Lifeguard is one of the most common roles for CPs and on the newest version of the DCP application it's listed as a "high need" role. (Read more about high need roles here.) Two Spring 2016 alumni, both named Morgan, shared their experiences for you! Morgan: Typhoon Lagoon and Caribbean Beach Resort Where did you work? Typhoon Lagoon and Caribbean Beach Resort How would you describe your role? Overall, it's a ton of walking and standing in the sun. Not a lot of guest interaction but there is some. There is also a lot of yelling at guests because they can't follow simple rules (I enjoyed this because I have little patience for stupidity lol probably shouldn't have worked at Disney because of that). Working in a resort and at park are two completely different worlds. At the resort I jumped in nearly once a day while at typhoon it varied from no jumps for days to multiple jumps a day. What did your training look like? 3 days of Ellis training then 2 days of location training. Ellis training makes guarding seem a lot more dramatic than it is. How many hours you were scheduled per week? It varied because hours changed with the season and the location. At CBR my hours ranged from 8hr-12 and if there was in service it could be longer. At typhoon the hours were typically around 8 but if there was an event it could be up to 12 or as low as 4. One day though I would like 16 hours. Per week, at CBR it was always under 40. At typhoon it was understaffed so it was always between 40 - 60 hours. A lot of overtime was nice money wise but I had no free time. How long were your shifts? 30 min - 15 min What did you like about your role and locations? The people were nice and the bus ride was short. What did you dislike about your role and locations? Parents don't watch their kids who can't swim so a lot of the times you jump in and the parents have no idea. Creepy guys ask for mouth to mouth all the time. Morgan: Port Orleans Resort Where did you work? Port Orleans, Fort Wilderness, Pop Century Can you describe your role? Keeping watch over guests and ensuring safety both in the water and around the pool deck. What did your training look like? It was very intensive. A swim test which included swimming 200 yards and retrieving a brick from the bottom of 10 ft as well as treading for 2 minutes with hands out of the water. A week of Ellis certification before you even see your home location. Then 3 days of training on location. How many hours you were scheduled per week? 32 How long were your shifts? Did you have a break? Usually 7 1/2 hours. We always have an unpaid 30 and a paid 15. What did you like about your role and location? It's beautiful and the management team is like nowhere else I've been before. What did you dislike about your role and location? Conditions aren't the best and take a lot of taking get used to. Do you have a favorite memory as a lifeguard? One time after jumping in for a kid, another kid and her mom swam up to me and the little girl said she thinks I'm just like a super hero. One of my favorite positions to work as a custodian was the pool, mostly because it was always fun out there and I loved the lifeguards and rec attendants! One of my favorite things was the "changing of the guard" which is when the morning guard shift switched with afternoon/evening guards, all the afternoon guards would come out on the pool deck and dance the cupid shuffle! Everyone always loved it! As always, if you have any questions about this post or the program in general, comment below, find me on social media, or contact me on the "about me" tab. Don't forget to subscribe to my email list to receive weekly updates!
Amy
12/14/2016 05:21:43 pm
Hi! I was sent a link to your blog by a friend. I love DCP blogs and want to support people who write them, but I just wanted to make you aware that you are using a picture of me in this blog post without my permission. I certainly don't have a problem with my picture being on the internet as I posted it in my blog on my DCP, which is how I assume you got it. I would appreciate an acknowledgment though! I don't want anyone thinking I'm some random Morgan.
Sarah
12/14/2016 05:35:42 pm
Hi there! Yeah I did have it set so that when people click your picture it would link back to your blog, but sometimes links don't activate, so I'll double check that! Thanks for letting me know! Comments are closed.
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