DCP Tips: Earning

Earning, or working, is probably the biggest aspect of the Disney College Program. After all, you were accepted into the Program to take on a role at Walt Disney World Resort. 

Usually the word "work" has a negative connotation. But if you follow these tips, you will have an enjoyable experience on the clock.

Please note that the majority of my advice comes from my experience in a merchandise role. Some may not apply to all roles.

Get on your scheduling coordinator's good side

This is the biggest tip I can give to anybody in the DCP. Your scheduling coordinator basically controls your entire life for the next 4-6 months. Be nice to them, and they just might be nice to you. 

Most locations will have a Facebook group or a physical bulletin board to post requested shift changes. For example, if you want to trade your morning shift for an afternoon one, you could write a note and post it on the bulletin board for your other Cast Members to see. But in my experience, taking these directly to your scheduling coordinator is way more effective. They may already have an idea of who can be moved around. They may also be able to split shifts up or change the length, which can be helpful when you are looking to trade a long shift. 

My scheduling coordinator was awesome. I once mentioned to him that I liked stocking shifts more than cash register shifts, and he gave me nothing but stocking shifts for like 2 months. I thrived. 

Even if you don't get buddy-buddy with your scheduling coordinator, you should at least get close with another coordinator. They love to take CP's under their wings and help you out.  Each one of my CP's had one coordinator they really got along with and went to for any problem. My type-A coworker got along with our type-A coordinator. My energetic coworker got along with our energetic coordinator. And I got along best with our 'work-smarter-not-harder' scheduling coordinator. Each one of these coordinators went out of their way for their adopted CP to make sure we flourished during the program. 

Carpool

If you read my previous article on tips for living in the DCP apartments, you know how much I despise the buses. Seriously, they sucked. So, if you were unfortunate enough to arrive to the program without a car, then you will need to make friends with people who do have a car. Especially coworkers with cars. 

I would caution to only ask for a ride if your coworker's shift begins or ends the same time as yours, and they live near you. Remember to offer gas money to to return the favor next time. 

Not only is carpooling more convenient than taking the bus, but it can be a great way to get to know your coworkers without having to be on stage. 

Ask for help

Most people think to do this during training, but it can be true during anytime of the DCP. If you forgot how to do something, or unsure of how to handle a situation, ASK FOR HELP. There will usually be someone near by you. If you are alone, there should be  a walkie talkie or a phone for you to call someone. It is better to look dumb by asking a question than to look dumb by seriously messing something up. Your coordinators want you to do a good job, and they will help you. 

Sing Along

Those early morning shifts are rough. Waking up before sunrise for park opening was miserable for me.  On top of my sleepiness, park opening was the busiest time of day. Fighting through the tired to be energetic enough to handle the sudden rush of thousands of guests was not ideal. But my coworkers knew how to stay awake.

You see, the entrance of Animal Kingdom played music. In the mornings, it was a mix of The Lion King, The Jungle Book, and Tarzan. Guests LOVED this. A lot of them would sing to each other or dance as they walked to Mount Everest. But my coworkers loved this music even more.

One opening shift, I was standing at a merchandise cart, spiting the bright morning sun. One of my coworkers came over to my cart for something, and she was scream-singing to I Just Can't Wait To Be King. I must've given her a pretty harsh side-eye, because she said "Sorry, but singing is the only thing that's keeping me from passing out right now." She walked away, and I decided to try this trick, too.

At first, it was just kind of ironically singing along, with that over-the-top fake cheesiness one would expect from a Disney Cast Member. And I kept singing and singing until it wasn't ironic anymore. I was actually enjoying myself, dancing to the music as guests stampeded past me. 

And we all did this every morning. When it was especially slow, we would act out the lyrics. One day a coworker took a baby Simba plush we sold off the rack and held it up like Rafiki as The Circle of Life blared from the park speakers. Some other coworkers joined in, grabbing a zebra plush and bowing down before Simba.  We all could have stood around, bored and tired, but we tried to have fun and make each other laugh.  

Even if you don't work at Animal Kingdom, most places at Disney have background music. This music can get very repetitive (I heard The Circle of Life about 12 times every shift, no exaggeration) and it can easily become very annoying very fast. Instead, I think you should try and lean in on the cheesiness of the music. Dance and sing along, especially if you're tired. It will energize you and put you in the Disney mood. 

Try a different location

If you work in merchandise, you may be able to pick up a shift in a different location. I myself worked at Epcot, Magic Kingdom, and Disney Springs, even though my assigned location was Animal Kingdom. 

There are several ways to do this. Like I said above, there are usually Facebook groups (or at least there was when I did the DCP, I don't know if that's still the main method) to post and pick up shifts. First, you can see if anybody else wants to try a different location, and you can switch a shift with them For example, if someone wanted to work at Animal Kingdom and I wanted to try out a shift at Magic Kingdom where they worked, we could trade shifts. 

Another way to do this is to give away your shift at your main location to one of your coworkers, and then pick up someone else's shift at a different location. So I could give away my Tuesday shift to a coworker at my location who wants more hours. And then I would go on Facebook and search for Tuesday shifts at other parks. 

Perhaps the simplest way to do this is just to pick up an extra shift on your day off if you are able to. Then you will not have to worry about trading or giving away a shift, you can just pick one up. 

If you do try out a shift at a different location, make sure you arrive early. You will need to visit the costume department to rent your costume for that day. Find a coordinator and ask for a quick tour of the location. 

If you don't like your assigned location, switching shifts at another location will is a fantastic solution. In fact, we had one coworker who was assigned to work at Magic Kingdom. She hated her location, and preferred working at ours. She traded the majority of her shifts for ones at our location. She became our adopted coworker, and we always loved seeing her. Sometimes I forgot that DAK wasn't her home!

Even if you love your assigned location, I recommend trying out a different location if you can. The experience is invaluable. And sometimes the changeup every once in a while can be nice. Working at different locations really made me appreciate my assigned one. DAK may not be the trendiest location to work, but our team was so welcoming. 

Pack the essentials

Cast ID, keys, name tag, lunch box, water bottle, cell phone. All the necessities for a shift at Walt Disney World. But what about extra deodorant? Or lip balm? Or sunscreen? Or hair ties? You may want to consider throwing a couple of extra essentials in your bag for work. You can keep them in your locker to have access to them during your breaks. 

Bring extra snacks

You will burn a lot of calories working in the Florida humidity, and your body will need extra energy to survive. There were so many times I packed what I thought was enough food, only to devour it during my break and still have a rumbling tummy. I might bring my debit card or cash with me to buy some food from the vending machines in the break room. I especially loved buying Mickey ice cream bars from the cast cafeteria on hot days. But if you want to save money and time, bringing your own food is the way to go. Pack an extra granola bar or a whole sandwich instead of half of one. 

Snacks were especially a lifesaver when I was hungry for dinner and waiting on the bus to pick me up. 

There were also times when my shift would be extended the day of. Sometimes if the park capacity exceeds what was predicted, Disney would extend the park hours. This would allow guests to have a better experience. But it kind of sucked for me when I was expected to stay through dinnertime and already ate all my food at lunch.

You may also have a coworker who forgot to pack lunch (it happens!). Having an extra snack to offer them is nice, and they may pay the favor back in the future. 

Talk With Guests

Another way to pass the time if you're bored at work is to talk with the guests! Of course, not all roles can do this. Life guards, for example, always have to keep their eyes on the pool. But if you work in merchandise, talking to guests can turn a bad shift into a fun one. 

Greet guests. Compliment them on their Disney t-shirts. Pin trade with them. Quiz kids on their Disney trivia. Ask guests what they are looking forward to do that day, or what their favorite thing was that day. Answer their questions. Ask them questions. 

Let me let you in on a secret: your job is not primarily to stock shelves or clean bathrooms or load ride vehicles or sell churros. As Cast Members, our job is to help create special memories for families. These are the memories people are going to look back on when life gets rough. They will remember the happy moments. It is an honor to be apart of those moments. 

And I'm not going to lie to you - sometimes the job is hard. Your coworkers will annoy you. Guests will ask you stupid questions. You will mess up. You will be sweaty, and tired, and bored. But if you focus on the fact that every single day you get to wake up and be a part of people's most important and treasured memories, the Program will be a wonderful experience for you. 

For More

If you want more tips on the Disney College Program, check out my post on living in the apartments!

Your Tips

Are you a former CP? Do you have any tips to add? Are you applying for the DCP? Do you have any questions? Leave them in the comment section below!