Is there anyone here willing to give some opinions on the Program as a whole? I'll give you my daughters' take on their programs...
Was it worth the move/change of life? both say, yes, absolutely, it was life-changing in a good way.
Where are you now? Both are at WDW now, one is F/T at the resort call center, the other is at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, but will be on the Kim Possible attraction opening team next month.
Are you staying with Disney or persuing a career/education elseware? Both are taking online classes toward their degrees. Oldest will be a lifelong CM, if they'll have her. My other one isn't so sure, this week she wants to be a teacher.
Does it really feel like a job, or is it a really unique experiance? Oldest worked at the Confectionary on Main Street and it was a truly unique experience for her. She enjoyed her job and seeing the castle on her way to work every day. My other daughter started off her CP at Once Upon a Toy and was not happy at first. It seemed "ordinary" to her, and not that different than her former job. She did eventually pick up some magic and wound up extending into the Boutique, which she ADORES.
Is there anything you regret? My oldest regrets not keeping her record card spiffy so she wasn't allowed to extend.
I don't think there are any other regrets...
Is there anything that really stands out? MAGIC. I got several phone calls a day telling me about the magic they were able to create. From the little girl watching my oldest make "fairy floss" (that's what she called cotton candy) to my second calling me in tears telling me about the Princess who was celebrating recovering from cancer there was so much magic every day.
I grew up in Germany. My Dad was USArmy and we were there for 7 1/2 years. In that time we saw SO many countries and every long weekend, we were going somewhere new. There were many, MANY families/soldiers who griped and complained about how awful it was and they never left the post. They'd go back to the States and tell everyone how horrible it was being stationed overseas. The thing is, they never took the opportunity to look for the magic. The same applies to working at WDW. It's work and it's HARD work with long hours and sometimes what seems little to show for it in your paycheck. If you look for the magic, though, none of that will matter.