It is rare to hear the words “paid” and “internship” mentioned in the same sentence, but with the Disney College Program this dream can become a reality for college students willing to work and study in California and Florida. Here are the most pertinent facts about the paid internship program offered by Disney.
Who Is Eligible To Participate?
Current college or university students who have finished at least one semester and are at least 18 years old are eligible to apply for participation in the paid internship opportunity sponsored by the Disney College Program. To satisfy legal conditions, applicants need to be authorized to work in the United States and have the documents needed to prove it. If you are an international student, do not fret! Disney has developed the International College Program and you may still have a chance to participate in the internship process.
With respect to college credits, each college or university may set forth its own requirements, and students will be wise to inquire with their academic offices about participation requirements.
In addition, students who have previously applied to participate but were not chosen must wait at least six months before reapplying. Finally, all applicants need to pass a background check.
What Is The Work Like?
The work itself is not always glamorous. Students will be assigned certain work shifts and may be asked to participate in keeping the venues clean of debris and empty trash cans. Other participants will help employees known as cast members at the various attractions with crowd control and guest accommodation.
Other jobs that are open include those of cashiers, parking plaza attendants, resort work, ticket sellers and takers, food service opportunities, costume assistants, and overall assistants in the day to day operations of the resorts and the theme parks.
In addition to performing work, Californians also participate in about 44 hours of course work termed Disney College Program Education courses. They are “Organizational Leadership” and “Marketing You.” Many colleges and universities will recognize them as being worth three semester hours of credit.
Floridians have more options open to them; they are known as “Advanced Studies in Hospitality,” a “College Program Practicum,” Corporate Communication,” “Creativity and Innovation,” “Experiential Learning,” “Human Resources” and then there are also “Organizational Leadership” and “Marketing You.
Where Are The Paid Internships Opportunities Located?
You may work at Disneyland in Anaheim (California) or Walt Disney World in Orlando (Florida).
When Will The Paid Internships Take Place?
California students will have the opportunity to take advantage of the paid internship in the spring and also fall, but not during the summer. Florida has different sessions available than the California Disney program, so Floridians will be wise to check on the availability of spots in the time slot they are looking to fill. Commitment to a 12 months period is required for most Disney Sports internships.
How Do I Go About Applying?
Be prepared to pay a program assessment fee of about $76, and $113 for textbooks associated with both Disney College Program Education courses in Anaheim. While the program assessment fee is the same in Orlando, the cost of books varies as the courses are different. Plan on spending slightly less than at the Anaheim program per course. If you participate to live onsite in California, you need to factor in $159 per week for renting a two bedroom apartment while in Florida you need to plan on spending about $75-$97 per week.
If the money does not scare you off (and for this kind of opportunity it really should not), the application process is time consuming and must be followed in detail:
Attend a presentation. Schedules are posted for Orlando attendees and Anaheim attendees, but the presenters are also active in other states! If there is no presentation scheduled at a campus near you, or if you missed the date and there is nothing close by where you might attend, you have the option of viewing a 30 minute presentation online. If you choose the latter, you are required to schedule a phone interview at the end of the presentation which must take place within 48 hours of the online presentation and also complete a web based interview. If you attend a presentation, you will set up an appointment with an interviewer afterwards.
An application must be filled out online and printed out.
Take your completed application to your interview. If you viewed the online presentation, the application may be faxed to 818-260-8280.
The waiting game begins. Applicants usually know within about three weeks if they are chosen for the Disney College Program paid internship.
Why Should I Participate?
First and foremost, the internship may count toward college credit as defined by individual institutions of higher learning, and thus you get paid to get college credit. Even though the work itself might be defined as grunt work in some cases, the fact that the internship will look stellar on your resume is an understatement.
College students enrolled in business, communications, hospitality, marketing, media, public relations, recreation, sales, theater, and tourism degree programs especially will find that much of what they will do and observe during their internship will be applicable for inclusion on a resume.
Additionally, if you are thinking of later on applying for a professional internship with Disney, a prerequisite for acceptance is participation in the Disney College Program. Last but not least, unless you have a job to go, this income will be much appreciated by your checkbook!
To get a personal testimonial about the experiences with the program, look no further than Associated Content’s very own Annalise who published “Disney College Program: Working at the Walt Disney World” for some great insights.
Are There Downsides To The Program?
There is the possibility that your financial aid status might be jeopardized if the amount of money you earn bumps you into a higher income category. This may adversely affect your ability to get loans and might even require you to repay some already funded loans. Financial aid recipients will be wise to first consult with the college’s financial aid counselor. If you are advised all is well and there is no reason to worry, get it in writing! For those who really want to be sure, the website for the Federal Student Aid program is sure to provide ample guidelines with respect to income and eligibility.
Sources:
http://www.disneyinternationalprograms.com/sap/its/mimes/zh_intlrec/international/index.html
http://disneyworldsports.disney.go.com/dwws/en_US/careers/detail?name=CareersFAQCareersDetailPage&bhcp;=1#1
http://disney.go.com/disneycareers/internships/home.html
http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/index.jsp
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