Chris Saribay

No matter what program you embark on, there’s a number of different roles to choose from, and sometimes there isn’t a lot of information on them. Today, I’ll be talking about two roles: Full Service Food and Beverage and Vacation Planner.

Full Service Food and Beverage

Full Service Food and Beverage (FSF&B) is probably one of the most underrated role offerings for both the Disney College and CareerStart Programs. Having worked in this role previously, it’s one that has a great mix of personal freedom, responsibility and its own share of fun moments, given its high guest interaction. Better still, a lot of these roles take place in a highly themed, fast-paced and dynamic environment.

As a FSF&B cast member, your primary responsibilities will revolve around two basic tasks: greeting guests at a restaurant podium, and seeing to it that they be seated as quickly and efficiently as possible. These roles alone are pretty simple, but due to the nature of the business, this role can involve a lot of guest interaction and can require some skill in resolving challenging guest situations. Particularly with busier locations (like Cinderella’s Royal Table, Chef Mickey’s and ‘Ohana), a willingness to be flexible and see challenges through to their resolution makes for a great cast member, and at the end of the day, can be quite rewarding. In FSF&B, you may also be called upon to assist in other areas of the restaurant front-of-house operation.

I also found that in FSF&B, if you prove yourself to be a strong, steady cast member, there may be additional responsibilities that you can take on, including FSF&B Assignor (which essentially dictates the ebb and flow of the dining room seatings and coordinates other podium cast) and F&B General Teller. This is a role where you can really make a very big impact to the operation if you want to.

Note that Full Service Food and Beverage is a non-tipped role. You will not be able to work as a server at any point during your program.

Vacation Planner

Vacation Planners are the one-stop-shop for guests before entering the parks. These cast members are the ultimate resource on the multitude of park admission available, and also are able to help day guests plan their visit.

As they’re stationed just outside the theme park gates, their primary responsibility is to help guests select and purchase admission media (tickets) to the various Walt Disney World Resort theme parks and water parks. To go along with this, these cast members should be pretty comfortable cash handling, as they handle a high amount of cash during their shifts. They also assist guests with any questions they may have about the park they’re visiting that day, and can provide tips and their own personal expertise to ensure a great experience for guests.

Many shifts for these roles tend to start earlier in the morning, since many park visitors will enter during the first few hours a park is open. While I would be cautious in making any assumptions, this probably points in the direction of having more of a consistent schedule than not. To go along with this, vacation planners should be very open to the idea of working under pressure while still personifying the heart of the Disney experience- Vacation Planners are often the first cast members day guests interact with. Lines are sometimes long, and Vacation Planners must still take the time to individualize their planning for each guest, while being mindful that there are others waiting in line.

Vacation Planners may occasionally be scheduled for other parks operations tasks, including Parade Audience Control, at certain parks.

Publishing Note: As the recruiting season winds down, this blog will now be posted as needed. I still plan to blog once or twice a week on a subject of interest, but the publishing of this blog may vary a bit in the coming weeks.

Note: The photo above is by Flickr user Thomas Jung, used under the “CC By/ND” license.

Labels: College and CareerStart Programs • Roles •

Lee Cockerell was one of the most venerated cast members at the Walt Disney World Resort before retiring a few years ago. As Executive Vice President of Operations, Lee never ceased on developing the company’s most important assets: its own people. While I never personally had the opportunity to meet or work with Lee, the legacy and the foundation he left in professional development and guest service is certainly evident throughout the fibers of the Walt Disney World Resort.

Lee started a blog earlier this year named Lessons in Leadership. I’d encourage you all to check it out, it is an excellent resource for anyone looking to gain real-life expertise from a real professional in leadership.

Labels: Development • Roles •

Every once in a while I’m asked about opportunities that present themselves once you’re down on the program- and there are many. Today, I’ll be talking about this part of my own journey.

I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t enjoy talking too much about myself, but I think it might help those looking for perspectives on things that can be accomplished while down on the Disney College and CareerStart programs. Suffice it to say, that there a lot of program participants, and the desire to distinguish yourself among the crowd can be important to many. There are definitely opportunities that Disney mentions on the program websites (like networking events), but there are other things that can distinguish yourself from the ranks, and even lead to a stellar performance review.

1. Work as hard and as smart as you can. This is true anywhere you go. When you show initiative in your work location and show that you truthfully care about your performance, the leaders in your area may be more inclined to stick their neck out and help you on your way. It’s like the old adage—nothing ventured is nothing gained. If you don’t put in the work, don’t expect to bear out the rewards.

2. Network, network, network! Despite what you’re told, “what you know” is very important. The thing is though, it’s all worthless if you have no one to share it with- “what you know” is all a function of “who you know”. Disney provides several great paths for networking, three of which I highly recommend. The first one is a weekly class that is a available in numerous disciplines named the Disney Exploration Series (DES). Leaders from different facets of the Walt Disney World Co. (and affiliates) come out to lecture and field questions from participants, and almost always stick around afterwords for follow ups. Another great resource that I’ve used is the “Career Insights With…” series, which is similar to the DES. Finally, something a lot of people overlook is simply talking to your leaders- if you develop your relationship with them, they may extend their network to you.

3. Keep an eye out on opportunities. You may be taking a semester off from school, but you never cease to be life long student. There is something that always surprised me about participants- many aren’t looking at the vast amount of opportunities that present themselves while you’re on program. I was fortunate enough to stumble upon one of these opportunities myself.

A posting in my local work area was soliciting for facilitators for our resort orientation classes. I didn’t think much of it at first, but one of the coordinators of training stopped me one day and pushed the idea on me. Hesitantly I went along with it, and auditioned for the role a couple days later. To make the story short, I ended up getting this cross-utilization role, and the more I thought about it, the idea grew on me. One full week of training later, I was an official Disney Facilitator & Trainer and was good to lead classes. By the time I finished I had over 120 cast members go through my classes, including the new General Manager of Disney’s Polynesian Resort and his related support staff.

I was extremely fortunate for having had the opportunity, and to think I almost passed it up! It definitely distinguished me from the pack, and I even got a set of company-issued Polynesian Leader Kukui Nuts! Wherever this journey may take you, always look for ways to move up in the ranks- I’m sure glad I did.

Coming up next week: Housing, Parts I and II

Labels: College and CareerStart Programs • Development • Roles •

No matter what program you embark on, there’s a number of different roles to choose from, and sometimes there isn’t a lot of information on them. Today, I’ll be talking about two roles: Quick Service Food & Beverage and Hospitality.

Quick Service Food and Beverage

Quick Service Food and Beverage (QSR) is a challenging role to undertake, and I’m not going to glorify this role- it ultimately boils down to serving guests in a high-volume, counter-service or cart food location, not unlike any other fast-food or quick-casual food vendor you’d find scattered across the country. Unlike these outlets however, Disney’s QSR is hardly mundane and anything but typical.

If you’re offered a position in QSR, you could have a role that takes place in almost any place imaginable on Disney property. While outlets like Columbia Harbor House and Pecos Bill Cafe at the Magic Kingdom may come to mind, QSR also embodies the various carts and wagons located throughout the numerous parks, and the various sweets & ice-cream shops located throughout property (excluding the Confectionary and Sweet Spells, these are merchandise locations).

Yes, the hours can be long and work can be demanding sometimes (just like any other role), but not without its own merits. QSR cast have their own special way of “making the magic” for guests- and even though a lot of people who go into the role initially may not be too enthused, they end up loving it before they leave. Some benefits of this role is that you can truly leave your work at work, something that sometimes you can’t escape with the next role I’m about to describe. It’s also possible that in this role, you’ll be given a certain amount of liberty to work independently in the field, which can be pretty fun. These roles also tend to pay a bit more than the program base-rate, which always helps.

Program participants typically are cashiers and food expeditors, or are stand alone vendors at the carts. It’s possible you could be exposed to the elements, and you’ll likely be standing/moving about for your entire shift.

Hospitality

Hospitality majors are often attracted to the Disney College Program experience, and what better place to get started than in a hospitality role! Hospitality is probably the most difficult role to score on the college program. Prior guest service experience and a pretty darn good phone interview are necessities for this role. Because of the significant investment Disney makes in training these cast members, it would be advantageous to sign-up for an advantage program if you’d like to improve your odds.

As far as the role goes, it can vary from resort to resort. At most resorts, this involves at least three sub-roles, Cashier (Front Desk), Lobby Concierge and Runner. The former is pretty much just like any other hotel cashier in the formal sense- they check you in to your “Disney Vacation” and get you established at the resort. However, the level of detail and explanation required is often a much higher expectation from anywhere else you’d work. You’re not just checking people in to a hotel, you’re setting up their vacation!

Lobby concierge, as you can probably deduce, assists guests in a resort lobby, typically adjacent to the front desk to organize dining reservations, excursions and other activities, and sell tickets. This sub-role is a lot like a glorified vacation planner at one of the parks. The runners do exactly that- run items per guest requests. Other resorts have additional sub-roles that you may or may not be selected to perform. This includes Club Concierge (Disney desk experience is required for this, and is located at deluxe resorts only), Lounge Attendant and Bell services.

Something to keep in mind is that resorts operate 24/7/365. There is a great potential for you to be given “funky” shifts, because they must always be staffed. These roles can be a lot of fun, but are a lot of stress as well.

Coming up on Thursday: The Large Envelope
Coming up next week: Acceptance, Moving up in the Ranks

Labels: College and CareerStart Programs • Hospitality • Quick Service • Roles •