Well if you didn’t hear the news already, guess who is heading back down to Disney to do another College Program? I’m so excited to announce that after graduation I’ll be back down in Disney once again to participate in the Fall 2019 Disney College Program as a Vacation Planner.

Ever since I embarked on my first program, everyone has always asked me what exactly is the Disney College Program? Once I announced my acceptance for Fall 2019 I was flooded with even more questions about it from DCP hopefuls so I’ve decided to revisit this topic and inform all of those who are interested in experiencing this once in a lifetime opportunity.

What exactly is the Disney College Program? 

The Disney College Program is a paid college internship program through the Walt Disney company that allows students to work at either the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida or the Disneyland Resort in California for college credit. Each university handles college credit opportunities differently so you would just have to do your research through your college to see if you are able to. However, you don’t have to be earning college credit while on the program to be eligible to participate because the main goal of the program is to gain experience in the workforce, and what better way to go about that by interning for a brand like Disney?

Living

One of the nice things about the Disney College Program is that the company provides housing options for students to live in that are close to property. Many participants opt-in to live in the complexes but if you do the program you have the option to live offsite as well. If you do decide to stay in Disney housing, rent is taken out weekly from your paycheck, so you don’t have to worry about forgetting it. Disney currently has 4 apartment complexes for participants to choose from, they are:

Each apartment complex has a pool, a clubhouse, and laundry units (The Commons is the only complex to have them inside every apartment). All of the complexes also have access to transportation, so if you aren’t bringing your car you won’t have to worry about getting around. Each complex has their pros and cons so I would do more research on each before deciding which one you want to live in. The official DCP website also notes that each complex has the following features:

• Fully furnished apartment
• Kitchen appliances, utensils, and dishes
• All utilities, including water, electricity, and waste disposal
• Maintenance of the apartments
• Computer labs (Walt Disney World Resort in Florida only)
• High-speed internet access in all apartments
• Cable ready

Learning

Students also have the opportunity to take classes through Disney that pertain to areas that are heavily incorporated throughout the resort like hospitality, marketing, human resources, and leadership. Another big part of the Learning aspect of the program is the networking opportunities that are offered to students who wish to further their career with both the company and in the professional world**

** I know since my last program that they changed the Learning aspect of the program a lot so if you would like more information on what is currently provided check out the official DORMS website here

During my last program, I was able to take the seminar Disney Heritage which gave an in-depth look into Walt Disney’s career. I highly recommend this seminar to anyone is who loves the history surrounding Disney. Check out my past posts to learn more about this seminar and everything that I learned. (Walt’s Early Years, Golden Age of Animation, Walt & Television, Walt Disney Imagineering)

Earning

When applying to the program you’ll be given a list of roles to choose from and express interest in, you can see the full list here. Jobs can range from working an attraction, being a lifeguard, a vacation planner, or working in merchandise. There is a wide variety of jobs throughout the resort that you can select interest in! If you want to check out my role as a Seater from my first program and everything that role entitles click here

Applicants also have two different seasons they can choose from, and how long they want to stay for that season when deciding what works best for them! The first option is the Fall season, with the normal program that goes from early August/September to early January and then the Fall Advantage program that goes from June-to January. Then the following season there is the Spring program that goes from January-mid May or the Spring Advantage Program that goes from January/February-early August. Here are the arrival/departure dates for the Fall 2019 Program.

Even though I know this is ALOT of information given to you all at once, we’ve just barely scratched the surface of everything you need to know about the DCP! But don’t worry over the course of the next few months I’ll be gearing most of my posts toward general DCP topics in order to further educate everyone! If you have any questions about anything I covered or if you want me to cover a specific topic don’t hesitate to shoot me an email or DM me on Instagram. Until next time friends

Keep Moving Forward

-Kacey