Disney College Program Questions!

[jennilee7]

Hi y'all! I was accepted into the Disney College Program and I am so excited to be in Merchandising!

I have soo many questions for y'all!
-What does merchandising entail? Anyone have personal experiences they can share?
-Is it hard to get days off?
-How difficult are the classes?
-What is the living situation?
-What are the discounts for college program interns?


Who else will be there in January? Can't wait to meet y'all!

 

[RogerRadcliffe]

Hi y'all! I was accepted into the Disney College Program and I am so excited to be in Merchandising!

I have soo many questions for y'all!
1. What does merchandising entail? Anyone have personal experiences they can share?
2. Is it hard to get days off?
3. How difficult are the classes?
4. What is the living situation?
5. What are the discounts for college program interns?


Who else will be there in January? Can't wait to meet y'all!

Hey Jenni!

1. Merchandising entails Guest Service, Stocking and any other retail environment possibilities. This really just includes assisting the guests with any questions/concerns they may have on any of their purchases as well as processing any extra transactions. Stocking comes with any area you may be placed in as well, albeit some take long than others to receive stock shifts, which most areas don't specifically train on. There's also the specialty shops. There's experiences I can share if you have any questions.

2. It is not too hard to receive time-off, but you will want to request them as soon as humanly possible due to the fact that holidays are quite hard to receive off. This includes birthdays as soon as you receive access.

3. Classes are completely voluntary, and you must sign up in advance. I would highly recommend looking over the syllabus beforehand, as some are specialty involving homework, while others are pure curriculum/education based.

4. The living situations for the College Program is Housing, which all College Program students are required to live at. You are given a weekly rent due (dependant upon your housing complex) which is automatically deducted from your weekly paycheck. Anywhere from $91-$105+ a week. There are coin-operated washer and dryers, along with other amenities.

5. There are lots of discounts on-and-off property. For your Disney Discount you receive 20% off any merchandise, and varies amounts of Full Service, dependant upon where you dine. There are additional discounts during the holidays. Many places around the housing complexes are known for giving discounts as well, if you just show them your ID or let them know you are a CP.

I'd Highly recommend the College Programs Questions thread for any other questions you may have, and the DCP Spring 2014 Thread too!

Have a Magical Day!

 

[::Snow_White::]

-What does merchandising entail? Anyone have personal experiences they can share?
Stocking, register, cleaning store, etc. Most of the time you'll either be stocking or on a register throughout the day, indoors and out. I work backlands at Studios so I work from the Indiana Jones Outpost Store around Muppets up to Prop Shop (just beside studio catering company). It's broken into 6 different sections with 13 different stores. For us we have 3 loops and 3 main stores. The main stores are the Christmas Shop, Tatooine Traders, and Writer's Stop. On the loops you'll move between different stores, most of them outdoors. In the main shops you're there all day. You get different assignments throughout the day. On carts we usually blow bubbles or play with other toys to entertain guests. In the stores we have pins, clean, stock, etc.

-Is it hard to get days off?
Depends on where you work. My area has a lot of seasonal, PT, and others who are always looking for shifts. Ask off early, if you don't get them just try and giveaway or trade your shifts via facebook groups. I've never had a problem getting any days off.

-How difficult are the classes?
I'm in disney heritage, it's a lecture only class so no homework. Just depends on which ones you want to take. There are education specific ones that many people take for school credit. My school wouldn't give me credit so I just took a lecture. It's easy, obviously, just show up and have a good time. I've heard the regular classes have quite a bit of homework so choose carefully.

-What is the living situation?
Patterson, Chatham, or Commons. As mentioned it's $91-105 a week. I pay about $95 a week at Patterson. Chatham and Commons both have bus stops. I live in a 3 bedroom, it's pretty big, only 1 fridge for 6 people so it gets kind of tight but overall it's a very good place. Great security, I really enjoy it. Washers and Dryers are included in Commons, but the rest of the apartments have separate washer/dryer areas. All include dishwashers, microwaves, stoves, etc.

-What are the discounts for college program interns?
Right now it's 20% off merchandise, and certain dining areas. At the Fall Holidays we get 40% off merchandise and extra maingate passes along with some other perks. We get around 50% discounts at hotels for friends and families and 40% certain restaurants as well.