Myths and Facts about the Disney College Program
In this blog, I'm going to dive into the details of the Disney College Program, examining what it is, and some of the truths and lies about the program. I experienced the program myself in the Fall of 1999-2000 (eeeek I just aged myself), so read on for a first hand account.
What is the Disney College Program?
The Disney College Program is a semester-long paid internship program that is open to currently enrolled full time college students that are at least 18 years old. But it's more than that, really. Disney markets this as a Live, Learn, Earn experience.
Live - As a College Program participant, you will move to a Disney-owned housing complex near either Disneyland or Walt Disney World and be assigned a unit with several roommates who will start as complete strangers to you. I had 5 roommates who I met on moving day. They were from Florida, Alabama, Connecticut, Boston, and one by coincidence was from my own home town! Your are likely going to share a bedroom with at least one of them as well. One of your challenges and experiences in the program will be getting along with these people of different backgrounds.
Learn - In my opinion, this is the part of the Disney College Program that makes it all worth it. You will attend exclusive seminars and training on guest relations, customer service, communication, and team work.
Earn - There are two things you might earn - money, and college credits. The money part is honestly not that significant. You will earn close to minimum wage, but it is at least a paid internship. Most of that will come right back out to pay your rent.
Depending on your college and your major, you may also earn college credits for attending the seminars. You need to check with your college to find out if that's the case, what their requirements are, and how many credits you might earn.
Myths and Facts
It's basically a semester long paid vacation.
Myth. Yes, you do get to live on Disney property and have pass to Disney parks throughout your internship, but if you think it's a vacation, you are in for a rude awakening. I still tell people that I never worked harder than I did at Disney.
I'm going to party all the time.
Realistically speaking, myth. Before I go too far in debunking this, though, I should say the party culture in the College Program is strong. But between your long hours at work, you may find little time to make it happen. And if you aren't into partying, there are plenty of other things to do also. I enjoyed a weekly routine of dinner at the Rainforest Cafe followed by a movie with one of my roommates who happened to have the same day off every week. There were times, though, that I was so tired I could not drag myself to the parks.
I'm going to be a ride attendant or character!
Myth - often. Ok, it's possible to be either a ride attendant or character, this is true. If you wish to be a character, you are going to have to set up a character audition as part of your interview, and you won't necessarily get to pick which character you get to portray. A lot of times it is based on your height. Shorter people actually tend to get the more mainstream characters.
And you could be a ride attendant. One of my roommates was a ride attendant for Space Mountain - talk about dream job! She loved it. But you don't get to choose. Jobs are doled out on the day you arrive at your housing complex. Later that evening, there is a meeting. The first part of that meeting involves getting in a long line and being handed a card seemingly at random which tells you where you are reporting, what department you are assigned, and, yes, what shoes you need to go buy.
There are lots of less-than-glorious jobs that need to be filled, like mousekeepers, park custodians, food service, and retail. Don't let that discourage you, though. In whatever role you are assigned, I'm sure you will learn something.
It's a great way to get my foot in the door.
Fact! Full time jobs at Disney are very competitive, and even some of the best imagineers had to start at the very bottom of the chain. You have 3-4 months to prove yourself to the Disney company. You won't be handed a job upon completion of your program, because they do expect you to go back to college, after all. But I remembered my joy at hearing my manager say that she would vouch for me if I ever wanted to come back. The thing is, I didn't. At least not yet.
It looks great on resumes.
Fact! Every interview I've ever had since the College Program, it has been a topic of conversation. This experience is great on so many levels. It builds character, and it demonstrates you have trained with the best in class in customer service. Employers want to hear what you learned - and you will have learned a lot of great things. Employers are also fascinated by the Disney dress code,which brings me to...
I'll have to shave my mustache.
Myth. Not anymore. There was a time that Disney had a strict "no facial hair" policy. In fact, that was in place during the time I worked there, but Disney has relaxed quite a bit. Still, the dress and hygiene code is very serious, not to mention the code of conduct. You might be restricted what colors you can dye your hair or paint your nails. You might be restricted what kind of haircut you have. You might be restricted about the length of your finger and toenails and what jewelry you wear (if any). You will definitely have a costume outfit that you must wear (don't worry - there are variations. Mine had shorts or pants, and a turtleneck, jacket, and hat, that could be added) with appropriate shoes.
Your code of conduct is even more serious, though. You should not be seen outside of your park, and definitely not outside of working hours in your costume. It's what Disney calls "bad show". When you work, there is a certain way you must point. Maybe you know it - the two-finger point is a dead giveaway of any Cast Member, current or former. And when you are off property on your time off, during the College Program, you are still expected to conduct yourself in a way that doesn't disgrace the company.
So, I'll basically learn just customer service.
Myth. There is so much more you will learn. You'll learn how to be on your own in a strange land with strange people. You'll learn the power of making someone else happy. You'll learn the value of hard work. You'll learn how to be assertive. That is, if you allow the experience to teach you these things.
I'll be in Disney for 4 months! I'll be happy all the time!
Myth. My friends will quickly tell you that the first two months I was there, I was not happy. Homesickness is so very real. I was struggling with allergies and viruses in this climate so different from my own while working 50-60 hour work weeks in a very physical job when I wasn't the most fit person in the whole world. I hurt all over - often. I had breakdowns, my new friends had breakdowns. We learned to recognize it in each other and offer each other a hand.
While I was incredibly fortunate to have roommates that I got along well with, we hardly ever had time together all 6 of us because our shifts varied so much. Thanksgiving dinner was one hour picked up from Boston Market between shifts, but we were so lucky to have just that because you do work on Thanksgiving, and Christmas, and New Year's, etc etc. A hurricane hit the first week I was there. It was scary and hard and not always happy. But I did find happiness. It just took a while.
It will spoil the magic.
Myth. Sort of. Here's what it will do - it will CHANGE the magic. I still can't understand why people want to see what's backstage. It's not that exciting! Better not to think about it if you're a guest. My first glimpse of backstage was incredibly underwhelming. Then I saw the utilidor under Magic Kingdom and while that is a very cool feat of engineering, I also saw something there that was a little bit traumatizing. Let's just say it involved seeing a character acting out of character.
Every one of us has a little kid in their heart that wants our fairy tales to stay fairy tales. Working inside of the fairy tale means that you are going to see the messy gears that make that fairy tale turn. Is that going to spoil your magic?
For me, it did at first. But it wasn't long before I found the real magic which is the concerted effort of so many people who have one goal at heart - to make your Disney experience the best they can possibly make it. What is more magical than that, really? I know it sounds schmoopy, but I left the College Program with even more respect and belief in Disney magic than I had going into it.
There is so much more I could say about the College Program, and probably will in future posts. I'd love to tell you about Cast Member previews and parties, the lingo, and what it's like to have access to the parks nonstop for several months. But I think for anyone considering the College Program, those are the wrong areas of focus and it's not all roses.
But I want also to be clear that although it was a challenge, it was one of the best decisions of my life, and doing the College Program really did change my life and teach me skills I don't know I would have learned any other way.
If you want more information about the Disney College Program, check out their official site.
