UK Applicants Summer 2014

Chatham is awesome (hoping I live there again in July!).

For roles - ICPs cannot be Concierge, Front Desk or Photopass on the summer programme. ICPs are front desk/concierge only on the academic exchange (6 months/ 1 year).

And whilst everyone loves attractions, in 2009 I was QS F&B and really enjoyed it - it's all about the people you work with and it was nice to be in air conditioning!

Someone mentioned mission space - really amazing ride to work on! I loved it! And loads of people want Haunted Mansion, don't discount other attractions because you think you won't get as much interaction, you'd be surprised!

If you have any questions, feel free to ask (although I'm not as regular at checking as I should be!).
Good luck to you all!
xx

 

Where about did you work when you did qs f&b?

I would love to work on mission space, I've heard it pretty cool to work on.

Chatham looks really good, what size of flats do they have again?

 

I think i've seen that list before...it doesn't seem to list everything though, as I people that have been character handlers on the ICP, which isn't on the list, and neither is custodial, which is also available as an ICP role I believe. They must provide a list at some point surely, because not everyone will have read into it as much as we have and won't know what's what.

Would it be classed as inappropriate if I wrote "I don't care which role I have, just give me a god damn role so I can make some god damn dreams come true!" ;D

 

"A crapload of fun" - ha, love that!! Quite agree AND the Premium Outlets are 10 mins walk away.....and they have a discount Disney parks store there....where my money just seems to disappear....... : Oh my god, i'm literally so excited. I have to find a way to contain this...how am I going to wait until August to apply?? This is crazy! Damn you...damn you all for making me even more excited than I already was!!!!

 

I think Katie (I assume that's your name, apologies if not!) worked at Columbia Harbor House for F&B

The 2012 info for Chatham:
1 BR- $98
2 BR- $98
3 BR- $88
4 BR- $88

I'm not really a party animal so I think Vista would be a bit "wild" for me

Anything is only as good as you make it though, and we all seem super keen, so if we do get places, I reckon we'd have the time of our lives wherever we were put! ;D

 

Well I think that makes all of us for Chatham. Work hard, play hard but I need sleep too which i would be worried that I wouldn't get if I was in Vista!

 

Yeah not sure if Vista would be my ideal place, not much a party animal either. Yeah I think you just have to make the most of it out there, a lot of the blogs I read, people didn't get their first choice for job or accommodation and they let it ruin their experience. I would just be extremely happy to have a place and to say I worked for Walt Disney World. Honestly am just too excited. Wish they would open the applications so us keen beans can apply now, this waiting is driving me insane!

 

Oh my days that's incredibly sad! I can't believe that somebody who had the opportunity to work with the best company ever were so let down by their accommodation that the experience was ruined for them...mental!!!! I'd be happy living in a cardboard box if I got to work for Disney hahaha.

Yeah, that was the first phrase that popped into my head, without any bad words of course and I love it there, but my bank account cries after I've visited!!! Haha but seriously, it is insane. August is going to be such an awesome month. Awesome doesn't even describe it. Neither does epic, it's beyond that!!!

 

It is rather sad - I can understand mean roommates ruining the experience, but in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't actually matter where your bed is...everyone has their preferences but I certainly wouldn't let it ruin the experience!! Crazy people! And anyway, if I got on the program, I wouldn't be planning on spending that much time in the apartment anyway

By the way guys, feel free to add me on Facebook, if it makes chatting easier! Just let me know who you are (if I don't already know your name!) so I don't start accepting random weirdos

 

Yes, I am called Katie!

And I did work at the Columbia Harbour House in Magic Kingdom. Was my last choice of role, but I flew out 4 years ago and had the best summer you could ask for! I lived in Chatham both times, it's my favourite complex but it's more expensive now than those prices. A 1 or 2 bedroom apartment is $101 now. Chatham has 1 bedroom - 4 bedroom apartments, not sure about Patterson, Vista doesn't have 1 bedrooms, the Commons have everything I think. Remember you share a room, but I've had really great roommates. And as Imagineer Dreaming said... I didn't spend a lot of time in the apartment really!!! (Although I think Chatham is becoming a more party place than it used to be. Ugh) - and Vista is really close to Wendys. Definite advantage there...

Mission Space was amazing to work at, and I made some great friends, but it was more cliquey than some places are. Some areas are like that - but it constantly changes with new groups of CPs!

Roles - summer programme can do custodial yes - and you get lots of guest interaction with that. As far as I know you can do:

• Quick service food and beverage
  Full service food and beverage (seater/assigner - not a server)
  Merchandise
  Lifeguard
  Custodial
  Operations (attractions/ main entrance)
  Character performer
  Character attendant (some years this isn't an option though)
  Housekeeping
  Recreation (not always available)
  Costuming

Think that's it. It's slightly different from CPs, and people on the 6 month/year academic exchange, but I'm 99% certain that's what it is. If you get to final interviews with Disney you get given a role checklist then to fill in. Before then, I wouldn't be overly specific about what you want, mention several things if at all. Not even sure if I was asked about roles for 2009 (definitely wasn't in my final interview)... and at the pre-screen stage/phone interviewy thing I think it didn't come up, unless it did for the year interview I had. Kinda blurs together - but at the final interview, you can definitely talk to Disney about it - if they don't mention it, ask it as a question or something - I never did for 2009 and kinda regretted it (didn't think I'd got it as loads were asked about their choices and he said he wasn't going to as we were only interviewing for the summer!). But, I'd rather be out there doing Quick Service than not getting in!

Hope that helps!

 

Thanks for all that info! Wow...$101!! Wages have also gone up slightly as well though haven't they? Should just balance out i guess.
Would you suggest not mentioning roles at all in the application then? and just wait until we are asked about them? I would hate to be rejected just because I included role info when I shouldn't have!

 

You're welcome
Theoretically wages have gone up. However, still not great. Front desk and concierge are relatively high paid (concierge is) and over the year my average of the two will be $8.32. Not fantastic by any means! But we don't go to Disney to make money!

Incidentally, a 2 bed in the Commons is $105. Vista is the cheapest by about $5-10-15 (for each apartment size) I think - so in Attractions and Merch (certainly used to be lowest paid... and at Space I averaged 32 hours a week which isn't a lot), you save by living there. Something to bear in mind, especially if you don't plan on spending a lot of time in the apartment! Until May this year you had no say in where you lived, now you can state a preference, but nothing is guaranteed.

Hmmm with regards to mentioning roles, it's kinda personal preference I guess. I never have done - I focused more in my cover letter (and the about me section of the CV) on why I would be a good fit for the programme and how it fit with my experience and career aims, what I would get and what I could offer if that made sense?
I wouldn't say definitely don't mention it, but at the same time it needs to not be overly prominent - like I wouldn't spend an entire large paragraph on roles. Maybe just something along the lines of I could offer blah blah blah, which would be useful in *role*. But the programme is more about the experience than the role if that makes sense?

And they always say in the presentations and stuff "everyone wants attractions, but would you really want it's a small world?" - and the bigger attractions such as thunder mountain don't necessarily have "better" experiences - more fast paced so you don't necessarily get to know people as well, and more cast and longer hours... and more angry guests! Not to put you off attractions or anything!

The way I look at it, I'd rather be on the programme in my last choice of role, than in England wishing I was there and wondering if I would have been if I'd been less specific! But not enough to make me want to Lifeguard/custodial! (And I have tattoos so I'd have to wear a polo shirt as lifeguard which would be lame!)

Also - I saw earlier you said your CV was 3 pages? I'd really try and cut it down to two - do you need to mention (in detail) all your school experiences for this programme? I've always created a separate CV for Disney than everything else. Last summer I completely redid my CV as my second page was too wordy. I have a section on relevant work experience, where I go into detail about my jobs, and then on the next page an "other" work experience, where I summarise my general skills I got from them. I found it cut my CV down a lot doing that - and I could tailor it much better for Disney that way
xx

 

Thanks Katie! Did you attach a cover letter to your CV as well as fill in the "motivation for application" box? As for the length - i am going to try and cut it down tomorrow. It's difficult really because nearly all my experiences in schools are relevant in a some sort of prominent way...the only thing that isn't is my paid job as a cleaner! (And I hope that doesn't make them think i'll want custodial ) Do you know if you are able to specify attractions/main entrance or do you just choose "operations" and then see what you get? Also (sorry) is it ok to leave "references available on request" or do I have to try and squeeze in a load of contact details too?

All in all, If I am lucky enough to get a place, i'm going with the attitude that it's for the experience, and anything that meets my "preferences" is a total bonus! You've just got to be so grateful that you've actually got there that you can't really moan about much surely? And I guess its total luck of the draw as to how nice the people you work with are!

and also......i've realised there is no link to my Facebook page after saying you could all add me! I'll add that now

 

Hey guys, not been on here in so long, so happy to be back

Ok, so technically I am not applying for the ICP as I am applying for the Academic Exchange Program (providing RGU remains a partner) and you can't apply for two at the same time but I am finger-crossing I can share in the excitement here and you never know, that program and the ICP can cross-over so if we are all lucky, we may meet ;D Like you guys, my parents are sick of hearing me bang on about these programs and as I have known about them since I was 12, you can imagine how the word 'Disney' is very close to being banned Therefore, it is rocking to come to talk to fellow addicts here.

As far as introductions, I am Alex, 19 and studying International Tourism Management. If I was lucky to get on the program, I would love to do Front Desk (for academic exchange) but merchandise, operations (I would love to work on Soarin' or Splash Mountain) or basically anywhere, would be rocking too. Just not lifeguarding. It is nice to meet everyone!

So a little depressing but I did not get on the program last year, so you may not want to take any advice from me! The main thing I want to say though is that I see you guys are a little worried about the pre-screens, and don't worry I was totally the same. I was freaking out I would not get the opportunity to say something and I would not stand out. However, the pre-screens were really enjoyable and everyone in our group was really good/friendly so EVERYONE got a chance to say a lot and no one felt judged. I was actually quite sad when the interview was over as it was really fun! I think it just comes down to the group because as I said everyone let everyone speak and we all kind of bounced off each other but I did hear of groups where sometimes one person would try to dominate however that probably did not make them look that great.

Also, last year I think like 1,500 people applied and only like 500 people got pre-screens (that is just from memory, probably wrong but it was definitely in the 000s for applications and the 00s for pre-screens) so the key guys is make sure that your CV and application are strong as that is where the main cutting is I think I interviewed in Edinburgh (the only Scottish location) but I think there were like 4/5 other places in England like London, Manchester, Liverpool and the pre-screens were done over a week. Thankfully, I had the last pre-screen and the results were given out the next day so yeah, there was not much of a wait! From memory, pre-screen emails were sent the day applications closed, then it was 1.5/2 weeks till the pre-sceen, then 1 week max till results (dependent on when you interviewed) then 1.5/2 weeks till finals and then 2 weeks till results. So yeah, it is quite a quick process! (those are rough time lines from my ole' memory though so I would not fully rely on them to be indicative of this year)

Hope to talk to you guys soon

 

Dang, they really sped up the process! Seriously, from vlogs I've watched (from before 2011), they waited from August to December most times! Insanity, but thank you for updating us with a rough timeline

And that is very comforting to know, thank you! As you read, we were dreading the group interviews...even though we haven't even applied yet this makes it all the more exciting though. I just need the next few months to speed up, and I'm sure everyone else does too!

But good luck this time around, dear! Hopefully everything goes our way

 

Wow, they really have sped it up haven't they!!! When I first started reading about it 5 or 6 years ago, people didn't find out until about March whether they had been accepted or not! I would NOT have been able to survive that wait!

 

Ok, it's impossible to get my CV on two pages. I've spent all day on it and the damn cover letter! It's now 2 and a half pages, plus a page for the cover letter. :

 

Haha the struggles!!! But perhaps a smaller font or font size may work?

 

The body text is all size 10, (titles/headings are larger) so i don't want to make it any smaller, or it'll be really hard to read I think. I have managed to get rid of about half of the "gumpf" I had about experience, but then added contact details for referees, so I think 2.5 pages is ok....i'm can't make it any shorter really without making it look like i haven't bothered to write anything! :

Still got to figure out what to do with this "Motivation" box too! I feel like i'm thinking about all this way too much! haha!

ps....glad I got the right Steven on FB! That could have been awkward!

 

Ha ha I'm having the same problems as everyone else with my C.V. It's 5 pages including my cover letter. My font is 12, Calibri (Body), which is the standard. I have no idea how to cut it down. Normally my C.V. is 7 pages and that's without the cover letter. Is anyone including referees? I'm just including contact details at the end, since I have a bit of space.