What Exactly will I be Doing

I have been asked a lot what exactly will I be doing while I am down at Disney. Some people think I am just taking a semester off of school and going to go play at Disney. Others think I am wasting my time because working for Disney has nothing to do for my major. Well I am here to set the record straight and explain exactly what the Disney College program is and what I will be doing while I am down there.

The offer I got was a Merchandise role! I did audition to be a character performer but I sadly did not get it. Merchandise was one of my top roles when I applied for the program. My top 3 roles where children's activities, character performer, and Merchandise. I have 2 years of experience working in retail, so I think that's one of the reasons why I got Merchandise. There are over 15 different roles you can apply for while doing the program. Disney has the ultimate say where they want to place you.

I am going to be working at the Disney's Animal Kingdom, or DAK, from February 9th-May 29th. Since I am Merchandise, I will either work in one of the shops at DAK or I will be working strollers because that somehow fits under merchandise! (I really hope I do not get that). I will not know until I go to check in, which is on February 9th! You get an opportunity to extend your program and if I choose to extend, I will be there until August 7th. When you extend, you can choose to stay in your current role or choose a different one. If I extend, I am planning on auditioning for character performer again, or I am going to try and see if I can get children's activities!

Although I am taking a semester off of school to go down to Disney, I am still taking classes through my college! I am still going to graduate May 2018 with the rest of my class. Doing the college program does not always put you behind with school. Depending on your major and college, you might even be able to get credit hours for doing the program. Disney also has a Disney University for students where they can take different classes, some of which transfer back to your college for credits. None of the classes Disney offers counts as credits for my major, Early Childhood Education, so I am just choosing to take two classes from my college. Make sure to talk with your advisor to see what the best route is. Also make sure you don't overload yourself with classes because you still are going to be working and wanting to hang out with friends!

Now even though you get free admission to the parks anytime you want, does not mean that you will have all the free time in the world to do so! The Disney College Program is a paid internship, so Disney is expecting you to work. You are guaranteed as a CP (College Programer) 30 hours a week. You could get more hours than that depending on where you work and the time of year it is. DO NOT do the Disney College Program just because you want to get into the parks for free. A lot of people go into the program with this mindset and don't realize how much work it is and they end up leaving the program early to go home. This is a hard program to get into and not many people get accepted. Don't take a spot from someone else if you aren't serious about doing the program. Disney gives you 1-2 days a week off work (unless the park is busy or it is during high season). Use those days to go to the park and have fun.

I hope this explains a little bit of what I'll be doing while I am down there! Yes I plan on going to the parks on my free days, but I will also be taking online classes and working a minimum of 30 hours per week! :) If you have any questions feel free to ask them here or click the questions tab at the top of the page and I will answer them! :) Have a magical day