Holiday/Days off

hey guys,
I know there's probably a thread about this somewhere but I thought's i'd ask. Those of you who have already done the programme are you given any holiday time or even an unpaid week off? I applied in Jan and got a phone interview but thats all , am thinking of reapplying 2morrow but I have 2 weddings I really want to go to next summer - one in England and one in Hawaii, can u book leave for things like that?sounds lame but they are very good friends and i really want to go! if not i might just apply in January for a late 2011 start date and just have a holiday to disney this year!

 

you can put in requests for "vacation" time after you have been there for 9 months,before that you can put in requests for back to backs (this gives you 4 days off in a row friday - monday) and you can also give away a shift to someone who is willing to pick it up but obviously there are no guarantee that these will be granted.....

 

That's quite long after you've started for vacation time. Is the vacation time paid? Would be interesting to know as my bf is hoping I may be able to come back for a few days during my program...If not he'll have to come out lol

 

i honestly cant remember if its paid or not........... but yeah,its after 9 months that you can book off actual holidays - up untill that point you can only do the things i said in my other post,just get your b/f to come see you in florida,much more fun than you having to go back to the UK! and that way if you had to work an AM shift you could work it,he can have a lie in and you can see him in the afternoon

 

Very good point! My bf does love a lie in or have breakfast then go back to bed. I hope he will come out but think he's a little worried about coming out on his own. Wouldn't really want to go back to the UK, and flights would be expensive... Just have to wait and see.

 

remember as well that you will usually get 2 day off each week.....so, you could perhaps call in "sick" which would give you 3 full days off (and just 1 point on your attendance record) and then you would have 5 full days off to spend with you bf? The only downside to this is that if you do call in sick you cant go into any disney parks......(i know people who have done this and have been terminated because of it!) but theres always universal,wet & wild,sea world etc etc etc!!!! :

 

Dont think I would end up doing that as I know I would get caught out somewhere. I dont do that now even though my job is becoming really poor and I just want to leave!!

Hope all your applications are coming along well. Do you know about the Disney Cruises? I've heard a fair bit about them and just wondered if anyone had experienced and if we got any discount?

 

yeah as cast members we get a discount on the cruise BUT sometimes the dates can be funny,basically as CM you only get on the cruise if its not already fully booked,and if a regular customer books on you can get bumped off...... i never went on it for that reason,i couldnt get on it during the time i had off work....so i went on the carnival cruise instead,does the same route at the disney Bahamas cruise!

Id defo recommend going on a Bahamas cruise tho,its such a beauituful place

 

Sounds so good, how long does it last and roughly how much does it cost? I want to experience as much as possible, but no idea how I would cope on a cruise ship for a certain amount of days x

 

its normally only 2 or 3 days,its totally fine, you go on the ship at around 4pm and you sail during the night,you wake up in the bahamas (best nights sleep ive ever had!) and you spend the whole day and night there and then set sail for cape canaveral again the following morning. cant remember what it cost - 300 bucks maybe......??

 

Vacation time is paid, and you get sick pay if you get a release of shift for being ill. If, at the end of your program, you still have sick days and vacation days left, they'll get paid to you in your relocation check!

 

Ahh awesome! Thank you so much for the advise. The cruise doesn't sound too expensive either.

 

It would be criminal not to do a cruise. It's so ridiculously cheap. And you never know, I might be on one of them haha. Hanging out with the kids.

 

Sounds good! Just have to find someone who would like to go on it with me ...Any offers! When do you start your DCL job? x

 

Haha I'm sure there will be plenty of people to go with!

I haven't got a start date yet because I can't go until next year, but hopefully in February!

 

Aww no sucks you cant go until next Feb! It will come around soon enough though. What will you be working as on the cruise ship?

 

I'm planning to go to New York with some friends next December, so hopefully (obv if I get offered a job!) I'd be able to get a few days vacation or back to back over a long weekend to go and see them, as one of them lives in the Caribbean (failing that, I'll just have to fly via there to visit her on the way back- which would be such a hardship... sigh )

I can't believe the cruises are so cheap! I'd definitely be getting myself on one of those!!

 

I found it easier to get time off when I was podium than when I was a server - but I couldnt afford to really go anywhere until i became a server lol

Also i did come home for 5 days to the UK as I had to go to a Dr checkup and the cost of the meds I take in the US is ridiculously high so I just got a few months supply when I went out there and replenished them when I came home. Round trip from US to UK cost me about $500 so was actually cheaper than my one way ticket out there from the UK. Also we got some great deals when we were there - me and a friend did niagara falls for 3 nights hotel and flight for around $200 each (we did fly to buffalo and have to pay $7 each way for a greyhuond over the boarder) and we did 4 days in vegas for about $400 again including flights. We did a few like last minute things when the scedules were posted and we had matching days off too - you can easily go somewhere for a visit if you get an am shift fly out that night then 2 nights where your going and back in time for a pm shift

 

Thanks for the advice, really helpful and gives me a few ideas. I went to Niagara Falls in Feb its was amazing! Me and a friend were in NY for a week and decided to visit Niagara Falls, we took a flight with Jet Blue for £75 each return to Buffalo then the taxi to Border and walked across Rainbow Bridge! Such and amazing experience and to see the falls during the winter is beautiful! We were going to go to Las Vegas for a day to see the Cirque Du Solait as the flights were crazy cheap but it would have been one long day and may not have caught our flight back to NY lol

 

i came back to the UK for a week during my program,altho now i actually kinda regret it,should have used that time to go and explore the USA, but yeah its pretty easy to get a few days off and go away somewhere cool, especially in florida itself as its so easy to go to either of the coasts or go to miami or daytona etc

the cirque du soleil show at downtown disney is really good, its not the kind of thing id normally be into but i really enjoyed it and its right on your door step, so take full advantage!

my top tip to all of you who are going over - take full advantage of your time off and so as much as you can! theres sooo many things that i didnt do,even random things in orlando itself that i wish i had - wont be making that mistake if i get to go back again!