Disney International Programs


Disney International Programs is an international internship program operated by the Disney Internships & Programs division of The Walt Disney Company at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, in the United States. The program recruits college students from outside the United States and its territories for year-long cultural exchanges with paid positions and summer-long paid internships working at the Walt Disney World Resort. This program, which is designed to attract international students and workers, shares many similarities with the U.S. based Disney College Program and its philosophy of Living, Learning and Earning.

Previous programs

Originally, Disney International Programs operated several different types of programs. Program length, work locations, job responsibilities, living arrangements, pay and required qualifications varied depending on the program which was applied for. Once all the programs were merged, they became one Walt Disney World International Program, now the Disney International Programs. Previous programs included:

Eligibility

Eligible applicants are those who do not reside in the United States or their territories, who do not possess American citizenship. Applicants must contact one of the contracted in-country agencies that assist with international applications or the International Casting office with a résumé and cover letter.

Interviews and meetings

Some countries hold a preliminary phone interview before issuing an invitation to a scheduled Disney International Programs presentation and interview; qualified students receive an invitation approximately four weeks prior to the presentation and interview. In some cases, the invitation is issued at the end of the phone interview. Presentations outline key components of the program and provide further information on the program's offerings. In some cases, applicants may have to travel abroad to meet with one of the recruiters from Disney Worldwide Services.

Current programs

Over the years, several International Programs were operated and subsequently suspended, a new one was created for Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park and ultimately in 2004, all the Walt Disney World International Programs were combined into two new all-encompassing programs, namely the Walt Disney World Cultural Representative Program and the Walt Disney World International College Program. A new seasonal worker program has also been launched which initially required applicants to have previously completed an International Program in order to be eligible, but this requirement was soon waived due to insufficient applications. The locations and positions available to participants on International Programs vary according to program and preference in that order

Cultural Representative Program

Participants in the Cultural Representative Program share their culture and customs with tourists visiting the Walt Disney World Resort over the course of a year. To qualify for this program, applicants must "authentically represent" one of the countries or regions recreated at a Walt Disney World theme park or resort. This program lasts approximately one year.
During their interview, applicants fill out a role preference sheet and can indicate by order of preference the type of role they would like to apply in their Cultural Representative program. The applicant's employer may not be Disney once a position has been offered, but an "operating participant" instead, trading within Walt Disney World, in which the student would not be eligible for the same benefits as regular Disney Cast Members.
Participants in the Cultural Representative Program perform their roles at Epcot's World Showcase, Disney's Animal Kingdom, Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, or a combination of them, while for guest relations positions, participants are assigned to one of the four theme parks or Disney Springs. The Cultural Representative Program has different options open to applicants during their application process, depending on the pavilion's offerings. For example, Norwegian applicants may apply for attractions operator on Frozen Ever After at the Norway Pavilion at Epcot. However, this would not be the same case for applicants from the United Kingdom, since the United Kingdom pavilion does not have an attraction. The exact location for positions varies according to the country the student represents.

International College Program

The International College Program is a program similarly based off the Disney College Program, designed for international students who are currently enrolled in an accredited college or university, pursuing a 3-to-4 year degree. Applicants must be between academic years and as such, the program will run during their summer vacation, varying in length.
During their interview, applicants fill out a role preference sheet and can indicate by order of preference the type of role they would like to apply for their International College Program, often assigned to roles based on seasonal need and may be rotated based on peak time operational needs. Participants in the International College Program may work in any of Walt Disney World's four theme parks, two water parks or numerous resort hotels and are often rotated based on peak-time operational need and may be cross-trained as such from position to position and park to park.

H-2B Alumni Program

The H-2B Alumni Program allows participants to work at the resort on an H-2B seasonal work visa as a seasonal employee while in the United States. Candidates must complete their current program successfully with a confirmed rehire status and return to school for one semester in their home country before returning on an H-2B visa. The available options for H-2B participants, in regards to available roles, are similar to those for the International College Program.

Experiences of the program

Just like the Disney College Program, the International Programs emphasize three experiences: 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 can reside in one of four company-sponsored housing units near the Walt Disney World Resort during the duration of the program.
tudents 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 on the Disney College Program 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.
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 the resort who are expected to work in one of four major operating areas: food service, merchandising, attractions and custodial. A fifth area, costuming, offers opportunities to work backstage with performers or in costuming operations. Just like the Disney College Program, Disney International Programs offer opportunities for students to work in more than 20 different roles.

Housing

International Program participants are housed along Disney College Program participants in one of four company-sponsored gated-community apartment complexes: Vista Way, Chatham Square, The Commons or Patterson Square, all located approximately ten minutes outside Disney property. Initially, The Commons was the main complex where all international participants were housed in. A fifth housing complex, Flamingo Crossing, was announced in 2018, with participants set to begin living there in 2020, however, due to the coronavirus and its spread to Florida, the opening of Flamingo Crossing has been delayed.
Participants are provided with fully-furnished apartments, access to recreational amenities, computer labs and housing-provided 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. Participants can elect their housing preference prior to their arrival date but are not allowed to reside off-site due to conditions in their visas.

Coronavirus impact

On March 14, 2020, Disney Internships & Programs announced the suspension of the Disney International Programs due to the ongoing worldwide outbreak of the coronavirus and its spread to Florida. International participants actively enrolled during this time in company-sponsored housing were asked to vacate in a short period of time, as well as Disney College Program and culinary students, offering full credit and completion of the program in return. Shortly after, 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 International Programs and the Disney College Program 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. On July 14, 2020, less than a week after the Walt Disney World Resort reopened during the coronavirus pandemic, Disney Internships & Programs announced the Cultural Representative Program was suspended indefinitely for current and future participants accepted for the Fall 2020 semester.