Has anyone been through the Disney College Program???
Posted on Apr 18, 2010 under Disney Time Share |
I was looking for some people that have gone through the Disney College Program. I was wondering about how your experience was and if you felt that it was worth going to. I also wanted to know if you think it really helped you with your career. I am interested in the program but I dont know if it will be worth missing a semester of school. I love Disney World, I live in iowa and have been to Disney World 5 times. If anyone could share some info with me about their trip, or a website about thier trip, I would really appreciate it. Thanks!
I am a former CP (college program participant) as well as a current college rep. for the program. No matter what your major is, you can have a great time there. I’m a Psych/Criminal Justice major so working at Disney seemed like a waste of a semester but it wasn’t. (And after being there, I realized that it had a lot to do with my field of study, mainly because of all the interaction with guests.) It looks amazing on a resume. Any time I apply for a job now, that’s the first thing my potential employer wants to know about. I worked the main entrance of Epcot and the people were amazing. They became my family for the time I was down there. I also had 5 roomies. Almost 2 years later, I still talk to every single person I met there on a daily basis, including the full-timers who live down there. You should at least apply for the program, you will have the opportunity to accept or decline your job offer.
As for missing a semester….yes, it did put me behind a little. But you can do classes online (through your school, if available) while you’re there. Or you can do summer classes to catch up. The experience was WAY worth it! 
Also, make sure you talk to your school. Sometimes they will be willing to give credit for the program. My school gave credit as long as you were willing to take the time to talk to the Co-op office.
If you have any questions about the program, feel free to contact me. I know basically everything about the program (and I have 24 hour access to people who can also help with any questions you may have.)
April 18th, 2010 at 7:52 pm
Instead of doing the college program, I chose to up and leave school and move here and didn’t regret it. I will say having Disney on my resume helped my career enormously however making $6.00 -$8.00 didn’t help my budget!
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April 18th, 2010 at 8:42 pm
I looked into the same program, and wondered the same things you did. They have one session that you can just do in the summer so that you get the best of both worlds. You don’t have to miss a semester, but you can still experience the program, and if you want to, earn some college credit.
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April 18th, 2010 at 9:16 pm
i knew a guy in college who did it and hated it. He left early, said it was like slave labor and lived in small apartments with other people. worked long hours for hardley anything. But i have heard other people like it so there’s my 2 cents
References :
April 18th, 2010 at 9:39 pm
I am a former CP (college program participant) as well as a current college rep. for the program. No matter what your major is, you can have a great time there. I’m a Psych/Criminal Justice major so working at Disney seemed like a waste of a semester but it wasn’t. (And after being there, I realized that it had a lot to do with my field of study, mainly because of all the interaction with guests.) It looks amazing on a resume. Any time I apply for a job now, that’s the first thing my potential employer wants to know about. I worked the main entrance of Epcot and the people were amazing. They became my family for the time I was down there. I also had 5 roomies. Almost 2 years later, I still talk to every single person I met there on a daily basis, including the full-timers who live down there. You should at least apply for the program, you will have the opportunity to accept or decline your job offer.
As for missing a semester….yes, it did put me behind a little. But you can do classes online (through your school, if available) while you’re there. Or you can do summer classes to catch up. The experience was WAY worth it!
Also, make sure you talk to your school. Sometimes they will be willing to give credit for the program. My school gave credit as long as you were willing to take the time to talk to the Co-op office.
If you have any questions about the program, feel free to contact me. I know basically everything about the program (and I have 24 hour access to people who can also help with any questions you may have.)
References :
me, a College Program Alumni as well as a current Disney Rep.
April 18th, 2010 at 10:17 pm
There are a couple of groups on MySpace for current and past CPs, you should search for them and read the experience of others.
From my personal experience, it is not worth skipping a semester of school for. The experience is no different from working at a local theme park, you have to prepare food, pick up trash, and operate rides. They try to make it sound like an internship, but it’s really just a minimum wage job. You have to live in Disney housing, which is a group of apartments near property. It’s a lot like living on campus at college, so it’s nothing special. If you just want to travel to a new city and meet some people, you’ll probably have fun partying in Orlando (although most of the clubs on Disney property are now 21 and up, so even the partying is not as good as it used to be for young college students). But if you’re looking for a great internship that will give you valuable experience, look somewhere else!
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I did the program for a semester, what a waste of my time!