The time has come you have the offer, you filled out the pre-arrival paperwork, and you are on your way to Disney. Here is what to expect on in the famous check-in day! I will do this in two sections the first being for the Disney College Program and the second for the Professional Internship Program.
Updated for 2016 and beyond check-in for Walt Disney World you will now receive an itinerary a few days prior to arrival with your information. It will include your check-in time and location, Casting time, housing meeting, Traditions, and drug test as well if needed for your role.
When you check-in now it is at whichever complex you will be living in, so for example if you live in Chatham you will not check-in there instead of everyone going to Vista Way. As a note for anyone who is not living in housing you will check-in at Patterson Court, and for extenders of the DCP your check-in is a Vista Way.
As I said check-in for WDW is now whatever complex you are living at, and is now shorter than it used to be so expect it to take about 10-30 minutes. Here is what you can expect to do when you check-in at your complex.
- Turn in forms/ fill-out forms if you did not fill them out online prior
- You will be given more forms (I know Disney and their paperwork)
- Receive pre-program stuff (aka purple/blue bag, card holder, snacks, laundry supplies)
- You will also receive a planner your specific work location
- You will find out your apartment number and be given your key
- You will get a photo ID taken
- Must be in Disney Look from the shoulders up
Now housing meetings are typically going to be the first or second day, and yes they are required to attend so do not miss it. As for Casting it will also be the first or second day, and there are buses specifically for CPs going to Casting.
This is what happens at Casting:
- You are going to get shuffled into a hallway to wait for a room to fill out paperwork (yup I know more paperwork)
- Receive your training schedule for your specific location
- Go over Disney Look and any questions you have
- Fill out more paperwork (I know never-ending)
- You are going to be fingerprinted
- Then you get shuffled into another room to listening to a Casting recruiter talk to the group
I know this process sounds boring, but you cannot start working without it. The process can take anywhere from 2-3 hours, so I suggest you be prepared for it to take up most of your day. I feel I also want to add since someone brought it up no you cannot go to the parks until after you receive your blue ID at Traditions.
Disney College Program: California
I know finding information on the California program can be hard, so I will include it here as well although it is going to be similar to the DCP in Florida. To be clear Anaheim has set times, much like Florida, so do not show up before you time. Check-in times range from 8:00am-11:00am at Carnegie Plaza. When you arrive for check-in you will go to Carnegie Plaza where you will head upstairs to start the process.
- Turn in forms/ fill-out forms if you did not fill them out online prior
- You will be given more forms (I know Disney and their paperwork)
- Receive pre-program stuff (aka purple/blue bag, card holder, snacks, laundry supplies)
- You will also receive a planner with your Traditions schedule, and if you turn it around it will have your work location. It also has your time for Casting later that day as well.
- You will find out your apartment and be given your key (also where to park)
- You will get a photo ID taken
- Must be in Disney Look from the shoulders up
***I feel like this is important unlike the DCP in Florida in California you are signing a lease here, and will be asked to make payments up front –you do not have to. However, if you term yourself or leave for whatever reason you are still responsible for paying rent for the term of the lease.
Then much like the DCP you will have a chance to see your apartment (again aka claim your bed), and then of course do the infamous Casting trip. I will save you the bore of scrolling back up to the DCP in Florida, and I will just copy and paste since it is the same process.
This is what happens at Casting:
- You are going to get shuffled into a hallway to wait for a room to fill out paperwork (yup I know more paperwork)
- You are going to go to another room to fill out more paperwork (I know never-ending)
- You are going to be fingerprinted
- Then you get shuffled into another room to listening to a Casting recruiter talk to the group
I know this process sounds boring, but you cannot start working without it. The process can take anywhere from 2-3 hours, so I suggest you be prepared for it to take up most of your day. I feel I also want to add since someone brought it up no you cannot go to the parks until after you receive your blue ID at Traditions. There is also going to be a mandatory housing meeting within your first few days that yes I said mandatory, so you are required to show up to it.
Disney Professional Internship: Florida
I want to be clear upfront that this day is long, and it is going to be different for everyone. So I will try to keep this as general as possible, but note as stated this day varies depending on your role.
If you are not living in housing you can ignore this part. The first thing in the morning is the housing meeting, which is at Vista Way, and there you will hand over your DORM paperwork, and get a housing packet which has the your apartment assignment. You will also get a photo taken for your housing ID, which you 100% will not use unless you go to housing events. You will sign some more paperwork, and be on your way. For those wondering why there are no work locations given it is because PIs/MIs already know their work location at this point.
Casting Check-In is the step everyone has to go through, and this will depend on your schedule. Some will be able to go right to their apartment after Vista, and others will have to go to Casting. You will be shoved down the same hallway that the DCP interns are shuffled into, and wait to speak with someone from Casting. You will get handed a folder with some paperwork, which one of those is your Traditions information, and the other is HUB information. Then you sign some more paperwork, go over your I-9s, and then get fingerprinted. Then you will get put into a room where they will go over Disney Look, and then be sent on your merry way.
You will have time to move in to your apartment for a bit before the next part, which varies from role to role. Most of you will be done with your check-in/casting day at this point, but if you happen to be in Animal Programs you will have to attend a meeting that night*. Otherwise, you are free to head back to your apartment unpack, buy groceries, and meet your roommates.
Important Information: You will notice I do not have any information listed for NY, CA, or CT this is due to there being no housing. In NY and CT the process is going to be very different from anything, and you will get a grasp of that when you are in the process of interviewing. As for CA the process is going to be very similar to the DCP in California without any of the housing, since of course there is no PI housing in CA. However, in California Traditions will be similar to the next post I will go over.
Here are some tips for Check-In Day and Casting:
- Wear something comfortable it is going to be a long day there is a lot of walking, standing outside, and just plain standin
- Be presentable follow the Disney Look Guidelines – now to be clear no you do not have to wear business casual
- To give you an idea of what I wore I came in converse, jeans, basic plain t-shirt, and my Kappa baseball cap. For my PI check-in I wore flats, jeans, and a button down portofino shirt.
- Do not get overwhelmed I know this is your first ‘Disney day’ but calm down trust me it is stressful, you are going to be disappointed about your work location, and upset about your apartment not being the ‘renovated’ one. For now just be excited you are at Disney after all remember?
- Do not be disappointed –trust me for my first DCP I was not happy at all I did not get the area I wanted, but trust me I made the best of friends where I worked. Even though I did not get what I wanted I would not have changed it for anything. Trust me for those who did not get Magic Kingdom –you’ll thank yourself when you do not work the 24 hour day
- As a note Resorts are not that bad so don't stress if you are upset you didn't get a park. As someone who worked both a park and a resort I personally preferred my resort to the parks
- Drink lots of water –Florida and California are warm, and you are going to be outside in non-air conditioning for most of the day
- Do not forget to eat something the process takes a while, and do not be like me starving while still have 2 hours left at Casting
- Do not forget your paperwork or government identifications: Forgetting these items can hold up your entire process, and you do not want to be that person that has too go to the SS office due to not bringing yours.
- Also if you have a lamanted SS card they will not accept it same for copies of your SS card they want the original
- Government IDs: Passport, Drivers License, Stated ID, Social Security Card, Birth Certificate
- Direct deposit is set up online on the hub, but if you feel the need bring a blank voided check (never hurts)
- If you do not live in Disney housing yes you still have too go to check-in for the DCP since that is where you are given your off property ID, paperwork, and work location
- If you are a PI and living off Disney housing you do not need to go to the check-in, since you already know your work location. However, you will still need to go to Casting as you cannot go to Traditions without it
- If you have any questions prior to starting as Casting they are there to help you out, so ask away!
*For animal programs I did not complete this internship, but here is a link to a former Cast Member who did: http://lifeanchoredinhope.blogspot.com/2014/06/check-in-day.html
**This has been updated as of May 2016 to include new information about the Florida DCP arrivals
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