Anna Does Disney

Seven Tips

Because I’ve now been here over two weeks, I’m gonna compile some tips for people beginning their College Program soon or who have just begun.

1. Don’t completely rely on the bus schedule. Always take a bus earlier than you think you’ll need. The buses are often late and the bus drivers will not stop for you even if you’re running and frantically waving. On our first day, we were waiting for the bus to Walmart and it never showed up.
2. Don’t squander your paycheck. Your first paycheck will be pretty measly - about $60 or so. Until you have a healthy amount of money in your bank account or on your pay card, don’t go crazy buying things you don’t need.
3. Use Company D and Cast Connections to buy Disney goodies. The stuff you can find there is far cheaper than in the parks/gift shops, and even with the discount we get on stuff, Company D/Cast Connections can sell you stuff like the Mickey ears hats for about 50 cents.
4. Use your days off wisely. I suggest, depending on errands you need to run, to spend a day doing fun stuff such as going to a park and the other day on important things like laundry, grocery shopping, etc.
5. Bring your car, or, alternatively, make friends with someone that has a car. Because of the aforementioned issues with the bus system here, having an assured way to get from point A to point B and back is almost considered a luxury.
6. Bring thumbtacks/push pins. The only place in your apartment where you can hang stuff like posters is the cork boards they provide you. As such, Walmart was sold out of thumbtacks and pushpins for days and days after we moved in.
7. Your program will be exactly as good as you let it be.  Even if you get assigned to a location or role you weren’t hoping for, make the most of it. I was hoping for the Tower of Terror or the Haunted Mansion and got Journey into Imagination and Captain EO. Not what I expected and I was a bit disappointed at first, but just try to get to know your coworkers and have fun with it. I love my location now, even though it wasn’t what I was expecting it to be. Don’t get stuck with negative people and don’t be embarrassed of remaining positive even when everyone else seems to be negative. You’re at Disney World! This is the chance of a lifetime.