I loved my time working at Walt Disney World.
The DCP is truly unlike anything you could ever imagine. Overall, I had the absolute time of my life during my six months in Orlando, FL. Unfortunately, working at WDW is not always pixie dust and smiles. So here are some of the worst things about the DCP.
1. Commuting
If you have a car during your time at the DCP, you are much better off than someone without when it comes to commuting to work. However, taking the Transtar bus or your own car, commuting to the parks at WDW is time consuming. From leaving the apartment complexes, to actually driving, parking, and walking backstage, you easily have to leave for work an hour earlier for your shift. Not to mention after a long shift when you want to go home and sleep, personally it took a 15-20 minute walk to get from my work location to parking plus the drive home, time added up. As for the Transtar buses, the schedule is random and varied. Additionally, after the bus drops you off, you need to a lot time for walking to your work location. For example, if I had a 10am shift, the bus either arrived at 9:57 am or 9:17 am. Therefore, for a 10am shift, I was boarding the bus around 8:50am. Be prepared to a lot a significant amount of time to commuting.
2. Long work hours
Luckily, I did not have to work super long shifts often because I worked at Animal Kingdom before Pandora opened which meant the park usually closed by 9pm. The longest shift that I had was about 10 hours, long but doable. However, for my roommates and those working in Magic Kingdom, they aren't so lucky. Weekly, your hours can easily go up to 50 hours of working during peak periods. Although the checks are really nice, this can be tolling when you add in commute time. Also, in order to fit 50 hours into the week, this means usually you'll only get one day off. There's a constant struggle between going out to the parks on that day off or just staying and sleeping in.
3. Intern status
At Disney, there is seniority status. As a DCP intern, you have no status and truly are the lowest on the totem poll. This means you can end up with the shifts the full time or part time cast members don't want. Also, your work location is supposed to schedule you at least 30 hours per week in order for you to be able to pay your rent. Unfortunately, this means some non-DCP cast members do not get the hours they want, which can cause some tension. This is not the case for most locations, but it definitely can be an issue. Also, if you move to a permanent position with the company, your time in the DCP does not count towards your seniority status, which means your work anniversary starts on the day that you move to a permanent position.
4. Leaving
Besides some unpleasant experiences during my DCP, by far the worst part of working at Disney is leaving. No more discounts or free admission into the park. No more meeting your friends at MK for fireworks or Dole Whip on the Hub. There's so much to do on Disney property and in six months it's close to impossible to do everything you want.
