The Disney College Program: Acing the Interviews

Thousands and thousands of college students apply for the Disney College Program every semester, and out of those, only around 5,000 are chosen. Thus, it makes sense that the most common question I receive about the DCP is: how do I get through the application process? Depending on how much stakes you place in your acceptance into the program, this process can cause a lot of anxiety and concern. But I am going to give you a few tips that will season you with pixie dust and make you a knowledgeable and very “Disney” potential cast member.

Application

The first thing you will want to do is go to https://jobs.disneycareers.com/disney-college-program and sign up for email updates about the Disney College Program. This will keep you in the know, and ensure that you are getting notified when applications open. When the application for the season you want to apply for does open, make sure you apply as soon as possible. You don’t want them to fill up the slots before they get to you. You want to go into this process knowing you did everything as timely as you could to ensure entry.

Choosing Your Role

In the online application, you will come to a page where you will be able to preference your role by ranking each role with a high, moderate, low, or no interest. You have to be really careful when doing this, because Disney will jump on any interest you have placed in a role, even if it is low interest. Some applicants get nervous that Disney won’t hire them if they don’t preference all of the roles to increase their chances, but this is not true. Usually if you are picky, then you will end up getting what you want. If you truly do not want to be placed in a certain role, do not even put low interest, because there is a high chance you will get placed in it for expressing any interest at all. The roles that Disney especially needs are usually quick service food and beverage, merchandise, and attractions. These can be super fun roles! But if you feel you wouldn’t enjoy doing those especially for 4-6 months, you need to stay away from placing any interest in them at all. Only place interest in something that you think you will feel comfortable doing for an extended period of time!

A side note, sometimes Disney will end up placing you in a role that you did not preference, because of high demand in a certain area. But you should still at least do everything you can to try to get in a role you are going to enjoy.

The Web-Based Interview

After you submit your application and you are approved, you will receive an email to perform a web-based interview. This is a three-section interview in which you answer questions pertaining to your personality, experience with guest interaction, and work ethic. If your answers for any of the three sections of the interview aren’t what Disney is looking for, you can be blocked out of the web-based interview and have your application process ended there. Scary, I know. But if you make it through all three of these sections, you will be directed on to schedule your phone interview. The best way to make it through all three sections of this web interview is to answer the questions extremely. If you agree, then click strongly agree. If you disagree, then click strongly disagree. Try to steer clear of clicking neutral for your answers. It doesn’t matter so much what your answer is. Disney just wants to know that you have conviction and can make strong and confident decisions on the spot.

The Phone Interview

This is one of the most exciting parts of applying for the Disney College Program, because you actually have another Disney cast member on the line, and you are not trying to bargain with a ruthless computer to determine your fate with the company. The phone interview works best if you just have fun. Of course, you want to remain professional, but please don’t be afraid to let your passion come through in your tone and your words, because that is one of the huge things Disney is looking for. Don’t be afraid to ask the interviewer questions, such as what their favorite magical moment was, or how they got started with the company. It also never hurts to remember the name of your interviewer when they introduce themselves at the beginning of the call, so that you can use it in conversation. Disney is very proud to be a “first name” company, and they highly believe in the personable and courteous nature of calling someone by name. Show them that you are Disney material before you even go through training! This is your last chance at proving yourself before recruiting makes their decisions.

Something I find that helped me through the phone interview was remembering my own past experiences at Disney World, and how the cast members treated me. The best thing to do is just think like a cast member. Think of the most positive, kind, and magical way to handle situations, and let that come through in all your answers, and coat your personality. Try to embody the things Disney is known for: courteousness, charm, positivity, good show, efficiency, safety, and of course, magic! And lastly, embrace every moment of when your interviewer concludes your conversation with “have a magical day!” The prospect that you may have just started a career with this magical company … It puts all kinds of feels inside you …

Hopefully with these tips and tricks, you can be on your way to acing the application and interviews, and accepting a position with Disney! I’ll be back in my next post to talk about a separate part of the application process for those who are interested in the entertainment spectrum of the company: the audition. Until then, I hope you’ve found this post helpful. If you’re up for hearing more DCP tips, please subscribe or share with your friends!

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