and made our own roller coaster at Cyberspace Mountain. They even had a "Fix it Felix" game from Wreck it Ralph. It really is a hard game to play.

We also did a tour of AMC, and I got to see their Fork and Screen theater, where you can get food served to you. It looks really cool and I think I want to go sometime. We did another scavenger hunt later at some of the stores and finished by taking our assessment for Greeter training. We both passed! Tomorrow is "Our Town" which is the DTD property orientation.

Animal Kingdom GR Photos

About a week ago two other interns and myself got to work early to take photos around Animal Kingdom in our full plaid glory.  Just thought I would share since this chapter of our lives is coming to a close. The other interns in the photos are also extending their internships until June. Mehlanie will be going to Magic Kingdom and Mark will be at Epcot. If you ever see them there be sure to say "Hello".

Adventures in Fastpass+ at Disney's Animal Kingdom and the Holiday Season

Animal Kingdom always gets to test out new things. First we got an "Allergy Kiosk" where guests can find information about dining with food allergies, purchase allergy friendly snacks and more. The feedback has been overwhelming positive and many guests hope that this will continue to spread to the other parks as time goes on.

Because AK has less attractions than the other parks it made sense for them to begin the next stage of testing MyMagic+ there. So about a week ago they covered up all the old Fastpass machines that guests would recieve paper tickets from. All guests, even those staying off site are now able to book their 3 FP+ attractions. (Onsite currently gets the benefit of booking ahead of time, but we will see how that pans out in the future for offsite guests). Gone are the days of  "double dipping" which is when resort guests were using their 3 FP+ booked ahead of time and then using their room keys to get extra paper ones. Basically it has leveled the playing field for all guests (somewhat).

Now when I heard about this, I'm not going to lie, I panicked! I was unsure how this would all play out, how guests would react, and what if the system crashed! But everything worked out very well. We did not have guest complaints, many guests were confused and needed a little extra guidance along the way. They even beefed up the staffing for the FastPass+ kiosks bringing in cast members from other parks to help us out. The test doesn't seem to have an end date in sight and I would guess they will start at the other parks soon. Just part of the next phase in this huge undertaking.

Working through the holiday season at WDW is something I have never experienced before. I've done Easter, Spring Break and busy times in the summer but never around the holidays. Thanksgiving was crowded as was Christmas. What was nice is that our area had a pot luck on both of those days. The company provided the Turkey and gravy and people brought in side dishes and desserts. AK was not as crowded on the actual holidays as the other parks but still had a high attendance.

I've been spending a lot of time on our Regional rotation out in the parks and not a lot of time in the lobby. We have a new Service Center for guests who need help with their Magicbands and so far things seem to be going really well. I think the whole process has really come a long way and the issues we were experiencing earlier in the summer at the beginning of the test have really died off. There are still issues but things seem to be running quite smoothly.

This week begins my last week at DAK, starting on Jan 5th I have training at my new location at Downtown Disney. I love my DAK family but I am also looking forward to joining the team at DTD! I'll post more about that in the coming days!

Extending my Internship

I have been offered to extend my current internship in Guest Relations! I will be moving to Downtown Disney in January and staying there until June! I am very excited to start my new experience at DTD but also very sad to leave my Animal Kingdom family!

It was with careful consideration that I chose to accept this opportunity. As you recall I had planned to apply for a full time position and was hoping for a role in lodging. However at this time it makes more sense for me financially to extend my internship.

Downtown Disney is an area with a lot of shops and restaurants, an AMC movie theater, Splitsville (a bowling alley) and home to Cirque Du Soleil. Downtown Disney is going under an extensive remodel and will be transitioning into Disney Springs in the future.

This location will allow me to work the Marketplace Lobby, the Window location on the West Side as well as GRAPE (Guest Relations at Park Entry) for the Waterparks and the ESPN Sports Complex.

This location will also allow me to gain extensive knowledge on ticketing. As many people choose to take care of their ticketing issue at DTD because there is no admission cost to visit there. I am very excited to start this new adventure and I have heard great things about this location from other Cast Members.

Please Donate!

 It is very difficult to be far away from your family when something is wrong. I have never shared a lot of personal information on this blog. I have been told that others have found the info here helpful, and now I ask if you can please help me and my family.

My beautiful sister Kennedy is in need of a service dog because she suffers from seizures 3-5 times a day. She is so smart and has big dreams, having a service dog would allow her to attend college and make her dreams a reality. In high school, Kennedy was an Honor Student, involved in drama club productions and on the track team. However now she is unable to function in her daily life because of her seizures. 

A service dog can alert others to her seizures, retrieve a phone for help, retrieve medication, and lay beside her during a seizure to prevent injury. The dog can also help balance her during minor seizures and help her be more independent. 

We have started a fundraising site as these dogs are very expensive. Please consider donating anything if you can, every dollar counts. Even just a few dollars can move us closer to our goal. 

If you would like to donate you can visit our donation site HERE

 

Professional Internships Process: What does getting a drop down mean?

It's getting closer to the deadline for Professional Internships and a lot of people on the Facebook group are getting "drop downs" for specific roles on their Dashboard!

What is a drop down?
Well if you applied for internships with multiple roles, such as Alumni Only, they are all lumped together on the dashboard as something like "Professional Internships: Alumni Only"

As the process continues some people will get a new drop down for a specific role. Mine says "Guest Relations Internship" but of course other roles can pop up here based on what you applied for. You may even get more than one!

But What does it all mean?!
If you receive a drop down for a specific role it is a pretty good indicator that you are being seriously considered for that role. Likely it means that the department has already pulled your resume and a leader is looking at it right now!

Does this mean I will get an offer?
Perhaps. It is very unlikely you would get an offer without getting the drop down. (particularly if others have gotten one for that role) Remember that not all departments will use the Dashboard the same, so your role may not get drop downs. However some people will get a drop down but then will not receive an offer.

What if I didn't get one?
If you have seen others getting a drop down for a role you want, it may mean you haven't made it to the next round. There is a chance they could pull more resumes and you could recieve one, but remain realistic.

If you haven't seen anyone else getting a drop down for the role you want it could be that department does not use the Dashboard for this function, or the people who did get a drop down aren't on Facebook.

What happens next?
More waiting! But seriously, some departments will have second interviews at this stage. Others will only use your screening interview. Think of getting a drop down as passing onto the next level. You may get a background check email asking you to fill out the DWWS form, again that would indicate you are being seriously considered. Then finally (hopefully) an offer!

Future Plans

There is only 11 weeks remaining of my Professional Internship! I cannot believe the time has gone so fast. I have loved every minute of it so far. One thing that I really like is because Guest Relations is changing so much at this time, there is something new to learn everyday. I truly enjoy learning and this role has really challenged me to keep learning and asking questions each and every day!


I had applied for Management Internships in Theme Park Operations and Lodging. I had an initial interview but did not receive the second panel interview. Having seen the process unfold in previous cycles I knew this meant I was pretty much out of the running for an MI. I was sad, being in leadership at Disney is something I really want to achieve and I felt I would have been an excellent addition to the team. But there was no point in feeling sorry for myself. I have already had amazing opportunities that others have not, and there are still ways to achieve my goals. On a side note, several of my fellow interns did get that second interview!

After speaking with my leaders I had a lot to think about. If you are in a similar situation as me maybe my thought process can help you out as well. First you need to decide where your passion is. Do you love this company? Do you want to have a career with this company? Or would you be okay with working for another company? For me, Disney is where I want to be, and there aren't many opportunities for me if I return home.

Next you need to figure out what your passion is. I really wanted to get an MI in Lodging because I love working with guests at the resorts. Some feel that the parks is where all the "Magic" happens, but there is a different kind of magic that happens at the resorts! There are other ways to get into leadership at Disney, management internships is only one way.

I have decided it would probably be in my best interest to seek a full time position in Lodging after my internship ends. My leaders suggested this, explaining that although my Guest Relations experience is valuable, I would benefit from being closer to the operation, and having the support of lodging leaders when applying for the LCC (Leadership Casting Call).

Additionally, I should be able to remain in the "pool" for Guest Relations and be able to be pulled for TAs (Temporary Assignments) The benefit to having a full time role is that when your TA ends you have a "home" to go back to.

In order to apply for full time positions I need to visit Casting 6 weeks before my internship ends. But until then I am enjoying all the time I have left in GR.

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party!

One of the best things about being at Disney in the Fall (other than Food & Wine Festival, but  more on that later) is Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party! The party is held on select nights throughout September and October. This is a special event that you need to purchase a ticket for and it is held at the Magic Kingdom.

If I could pick one word to describe this event is would be: AWESOME! I was lucky enough to receive a free ticket to this event as a Guest Relations Cast Member but there are also discounted tickets available to Cast Members for certain dates.

First thing to know is that almost everyone wears costumes! Even adults! In fact many families dress up in themes, I saw families where they were all characters from Alice in Wonderland, Wreck it Ralph, and the Wizard of Oz. It is really cool to walk around the Magic Kingdom and see everyone dressed up! Some people go all out for their costumes, and some look better than our characters look! I wanted to pick a Disney character but wanted one that I didn't think everyone would choose! You see a lot of princesses at this event! I chose to be Lilo from Lilo and Stitch.

Then there is a fantastic parade called Mickey's Boo to You Halloween Parade. This is the best Disney parade I have ever seen, and is regarded as one of the best parades on property. My friend in entertainment says the performers are the best of the best here at Disney and to be selected for this parade is a huge honor.


Next, special Hallowishes fireworks! Which like the parade can only be seen at the Halloween party! I wasn't as impressed with these fireworks as I was with the parade but they were still very good!

Many of the attractions were open but I didn't bother with that because there was so much else to do! There are many character meet and greets with characters that are not normally present in our parks. If you want a picture with the 7 Dwarfs this is your chance! The lines for rare characters can get very long so make sure you plan ahead! I didn't get to meet any characters but next time I will for sure!

Finally, the most important part: CANDY. There is trick or treating locations throughout the park where kids and adults can get candy. It is pretty good candy but they only give you a few pieces at a time, however as it gets later in the night they start becoming more generous.

Managment Internship Interview

Hello Everyone!

Yesterday I completed my interview for an MI! This round I have applied for Lodging and Theme Park Operations. And I am In Progress for both! I was invited to do the initial phone interview for Lodging but was told by the recruiter that it potentially could be used by Theme Park Ops as well.

I was pretty nervous to begin with but my phone was giving me a hard time! Because I am cheap I have put off buying a new iPhone even though I was elligible for an upgrade for the past 2 years. I sort of figured why pay money for something newer when what I have works just fine. Except now I'm at the point where it doesn't always work just fine! I have this problem while I'm talking that the mic stops working and the other person can't hear me! Not exactly ideal for the phone interview! I scoured around for friends who I could borrow their phone but after no luck I realized that I never had the problem when the phone was connected to the hands free calling in my car (since the mic being used was the one in car) So I decided to do my interview there! (Parked of course)

My interview was scheduled for 8pm but was a few minutes late, I've done enough phone interviews feel that this was actually a good sign and that my interviewer probably was very thorough. My interviewer was Nancy and she was fantastic! She kept right up with typing all the things I was saying, I even apologized for talking so much and she said not to worry that her fingers were nice and warmed up from previous interviews.

This interview was a little bit different then the Alumni Only interview I took last year. There were less questions but I felt the questions asked were more detailed ones.

I was asked:
What do you hope to gain from an MI?
What qualties do you think a leader has
Tell me about a difficult situation with a guest, co worker or manager
Tell me about a leadership position you have held
Tell me about skills you have learned from these position that will help you in this role
How do you manage interuptions to ensure everything gets done
Did I have more of an interest in Front Office or Housekeeping
If I had anything else to share
Disney look questions

The interview was 26 minutes long and I felt went pretty well, but you can never really tell. Only time will tell if I get a second interview!

Management Internships

This season I have decided to apply for Management Internships as my #1 goal. I have chosen to apply for Lodging and Theme Park Operations. There are several segments within each of these roles so I'll give you a little more detail.

Lodging consists of: Front Office (front desk, concierge, bell services), Housekeeping and Resort Custodial. My first choice here is Front Office, as my background is in front desk, as well as this role has a lot more guest interaction, something I am very used to from my previous roles. I am not discounting Housekeeping or Custodial however and feel that I could shine in those roles as well.

Theme Park Operations consists of Attractions, Transportation, Custodial, Main Entrance (Park greeters, parking, auto plaza, and sometimes Guest Relations). My only TPO experience is in Guest relations, however I think I could enjoy and excel at any of the positions if given the chance and would be a great opportunity to learn about a new line of business. 

Of course the first step is applying and getting your resume through the scanner. I had multiple people look over my resume before I submitted my applications. So far I am "In Progress" for TPO and "In Submission" for Lodging.

Also today I got an email from a recruiter basically saying "based on your major here are some internships you might be interested in" They are all advertising related ones. I applied for most of them last round, not sure if I want to apply again this round or not.  I also have the option to extend in GR but will need to apply again via the Alumni Only posting. I am not sure yet if I am going to apply to extend or not. Wish me luck!