Disney College Program
The Disney College Program, colloquially shortened to DCP, is a U.S. national internship program operated by the Disney Internships & Programs division of The Walt Disney Company, located at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando and the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim. The program recruits college students of all majors for a semester-long paid internship program, with the option of extending to almost a full year, working at the Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland Resort.
History
The first Disney College Program began in 1981 as the Magic Kingdom College Program and initially consisted of just over 200 students from 20 schools working only at Magic Kingdom. In October 1982, the program expanded availability to Epcot and its name changed to the Walt Disney World College Program, employing approximately 500 college students each spring, summer and fall session. From the beginning of the program until 1988, almost all program participants resided in Snow White Village, an off-property location and the remainder of Lake Vista Village apartments in Kissimmee, Florida. 1987 saw the opening of Vista Way apartments, which were much closer to the Disney property, and by 1988, program students were fully relocated out of Snow White Village, which was later converted into a vacationing site.Following the massive growth of the Walt Disney World Resort in the 1990s and the widespread popularity of the internet, the program grew substantially, seeing three new participant housing complexes built and many more colleges represented. As of 2005, 8,000 students have participated each year, representing at least 301 colleges and universities with an average of 4,000 students at any given time.
In August 2006, the program expanded student opportunities at Disneyland Resort and was renamed the Disney Theme Parks and Resorts College Program. Currently, the program's opportunities are available at all theme parks, resorts and shopping districts of the Walt Disney World Resort and the Disneyland Resort, officially changing its name to the Disney College Program, which is colloquially shortened and referred to as the DCP.
Application process
Eligibility
Eligible applicants are those who reside in the United States or their territories, who possess American citizenship and are students ages 18 and older prior to the expected arrival date. Students must be enrolled in an accredited university or college as a full-time or part-time student, and actively taking classes. Students may also participate in the semester immediately following graduation or up to a year post-grad. Students must complete at least one semester of university or college before entering the Disney College Program, but can apply during their first semester to be able to participate in the program during their second semester. In the case of schools with additional requirement criteria, the student must meet all of their school's eligibility before being considered for the program.Students who apply to the program are given the option to choose one of several program lengths throughout the year, each usually lasting between five and seven months, though the culinary session length depends on the student's school schedule. Once a student is approaching the end of their program, they may extend for an additional five months with the option to change to a different position.
Interviews
After the initial application is filed, students may be selected to participate in a web-based interview, either immediately or months later. Students who are selected to proceed beyond the web-based interview will proceed to set up a phone interview with a Disney recruiter for the third and final stage of the application process. Phone interviews with recruiters have a length of approximately twenty minutes in which students are asked to express their interests in the roles they've selected in their initial application, how their prior experience relates to their qualifications and relay how they'd react in certain scenarios. Some of the roles that participants may be selected for include food service, attractions, entertainment, activities, merchandise, etc. For entertainment roles, students must attend one of several regional auditions.Final notification of the applicant's status is usually sent out about three weeks after the phone interview, but it can take up to several months.
Experiences of the program
At the beginning of the program in the early 1980s, three experiences were emphasized: The Learning Experience, which involved participation in Disney's Leisure Time Business Management Studies; The Work Experience, which included work in four major areas of the resort; and The Recreational Experience, which emphasized recreational activities and Disney-sponsored events. Since that time, the experiences have changed to Living, Learning and Earning.Living
The living experience is similar to the original program's recreational experience. Once the student has accepted their Disney offer, they have the option of either residing in their own apartment accommodations or choose to reside in company-sponsored housing.For those who select company-sponsored housing, the cost of housing is deducted from the student's weekly salary and varies depending on the selected housing accommodation. There are fees that require upfront payment upon acceptance into the program based on housing, and these too vary between locations. In Florida, a non-refundable program assessment fee is charged for administration support, scheduled housing events and activities throughout the program, and an additional housing and administration fee, which covers the first week of rent. In California, the program assessment fee also applies, along with a refundable security deposit as well as the housing and assessment fees which covers four weeks of rent.
Students are expected to follow certain guidelines in the company-sponsored housing complexes. Roommates are assigned by gender, except in the case of a married heterosexual couple, which both have to be accepted into the Disney College Program in order to live in a one-bedroom apartment accommodation. Prior to 2019, students were required to live in "wellness" or "non-wellness" apartments based on age. Students under the age of 21, were automatically placed in a wellness apartment, deemed alcohol-free. Students over the age of 21 who chose to live in a wellness apartment were also be prohibited from consuming alcohol in their own apartment but allowed to consume in any non-wellness; this rule was discontinued after fall 2019. Students also go through previously-notified apartment inspections at least twice throughout their program, though the complex administration reserves the right to inspect more than twice. Apartments must be deemed clean to the inspector in order to pass, this includes minimal dishes in the sink or dishwasher, vacuumed floors, clean counter tops, clean bathrooms and organized bedrooms.
Learning
The learning experience began in the early 1980s as a group of nine seminars on the "philosophies and operating practices" of the various sections of their resort's business. It has grown to include eight different courses, each focusing on a Disney topic, rather than a business area. Most of the courses are approved by the American Council on Education and offer participants the possibility to earn college credit during their program, subject to a decision by the participant's college or university. Classes meet once a week for most of the program and are four hours long, with breaks during peak seasons. Participating students are required to utilize textbook readings, write term papers and participate on projects. Additionally, the Disney Exploration Series offers courses focused on business areas as they relate to Disney. The program also offers job shadowing for participants on days they are not working, where the participant can follow Disney Cast Members whose careers are in fields similar to the student's major.Like every Cast Member, participants must attend Traditions at Disney University, a 4-to-5-hour-long welcome orientation focused on the introduction of the resort, from employment to the company's values, which also symbolizes as their official first day as a Disney Cast Member. Participants are expected to uphold "The Disney Look" required not only for Traditions but for all types of professional meetings, classes and training. The Disney Look policy follows strict guidelines of Cast Members' appearances, that include natural hair color and style, neutral nail polish color, certain nail length, limited jewelry, facial hair restrictions, etc, varying per gender. Failure to follow these guidelines may result disciplinary action.
Earning
The earning experience consists of students working within their role at their resort. At the program's inception, only four major operating areas were offered to participants: food service, merchandising, attractions and custodial. A fifth area, costuming, offers opportunities to work backstage with performers or in costuming operations. Currently, the Disney College Program offers opportunities for students to work in more than 20 different roles throughout the entire Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort, including hotels, Disney Springs and Downtown Disney.Housing
Participants in Florida are provided the option to either live off-property or reside in one of four company-sponsored gated-community apartment complexes: Vista Way, Chatham Square, The Commons or Patterson Square, all located within approximately ten minutes of Disney property. A fifth housing complex, Flamingo Crossing, was announced in 2018, with participants set to begin living there in 2020, however, due to the coronavirus pandemic and its spread to Florida, the opening of Flamingo Crossing has been delayed.Participants in sponsored housing are provided with fully-furnished apartments, access to recreational amenities, computer labs and housing-provided transportation. However, those living off-property are not allowed to make use the housing-provided transportation or attend any housing events. In California, participants can also choose to live off-property or reside in company-sponsored housing at Carnegie Plaza, approximately two miles north of the resort. For company-sponsored housing in both Florida and California, participants can choose to reside in apartments of up to four bedrooms for up to three roommates per room, upon availability.
Transportation
For students in company-sponsored housing in Florida, The Walt Disney Company provides sponsored transportation to and from all housing complexes and all work locations, as well as stops at grocery stores, the post office and a leisure stop at The Florida Mall. Transportation is not provided for students located in California but they are encouraged to bring their own vehicles. They are also given free bus passes for the Orange County Transportation Authority public transportation system, and earn $1 each day the pass is used.Disney International Programs
The Disney International Programs are based on the same values and experiences as the Disney College Program but aimed at international students, available only at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando.Coronavirus impact
On March 14, 2020, Disney Internships & Programs announced the suspension of the Disney College Program due to the ongoing worldwide outbreak of the coronavirus and its spread to Florida and to California. Participants actively enrolled during this time in company-sponsored housing, including international and culinary students, were asked to vacate in a short period of time, offering full credit and completion of the program in return. Shortly after, the Disneyland Resort and the Walt Disney World Resort closed operations, initially until April 19, 2020. On April 6, 2020, the suspension of the program was extended to those applicants with May 2020 arrival dates, after The Walt Disney Company extended the closure of its resorts until early June 2020.On July 2, 2020, Disney Internships & Programs announced the Disney College Program and the Disney International Programs would be suspended for the rest of 2020, as the coronavirus pandemic further impacted operations of both the Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort.