A Quick Guide to The Disney College Program

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Check out all you need to know about the Disney College Program with A Quick Guide to The Disney College Program! If it’s your dream to create magic for others, we can tell you about the process and what to expect.

A Quick Guide to The Disney College Program

Work Behind the Scenes

Have you ever wondered what it would be like working behind the scenes at the most magical place in the world? My daughter was lucky enough to be chosen to experience the magic of such a job during her sophomore year of college when she was chosen by Disney World to be part of their Disney College Program.  A lot of people don’t know, but any college student can apply for this program. The program is for students who are willing to work long hours and who have a desire to create magical experiences for guests in either a Disney Park or Resort.  If you love Disney and are in college, this might just be your ticket to working at the place where dreams come true.  Here are some details about how to get in and what to expect once you are accepted.

The Application Process

Applying for the Disney College Program is a long, yet easy process. First things first, the students must be currently enrolled and taking classes at an accredited program or institution and have completed at least one semester OR have graduated within the past six months.

Once the applications are released, the first step is to fill out an application and wait for an email letting you know you have been selected for the second part of the process. This part includes a series of questions on how you would handle certain situations and if you agree or disagree. After you answer those questions, you go through the different roles and select which jobs you are interested in. Those roles include; lifeguard, custodial, character attendant, main gate entries, photo pass, hospitality, and a few others. Once this is finished, you patiently wait for the third step which would be setting up a phone interview. This is the hardest, yet nerve racking part of the process having to patiently wait by the phone. In the phone interview they ask you why you deserve to work at one of the biggest company’s in the world, how well can you interact with different people, and other questions that will help them make a decision.

A Quick Guide to The Disney College ProgramFinally, you wait for that magical email on whether you will be chosen for the Disney College Program and this could end up taking months to find out. Unfortunately my daughter Emily wasn’t accepted the first time but applied again and went through the entire process once again from start to finish and was chosen for Fall Advantage! Once you’re accepted the company informs you on which role you will be working through the program. Unfortunately you don’t get to decide which role, but of course you accept anything they assign you! After the exciting news, you must then submit a small fee when you accept the internship. This amount covers your housing cost until you receive your first check. Then comes the fun part of choosing up to five roommates and what apartment complex you will be living in (selected randomly.) My daughter joined a Facebook page for DCP and connected with a few girls and they all agreed to be roommates. The best part is they were from all over the country including Las Vegas, Kentucky, and Texas!

A Quick Guide to The Disney College Program

What to Expect After Being Accepted

In the first few days of the Disney College Program, you will be check in and receive your housing assignments, work location, and meet your new roommates face to face! The next morning you wake up bright and early for what they call Traditions.  Traditions is a call that teaches you all about the magic at Walt Disney World with a few surprises and secrets that my daughter wouldn’t even tell me about! The next couple of days are all about being trained for your role as a Disney cast member. My daughter’s role was a custodian at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. She enjoyed being able to have the freedom to walk around the park and make the guests experience magical by doing different activities with the smaller children and giving out pins to the older children. Even though you are constantly working, you do get amazing perks.  These perks include visiting the parks and resorts for free on your days off, themed cast member parties and events, and enjoying the holidays at Disney World, who wouldn’t love that?

Graduation

At the end of your journey with Disney, after all the hard work and amazing memories, you will participate in graduation where you receive your Mickey ears and diploma. It’s an amazing experience for everyone who participates. Three years later Emily’s roommates are still her best friends and she made numerous lifelong friends along the way with others who are from all over the world. These amazing experiences will bond them forever and the magic that is so special to Disney will be carried with them and it will last a lifetime.

Join the Disney Express Lane Facebook Group to discuss this and many other Disney related topics.
photo credit: Celebrating Cinderella’s Castle HDR 4 via photopin (license)


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Mandi is a wife, Mom of 3, writer, creator of WaltExpress.com, and self-proclaimed Disney nerd. She loves to travel to Disney Destinations and blog about her magical experiences so she can share all the tips, tricks and tidbits she picks up during her travel. She and her family visit Disney World several times a year and she is always in the know when something new is happening and she shares it here first! Mandi also works as an online consultant by empowering women to be all they can be in all aspects of their life. You can find her at www.AmandaMiddleton.me

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