Universal

Hey guys, just wondering if anyone else is applying for the Universal Orlando Resort International Program 2013? I'm not too sure if this site is the best to post on, it feels somewhat like I've moved over to the dark side , but seeing as I'm pretty sure there was a thread last year I thought why not start one for 2013 applicants! It's always so much more fun applying when you have people to talk to

 

I might apply if I don't get into the ICP. Being from Canada, I don't even have my final interviews until end of January, so we'll wait and see how it plays out
I'm also looking Six Flags as a backup.

 

Awesome stuff although I really hope you get Disney-my fingers are crossed for you
Yeah, I've got Six Flags (possibly) and the Summer Resort programs as back-ups, I plan to be a familiar face for Yummy Jobs by the end of the application year
Disney was, and is, my absolute dream but Universal is also something I feel really passionate about and it would be major useful work experience so I really hope I get it!
I applied for Universal today and the response email I got was: "The Yummy Jobs Team will be reviewing all applications throughout late December and early January and will be in touch in early January to provide you with further information on the next steps for your application." It'll be a long wait but considering how long you Canadians have had to wait for Disney, there's definitely no reason to complain on this side!

 

Well, from the sounds of it, unless I get cut before my final interview, I can't apply for Universal :S

 

It's like midnight here sorry so in my tired state that's why I didn't spot the wee problem for you there :-[ Yeah, deadlines for Universal close I think on December 2nd which I guess is round about possibly interview/pre-screen for you guys? If so that's pretty gutting but if you do get Disney ultimately then it wouldn't matter. So fingers doubly crossed for you now

 

Heyyy.. I didn't make it to Disney either so i'm deffo considering sending an application out for universal - i do love that place also

 

Good luck guys I'm not going for Universal cos I can't wait til Jan to then be rejected and end up with nothing for Summer like last year!

I'm going with Bunac Work America and gunna spend all Christmas & Jan job hunting I wish there was a forum for that though too, if anyone ends up considering Work America get in touch cos i'm thinking of making a fb group x

 

I know what you're getting at Piglet r.e. waiting about, as I'm really petrified that after all this applying, I won't end up with anything. Have to be positive though What you're doing sounds like ace fun though, and i bet it's no where near as expensive! I wish you luck with job hunting and hopefully, you'll be able to find other people to talk to soon. A Facebook group is defo always a good idea, maybe you could see if there's a thread on The Student Room forums as well?
And I'm really gutted you didn't get Disney Parky I know it doesn't really help as when everyone said it to me it didn't, but there's always next year and it's just not part of the "plan" for this year...
Universal applicant buddies 2013 though maybe!

 

Good luck to anyone applying for Universal!

Piglet - I did Work America last year so if you want any info feel free to ask. I didn't sort mine out until late Feb last year and still had plenty of time so you could always go for Universal then sort Work America? I worked for a place called Candy Kitchen in Ocean City, Maryland, they need a lot of summer staff so if you wanted to apply there I can give you the contacts?

Work America is a really great program BUNAC run - it is a A LOT more independent than something Disney or Universal do and the costs can appear a bit higher than they advertise. So if anyone wants to be more independent it is great experience. Any questions feel free to ask me

And Ally... I haven't been stalking this forum as much as usual but I'm a second year Tourism student at RGU. I'm applying for the Academic Exchange experience right now for my placement year - scary stuff! Kinda wish I had the option to go for Universal as a back up in case (or when) I don't get the year!
Xx

 

Yay, a fellow RGUnian Tourism person!
Good luck for the Disney Academic program! I really want to try for that for placement year as well, I even went to the presentation at RGU about it a few weeks back. Eager beaver and all that!
I may end up stalking you and hounding you with questions about it by the way so be warned! It's just so confusing because I want to do study abroad next year but I know applications for the Disney Academic program start in Semester 1 so obviously I'd need to be here to interview (if I even got that). Oh my, life is confusing or at least I make mine that way
Good luck again though for your placement

 

Ally - That was another thing, the fees for Universal I can't afford them! And yeh stay positive It's just i'm in my 3rd year so I really need to be concentrating from Feb till May on Uni work, kinda want my job sorted before then so I can not be distracted job hunting. And i'm chatting on the Student Room, it's just a bit quiet. Thanks though

And Katie thanks i'll have to speak to you! I'm really excited! Cos I like to do my own thing and that's one thing I didn't get with Disney, I was very much in my own little routine of going to the malls on my days off and the Disney parks on my nights off.

I've worked out the costs and my wage for now will cover the program fee, my £1k bursary should cover visa costs and flights then my final loan should cover spending money Eeee! And I would like to do it your way and do it later but i'm giving up my whole house, putting my furniture in storage and have to pretty much organize it all now and let my landlord know so wanna get a job sorted Ocean City i've heard good things about! I wanna take the group flight to New York first then end in Florida and spend a week or two there again and do Disney so Ocean City would be a good location.

Can you tell me about the group flight, did you take it? x

 

I might apply for Universal, even though all I want is Disney.
I'd do anything just to even live near Disney.

It's the prices that scare me.
And Im on the waiting list, so Im scared to do anything else until the close date for that.

Does anyone have any specific information on the prices for Universal?

 

Ally, feel free to ask me anything and I'm doing a study abroad next term, cos I knew when Disney was I picked semester 2 to study abroad. Only thing is that apparently most of the placements come up next term so it's going to be awful to organise something if I don't get it. Thanks for the luck though! Which presentation were you at? The afternoon or morning one?

Makes sense to sort it now then. I think Tracey is accepting people now so if you think Ocean City is what you might want its definitely worth applying now for it! They provide housing too (for more info on the job and stuff check out my blog - katiejames.webs.com). I didn't take the group flight cos I struggled to find a job and so booked to and from Florida doing my own thing, but most people did the group flight and found it fine. I can ask them though if you've got any specific questions!

Good luck for everyone applying to Universal though, I know a couple who've done the summer programme and absolutely loved it!
Xx

 

I've gone and applied for Universal just now. I didn't get through for Disney, and I'm in my final year of university so I figured I might at least go to the pre-selection event (if that's what they do with Universal...) because it would be my last chance to try. But I'm not too hopeful about doing it because you have to pay for some reason, and I'm already spending at least £3,000 on a trip to Australia next year for one of my courses (plus another £1,000 because I might go to Tokyo on the way home)...

 

Kerri Jordan: From someone's blog who did it last year, they noted the costs (when they attended a presentation on it) as being... $1085 Program Fee- covers Visa, medical insurance, and SEVIS fee
$200 Housing deposit
£60 CRB check
£600 Flights
$120 Visa Appointment
+ money for first few weeks
And don't give up hope for Disney, I think if you're on the Opportunity List you've got a great chance of getting it. My fingers are crossed for you

Piglet: I think what you're doing sounds really fun-I'll definitely consider doing something similar in the future. Unfortunately, I've never lived from home yet so I'm not too sure if it would be better for me to start off with something like study abroad or disney/universal where there would be a degree of routine and then moving onto bigger things

Katiej22: Thank you I went to the morning presentation, the one where there was just 3 of us first years and one second year: I felt so embarrassed for Yummy Jobs! Where are you studying abroad? I'm hoping to aim for Canada or the Netherlands but I'm just not sure with this whole placement business as I really want Disney but I'm convinced I won't get it which means I'd have to be there for second semester. What is the application like for the academic one is it just CV then two interviews?

 

Does anyone know whether if you make any changes to your profile on Yummy Jobs after you've applied, do they see those changes, or do they have an archived version of your profile from before you apply? Because I realised about 10-15 minutes after applying that I didn't check through my whole CV to see if there were still things leftover from applying to Disney, and found my opening sentence was still about Disney instead of Universal... I changed it quickly, but I'm just a bit concerned.

 

AllyBallyBee - Study abroad in Canada. DO IT. We're so nice over here!

Expederest - They see the most recently updated version Somebody asked about that on their facebook page a while back.

 

I can see what your saying Ally but if you don't get Universal it's a great way to show more independence
I was supposed to go to Canada for my study abroad but the uni backed out. Trying to sort my second option out but it's possibly in the USA. Wish I could have gone to Canada, sorta wanted Nove Scotia but the modules weren't really right for semester 2. The Netherlands is a beautiful country and I have a friend going to Tio. But make sure you do well cos they assign choices based on grades! I picked semester 2 to go abroad as I wanted to apply to Disney, and the advantage of going to Europe is it wouldn't be too expensive to come back for interviews in semester 2, but if you don't go to interview for Disney you can't go at all! I went to the afternoon one so I didn't have to hang around for ages before the interviews as Monday is one of my days off. Linda said it was embarrassing how few people turned up though, there was more in the afternoon. The application process is the same, profile on Yummy Jobs and attend the presentation (although you can attend before applying online), pre screen group interviews (so scary as I've only had phone interviews before!) and then if successful invited to a final interview, which for me is on the 14th November. In Preston... Sorry for everyone else np this wasn't aimed at! The other thing with the year is the costs involved cos they're higher than the summer programme.

So wish I could apply for universal but I can't do it cos of when I have to be available for placements, can't have a summer job and be available for placements! Maybe after I finish my course....

And I'm happy to answer any questions people have, on the boards or in a message I know people who've done so many things! I'm following all of the progress and wishing I was a part of it, cos the year programme isn't the same - very few people! Only people I know are the couple from my course!
Xx

 

Disney Sparkles: If Canada would take me, I'd be ecstatic to go

katiej22: Thank you so much for all your feedback-it's very useful I wish you luck for your final interview, although judging by all you've done, I'd be shocked if you didn't get it!

 

Come to New Brunswick...we're awesome...
Or Nova Scotia or Prince Edward Island, they're awesome too...

In all seriousness, I hope everybody finds a program other than Disney that works for them. I still haven't even had my first interview for Disney, so I still have a shot, but it's great to know that if I don't there's so many other options out there.