The Disney College Program is one of the most unique internship opportunities in the country, allowing students to live, learn, and earn at the place “where dreams come true.” As with many other aspects of the Walt Disney Company, rumors and misconceptions tend to surround any conversation one might have about the program, especially when there are no alumni or Disney cast members around to set the record straight. Being an alumna of the program myself, and having done extensive research on it, I’ve decided to take the most common misconceptions I’ve heard about the Disney College Program, to separate fact from fiction.
“Applicants are randomly selected to take the web-based interview“
Image: Brittany DiCologero
The application process for the college program has gone through a number of changes over the past couple of years, as the company has seen a massive increase in the number of students applying. In order to condense the application process, and only move forward with the most qualified applicants, one of these changes involved only offering the initial interview to certain students based on individual applications rather than inviting each applicant to participate a web-based interview. Almost immediately after these changes had taken place, rumors began to swirl that the company had been receiving so many applicants that it was simply easier to make the decision of who would receive the web-based interview random. While many potential CPs do believe that this is a random decision on Disney’s end, the official Disney Programs and Internships blog has debunked this rumor on multiple occasions.
The writers of the official blog have repeatedly stated that the offer to take a web-based interview is simply extended to the most qualified applicants. It is understandable that students who do not receive the web-based interview would be looking for some justification for this action however the decisions made in choosing any kind of employee, CP or not, are never random. Knowing that you are less qualified than potential candidates who did receive the interview are might be a blow to your ego, however it is not worth falling into the cycle of rumors that your application was randomly set aside.
My advice to applicants who do not receive the web-based interview on the first try is to take it as a learning experience and never give up. Each year the program receives more and more applicants, making every season more competitive than the last. It can be easy to become discouraged when you receive the dreaded “No Longer in Consideration” email without ever receiving the web-based interview, however many students end up applying more than once before they are accepted, and they will often tell you that although the application process can be stressful in the beginning, the experience will be worth it in the end.
“Make sure you bring a car, and avoid taking the buses if you can“
Image: Brittany DiCologero
This point is a heated debate among college program alumni, and though there are a lot of variables that can make this dependent on each individual student, I would say that future CPs should not be made to feel like they need a car. The usual reasoning for bringing a car to the program usually goes by mentioning that grocery shopping will be easier, you will not have to wait for a bus after work, and you’ll have the freedom to drive to places that the buses do not stop at.
These are all great reasons for bringing a car, however if securing a car to bring on the program is going to be a hassle, or if using the car while there seems like it will be a financial burden, I would suggest simply using the buses. A portion of CP rent payments, which automatically comes out of CP paychecks, goes towards bus transportation. Whether or not you like the bus company, or have your own vehicle, you’re paying for those buses either way. This also means that if you bring a car you’re paying for the bus transportation on top of gas and insurance.
It is no secret that the buses are a less than luxurious experience, however many of the complaints CPs have about the buses are simply based around the simple facts that waiting for a bus, and standing after a long day at work can be very annoying. Since many CPs have not lived away from home prior to participating in the program, a fair number of them do not realize that sometimes standing on a bus after work is just a fact of life that needs to be dealt with. Having a car is a luxury, and many college students will eventually graduate and move to cities where they’ll need to take public transportation to and from work. And public transportation in the real world is much more unpleasant than any issue that might arise while using the CP buses.
Waiting for the bus after work in Hollywood Studios
Image: Brittany DiCologero
My suggestion—if you have a car, and you are confident that you will be able to afford it on the college program, bring it. A car is definitely worth it for the convenience, it is just not as necessary as so many students are led to believe. If you either do not have a car, do not have a reliable car, or do not think you’ll be able to comfortably afford to pay for gas, insurance, and other car-related expenses, use the buses.
“Coca Cola donated the apartment complexes to Disney, therefore CPs should not be charged rent“
Image: Brittany DiCologero
First things first, there is absolutely no truth to this rumor. However, even if hypothetically this rumor were true, which it most definitely is not, Disney would still need to charge rent. Say for instance you win a house in a contest. Is that house free for you to live in? Does a “donated” property come with a pre-paid lifetime supply of electricity, heat, hot water, A/C, security, maintenance and upkeep, transportation, cable, and internet? I am honestly not sure of how this rumor started, or why it continues to pop up from time to time, but if you’d like to keep others well-informed about what actually goes on in the college program, pointing out that Coca Cola donation story is entirely false is a great place to start.
“Rent is a ripoff because CPs are forced to have so many roommates“
Image: Brittany DiCologero
Before I tackle this misconception, let’s pick up where we left off from the last point. So if Coca Cola never owned the apartment complexes, and therefore never donated them to Disney, then who owns them? Well, not Disney if that’s what you’re thinking… the apartments are actually owned and operated by Lincoln Property Co., a nationwide chain that works in partnership with the Disney Internships and Programs team in Orlando.
So is rent a rip-off given the number of roommates CPs have? Well, not necessarily. Before getting into the details of how much CP rent is, and what this cost covers, I think it’s important to get one thing out of the way. Disney, and Lincoln Property Company are both businesses, meaning their ultimate goal is to make a profit. If the rent was much lower, Disney and/or Lincoln Property Company would be footing the bill for the difference in price that CPs are not paying.
To put this into perspective, think about your town’s local affordable housing complexes that are likely subsidized at least in part by some other organization, like taxes from the town, state, federal government, or other non-profit programs. If Lincoln Property Company, or any other real estate company, agreed to use their apartment complex as affordable housing, one of those other organizations would likely need to make up the difference in the bills because the real estate company is a business that works towards a profit.
Furthering the need for making a profit in the case of the college program is the unique relationship that Disney and Lincoln Property Company have with each other. The apartments are owned by Lincoln Property Company, however this company has almost no say in who occupies them. The company might be able to create a set of guidelines with Disney such as only allowing CPs to live there and stay the night, and only allowing the opposite sex to live together if it is one couple in a one bedroom apartment, with a marriage certificate to prove it, but for the most part, the company that actually owns the buildings has very little control over the tenants.
Pool at the Commons
Image: Natalie Bermudez
As a result, the rent that Lincoln Property Company charges for the CP housing complexes is slightly higher than what the company would normally charge for similar buildings in similar locations, which does make sense when you think about it. If you were a landlord, with no control over who your tenants would be, you would probably raise the rent to cover things you’d need to pay for like maintenance and upkeep, which have the potential to be more expensive since you have no idea what the people are like who live in the space.
Now that we’ve established that the base rent the company charges is indeed slightly higher than their average rates in the area, consider the fact that Disney needs to make a profit from this as well. Disney has a team of housing staff that work year round at the apartments and planning housing events who need to get paid every week too. Disney also likely needs to pay a little bit more towards the company that actually owns the building for allowing them to house interns there.
Before including everything else in the rent, it should already be clear that there are reasons why these apartments might be a little bit more expensive. Now on top of the premium rates charged by the two companies, consider everything that the apartments include: heat, hot water, uncapped electricity, cable, A/C, maintenance, security, internet, transportations, furniture, and kitchen supplies. Now let’s look at prices, which many believe to be grossly overpriced in terms of what CPs pay to live in the apartments.
Graduation at Chatham Square
Image: Brittany DiCologero
For the sake of having an average estimation, and because the prices change every season, assume you are planning on living in Chatham Square, in a two bedroom, five person apartment. Your apartment was built in the year 2000, and includes two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Bedrooms and the living and dining areas come furnished, and the kitchen includes all of the necessary appliances one would need like a refrigerator and microwave, and laundry is shared among residents in communal areas. You pay $125/week, which means you pay about $438 per month, and including your roommates, your total apartment costs $2190 to live in. Two bedroom two bathroom apartments in Orlando cost anywhere between $1000 and $2000 per month, depending on the area, specific complex and what’s included. For the sake of argument, assume an average two bedroom/two bathroom apartment in Orlando costs $1500/month. Now add some combination of heat, hot water, uncapped electricity, cable, A/C, maintenance, security, internet, transportations, furniture, and kitchen supplies to this $1500, with five people living in the apartment, and you’re probably somewhere in the ballpark of $2000/month. Factor in a little bit extra for what we’ve already discussed—the fact that Disney and Lincoln Property Company are both out to make a profit, and you have the justified cost of CP housing.
Turning in housing ID and parking permit at the end of the program
Image: Brittany DiCologero
If you come from a part of the country where the cost of living is extremely low, it still might seem ridiculous to pay $438 per month for an apartment that has two to three people to each bedroom and bathroom, but comparatively to what the apartments cost in Orlando, and for what is included in the apartments, the cost of CP housing is not as shocking as you might expect. If the rent is still shocking however, or you’re not interested in sharing a bedroom and bathroom with one or two other people, no one is forcing you to stay in CP housing. You are welcome to opt out of housing, however if you choose to do so you will need to have a car, because the public transportation in Orlando (especially in Walt Disney World) is almost non-existent, and you need a housing ID to use the CP buses.
“CPs are overworked and underpaid“
Image: Natalie Bermudez
Sometimes and yes, but so is everyone else working in the front lines of the theme park industry. CPs are overworked in the same way that regular Disney cast members might be overworked: it’s Christmas week, aka the busiest week of the year, and the Magic Kingdom is open until 3:00 AM, and you work at the Emporium, so you have a twelve hour shift that ends at 4:00 AM. You signed up for a job at the world’s most popular tourist destination, where you agreed to have open availability for work during all hours of the day, 365 days a year. Occasionally when the parks and resorts are busier, you are going to be overworked.
Working long shifts, or over forty hours in a week, at Walt Disney World can definitely be difficult and exhausting, especially if you’re outdoors for most of your shift, however it is what you sign up for when you choose to pursue a frontline role in the park. The good news is that CPs, and cast members in general, can come home with some pretty sweet paychecks those weeks due to all the overtime, and the insane fifty-five hours per week schedule doesn’t usually become a regular thing.
CPs do get the worst of it, because they will almost always close, and they will generally have the late night shifts and work holidays. The reasoning for this is simply that the company works by seniority when scheduling cast members, and CPs are at the bottom of the list, under full time, part time, and seasonal cast members. CPs might not like their position at the bottom of the ladder, but unfortunately that’s the way it goes in most internships, especially for large companies, and I’m sure full time employees would not be thrilled to work until 3:00 AM while their CP counterparts worked from nine to five.
As for being underpaid, this is another myth that depends on your own interpretation. We like to think that they are underpaid because they work for such a large company, that obviously makes a lot of money, however there are a lot of other factors that go into determining the wages for different employees. The hourly wages for CPs are right on par with similar jobs in other companies within the theme park industry, and while we like to think they should get paid more for being out in the heat dealing with tens of thousands of guests per day, it is a bit of a grey area as to whether or not they should make more. However, to assume that all CPs are overworked and underpaid is just not a simple argument to address, especially without having experienced the program firsthand.
“Upward mobility is non-existent for CPs“
Image: Aly Schmidt
There are indeed multiple ways for CPs to move up in the company after their programs end, however this rumor still sticks around for a couple of reasons. One is that like any company, you need to put in the effort to move up. You cannot finish the college program and expect to apply for a management or corporate position, or even just a full time version of your job, and expect to get it because you were an intern. Don’t get me wrong, it would be awesome if it worked that way, but unfortunately with a lot of large businesses it just is not that easy.
One of the most common obstacles for CPs who want to move up in the company but never do is the fact that they have not finished school. Disney recruiters are not interested in promoting former CPs who moved to Orlando for a college internship and ended up never finishing college. Of course, there are roles that you can feasibly move into without having a degree, but at a certain point you will run out of options for advancement if you choose to go that route. This idea should not come as a surprise to most CPs because so many Disney leaders, teachers, and other cast members that you meet throughout the program will repeatedly explain the importance of staying in school. On the first day of my Exploring Marketing class I took in the Fall 2014 program, a student raised her hand and asked our teacher how she could advance in the company following her program and he immediately responded with, “Go back and get your degree after this program, and then come back.” Even if you need to do the college program again, or start out in a part time version of the same role you did in the college program, many leaders you’ll meet on the program stress the importance of finishing school before looking for further advancement opportunities in the company.
Image: Brittany DiCologero
Now say you have finished school already, or you’ve gone against the general advice and decided to put off school at least for a little while and continue to work for Disney. The company, especially in the parks and resorts sector, often chooses to promote from within. You will very seldom find external job postings for the role you really want, so you’re better off taking that entry level hopefully full time but probably part time role until you’re able to get your career on the track you’re looking for. Moving up isn’t guaranteed still, and it’s going to take a lot of work. Especially after doing the college program, when you’ve only been with the company for a limited time, the best thing you can do is network. Talk with your leaders at your location about your goals with the company, attend college program sponsored networking events, and take Disney classes, which often allow you to meet with leaders from all areas of the resort.
“Most roles do not help your resume unless you are a Hospitality and Tourism major“
Image: Brittany DiCologero
For me personally, this has been the biggest misconception I’ve needed to overcome since my programs ended. As a History major, I was constantly told that the program was not going to do much for my resume, and that my roles in merchandise and attractions were more or less useless. Upon coming home from the college program, it took me one and a half months to find a full time job. The job I did find, was in the service industry at a very well respected company, where I made almost double what I was making on the college program and received excellent benefits. Although my resume included non-Disney experience that was more relevant to that specific job, the college program became the focus of my interview. The hiring managers recognized the Disney name, and thought that the program was a very unique feature of my resume compared to other applicants. And because this job was within the service industry, they were of course very impressed that I had been trained in the guest service field by the leader in the industry, Disney.
While I can’t say spieling in the carnival games in Dinoland USA, or directing crowds at Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show really improved my particular field of study, these experiences did add a unique twist to my resume that sets me apart from other run of the mill History majors applying for similar jobs. It is obvious that certain majors like Hospitality and Tourism, and in some cases Theater, are perfect fits for the program, but every major truly will get something valuable out of the program in terms of their resumes.
“You won’t learn anything important from a frontline job“
Image: Aly Schmidt
This point is usually mentioned to me as a subcategory of the previous point. Every now and then, someone will ask me, “What kind of skill is a History major with five years of experience in her field really going to learn from selling merchandise in Disney?” My answer is always, “You learn the things that can’t be taught in a classroom, or in an ordinary job.” The college program might not have taught me how to be a better museum educator, or how to preserve valuable documents, but it did teach me a lot about myself, and those are the lessons I can take with me to other careers.
Before I did the college program, public speaking of any kind was my worst nightmare. After essentially being forced to run carnival games in Dinoland USA over a microphone to small groups, this fear dwindled. By the end of my stint in Dinoland, is was hard to remember the days when I would feel the embarrassing onset of nausea while giving a presentation in front of the class in high school. My fear of public speaking only diminished further when I was transferred to Lights, Motors, Action! where I was responsible for getting thousands of guests to move all the way to the end of their rows using only my voice and arm motions as a tool. If pre-college program Brittany were thrown into the stadium and told to get all of those people to move, she probably would have run away in fear, but the training I received on the program allowed me to conquer this phobia of mine. And although something like public speaking might seem like a minor issue to some people, it’s actually an important asset to have while looking for work, and I could not be more thankful to Disney for helping me to get over it.
Image: Brittany DiCologero
On a more general level, the sheer number of guests that CPs have to interact with during each shift give them an edge on their social skills game compared to other students their age. When you need to come up with solutions to the strangest problems guests can have, while directing a crowd during the post-Wishes rush, you’ll never be afraid to step into a leadership or decision making role in any other job you could possibly have.
The college program may not give you technical skills in the same way a specialized internship in your field might, but it will change you as a person, and that is something that should never be used to put you down by others who have not experienced the program firsthand.
