Posted April 13th, 2018 By Yummy Jobs

Success Story - Charlie

Take a look at Charlie's review of her 12-month Hospitality Placement at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort, and find out what some of her favourite moments were during her year of making magic!

 

The highlight of my program was getting the opportunity to work as part of the “Ride Out Crew” during Hurricane Irma. The Swan & Dolphin Resort asked for volunteers to work during the Hurricane and we all moved into the hotel for 4 days. It really was an amazing experience as we helped multiple departments and it was satisfying to know that we were able to look after guests who were in need of comfort. We also had a few celebrities at the hotel such as Kristen Bell and Seth Rogan!

I would recommend the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resort program because it gives you an incredible opportunity to explore the hospitality industry and work at a huge property in the heart of Disney World. Not only that, the resort is owned by Starwood and Marriott, two big names in the hospitality industry known globally, so you learn and operate by their high standards.

I believe that the most useful thing I have learnt so far would be how to handle guest confrontation. At the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resort you will encounter multiple guest issues, both on the Front Desk and in Guest Services. During your program you will learn how to deal with particular situations, but it really comes down to how you handle it. Guest confrontation is hard at first, especially if you have never worked in the industry before but never take it personally. Just put yourselves in their shoes and try to understand their frustration and empathise with how they are feeling. The more you progress through this program, the more comfortable you will feel when guest issues arise!

My favourite thing to do in my free time is to go to Disney’s Magic Kingdom Park and watch the Happily Ever After fireworks display. There is something about this show that just reminds me how lucky I am to be here in Orlando and how I am just living in a dream world. Whenever I am sad, or I miss home I will go and watch this show just to make me feel better and remind myself of how much I love living here!

 

My favourite thing about the living experience here is having people from all around the world in your group/apartment and learning about their cultures. For example, my roommate’s first language was Spanish, so she taught me how to speak/read/write it and now we will watch movies together in Spanish and go to different authentic eateries together. It is really interesting to see how things are different depending on where a person has come from.

I hope that this program will help me to secure a job as a Front Desk or Guest Services Supervisor/Manager after I have graduated. I believe with the amount of knowledge and skills we are taught, in such a huge property with Disney, Marriot and Starwood’s names attached to it, that this shouldn’t be an issue… and I can’t wait to see where it takes me!

 

Are you interested in taking your Hospitality Career to the next level, working for a world-leading resort? Then click HERE for further information on our very own WDW Swan and Dolphin Resort Program!

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