All CPs (college program participants) train at Disney University for some portion of time. Usually it is only for an eight hour day or 2 four hour days. As a concierge we spend four days at Disney University training for the Front Desk position and then another five days later on in the program to train to be a Concierge. These weeks have 8 hour days of learning learning learning everything there is to know about your role.
On Tuesday we had "Welcome to Lodging" which was an overview of working in the resort environment. The class consisted of people from front desk, concierge, custodial, and housekeeping. We went over the types of resorts we have at Walt Disney World: value, moderate, and deluxe. We also went over how to incorporate Disney's 4 Keys into lodging. If you are doing a program, the 4 keys will be hammered into your head because they are so incredibly important and relate to all lines of work. After a couple of hours we were split into groups by role, where the front desk and concierge people went to "The Journey Begins," which is the beginning of front desk training.
In this class we went more in depth into the kinds of resorts we have. We talked specifically about each resort in each classification. The Boardwalk is a Deluxe Resort, so we have what is called a Concierge Club Level. I would go more in depth into what that means if I actually fully understood myself... We also went over the Disney Vacation Club a little bit. We went over what our duties as a front desk person are. Some of these duties include being the first interaction guests have with a WDW cast member, issuing and troubleshooting magic bands, giving access to a room, currency exchange, and giving guests tools to make their vacations great.
On Wednesday we began "Destination Cashier" which was split into 3 eight hour days... :
Day 1
We were introduced to the computer program used for the check in/check out process. The program is called Lilo (yes after Lilo and Stitch). Me and Lilo have a love/hate relationship going on at the moment. It's me though, not her. She is an incredibly advanced and efficient program, I just get frustrated with new things..
So for day 1 we went through how to do a check-in step by step... There are 11 steps in total but within each step are a bunch of other steps. It's a lot to remember, but I think once I fully get the hang of it I will be set. I am going to make a bunch of flow charts to help me remember all of the steps of all of the processes we learned.
On Day 1 we went into the lab which had faux-front desks set up and role-played a check in. I went and was so overwhelmed that I cried. We were an odd number so I ended up checking in a facilitator I had never met before, which felt like a lot of pressure.
On Day 1 we also learned about how to handle cash and other forms of currency. We also learned how to do the "disney count" which is how you are supposed to hand change back to guests. Let's say someone's bill is 11 dollars and they give you a 20. As you hand them back each bill you are to count up to the amount. It's basically the complete opposite of everything I've ever learned about counting change.
Day 2
On Day 2 we learned how to exchange foreign currency and travelers checks, send faxes, and do more complex check-ins. These processes are all simple but it's hard to remember the steps. I think after a lot of practice it will become second nature though. I got to check-in two of my peers this day, which was a lot less stressful. (Not that I'll be checking my peers in at the resort but shhh..)
In the afternoon we went over different packages guests may have purchased prior to check-in. These include ticket packages and dining plans (of which there are 5 which are crazy convenient).
Day 3
Day 3 was today, and the first thing we learned was how to check out. The check out process is much much simpler than the check-in process, and a lot of guests elect for express checkout which doesn't involve much work on our part.
We also discussed the different types of groups and conventions that come to WDW, and what types of packages they might have and how to check them in. At the Boardwalk we have a convention center so I assume I will be in this situation often.
Airline Check-in and the Magical Express were our next topics of conversation. After that we went into the lab and did the most complex lab yet. In this one we had to check someone in, change their contact information, settle their bill split between american and Canadian currency, travelers checks and a credit card. Then they wanted to send a fax, send a message to another person in their party, and change their credit card on file. Oh, and it was also their birthday. This lab was the most stressful yet but my partner and I were the first ones done. Although we couldn't interact with each other while dealing with Lilo..that was too advanced for us.
Lastly in the class we learned about exceeding guest expectations in difficult situations. I learned a lot about active listening and how to problem solve. It was an extremely valuable section of the class.
I really enjoyed the three days of Destination Cashier. Disney has such an efficient and effective way of training. The best part about it though, was that it was fun. I had four great facilitators: Lexi, Julia, Arnold, and Holli. If you have the chance to be in any of their classes, you are extremely lucky! They are so knowledgeable, kind, and helpful. They also made it very fun.
It's nice because there is a real feeling of teamwork within our class. There are a lot of great people in it and we all have each other's backs and are there for support because we are all essentially in the same boat. I am going to miss going to class everyday and spending the day with them, I wish we could all work at the same resort together. Luckily there are a handful of other concierges in the class so fingers crossed we will be in the same Disney University classes together in a few weeks!
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