I figured I would offer some
general information on the Disney College Program. This post is going to have a
ton of information, but don’t be scared away by it all! If you have any
questions, feel free to let me know in the comments section and I’ll do my best
to answer them!
What is the Disney College Program?
The Disney College Program
(or DCP) is an internship for students who are, at the time of application,
enrolled in college and have a desire to work at Walt Disney World. This
program is comprised of three major components: living, learning, and earning.
The DCP provides housing for their participants, offers them both classes and
seminars that may be able to count for credit at their home college, and allows
students to become Walt Disney World Cast Members, or employees, while
supplying compensation for their work.
What will I be doing in the Disney
College Program?
There are many different roles in the DCP. Each role
has it’s advantages and disadvantages and is magical in its own way. While you can
note your preferences of role and location in your interview, you are not
guaranteed one of your top choices if accepted. A word to the wise: Before
requesting a job in Magic Kingdom, take into consideration that there are some
nights each season that Magic Kingdom does not close until 3 AM.
·
Operations
o
Attractions –
here you have the opportunity to help run one of the rides or shows. This job
may include greeting at the front of the ride, loading and unloading guests,
listing safety instructions, or operating the attraction
o
Custodial – the
cleaning crew at the parks. While often seen as an undesirable role, many custodial cast
members choose this job as their first choice because it is the job with the
most freedom to walk around the parks.
o
Transportation –
this job may include greeting guests in the parking lots, directing traffic, or
transporting guests by driving a Walt Disney World vehicle
o
Photopass
Photographer – here, cast members take pictures of guests throughout the
property, most often at one of the parks. It is recommended, but not required,
that they have some photography experience
o
Main Entrance
Operations – these cast members greet guests as they enter the parks and also
scan their tickets
·
Lodging
o
Bell Services –
these cast members help guests with their bags, whether dropping off early in
the morning to hit the parks before check-in, or arriving late at night
o
Concierge – here,
a cast member will be available to answer all questions and help make
reservations for guests. This role is extremely competitive, but the highest
paying in the program.
o
Hospitality – my
role! I will be helping check-in guests at the resorts as well as dealing with
any problems that may arise throughout their visit
o
Housekeeping –
affectionately called “mousekeeping”, these cast members clean the hotel rooms
and restock any items the guests may have used
·
Food and
Beverage
o
Full-service:
these cast members work at table-service, or sit down, food locations and
check in guests for their reservations or are waitstaff
o
Quick-service:
here, cast members work a quick-service, or fast food, locations and take
orders as well as prepare and deliver the food
· Retail/Sales
o
Bibbity Bobbity
Boutique/Pirate’s League: cast members in this role are often called Fairy God
Mothers and through make-up, hairstyling, and costumes, transform young guests
into a prince, princess, or pirate. This role is also extremely competitive. If listing this role as a top choice and have any experience in hair or
make-up, be sure to mention it.
o
Merchandise:
These cast members are sales associates and cashiers in one of the many, many
stores and gift shops on property
o
Vacation Planner:
Cast members in this role are placed at the front of a park and sell tickets to
guests
· Recreation
o
Lifeguard: These
cast members are placed at either a resort or one of Disney’s water parks
o
Recreation: Here,
cast members lead games and events with the guests and supervise other outdoor
activities
· Entertainment
o
Character
Attendant: Cast members in this role spend the day with the characters, giving
information about meet-and-greets, as well as supervising interactions
o
Character
Performer: In order to become a character performer, or one of the characters,
you must pass an audition before arriving to Walt Disney World. There are many
auditions throughout the country
o
Costuming: This
role provides the least guest interaction, as cast members spend their time
organizing and managing cast member uniforms
How Do I apply for the Disney College
Program?
The
first step in the application process is to fill out the application that can be found on the DCP website. This
is similar to a normal application, and asks about schooling and job
experience. You do not need to provide a resume to apply for the Disney College
Program, all of the information is provided in the first online form. In this
step, you will also be asked your level of interest in each role. Be honest, if
you know you would be miserable in a certain role, don’t say you have high
interest. Many people get into the program even though they only have interest
in one role, while others are not considered even though they expressed
interest in every available role.
If
you are asked to move forward in the process, you will then complete the Web-Based Interview (WBI).
This is a questionnaire, intended to discover if your personality meshes with
that of a Disney Employee. The WBI is timed, and most questions are phrased in
a way that asks you to agree or disagree with them. For instance, the
questionnaire may say, “I am always a positive person”, and you will have the
option to chose “I strongly agree, I agree, Neutral, I disagree, or I strongly
dissagree”. One tip that I read often online was to limit neutral and even mild
responses. Try as often as possible to choose the stronger responses, such as
strongly agree/disagree. However, the most important thing to remember when WBI
is to always be honest. The questions
aren’t there to trick you, the recruiters just want to make sure that you will
fit in the program. Take your time, but don’t stress too much over the WBI,
because most of the control is out of your hands. As soon as you complete the
WBI, you will know if you’ve made it to the final step. One tip I would suggest
is to take the WBI in the morning, that way if you pass, you have a full three days
to schedule your phone interview, rather than the two I ended up having to
choose from.
If
you passed, it will now be time to schedule
your phone interview. Be sure to pick a time that you will have the ability
to be alone and be prepared to answer your phone at least fifteen minutes
before or after your scheduled interview time. The interview should take no
more than half an hour, so you should have an hour blocked off in case the
interviewer is running early or late. During the interview, you’ll be asked
both general questions about your interest in the DCP and questions regarding
your top role preferences. A very helpful list of possible interview questions
can be found here. It is best to practice the interview with either parents or
friends, as well as have an idea of what some of your answers will be. Practice
smiling, because even over the phone, it is obvious if you’re smiling or not.
Also, try to ask at least one question at the end of the interview, because it
shows that you are paying attention and interested in the program.
After
these steps, all you can do is wait, wait, wait, and wait some more for their
decision!
Whew, that was a lot of information! I hope all this has
been of some help and interest to someone. I just love talking about the DCP; I
could go on forever. But I’ll sign off for now!
Wishing you a Magical Day!
.png)
