Less Than A Week! Disney Info

---I actually wrote this post last week but then didn't post it because I decided it was long and boring. But then I remembered. This is MY blog and I put what I want on here! So I guess this is just a warning that over the next two weeks or so there will probably be more incredibly long posts about Disney. Just letting you know!---

I thought I'd make this a super long blog post about Disney World and all I've found out about it. I'm mainly making it for personal reference, as well as the fact that if I have friends in the future who want to see my experience they can see it. I know I've wasted hours of my own time reading CP blogs of times past. (did I really just talk like that? wow...)

Okay, maybe I won't include all I've learned, but a portion.

Classes

While at Disney in the college program they have these classes by Disney that I'm allowed to take. There are two types of classes that you can take. Well, actually three.

The first, and the one that I immediately kicked out of my list of classes, is the major specific classes. I can't even remember the proper name of these classes because I figured out pretty quickly that I didn't qualify for them. But, for example, one of them was an "Animal Experience" type course for Pet or Wildlife majors. Stuff like that... yeah, I obviously know hardly anything about that one.

The second is the "Collegiate Classes." These are the ones that at a normal college you would get credit for taking. But since I go to BYU-I and BYU-I is a weirdy school I can't get credit for taking these. At the end of the program you get a "Ducktorate Degree" for completing one of these classes. They are typical business/management/finance type classes. Human Resources was the class here I was looking at taking. But I didn't want to deal with the pressure of 11 weeks worth of homework, exams, readings, projects, etc.

So I opted for the third choice. BTW, keep in mind here all of these classes are 100% optional. You don't have to take any of them. But I decided to in order to spice things up a bit. Anyway, the third choice is "Experiential Classes." These classes aren't really graded (although you have to attend and be good in order to pass). Only very rarely will a college give credit for these classes, but they look good on a resume and at the end of the program you receive your "Mouster's Degree" at graduation. Not quite as good as a Ducktorate, but hey! These classes don't require tons of homework and they don't have exams to study for. Instead it's like every week (for the 8 weeks that the course lasts) you go on a field trip behind the scenes of Disney World and learn how it works. In my case I'm planning on signing up for the People Management course, so I'll be learning about that. I think. I hope.

These classes are usually one day a week and about three-ish hours a day. Disney gives you at least one, usually two days off a week anyway. So they just plan for one of those two days to be your class day so you don't lose any hours unless you sign up for like a million classes. Although I think the limit is two so that's not even a problem.

Anyway, moving on.

Housing

I will be paying for my housing. It'll be right in the area of $90/week. They pull it directly out of the paycheck. The housing is freakin' INCREDIBLE! I'm hoping to be in a four person/two bedroom apartment. But they range from one bedroom to four bedroom (two people per bedroom). Anyway, each bedroom has it's own bathroom as well as a huge walk-in closet and it's own linen closet. Niiiice! Way better than where I'm living now! Plus, parking is free and I'll have a car. Transportation is also free, so I'll plan on taking buses to work and back. But for those late nights when I may be working ridiculous hours that don't go around bus hours, plus those random trips to the grocery store, a car will be super duper handy! Housing is really really nice, though. Just trust me. :)

My apartments will be right beside a nice lake that we can play at, along with tennis courts, a pool, weight room, etc. etc. etc. I can't even remember all the wonderful stuff it comes with. But trust me, it'll be nice. I hope...

Work

No, I haven't forgotten that I am going down there to work and have a job and earn money. I'm hoping to get extra hours and I hear that merchandise allows for many extra hours. I hope to work in the Magic Kingdom. But here's my list of the order of parks that I'd like to work in highest to lowest (these aren't necessarily my favorite parks, but for working purposes they are)

Magic Kingdom
EPCOT
MGM Studios
Downtown Disney
One of the Resorts (they have little shops)
Animal Kingdom

I won't be in the water parks. Probably a good thing. Animal Kingdom is the only on that I'm actually against being in, but if that's the worst thing that I have to put up with while I'm there, I think I'll survive.

The people I've met/seen/read about who worked merch said that they mostly worked evenings and worked super late sometimes into the night. Like, didn't get home until 3am kind of late. One girl said that on New Years Eve she work from 12(noon) until 3am the next morning. The good part of that? Super overtime! Anything over 8 hours in a row is overtime!

Benefits

As if all the stuff I've already stated wasn't benefits here we go...

Well, okay. I won't go through all my benefits because I might make some of you jealous (and because I don't even know all the benefits I'm gonna be dealing with) but suffice it to say it'll basically be discounts on a lot lot lot or stuff as well as free entry into the park anytime I want.

Check-In

My check-in day will be the 19th. There are a LOT of College Programmers (we call ourselves CPs for short). Around 3500 I hear. So check-in has to be spread over more than a month. We will leave VA on the 17th and be down there by the 19th. On check-in day I won't get paid (all you do is check in, give/get employment info, move into the apartment, sign up for classes, etc.) and the day after is pretty much a free day I hear so the first two days I won't get any pay. But the third day I have to attend this class called "Traditions" and it will be my first day of work. It's basically an "Intro to Disney" type class and that's when I will get my ID (so I start receiving benefits on that day) as well as figure out where I'll be working. After that I find out my area and begin work! And I get my ID and can start getting into the parks for free!!

So there's all I can think of for the moment. I hope it didn't bore too many to death. I've begun the process of packing and figuring out stuff to bring down there. If all goes as planned I'll be in Florida a week from today. And I totally can't wait!!!