The main question I always get from people is, “so
basically, what is it?” or at least some variation of that question. (I also am
always asked the sarcastic question of, “So you’re gonna be a Disney princess?”
to which I face palm myself and move on with my life). If time is limited or I
don’t feel like going into detail, the short answer I usually give is usually
one of the following:
“It’s basically like
studying abroad, but in Florida…at Disney World.”
“It’s a paid
internship with Disney.”
“It’s a minimum wage
internship at Disney World.”
“I work and study at
Disney World.”
In reality, the Disney College Program is so much more. If
you really are interested, I highly recommend poking around the Disney College
Program website and the Disney Programs Blog if you haven’t already. They,
obviously, have much more insight than I could ever give. But since you’re
already here, let me give you some information.
The Disney College Program boasts three major components: Living, Learning, and Earning. Let me break down these three
parts.
Living
CPs (College Program-ers) live in one of the four apartment
complexes used specifically by CPs. These apartment complexes are located on
Walt Disney World property. If you have never been to Disney World before…brace
yourself. Disney World is like a whole city in itself, it spans across 47
square miles, that’s about the size of Manhattan, people! Rent is taken out of
your weekly paycheck (remember EPCOT: every paycheck comes on Thursday). There
are many different apartment sizes and each room holds two people, so prepare
for roommates.
Learning
At the Walt Disney World College Program, the educational
component of the program is optional. There are two different types of courses
one can take: collegiate and seminar. Collegiate courses can be recommended for
college credit if your university accepts them. Remember that kicker:
IF your university accepts them. These
courses are like actual college courses, they have homework, project, etc. and
they cost the minimal fees for required textbooks and materials (generally
around $30). On the flip side, seminars are completely free and do not have
homework or anything of the sort. They cannot be recommended for college credit
either. All courses are offered through Disney University—yes this is a real
thing. Keep in mind, Disney is one of the top companies in the world, and to
learn from them is a once in a lifetime opportunity (at least in my opinion).
Earning
The majority of people I talk to about the program
automatically assume that the Disney College Program is filled with nutty,
Disney-obsessed wackos, like myself. While this may be true—the DCP does have
its fair share of weirdos, there are a lot of people that are drawn to the
program simply because it is a paid internship, these are often few and far
between. You’re likely to get paid minimum wage, but with the extensive hours
you’re working, you could potentially be bringing home a hefty paycheck
depending on your budgeting and your expectations.
This is just a brief overview of the program for those who
are just starting to look into the program or for those who are interested in
what I’m doing for the whole spring semester.
