I made a post a few weeks back about Frequently Asked Questions about the Disney College Program, but with application day getting closer I thought I'd make another post just saying what the program is.
The DCP (Disney College Program) is actually kind of difficult to describe to someone who doesn't know what it is. If you're still confused after reading this post I would suggest checking out the official DCP website (disneycollegeprogram.com).
The DCP website describes the program as:
"The incredible opportunity to advance [their] strengths and interests, meet guests and cast members from around the country and take part in educational opportunities students can't get anywhere else. This truly unique program allows participants to network with leaders, take part in personal and career development classes, and build transferable skills such as problem-solving, teamwork, guest service and effective communication."
Disney markets the program as having three main components: Living, earning, and learning. For most participants, this means living right outside of Disney property in Disney sponsored housing, working full time at any number of locations on Disney property, and taking classes (or attending lectures, volunteering, completing on the job training, etc).
I say for most participants because there are always a couple of exceptions. Students who live in the Orlando area, or who wish to live with roommates in their own apartments do not have to live in Disney housing. Disney also offers housing for married students, but I'm not quite sure how that works, I assume it is in the same apartment complexes and those students just live with their spouses rather than with roommates. Participants who live in Disney housing can have 1 to 7 roommates, and may be placed in any of the 4 apartment complexes: Vista Way, Chatham, Patterson, or the Commons. Each has its pros and cons, and are priced according to how new they are and how many roommates live there. Rent comes out of your paycheck automatically, so you never have to worry about putting money aside for it. For right now, I am thinking that I want to live in Vista Way because it is the cheapest option, and I'm not planning on spending too much time in the apartment anyways.
The learning aspect of the program also varies from person to person. For many students, the learning portion would come with taking classes through the program. Disney offers classes in a variety of fields that can often be completed for college credit for students to take during the program. A major perk of the Disney classes is that there are no tuition and fees, so the only real expense for the classes is textbooks, which usually do not go over $30. Disney also makes sure that work schedules and school schedules coincide well with each other, meaning that participants are guaranteed days off on the days when they have class. The learning aspect varies however, because not everyone participates in these classes. The DCP in Anaheim requires that students fulfill the education component, whereas it is optional for the Orlando program. I am still debating on whether or not I will take a class during my program. As I would be a college graduate, I will not need to take any classes to do the program, nor will I be able to receive any kind of credit for a class. There are some classes that interest me, particularly Marketing You, which is all about how to market yourself in your job search, and Disney Heritage, which is basically a history class on the Disney company, but since I do not need to take classes I am still weighing my options.
Because the program is an internship, there are still learning opportunities for students who do not take classes. Disney's training program is widely recognized among employers as one of the best employee learning experiences out there, meaning that by completing Disney training, participants will stand out from others on the job market. There are also lectures and networking events that participants can attend, as well as volunteer opportunities, which Disney refers to as "VoluntEARs."
The earning portion of the program comes, as you probably already know, with working for the company. The positions that the DCP offers are not necessarily the most highly sought after, however the program as a whole is extremely beneficial for one's resume. I am actually really looking forward to the earning part of the program, because it is very rare that an internship pays you, and guarantees that you'll have at least 30-40 hours/week.
I think I've pretty much covered everything now. I'll go into some more detail about the different roles offered in another post, but for now I really just wanted to plainly explain what the program is.
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