Hello all, and welcome back to the blog! Today I decided to turn the conversation back to the Disney College Program, the entire reason why I decided to create this website and write about my experiences at Disney. More specifically, today we are going to be discussing the different seasons in which you can apply to do the DCP and what each one brings.

Since I’ve done both a Spring and Fall program, and have been on a program for every month out of the calendar year now, I thought it would be fun to share with you all my insights into each season and the Pros and Cons of both. With this, I’ll also give you my opinion on what the best time to do a program is! So, let’s get started!

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What Options Do I Have?

So the first (and biggest) question you have to ask yourself when deciding to apply for the Disney College Program is what season you want to participate in? As shown in the below diagram there are two different seasons that you can apply for: Fall or Spring.

The Fall program move-in dates begin early August through mid-September and go until the first week in January. Whereas the Spring programs move in mid-January through mid-February and run until the end of April or May. There is also an “Advantage” part to each of those seasons which covers the summer months. So if you are doing a Spring Advantage program you start with other Spring participants but stay until August. Whereas with Fall, you start earlier in May/June and stay until January with the rest of the fall participants. Each program has a variety of start and end dates for participants to choose from but sometimes participants opt-in for an Advantage program so they can stay a bit longer.

Each season is very different in terms of atmosphere so below I’ve include what I believe are both the Pros and Cons of each season including my stance on the “Advantage” part of each season

Disney College Program: Fall Season

Pros

• The Holidays
  • You get Cast discounts for select extra-ticked events (Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party & Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party)
  • It’s a blast celebrating the holidays with your roommates, coworkers, or friends and family from out of town!
  • You can sign up to be an extra when they are filming for the Disney Holiday TV Special
  • You get to decorate your apartment and dress up for these occasions and its so much fun!
• EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival
• Disney College Program Formal Event
  • This is kind of like a school dance that is held in one of the big ballrooms at Coronado Springs Resort for DCP participants. There is a DJ , unlimited food and beverage, and meet and greets with characters.

Cons

• It’s HOT! August and September are some of the hottest months in FL so it can be rough
• This season falls right in the middle of Hurricane Season
• It’s very crowded right when you move in (it’s still summer vacation season) and then again for the Holidays (Thanksgiving & Christmas break) so everything is going to be packed and the wait times will be high
• The Holidays
  • The Halloween season kicks off in the beginning of August, so you have 3 months of the season (and you are ready for it to be over with by the time the actually season starts)
  • You may also get homesick because you are away from your friends and family during these times
  • You’ll get sick of hearing a specific holiday music loop for 2-3 months at your work location (especially if you work in a heavily decorated area or work the parties)
  • You’ll most likely be at work on the major Holidays: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Eve

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Disney College Program: Spring Season

Pros

• The weather is nicer during this season (you ease into the warmer weather)
• The parks are less crowded in January/February so wait times at the parks are usually lower
• EPCOT International Festival of the Arts
• EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival
• Disney College Program Event: Starlight Splash
  • Typhoon Lagoon is open from 8pm-1am for DCP participants with unlimited food, mickey ice cream bars, and entertainment (This is my favorite of the two end of the season program events)

Cons

• Florida can get COLD, so you may be wearing longer pants and jackets the first half of your program
• The parks get very packed during Cheer & Dance Season and then during both College and High School Spring Break
• There aren’t as many special events going on at the parks during this season
  • This season isn’t as “glamorous” as the Fall

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Summer (for Spring/Fall Advantage)

Pros

• There are less DCP participants so its not super difficult to get a parking spot at the complexes
• 4th of July (Disney has one of the best specialty firework shows for this holiday)
• There are so many options for places to cool off
  • Disney Waterparks (Typhoon Lagoon/Blizzard Beach)
  • Orlando Waterparks (Volcano Bay/Aquatica)
  • Water Rides at the parks (Kali River Rapids/Splash Mountain)
  • Every housing complex has a pool

Cons

• It rains EVERYDAY (for at least an hour)
• It is very hot & crowded at the parks
• The start of Hurricane season starts in the summer

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So there you have my breakdown of each program season and what each one brings to participants. Personally, I enjoyed my Spring program the most out of the two, and I say that more so because I was able to enjoy Disney without the added pressure of the Holidays. The Holidays were fun to celebrate, don’t get me wrong, but it was a lot to take in while also trying to enjoy my time down in Florida. Just keep in mind, this is my personal opinion and you may have a different viewpoint on the different seasons and that is okay! Each season brings something different for participants and that may be what you are looking for.

Sometimes people don’t have a preference on what season they want to participate in because that is the only time that they can fit that in their school/life schedule. Or if you are like me, and applied 3 times before being accepted into a program, you do a season because you’ve been trying forever to be accepted and you finally are! Either way, I hope that you enjoyed my break down of each of the seasons so then you can get an idea of what season you want to apply to OR if you don’t have a preference you have a guide to things you can look forward to during your upcoming season and things to be wary of.

Let me know down below if you’ve done a CP before, if so what season did you participate in and what are some of your opinions of that season that I didn’t include? If you haven’t done a program, what season would be your dream one to do? I hope you all enjoyed this coverage of the DCP and please let me know if you want me to cover more topics like this in the future.

Until then, Keep Moving Forward

-Kacey