2009 Spring/Spring Advantage - Lifeguard - Thread

[avanmanchun]

Ok so let me do it!
I was accpeted by spring 09 advantage lifeguard! I hope to see you all soon!

 

[believeinfairies]

I was accepted as a lifeguard too! Just for the spring though.

No one I've talked to or have had meetings with has been a lifeguard, so I have LOTS of questions.. can anyone who's been a lifeguard answer them?

p-p-p-please? My mom would love you forever lol

 

[K_Timon]

Spring Lifeguard here!!! really excited about this. I can't wait to meet everybody.

 

[havie35]

Hey everybody. I was a lifeguard at the Grand Floridian during my CP in the Spring of 2007. If anybody has any questions, feel free to ask. I applied for some professional internships but if I don't get one I am thinking about doing the CP again. If I do my top choices would be vacation planner and lifeguard.

 

[joepic]

Hey guys I've been debating on whether or not to apply to be a Lifeguard for my CP in 2010. What do you think? What kinds of questions were you asked?

 

[avanmanchun]

Hey everybody. I was a lifeguard at the Grand Floridian during my CP in the Spring of 2007. If anybody has any questions, feel free to ask. I applied for some professional internships but if I don't get one I am thinking about doing the CP again. If I do my top choices would be vacation planner and lifeguard.

Hey havie35,

I am wondering what is your day as a lifeguard look like. Is it nothing much to do? Since it is spring and I guess the weather is cold out there. Not many people hang out in the pool, right? Also, do you think you learn any skill which can lead you to professional internship? I am thinking to apply for Fall 09 Porfessional internship. Do you have any suggestion to me? How can I increase my chance to being accepted by the professional internship program?
SOrry I have a lot of questions, but I want to learn from your experience. Thanks!

 

[believeinfairies]

What up havie! Nice to finally talk to someone who was a lifeguard
I completely forgot any question I had though.. UH so much pressure... I'll make it up as I go along..

I guess I'd like to know how the training is. Is it hard? Or is it just like any other lifeguard training? Alssoo, the waterpark I used to work at was pretty laid back, like we could talk to each other on stand. I mean obviously we were still watching our water, but it wasn't like we weren't allowed to.. I guess have fun while working. Is it 100% serious business there?

What are the breaks like? UHM, how do they determine where you're going to be stationed? Do you rotate your position at all? Am I asking to many questions? What about the uniform? Is it awesome? Probably about as awesome as any one piece can get...

OOKK that's a start.. ha I'll think of more lata

Thanks

 

[havie35]

As a lifeguard, it depends on where they send you to work. My shifts varied but I usually worked the 8am-4:30pm shift at the Grand Floridian. My shifts there were always 8.5 hours with an hour lunch break. There were multiple stands, so we always rotated through different stations by half hour time slots. Two of my roommates were guards at Blizzard Beach and always had the same schedule because the water parks are only open from 9-5 I think. I ended up having to work six days a week from the middle of February to when I left in May because they fired a few of the part time cast members and one of the other CPs that worked there with me self terminated. My one friend worked four days on and three days off but worked 10 hour shifts, just to give you an idea of how different each place is. It was only not crowded for the first three or four weeks after I arrived. You would be surprised how crowded it got starting in February and it stayed that way until the last week of April/first week of May when everybody is in between Spring breaks and the end of school. I did not really learn much as a lifeguard that would transfer to the professional internships. I would just tell you to network a lot with your managers and supervisors because I did not do that enough. Hope that helps!

 

[believeinfairies]

Did the people who worked at Blizzard Beach enjoy that?

Was it fun?

 

[havie35]

Hey believeinfairies,

I understand all the questions so do not worry haha. I wish I knew about disboards before I went on my CP back in 2007. My friends liked Blizzard Beach a lot, but I think it was more because of the other CPs who were there and less because of the actual environment. I believe they were more strict there than at the resorts. However, that does not mean it was a lollygag session at the resorts lol. Disney lifeguards are overseen by Ellis and Co. and they seemed to be a lot more strict than the American Red Cross. I am just judging from what I heard from people who had worked under both companies and my sister. That was the first time I worked as a lifeguard ever. All of the managers and supervisors were really serious about watching your water. You could not sit in the stand for more than five or ten minutes at a time at the Grand Floridian. You had to walk around the pool every couple minutes to make sure nothing was wrong or a vat had not been dropped on you. The managers would come out and look at us every once in a while to make sure we were not slacking and definitely let us have it if we were not watching our water correctly. You could talk just as long as you watched your water at the same time. But if it was really busy, you could not talk and those were the managers' favorite times to drop vats on the guards. I hope that does not discourage you from being a Disney lifeguard lol. I loved it even with the strictness and thought I had one of the best jobs a CPer could have. My latest shift was 2pm-10:30pm, and I only worked that a couple of times. My earliest shift was 7am-3:30pm, and I only worked that on my last day. The uniform is not anything special. I am a guy (just in case you didn't know lol) and we had to wear a white Disney lifeguard polo and red Disney lifeguard trunks with either black crocs or all white tennis shoes. Let me know if I missed any of your questions.

 

[believeinfairies]

OHH thank you, that answered everything i think

but.. whats a vat? haha

 

[havie35]

it is a piece of fabric that is in the shape of a person as if you were looking at them from the side... one side is a dark color and the other is light colored... managers and supervisors sneakily put them in the water you are supposed to be guarding to make sure you are paying attention. if you do not notice it within about ten seconds, you are in trouble haha

 

[believeinfairies]

ohh ok.. yeah we had a crazy old guy at my old job that actually put dolls in the water and one of them was a really realistic baby and it freaked out some of the guests so he couldnt do that anymore thank god lol

so when that happens, do you have to act like its a real rescue and treat it as such? or do you just look at your manager say "you got me!" and take it out of the water...

 

[avanmanchun]

Anyone know when will we have the swimming test?

 

[believeinfairies]

I think I read that it's usually the second day after you arrive in the morning..

I could be wrong, but then again, I could be right

 

[Christinac6]

hey how hard and instense was the life garuding test?
I am taking it in Jan when I go down there, and do not have that much commeptative swimming experience. they say you can use free style does that include backstroke?

 

[SassyTink213]

My brother just got assigned to Poly/Grand Floridian Marina as a life guard. We were wondering what that job entailed? Does it have to do with the boats? any info would be much appreciated

thanks in advance