Thursday, November 14, 2013

No Longer in Consideration

Well, yesterday I got an e-mail saying I was NLIC (no longer in consideration) for the Park and Event Ticket Sales internship. Not surprised in the least - I really just didn't put much effort into getting a professional internship this time around.

But here I come, Professional Internships Fall 2014! I'll be applying again when applications come out in the spring! : )

Monday, November 11, 2013

DCP Course Registration Update

I got the classes I wanted! Finally, after hours and hours of trying to get through to the registration site, it let me through around 5:15 this morning (I set three alarms to wake up throughout the night and check on the status of the site!)

The site originally said that registration would be open at 12:00 am on Monday, November 11. Well, many of us thought that meant Eastern time and some of us thought it meant Pacific time (which, it did for the Disneyland CPs - they had a different site that specified the time zone). But 12:00 EST came around and nothing happened other than a loading circle showing up on the page. Many of us thought this meant the page was just being bombarded with people trying to register, but I think it all had to do with a time issue. I woke back up to check at 3:00 am Central and nothing had changed. Then I woke up at 5:00 am and was able to get through with no wait and no problems. So I would definitely suggest NOT staying up the night registration opens because it simply isn't worth it. Go to sleep and get up a little early to do it. Trust me - all the classes were still available and you'll be able to register hassle-free!

To log in, you will need to enter your Last Name and E-mail Address. On the following page, you will need to enter your Cell Phone Number and choose from a drop down menu your Type of Program (College Program/International College Program) and Check-In Date.

After that, you will be shown the same list of course descriptions that was available on the regular DCP site. Here is a quick listing of all the classes offered:





Please note that this is NOT the page where you actually register for classes. Many people were getting confused, as there is nothing on this page that allows you to choose a class. This is simply the page that gives a description of the courses one more time.

After that, I was prompted to show my interest in certain additional educational opportunities (which, of course I am!). They make sure to note that these are not guaranteed events or workshops and that this is just to gauge interest.

Finally, you are taken to the actual registration page! It is a long page, consisting of all the courses and all the times they are offered. All classes are offered multiple times per week, but only once per day as far as I saw. The prices I saw for the collegiate courses were $9.99, $23.99, and $29.99. If you choose to take one of these courses, you will need to pay at the time of registration and will need a credit card.

However, I was only interested in the Disney Exploration Series courses and these are FREE!

I debated on whether or not to take one class on Monday and one class on Tuesday, because I have heard that you are almost guaranteed to have your class days off of work (unless they are early in the morning and you have the rest of the day to work) and I really want those days off. But, in the end, I decided to take both of my classes on Monday since they are in the same location and only have a three hour gap. That way, I'm guaranteed one full day of nothingness per week!

So, drumroll, please...


I'm taking "Exploring Guest Service" on Mondays from 11:00-1:00, followed by "Exploring Disney Heritage" from 4:00-6:00!

I think this will be great, considering I won't have to get up super early on these days. I could even spend a few hours in the morning at the parks and be done with class to go back and enjoy some nighttime entertainment! Plus, it's only 8 weeks of the program, spanning from February 10 - March 31. So that's gives me three full months on the program class-free! I can definitely handle that.

I am SO excited about these classes! Less than two months until I check in!

Sunday, November 10, 2013

DCP Educational Opportunities and Course Registration

http://cp.disneycareers.com/en/onboarding/fl/education/course-details/

So, apparently, course registration opens tonight! I've had an idea of the classes I'd like to take for a while now, so I think I'll stick with those. (Although I did just read through all the course descriptions and syllabi again, just in case!) :)

If you are on either the Fall or Spring programs, you are allowed to take two classes during your time with Disney. If you're on an Advantage program, you're allowed to take a total of four, but may only take two at a time. The classes are free, however some do have a small fee ($10-30) for course materials that you must pay for at the time of registration.

There are two main types of courses offered: Collegiate Courses and the Disney Exploration Series.

The collegiate courses are accredited and many schools accept these for college credit. They are set up like normal classes and include homework, tests, quizzes, and projects. These are likely the classes that will have a materials fee attached to them, so be ready with a credit card when you go to register. The Disney Exploration Series classes are not accredited and they do not have any homework or grading systems in place. To me, that makes them "just for fun" classes!

Since I will be graduating in December, I won't need any classes for credit. Therefore, I plan on taking two classes from the Disney Exploration Series: "Exploring Disney Heritage" and "Exploring Guest Service". Here are their descriptions from the DCP website (which I've provided a link to, above):


Exploring Disney Heritage
Take a journey back in time discovering the roots of Disney. Learn about Walt's vision through exploring historical milestones.

Exploring Guest Service
Discover why Hospitality is the hallmark of the Walt Disney World® Resort. Throughout our theme parks and resorts, we strive to satisfy and delight our Guests in the world's most hospitable vacation destination.


The "Exploring Disney Heritage" class seems to be the most popular class on the program, so I'm crossing my fingers that waiting around for the registration time tonight will get me into the class! I'm hoping to take "Exploring Guest Service" because I think it will really help me when applying for a Park Operations or Guest Services Professional Internship in February - plus it fits in with my Hospitality major!

The DCP website states that registration for Spring 2014 classes will open at 12:00 am on Monday, November 11. There was no time zone specified, so I'm assuming it means Eastern. That means I'm waiting around for 11:00 pm Central time on Sunday, November 10, which is in one and a half hours! Eep! I always gets excited when registering for any type of class. I love learning!

I'll be sure to make a post about my experience while registering for classes afterwards.

Wish me luck!