10 Things you Probably Didn't Know about the Disney College Program

1. It's not cheap. When you accept your Disney College Program, you have initial fees which cover the first couple weeks of rent. While rent isn't too bad, it also showcases what you get for your money. However, this has changed since my college program and Flamingo Crossing is definitely an upgrade; however you are paying for it.

2. You're Overworked. As a college program participant, you aren't guaranteed so many hours a week. You can't adjust your availability, so the shifts they give you are most likely stuck with you. That being said, personally as a merchandiser, my typical shift was 6.5 hours, from 5-11:30pm, with all the park closing duties. Our shifts are picked over by the full timers and part timers, so we get whatever is leftover, hence being overworked.

3. You work crazy hours. Going off of the last fact, Disney College Program participants have crazy hours. Doing all the closing tasks til midnight, and waiting until every single guest leaves the park. Not to mention, the holiday season makes for crazy hours, especially for CP’s. My last shift of my DCP was a 12 hour shift on New Years Eve; 5pm to 5am. I also worked a 10 hour shift on Christmas, and another 10 hour shift later that week.

4. Don't take the bus. During my program, the DCP bus system really wasn't great. I'm crossing my fingers they've updated it for Flamingo Crossing, but in reality, i suggest you take a car. There have been multiple instances where busses break down, busses are late, or they catch a flame (I'm not kidding). I say, save the time and effort, and just bring your car.

5. Get ready to Spend, Spend, Spend! As much fun as it is to work for the mouse, he doesn't pay very much. This changes with Florida law, however it's not outstanding. Rent is automatically taken out of your paycheck, to where you don't even see that money. Then you're leftover with just enough money to buy groceries for the week, and maybe a couple fun activities. My suggestion is to budget or else your mindset is going to be stuck on spend spend spend!

6. Better your Disney Knowledge! The Disney College Program is a great way to get a start in your career, with the company or not. College Program participants are offered special classes during the program that touch in different higher up skills. For example, I took a class about Professional Internships, and that is how I learned I wanted to study Communications! These classes take an hour at a time, and are optional, but I recommend you go to at least one!

7. No playing in the parks. A big thing with being a cast member, specifically a CP, is that blockout dates pop up a lot. Something big coming to the parks like a new ride? Nope, cast members can’t go. Christmas day or New years eve? Nope, not with your pass! This is so that paying guests can get the experience, rather than cast members who get in for free. But don't worry! You can still probably get into Animal Kingdom…!

8. You're at the bottom of the Totem Pole. Like I said earlier, CP’s don't get great shifts. We really are the last ones to get picked at a kickball game.. This also means that if you decide to extend your stay with Disney and go part-time or full time, your college program time won't count towards your official time at Disney. While it's not all fun and games, we still find ways to make our program the best it can be.

9. Extra Magical Opportunities! One exciting thing that we do get as College Program participants, is exclusive opportunities! While we are cast members and already get to go backstage and behind the magic, there are special opportunities posted on the cast member hub. These opportunities are really hard to grab, especially if they are something like a behind the scenes tour of Fantasmic! So if you get the chance to grab one of these, definitely do it! I also received chocolate and a button for working on Mickey’s birthday at Magic Kingdom.

10. Role relocation? And that brings me to my last point: Enjoy your role! While we don't get to fully select the roles we are put into, I found a way to really love mine. If you're in a universal role like Merchandise, you can pick up at any location with the same training! For example, my home park was Epcot, but during my program, I picked up at Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios! They were some of my favorite shifts and it was so fun to experience a new park!

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