It is hard to believe that a little over two years ago, I committed to The Disney College Program for the Fall 2022 term. The DCP is a paid internship where individuals are randomly placed into one of 20 front-line roles at a Walt Disney World location and live on the property with other participants. Examples of these range anywhere from Attractions, Merchandise, Food/Beverage, and Character Attendant. For many, getting to be a member in the program is an aspiring dream from childhood and yearn to create special moments for guests from all around the world. Numerous students from my high school completed the program during undergrad, which is how I discovered what the DCP entailed and originally caught my eye. Overall, I genuinely found the program to be a special, once-in-a-lifetime experience and was pleased with the opportunities offered.

Considering partaking in the program my freshman year, I was forced to put the idea on the back burner as a result of my college not offering credit for the internship (some institutions do.) Since the pandemic transpired Disney Programs changed the timeline structures where students are allowed to participate, now up to two years after you graduate college, whether that is undergrad, graduate school, etc. Disney Parks and movies defined my childhood, hence why the program was attractive to me. I thought the DCP could be a life-changing experience that pushed me to go out of my comfort zone and acclimate into adult life by living independently. Finding the “right” moment to cut out a semesters time was hard and the opportunity felt elusive.

Incertitude was felt while envisioning what I saw in my crystal ball after graduation. Precipitously, I decided to apply to the program without any true intention of going through with it after seeing advertisements on YouTube. The application process was a little different than what it is now and prior to the pandemic. When I applied, it was essentially a three step process. To inaugurate the application, you would first send in a typical resume on the Disney Programs Website. After a recruiter looks over your information, you may be asked to complete the WBI, or Web Based Interview.

Containing personality-type based questions, the whole process took 15 minutes to complete. Questions are your typical wishy-washy, “What would you do in XYZ situation?” “Do you consider yourself to be an introvert or extrovert?” After finishing the WBI, the computer screen discloses whether or not the questionnaire discerns you as strong candidate. If the applicant is told that you are not a strong candidate, they can always apply for the following term. Fall ’22 participants did not have a phone interview, which was the next step in the application process prior to Covid and how they operate presently. I believe I had to wait about two weeks before hearing back on whether or not I was accepted.

When I finally got the acceptance email, I was over the moon! Committing to the program and term is such an exciting time. You start meeting people through the DCP Facebook groups, looking for roommates, watching vlogs, and picturing how the once-in-a-lifetime experience will go. However, it does become nerve wracking the more you anticipate your start date. One rather cumbersome component of the DCP is the fact that every participants experience will be different from another’s, alongside that you are unable to “shadow” or see what working at Disney is genuinely like. Cast members are not permitted to record video or take photos “backstage,” any spaces that are exclusive to workers. Numerous amounts of DCP participants will produce vlogs or create “Dinstas” to share their experience, but none of these are reliable indicators of what one’s program will look like. Unfortunately, the only way to actually know what the DCP is like is by participating in one. All types of personal stories and opinions of the program are shared online, which is a simultaneously wonderful and terrifying thing. You hear just as many horror stories about the DCP as you do life-changing testimonials. As graduation approached, I wanted to push myself and put myself in an opportunity that would hopefully help me grow as a person, and the Disney College Program absolutely was conducive in doing so.

While reading through past experiences as a potential participant, it is crucial to know “your place” in Disney’s eyes. As a member of the DCP you are perceived as the low man on the totem pole. CP’s are employed for a designated time (unless you extend), therefore Disney basically sees participants as disposable considering the extravagant amount of students who do the program. Getting accepted into the DCP is absolutely an achievement and not every person does get in. Nonetheless, there are still thousands of CP’s consistently coming and going, therefore it is pragmatic that Disney views the relationship between them and their interns as transactional.

In order to truly enjoy the program, the pros have to outweigh the “unfair” components in the participant’s eyes. At face value, the college program sounds kindred to a fantasy. You work at a globally recognized company known for offering sentimental, “magical” experiences to people from all over the world while having the ability to visit the parks for free with friends who share similar interests. However, it is easy to view the DCP through rose tinted glasses. Earning minimum wage and less than full time employees (who work the same exact job) while 80% of your paycheck goes to rent, working in the Florida heat and late hours (sometimes 12 hour shifts and until 2am,) as well as having no control in what you will be doing and if it is even relevant to your field of study can easily go over your head.

While these are reasonably frustrating modules, the benefits of the program can easily outweigh the negatives if you’re able to see the bigger picture / caliber of the assets. Most internships are not even paid, you have a standout differentiator on your resume, alongside special leisurely and educational opportunities (networking, professional development workshops, etc). As long as you understand you are there to work and take advantage of the available contingencies, the program will be a worthwhile, rewarding endeavor.

After many months of patiently waiting for my role and location announcement (they tell you TWO weeks before your starting date), I wasn’t exactly thrilled, to be completely transparent. Although I was immensely grateful for the opportunity and realized it is a privilege to be accepted into the program no matter what role or location you’re selected for, I was put in a role that I’ve never worked in before. All of my previous work experiences related to photography and food services, therefore merchandise wasn’t what I envisioned. Merchandise ranked one of my ideal positions, but I felt apprehensive discerning my location. My home location was World of Disney in Disney Springs. Being the largest and most chaotic store on property, I was a bit nervous. Possessing no retail experience whatsoever, the thought of being thrown into a store that sees 15,000 guests a day was overwhelming to ponder. Additionally, I really was hoping to work in a park because of the familiar environment. Relief was felt after discovering that merchandise was a “global role,” meaning that you can trade shifts for almost any merch location on property. Some locations require specialty training, such as food safety/alcohol training, but you are able to take online courses to become certified.

Each role is crucial to the operations of the park and acquires the ability to make magic for guests. Quite a few participants I knew were unsure of their role assignment at first, but were pleasantly surprised. “Dream” roles such as Children’s Activities and “Fairy Godmothers in Training” do not intrinsically mean you’re going to love the internship experience. Location plays an enormous portion of your experience as well; I worked in over 20 merchandise locations throughout the duration of my program and first handedly saw how diverse each store could be. Typically, incoming CP’s are nervous about the role they will be working in throughout their term. You’re blindly going into an opportunity where it’s unfeasible to predict whether or not it will even be worth the efforts.

To soothe some nerves of prospective CP’s, be aware that every participant is going through the same wearies as you are. Almost all of the cast members I encountered during my program we’re incredibly kind and welcoming; a sense of community is felt within CP’s as a result of you going through a special moment of life together. There were times I struck conversation with strangers at parks, debunked we were both CP’s, and spent the remainder of my day with them. Even if you are not exceedingly social, it is easy to make friends, as long as you put in effort.

Disney distributes the lion’s share of roles in merchandise, food/beverage, and custodial (At least during my program.) Despite these being “common” roles, the happiest participants I knew had these positions. Every role has pros and cons. “The DCP is what you make of it” was a phrase I heard an absurd quantity of times while prospectively awaiting the inauguration of my term. Furthermore, I can attest that this is unequivocally correct. As long as you enter the program with a positive attitude, strong work ethic, and drive to learn, the experience will be fun and leverage your personal/career development journey.

Moving into Flamingo Crossings Village (The new Disney owned apartment complexes available for DCP participants) was a pleasant and swift experience. East and West are the two separate buildings adjacent to Flamingo Crossings Town Center, a shopping center that has a Target, Starbucks, Walgreens, and more. I lived in Flamingo Crossings West, the newest and smaller version of the original East building. I heard mixed reviews of Flamingo prior to moving down, but I honestly had a positive experience. Most of the events and classes were held at East, therefore I wish I was selected to live in that building for easy access. If I wanted to attend an activity, I had to take the bus to East. However, half of the busses stop at East first and there was hardly ever a time I had to wait more than 15 minutes to be on my way to the other building. East was infamously known as the “rowdier” complex and West more quaint and low-key. Both have their pros and cons, there were times where I felt West was *too* quiet.

My apartment building was brand new at the time me and my three roommates moved in. The complex is beautiful and contains a community building with study areas and a gym, two large pools with movie screens, game tables, and hot tubs. Tropical landscaping + Disney themed touches decorate the complex’s exterior as well! There are three types of apartment layouts, 2×2, 4×2, and 4×4. I felt fortunate that I was assigned a 4×2, which meant I had my own bedroom, but shared a bathroom. 4×4’s were not worth the extra rent to me, so having the middle option was nice. Cooking utensils and plates were included, and the apartments came fully furnished. Flamingo was definitely the nicest place I’ve ever lived and I truly loved my time living in the apartment complex.

All three of my roommates were lovely and I became close with all of them. Two of us had merch roles, and the other two were food/beverage. With plenty of spacious cabinets and room, we felt that the apartment was comfortable and cozy. Cockroaches did find their way into our apartment a few times, which wasn’t an uncommon encounter among other participants I spoke with. However, it is Florida and the creatures do live in palm trees. What can you do?

First Week Of The DCP

The first week is arguably the highlight of your program experience. Training doesn’t begin until a week after arrival, which allows for fun with your new friends. Park passes aren’t granted to CP’s until after training, but most people resort hop around the property or spend time at the pools. Bonding with my new roommates was a blast and I loved meeting new people from all over the country. Camaraderie among participants was incredibly visible throughout my program. You are all collectively aware that the program is a special time of your life and I had no problem making friends / finding people to hang out with, which was something I was nervous about. Plenty of opportunities to make friends and meet people are available to CP’s, but you have to go out there and be willing to put the effort in. Before your training and classes, Disney Programs host a “Welcome Event,” which allows CP’s to meet others among activities such as character M&G’s, competitions, and music. They even had a photobooth!

Traditions & Training

Once training begins, you take two classes titled “Traditions,” which inducts you as a cast member, and “Bringing Magic to Life,” a sophisticated name for a work-safety course. Traditions is a special moment for many. Name tags are distributed and the videos remind you of how incredible the experience you’re about to embark on truly is. The first *actual* day of training consists of a history lecture on the park/resort/etc. you are working at, as well as picking up your costume. Training week was overwhelming for me, I liked all of my fellow WOD Squad CP’s, but the amount of guests and chaos within the store took a good amount of time to acclimate to. My trainers were fantastic, I believe WOD had some of the best leadership throughout the merchandise locations. After a few weeks, I started to get into the groove and become comfortable within my role.

Having a global role was something I knew I wanted to leverage early on into the program. Working at WOD could be draining at times, so having the ability to trade shifts for locations across Disney property was great. Merchandise was a fantastic role for me and every CP I met while working for the company shared similar opinions. Guest interactions were one of my favorite parts of having a role in sales/merchandising, I will forever treasure the moments I had with people from all over the world. They will forever be a part of me, and I hope a little part of me stays with them as well. Certain merch locations contained special storytelling components you could participate in, such as Pandora in Animal Kingdom and Fantasyland in Magic Kingdom. Wearing all of the types of costumes was fun and I had a blast working in all four parks, including some of the resorts. Learning the ins and outs of the parks was an amusing component of working throughout the different locations.

Working Around The Disney Bubble

Traveling around merch locations allowed me to meet many people and really pushed me out of my comfort zone. If you have the ability to trade work locations, I’d recommend trying new places as much as you can! My favorite places to work were The Emporium (which ended up becoming like a second home to me,) Tomorrowland, and Fantasyland. Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party was also an event I got to work at, both on Main Street in merchandise and Tomorrowland for a treat shift. Leadership allowed us to go on Space Mountain after the park was closed following the Halloween Party, and it was one of my most memorable highlights of my program. Riding the coaster and laughing with other cast members I met throughout my shift was something I’ll never forget; it made me deduce how lucky I was to have an experience such as this one.

Alongside working many different merch locations, I wanted to take advantage of my experience by being involved in the classes and activities Disney offers. DORMS is the name of the software Disney Programs utilizes for CP’s to sign up for backstage attraction tours, classes (both online and in-person,) and activities in the Orlando area. I did not bring my car down with me, therefore it was nice to have these options to get out of the Disney Bubble. Side note: the busses weren’t THAT horrible, but the schedule could be frustrating at times depending on where you needed to get to. Some of my WOD girls and I went to a zoo with capybaras and sloths; my entire program may have been made from that experience in itself. Those backstage tours though, oof. They were INCREDIBLY competitive and you had to be lucky for the server to process the request on time. With enough experience, I was able to attend Discover Disney tours for Tower of Terror, Flight of Passage, and Kilimanjaro Safaris’. Flamingo would also host craft nights and other events.

DORMS Activities

Disney Programs offers a generous amount of classes for participants. I ended up earning a “Mousters” and “Ducktorate” certificate from the credit hours and classes attended. A fair amount of people joined these classes and I cherished making connections with the fellow CP’s who took the same courses as me. These lectures would range anywhere from the making of Epcot to leadership development workshops. Disney offers courses that apply to an array of fields, which is a great opportunity for those who want to end up working in a designated area (or what they’re studying) in the company. Engineering, graphic design, and horticulture are three examples that come to mind. Freshly graduated, attending class was something I missed and actually inspired me to earn my masters. (I’ll be done in May! Time flies.) I learned a lot about the company, property history, leadership, and professional development by taking these courses and I’m glad I made the time to, even when my body was tired from working late.

Aside from working long and late hours, I’d try to go to the parks as much possible to make the most of my experience. Being able to visit the parks for free is a huge benefit of the program and balances the stress of working long + late hours. Although I enjoyed previous Disney trips very much, the idea of successfully completing everything you want to do is practically impossible. With long lines and strong time sensitivity, guests are lucky to even go on five rides and try a few food spots you would like to. Sometimes, I’d feel so stressed trying to make sure the trajectory of plans went swiftly that enjoying myself was arduous on vacations. Visiting the parks on my days off permitted me to explore parts of the space without worrying about finances or time limitations.

My roommates and I usually had opposing work schedules, therefore went to the park alone on occasion. Individually visiting the parks wasn’t preferred, but it definitely taught me to appreciate time alone and that I was able to have fun by myself. Disney offers a large selection of rides, character experiences, and food options. During my program I was able to see the re-opening of Fantasmic and experience the holidays at the parks, which was a special plus.

As a cast member, it was a privilege to delve into all of the choices Disney has for guests to engage in. I was able to try many new restaurants and rides because I didn’t have to worry about how much time we had left in the day, guests have to weigh what they REALLY want to do versus what they’d like to. Managing money was something I had to learn quickly. I’d usually only come home with around $200 weekly after rent (I don’t know how I managed this.) Despite the low compensation, I budgeted my money to make sure I had enough for groceries and a little treat each week. I’m certain some people could see this as inhumane and exploitative, and I’m not necessarily disagreeing with that statement, but the program does teach you how to manage your time and money effectively.

Now, although I relished my program and am tremendously grateful for the experiences + lessons the DCP granted me, there were blatant issues that I felt were unfair. Despite this, I knew going into the program that it wasn’t forever and how Disney ranked CP’s on the hierarchy structure. Just having work experience at Disney on my resume was worth the effort to me, but I also think my and many others concerns are valid. The only rule established amongst labor hours was a requirement for at least 8 hours in between working. It wasn’t uncommon to hear CP’s working 12/13 hour shifts for up to 14 days in a row. I typically worked six days a week, but there was one circumstance where I did work 10 days in a row. At first, I didn’t mind this, but towards the end of my program it became incredibly exhausting. Participants deserve the ability to explore the property and Orlando area. Having one day off a week made that rather difficult considering that was my only time to do laundry, buy groceries, etc.

Public transportation in itself is unpredictable, but Disney wasn’t very accommodating to participants relying on the bus. I’d say at least half of CP’s depended on bus transportation to get to and from work. The CP busses were through a third-party company, therefore they didn’t always understand how crucial it was for participants to be on time. Even if you clocked in 2 minutes after your scheduled shift time, you were deemed late. Three recordings of being “late” instigated a reprimand. If you had three reprimands during your program, you would be automatically terminated. The busses were late and unreliable at times, resulting in causing a fair amount of anxiety for me + others who depended on the bus. If I was late because of the bus, which I already got on an hour ahead of time to ensure I’d clock in properly, it was a pain to have to ask one of the busy coordinators to change your time (and that was if you were lucky.)

Life is not fair as we all know too well, but the only other arbitrary component I picked up on was that not all CP’s were guaranteed to be available for exclusive celebration events. Most CP’s work late/night shifts, and there is one event per term where a park closes early to celebrate Disney interns. I had to put an incredible amount of effort into giving away my scheduled shift so that I could attend. No intern wants an extra shift if they weren’t scheduled that day, I worked at WOD (difficult to trade because many were hesitant to work in such a chaotic location), and full/part timers were reluctant to work a late shift. Many CP’s were in congruence that this was the one truly unfair situation, which I know sounds like a first world problem. And I guess it is. Furthermore, if Disney wants to throw a celebration for CP’s, each participant should intrinsically have the option to go if they desire or at least have an all-day substitute at Flamingo. Cast members work so incredibly hard to bring happy memories to guests, the least Disney Programs could do is ensure each participant has the ability to be celebrated.

While I didn’t find the Disney College Program to be a climactic depiction of my career journey, the lessons I learned, fantastic people met, and wonderful memories made, the experience was well worth the efforts. The DCP taught me about business operations and how large corporations manage logistics, ROIs, etc. Asking for help was a hassle for me prior to the program, but living in a new area and working in unfamiliar work environments forced me to confide in others for guidance. The DCP unveiled many “firsts” for me, including my rudimentary apartment, living on my own with roommates + paying rent, and it taught me how to be an independent adult.

Learning experiences aside, what sincerely made my program paramount in my eyes were the little memories that sporadically appeared on a daily basis. Eating ice pops in The Emporium stockroom, talking to a stranger on the bus and hearing how they discovered the DCP, iHop runs at 1am following a late shift with coworkers, and viewing fireworks while working are what come to mind when reminiscing on my program. The director of my leadership course asked us once, “What are you most thankful for in terms of the program?” One girl vivaciously responded with, “I’m grateful for all of the stories I will be able to tell from the memories I made here.” That specific statement stuck with me, and my outlook towards the program perfectly lines up with her ideology.

Working at Disney permitted me to obtain a retail leadership position instantaneously after completing the program without any managerial experience under my belt. During the interview for my current occupation, I was only asked to discuss Disney and previous marketing experiences (my field.) The hiring managers did not inquire about my position at the time, and I have come to the conclusion that the program absolutely helped me in my career path. Having Disney on your resume is an impressive accolade and illustrates a lot about your character to potential employers. It takes determination and resilience to work at a fast paced company with such a high reputation, as it can be draining at times.

I feel incredibly lucky to have had this experience and I know I’ll be sharing memories from my program for the rest of my life. Despite some of the hardships, such as homesickness, low pay, and late hours, my DCP experience was one of the best times of my life and I’ll never forget how important it was to my personal development. Would I do another program? No, but I loved the experience and how it was a conduit in my self-growth journey.