The Disney College Program: What if Pixie Dust Isn't My Thing?

So my last post explaining the high on pixie dust was sappy and sparkly, I know. And while to me, Disney has a very personal and emotional meaning, is there more to it than just princesses and pixie dust? The answer is yes. The Disney College Program will also benefit those of you who are less gooey in more practical ways.

The Disney College Program is a wonderful experience for young adults because it is an excellent way to practice being on your own, meet incredible people, and to spruce up your resume with a reputable and iconic company. Even if you don’t do the program because you want to feel the magic in your Mickey ear-shaped heart, you can still gain the benefits of life experience that come with the DCP journey.

Adulting

Most kids that go to college will typically pick a school that is relatively close to home. This way they have the option of traveling back to their families on the occasional weekend and holidays. It is also common for students to go to the same schools as other students in their graduating class, because of security or even lack of knowing what they want to do yet at the young age of eighteen. Because of this, college tends to be a more secure area. Friends are made quickly, dorm rooms are highly communal, you are financially secure on loans and a meal plan, and your professors and authorities tend to show you more grace in a learning setting.

By picking you up and placing you in a world with thousands of new people, the Disney College Program takes you completely out of your security blanket of home and financial stability. You get to experience being away from home, buying groceries, paying rent, and getting yourself to work on time. And because it is only a 4-6 month program, it is a “mini-adulting” experience. You get to experience what it is like to live out of home and college, but you still have the safety of college to return to in a matter of months. You receive merely a taste of the real world, which helps mentally prepare you for graduation. And hopefully you will have saved some of the money you made in Disney to start helping on those student loans.

The DCP is also super helpful for undeclared majors. I have met countless DCP alumni who had their career goals completely 180’d by the program. The roles it offers open a lot of doors and job possibilities that students didn’t even think of existing. If you are an undeclared major at the beginning of your program, there is a good chance that by the end of it, you will have a much clearer picture of the kind of work you do or don’t want to do.

The People

Like I said, The Disney College Program drops you into the middle of thousands of new people. However, those thousands of new people so happen to be just like you. They are in desperate need of friends in the area, they love Disney, and they all share the same “college probs.” You all have one thing in common: isolation from all you know. So if you have anxiety about living a lonely six months at Disney, please flush those thoughts down the drain right now! Chances are, you will have at least twenty new friends in the first week of your program.

The atmosphere of the DCP is quite special. It is like you are in college, but you are all pretending to be adults. So you get the fun social aspect of college, while not having to do homework, and in fact, your free time is spent in a much more heightened way: The Magic Kingdom becomes your mall, Disney Springs becomes your movie theatre, and Gaston’s Tavern becomes your Steak ‘N’ Shake.

Lastly, the guests, fellow cast members, and fellow CPs you meet will be from all over the country, and all over the world! It is really cool to be connected around the world in so many ways after you leave from your program. And if you make close friends, you will probably journey to their side of the country one day to visit, which is yet another culturing experience entirely that you would have never had if you didn’t meet them on the program!

Resume Builder

Did I mention that every time you tell someone you’ve worked for Disney in the past, you automatically become way more interesting, and even admired by some people?

Being able to say you were hired on at such a large and reputable company really makes you stand out amongst other candidates in an interview or application process. Other companies like to know you have had that exceptional Disney-standard experience with guest service and show that they aspire towards. Not to mention the personal work experience that you will gain will continue to teach you about work ethic and the fascinating interworking of large corporations.

Which brings me to my last point, that being a part of 1 in over 75,000 cast members makes you feel like part of a bigger picture, and motivates you to contribute. This program really helps to get your foot in the door with a major company that could do your career a major service in the future. Getting accepted into Disney as a normal full-time, part-time, or seasonal cast member proves to be very difficult, since there is such a long line of people who want to work there. However, Disney knows that they need to replace about 5,000 college aged cast members every season. For this reason, getting in on the Disney College Program happens to be fairly easy. And once you are trained with the company and want to switch to a regular full-time status position, you look a lot more appealing if Disney doesn’t have to start with you from scratch.

The Disney College Program will develop you as a person, build your resume, and teach you valuable lessons about having the heart of a child while making the decisions of an adult. I hope between my heartfelt speech on magic and memories, and my more logical presentation of the program’s practicality, you have gained some interest in doing the program. I wouldn’t be saying all of this if I didn’t believe the program would truly challenge and nurture you in some way. Maybe the reason I am so passionate about sharing all this information is because, I just really want everybody else to be able to experience the magic I experienced. So if there is any ounce of you that was or is now considering doing the Disney College Program, jump on that! I promise you won’t regret it. And if you make up your mind to do so, please subscribe to my blog and stay on the lookout for my next post about how to make the most of your application process and the program itself.

#disneycollegeprogram #pixiedust #practical #internship #whydothedisneycollegeprogram #adulting #resume #icon #experience