How do you survive there?

So... do you simply eat out for your night-time meal at a cheap place, eat your lunch in a park, and then have breakfast in your room?

What kind of food discounts do you get in-park? or do you have to take a packed lunch to work?

 

It really depends on your eating habits! I sometimes ate at work, sometimes took packed lunches, sometimes cooked my own dinner in the apartment...and lots of times went out to eat! It's basically like living at home! You eat what you like when you like.

 

Just don't take food from where you are going to be working and you while be fine!

 

Yeah that is a good way to get terminated and on a 48 hours stuff and tuck flight home.

 

OMG I survived off the chips in the UK pavalion lol!!! Honeslty if i could give u one piece of advice, save ur butt off, take out thousands upon thousands. It'll make life so much easier, then while ur working save your paychecks up and cash them in when you have used the money u have saved!
Seriously SAVE SAVE SAVE!!!

Taxi's, nights out, dinners, buying stuff, universal, sea world. Will be so much easier if u have loadsa cash!

 

ya i am really planning on taking about 3000 with me.. JUST IN CASE

 

Yea same as, there's no way im doing an experience like this on a budget!!

 

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(this is summer ICP) I went out with $600 cash and didn't have access to my debit card until the last few weeks but only took out about $150 total max when I did and by the end I had almost $750 in my Partners account to take with me on trek! I make that a $150 earning!
I did try and pick up shifts when I could - simply because I LOVED working.
My checks were not much more than everyone else's - well except my penultimate check - over $400 ;D - this was, however a 7 day week and I was SHATTERED but loved every minute!

I didn't deny myself any trips or nights out... being under 21 helps.
Free entry to parks, cheap eating out, cheap groceries, take advantage of cast discount - I asked literally everytime I was paying for something if they offered cast discount - often surprised by my luck!, Cast Connection - a wonderful, wonderful place - and in the new 2nd building EVERYTHING is 70% off. It's not just Disney merch either they have other clothing like Lucy Love and Tommy Bahama - they had a lot of that whenever I went.

To be perfectly honest, if you are REALLY, REALLY struggling with the money out there, then I'm not sure that you're taking all the advantages that you are getting... Give Kids the World, all those parks to explore for free, getting involved in things like STAGE - 3 of us joined a cast theatre group and we put on 3 plays - it was sooo much fun! We made many new friends and was yet another thing we were loving doing in our spare time!

Ha, I shouldn't ever come on here, I get all emotional when posting..... I miss it soooooooo much!

 

Its fine if you are willing to live under a budget and do cheap things. But if you are looking to do this experience and do things like swim with the dolphins. BRING CASH!

Just do it!

 

Right i have been meaning to ask this, but what do you do with your wages, do you just take your cheque to the bank and get the money in cash or do you get an account. I want to take my debit card over with me, will i still be able to use it even though it is a british debit card?
I dont know how much i want to take over, maybe about $1000 but should that be in travellers cheques?

 

It is really up to you. I just cashed my checks as it was easier for me. Working in Magic Kingdom meant that I could cash my check almost straight away as there is a Partners Branch right behind it next to the Disney University. You can set up an account but it was too confusing and lengthy for me.

I just took $1000 in cash rather than travellers cheques. I kept a lot of the money in my safe whilst I was out there instead of carrying all that money with me all the time. But that was just me. I know quite a few people brought a mix of both cash and travellers cheques.

 

I think it depends how long your going for and where you're working. I recommend just starting up a account at a bank and getting direct deposit, that way your money goes str8 in!
Also you can use ur debit card but it will charge you for using it. So It might be better to take cash and cheques!

 

The last time I did the program I only took $500 with me. $100 in cash, and then the rest in cheques. For the first few weeks of being there I wasn't living on a budget at all, I went out every night, bought everything I normally would at home. Never ran out of food. By the time I started to thinking about my cash running out, I got my first pay cheque.
The only thing you have to remember when you get down there, is that you are down there for a year, you don't have to buy or get everything right away. or go to that park (other than Disney Parks) as soon as you get there. You have an entire year to do all you want.

As for bringing debit cards, I did bring mine but I never used it for 2 reasons. First I never ran out of cash. Second, being from Canada I knew it was going to cost me almost and arm and a leg just to take money out. I suggest bringing a visa card.

If you have any questions just send a message.

 

Right im going on the ICP for the summer, i will be taking cash i think. So do you get your own safe in the apartments?
I would take my visa debit for absolute emergencies.

 

Re: !

What is this? and where can I find out more about it?

 

Re: !

Yeah, I've never heard of it! Tell us more! hehe. I only knew of ENCORE.

 

when I did camp america last summer I didn't wanna carry loads of cash so I had a travel card from the post office which you just use at any ATM that accepts visa. I found it really easy and safe, the added bonus was that when I ran out of cash the bank of mum and dad could add money to it when required xx

 

I found my nationwide current account was heaven sent, free cash withdrawls abroad, and I could transfer money online if I needed to.

 

I am with HBOS but i think theres a massive charge if i withdraw abroad, is the post office travel card good?

 

well it really worked for me, its kind of like travellers cheques but a lot less hassle! I think it helps if you wanna stick to a certain budget as well, you wont risk getting well into your overdraft cos once it has ran out thats it ( i got ridiculously overdrawn on one of my trips )