Disney College Internship question

[emerzmom]

I am not sure where to post this question. My daughter is in her last year of college. We visited WDW in March. She talked to a few CM's that were doing the college internship program. They seemed to like it and encouraged her to check into it. Anyone else ever do this or had a son or daughter that did this? Advice? Thoughts? I would welcome any comments, advice, opinions on this.
Thanks!
:mickey:
Julie

[sportsguy2315]

I was on the College Program last fall (As my signature says), and had a lot of fun doing it. However, there are a couple of things your daughter needs to know going in beforehand:

1) First off, your daughter needs to know that this isn't a vacation to Disney. As a CP, you do a lot of the grunt work (read: long hours and late nights). There is a very small percentage, my guess less than 5%, that just goof off, party all the time, and drink like they're on Spring Break. Needless to say, they don't last long.

2) You mentioned this was your daughter's last year. The only real requirement Disney has is that you're in college when you apply. "College" to Disney is a very loose definition; I've heard of older people going to a local community college to take a class then do the CP, all the way to "traditional" college students like me who take a semester off to participate in it, to your daughter's scenario where you go down after college and it's a job right out of school.

I highly recommend the program if your daughter feels she's up for it. Yeah, it is a lot of work, but where else on your day off can you do the parks on Disney's dime along with getting the Disney name on your resume? :mickey: Oh, and if you have any further questions, you or your daughter can PM me and I'll try to answer them as best I can.

[dml]

Hi!

I participated in the WDW College Program in 1999 and I would agree 100% with what sportsguy2315 posted. It sounds like nothing has changed.

I personally enjoyed my time in the program. More than that, I made some good friends that I still keep in touch with and it looks great on a resumé. When I returned home to start my career (I particpated the semester after graduation) every interview I went on had questions about the program and was very impressed by it.

I definitely think it is something your daughter should consider.

Dani:mickey::mickey:

[Joannelet]

It is a great program. I did it in Fall of 1998. It was my senior year as well. Every interview I went on after graduation just wanted to talk about Disney and I got every job I applied for! It was an amazing time and you have to make the most of it. The program has changed somewhat as you now alternate your work site during your time there but it just allows for more experience really and can pick up extra hours in other parks as well. In 98 we were in one park, one ride or one store and that was it,
I still keep in touch with all of my friends there and my roommates and I are all still very close.
It is all what you make of it. I sang in the candlelight processional,volunteered a Give Kids the World etc.

[dnickels]

My brother did the program in '99 and he loved it. Still keeps in touch with many of the other people he met during the program and as mentioned, the vast majority of employers still go "ooooh Disney!!" when they see it on a resume.

That said, depending upon your daughter's degree, I'm hearing more instances of employers and colleges looking skeptically at the concept of the college program being any kind of legitimate internship. Working at a fast food counter or food stand, loading guests on rides and just about every other job the CP kids do might be relevant to going to work at an amusement park, but they're also entry-level type jobs a high school kid with a few hours of training can do.

Again, the employers and colleges who take this view are still a small minority, but it might be worth considering whether a potential employer in your daughter's field would view that time during the program as a real internship type experience, or whether they'll wonder why someone with a degree didn't take a job working in something relevant to their field.

[dml]

One more note...I am not sure if the program is still set up the same, but back when I participated in '99, the WDW College Program included working at the food counters, rides, gift shops, etc. As a participant you also attended Disney "training classes" where you learned the Disney way including leadership qualities, etc. Once you completed a semester of the basic program and received good reviews, you could then apply for a WDW Intership. The internships included more in-depth work concentrating on specific areas like, commuication, hospitality, marine biology, etc. Hope this helps!

Dani :mickey::mickey:

[joanna71985]

I did the CP 6 times, and loved it! The CP was what got me to want to stay at Disney. It's an awesome experience, and I highly recommend it to everyone

[BWayGrl]

I know this thread is a little old so I hope someone still reads this...

I'm just curious, what are the chances of getting a full time job with Disney after doing the college program. I would imagine the CP is a giant foot in the door. Anyone out there get hired full time after doing the program? Was it a different job than what you did on the CP?

Jordan

[joanna71985]

I know this thread is a little old so I hope someone still reads this...

I'm just curious, what are the chances of getting a full time job with Disney after doing the college program. I would imagine the CP is a giant foot in the door. Anyone out there get hired full time after doing the program? Was it a different job than what you did on the CP?

Jordan

It's possible. I went FT 2 days after my CP ended (in fact, I found out I got FT and my CP extension on the same day). I was lucky in that not only did I get the location I wanted, it didn't take long at all (I found out in 12 days).