Are you a college student? Do you need to build up your resume experience? Do you want to work at the most magical place on earth? If you answered yes to these questions then have I got the answer for you. The Disney College Program, an internship of a lifetime. Open to all college students this is an experience you will not want to miss out on. While I did not know about the program during my undergrad years I found out about it in my graduate studies and applied. To apply you need a computer and a phone for the interview later in the application process.

For the most part it is pretty simple, you have to wait for the applications to come out. I know for the Spring programs the applications come out sometime in August-September.  I assume the timeframe is close to the same for the Fall programs. For a better idea of just when applications are released you can sign up for notifications about the program here and they shall email you when applications are open. http://imtdisneyparkrecruiting.mkt4700.com/dcp_update

You begin the application by filling out some basic information, your school, address, work experience, ect. Most importantly you select which location you want to apply for (Disneyland or DisneyWorld) and which roles you are interested in covering (which is what you will be interviewing for and eventually hired for). All of this is to make sure 1. You’re not falsifying anything and understand what the roles entail, 2. That you are partaking in an eligible program.* Note to applicants, if the college you are going to gives you a license of any sort I do not believe you are eligible to apply. I have heard of applicants making it through to the phone interview stage and being turned away due to not actually receiving a degree but instead receiving a license.

After you fill out this application you will receive an email and receive updates on their messaging system called the dashboard letting you know everything is being processed. If you are asked to continue on you will be invited to do a Web Base Interview (WBI). This is a straightforward process where they will ask you to rate a question or statement from 1-5. My advice for this interview is to take it when you have plenty of uninterrupted time, a quiet place to work, stable internet and no distractions. Also, be yourself! This is key because they are not looking for the “perfect” answer, but well qualified people. If you love Disney as much as I do, you would not want to lie to get passed this only to end up not being a fit when you get there.

Once you have finished you WBI you will receive an email stating if you are invited to have a phone interview or not. If you have been invited you will be asked to schedule your interview within three days if you were chosen.

I shall pause here to give a disclaimer. While many people find it helpful to look up as much information as they can about the interview process don’t do it! Sorry, but really it just makes you crazy, there are so many interview videos to sift through, so much advice to sift through, and so many prepared answers to sift through. That all come from someone else’s mouth and someone else’s heart, simply put they aren’t your answers and therefore they are not the right answer. I understand, you want to be prepared, so if you must do research, try to find sites that only offer you the questions, not the answers they gave.

Make certain that you take the time to thank your interviewer and ask any questions you may have, this is your chance to get a bit of insight from someone who really knows what is going on. After your interview you will receive an email thanking you and letting you know when you will hear back at the latest.

Thus begins the waiting game. This waiting can be anywhere between a few days and a few months (I personally waited about 3 days but I applied later than most people do). There are three possible results that you can receive by email. The first and most favorable is receiving an offer of employment, the least favorable is NLIC which is no longer in consideration, and the final is when you are in a pending period (which your dashboard will reflect as “In Progress”).

Once accepted you will be given a timeframe to follow in which to accept your offer, pay your fees, and begin bragging to your friends that you’re working for Disney. You may also join a few Facebook groups to meet people and find potential roommates but beware, these groups can be useful and serve a greater purpose, but there are also those who will cause drama or are simply looking for fellow party-goers. Just be careful and use common sense when navigating these and have fun with your fellow Disney lovers!

This is an overall view of the application process, if you would like more information about the process feel free to email us or comment below! I would love to help a future college programmer!

~Leslie