I don’t know what the Spring session is like because I haven’t talked to anyone who has done it. You can always apply to Spring and if you don’t get in you can apply to Fall. It’s a lot more difficult to get accepted into the DisneyLAND program because of how much smaller it is. So I think your best option would be to apply to both. Even if you get into Spring and you don’t want to go you can give them some excuse and decline your offer. The next time you apply would also be easier on you since you’ll know you said the right things the first time around. 

Personally I’m really happy I did the Fall session. I’m from the East Coast and I really wanted to avoid the colder months here. I had a lot of fun during the holidays. Christmastime is my favorite time in the park and I’m happy I got to experience it with the friends I made during the program. 

Congrats! Mine was a 5 person apartment with 2 rooms and 2 bathrooms. I got there early enough to choose the room with 2 beds. I also had an attached bathroom. The other room had a regular bed and a bunk bed with a bathroom across the way. My roommates took their bunks down but their room ended up being pretty crowded.

I would say take as little as possible. The apartments vary in size and setup. The common area in mine was huge but living in a bedroom with someone (or more than one person) really does give you a limited amount of personal space. I knew someone in a 3 person room who had a walk in closet but you can’t guarantee that much space. The 3 person room in my apartment only had two wall closets and one dresser which meant the girls had to split up closet space. 

I took as little as possible going there and I still ended up accumulating a ton of stuff over time so I would try to limit what you bring. There are lockers in every apartment to put personal items you want to keep safe. I had two hall closets where we put coats/cleaning stuff/random things. There are a lot of stores like Target and Walmart nearby so if you decide you want some cheap furniture to fill space you can always pick stuff up. There’s also a giveaway at the welcome party where they hand out stuff left behind by past CPs as prizes. You might end up with shelves or even a TV. Someone I know won a bike. 

If you want to bring wall hangings you can. You’re allowed to put stuff on the walls as long as you don’t damage them. And even if there is some damage all you need to do is put putty to patch it all up at the end of the program and it won’t be a problem. I ripped a ton of paint off my wall taking some stuff down and no one said anything about it after I fixed it. 

These are some pictures of my room: CarnegiePlaza

This was my friend Sarah’s apartment: http://youtu.be/cLTh6u_xktc

And I show a really quick sweep of mine here: http://youtu.be/8NWNJx9t1N0?t=3m44s

I’m not sure how often they do the costume thing? I’m pretty sure it’s annual. I know they have a lot of other sales like that though. There’s a Lost and Found charity sale. Apparently that’s where they get rid of old unclaimed items (cameras and cool stuff like that). I did Fall too so I’m sure you’ll run into the same sales I did. 

I’m excited for you!! You’re gonna have a lot of fun. I think people in merch were pretty evenly distributed but I did know a lot of people placed in World of Disney. There were probably more CPs spread around the parks but I don’t know exact numbers. 

No problem! You don’t get to choose where you work. They decide which role (attractions, merch, photopass, etc.) to offer you and if you accept then they choose where to place you. This all happens before you move in but you aren’t told specifically where you’re assigned until a few days later after your Disney Traditions seminar. 

For the Disneyland program housing is optional and limited. If you apply to the program you can apply with or without housing. If you apply without or get denied housing you start in May as opposed to August and have to provide your own living situation. 

I think it depends on where you work but for me the magic wasn’t spoiled at all. It’s a little disconcerting being backstage and seeing Character heads on trucks or Princesses walking around in their bloomers but for me I think it just added to the magic honestly. There’s something special about knowing how it all works behind the scenes. The characters were just as real for me backstage as they were inside the park. I loved it. Running around the park as a Guest was just as wonderful for me. Being a Cast Member kind of makes you appreciate what these people do every day.

I can imagine some aspects of the park being spoiled if you’re assigned other roles but working in Stores didn’t ruin anything for me. 

I was. When you’re assigned to a land as a CP you’re land locked so scheduling can never put you anywhere else unless it’s included in your assignment. For example, I know people who were assigned to Fantasyland/Toontown so they worked both places. You can still get experience working other places by switching shifts with people in other areas (if you’re in merchandise at least). I personally never did that. I would have loved to but I never really got the chance. 

They definitely station CPs in California Adventure. I also knew a lot of people in merch who worked at World of Disney in Downtown Disney but that was apparently a nightmare. Terrible late night hours and the place is a zoo. 

I’m not really sure what my least favorite aspect of my role was. Maybe scheduling? For the most part they were extremely cooperative but occasionally I would get a really unhelpful person on the phone. Another would be the grumpy old ladies who work mornings. They were soooooooooo grumpy and should not be working at Disneyland of all places. All they would do is complain and snitch on anyone they could to the Leads. Least favorite aspect of the program itself was not being able to extend. At Walt Disney World CPs usually have the option to extend their program but I think due to limited space/availability that’s not offered at Disneyland.

The Holidays were great. Extremely busy but I loved it. Christmas time is my absolute favorite time at Disneyland. I did actually spend a LOT of money on discounted merch. Especially around Christmas. There’s also a place called Company D which is a discounted store for Disney Employees. There was a charity sale one morning of old park costumes (parades, shows etc.) and I went a little crazy. 

This is an extremely long response but I wanted to fit everything in there. When does your program start? Are you doing Disneyland or Disney World?