Disney College Program for Fall Advantage Cancelled

[disney4life2008]

I think you’re also forgetting that the CPs essentially run the parks after 5 PM. What goes on at night in the parks would not be possible without them. You can ask any CP or full timer and they will admit it. The CPs are an essential backbone to Disney. They do so much for the company. And you’re not going to find a group of kids more passionate about Disney and making magic than them.

LOL what year were you? You are forgetting the part time and full time people who are dedicated to Disney. I know lots of DCP and trust me, what I know that goes on behind the scenes would shock every one on here. There are underground Disney College program cliques for every thing imaginable.

 

[markc]

I think you’re also forgetting that the CPs essentially run the parks after 5 PM. What goes on at night in the parks would not be possible without them. You can ask any CP or full timer and they will admit it. The CPs are an essential backbone to Disney. They do so much for the company. And you’re not going to find a group of kids more passionate about Disney and making magic than them.

In the current job market, anybody is going to work those late hours - CP's or older FT's. The CP's are only the backbone of the company when Disney needs them. The won't be needing them for 6 months.

 

[danitaytay]

LOL what year were you? You are forgetting the part time and full time people who are dedicated to Disney. I know lots of DCP and trust me, what I know that goes on behind the scenes would shock every one on here. There are underground Disney College program cliques for every thing imaginable.

I have friends and family that I’ve known participate in the DCP over the course of the last 10 years. I also am family friends with many full time employees as well as managers within the company. They all say the same. There are some people that may not be there for the right reason but those who are dedicated far outweigh those.

 

[disney4life2008]

In the current job market, anybody is going to work those late hours - CP's or older FT's. The CP's are only the backbone of the company when Disney needs them. The won't be needing them for 6 months.

Actually I'm going to agree. DCPs are needed because Disney can place them wherever and if I recall, can work them to the bone in the worst positions. Full time and part time (assuming) can quit if they don't like it.

 

[Kman101]

Big $$ loss for WDW . They want to keep the CP housing full to collect the monthly rent. Anyway what is going to happen to the cast that support the big CP program?

Yeah but it's too risky to commit to that right now. I'm sure they'd love that money but it will come in time. CP will return, but I do hope they rely a little less on that in the future. I do question Epcot without the cultural representatives though, that's a loss, but hopefully they can return sooner than later.

We also have to remember it's not likely they open like normal. Lots of things may not be operating initially and I doubt we see parades or fireworks. So they can move people around. I think they'll be fine initially. I feel terrible for the kids looking forward to it, but hopefully they get another chance in the future. It's not done for good, just for right now. It made no sense to call them back for May with the parks remaining closed so I imagine they said "let's skip this go around for now".

 

[Kman101]

I have friends and family that I’ve known participate in the DCP over the course of the last 10 years. I also am family friends with many full time employees as well as managers within the company. They all say the same. There are some people that may not be there for the right reason but those who are dedicated far outweigh those.

Absolutely. CP gets a bad repuation, but I can understand certain resentment amongst part time castmembers who get shafted for cheaper labor. That's just the reality. I support the CP but they need to rely far less heavily on it and I think this may make them realize that. They also likely, may, want to give job opportunities to residents of the state and give more hours to part time castmembers right now. It's not done for good as of right now so I'm sure it will come back. When is the next wave after this one that was cancelled?

If we have restrictions in place when these parks reopen, they don't want an influx of people and that includes CP, IMO. They'd be crowding housing and that's just not something they likely want right now. IMO.

 

[danitaytay]

Absolutely. CP gets a bad repuation, but I can understand certain resentment amongst part time castmembers who get shafted for cheaper labor. That's just the reality. I support the CP but they need to rely far less heavily on it and I think this may make them realize that. They also likely, may, want to give job opportunities to residents of the state and give more hours to part time castmembers right now. It's not done for good as of right now so I'm sure it will come back. When is the next wave after this one that was cancelled?

If we have restrictions in place when these parks reopen, they don't want an influx of people and that includes CP, IMO. They'd be crowding housing and that's just not something they likely want right now. IMO.

I totally understand. Not everyone is going to be happy in any situation. I just hate how much resentment there is towards CPs. If I could be a Florida resident working for WDW right now instead of living in cold, boring NY, I would in a heartbeat. The DCP has been that opportunity for me to move to Florida and live that dream. Unfortunately it doesn’t please everyone though. I just wish all the hard work the CPs put in wasnt so discounted by the masses.

as of right now, the fall CPs who start in August still have their program. I think that’s the thing that hurts the most. I chose fall advantage because I wanted more time to work for the company. Now I’m stuck with absolutely nothing and no option to push my dates to August. So now I guess I have to wait to apply for the spring program which starts in January.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Whether you sell popcorn at your local movie theater in a small town in Nebraska or in Epcot, it's the same thing to a hiring manager at any company

That is incorrect.

 

[markc]

That is incorrect.

Respectfully, it's incorrect to say I'm incorrect on that statement. You may disagree, but I don't believe it's an incorrect statement...speaking as somebody in a position who hires individuals.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Respectfully, it's incorrect to say I'm incorrect on that statement. You may disagree, but I don't believe it's an incorrect statement...speaking as somebody in a position who hires individuals.

You said “to a hiring manager at any company” - that is not a correct statement.

“To a hiring manager at some companies” is a correct statement.

 

[Rosso11]

It's frustrating when WDWMagic users go out of their way to belittle the jobs of the very people that make the WDW run. Yay.

So here's a different, less cynical perspective on the WDWCP.

The truth is that the experience and what you get out of it varies from person to person. Participants doing quick service foods, custodial, some merch positions, etc - are probably not going to enjoy their jobs much unless they're huge Disney nuts who are just happy to be there. Others, like attractions operations and entertainment, may absolutely love their jobs. A CP working at Kilimanjaro Safaris or Rise of the Resistance is going to have a hell of a lot more "wow" factor from their experience than someone who changes trash bins. It also helps if you are sociable and take the opportunity to meet lots of people and network. These factors are why some people leave and never return and others rave about it forever.

Is it a resume builder? If you're 18-22 and your only work experience is stuff around your hometown and/or college, then yes, it is.

Is it a path to a professional internship with Disney? If you perform well in your role, network, and know what you want, you have a better chance of being accepted for a professional internship.

Is it a trap? Well, that depends. Lots of participants have such a great time on their program that they decide to move to Orlando and work full time. What they quickly find is that living here and depending on the job for support rather than as an activity of sorts on the CP does not carry the same level of adventure and fun as the program, and the jobs quickly become more of just a job. Also, while some folks do get lucky and move up quickly, for every person this happens to, there are many more that stagnate for years, and before you know it, you're in your late 20's still doing the same level of work you did on the program.

So to me, I do feel the program is a valuable "real world" learning experience and a great, memorable experience in general for most participants. Just, try to avoid the trap of wanting to relive that feeling for years. Use it as an experience builder and/or a stepping stone to something bigger.

I agree 100% the college program was an incredible experience for me and I was doing quick service food. You’re position does not hold you down from learning. Being fully immersed in this fully functioning city, known as Disney World, is an incredible opportunity. To me the logistics of everything was always mind blowing. It’s very easy to meet people and network with people from around the world if you put yourself out there. I attended seminars with each park VP and other executives throughout my program. I decided not to stay on after for personal reasons but a few of my roommates did, two of which have moved up very high in the company today. Others stayed for a few years and eventually moved onto other careers. Every story is different and I know both extreme cases are out there. I have other friends that hated it. Some of them went down with pixie dust in their eyes having never worked a day in their lives and couldn’t adjust. Others went down thinking it was going to be just one big party.

I will say getting lucky with a good group of roommates makes a huge difference. When you pick how many roommates to live with I would recommend staying in the larger rooms that hold 4-8 roommates. That way you have better odds of clicking with at least few of them. I know a lot of people say it is what you make of it and that is absolutely true. But there is a little luck as well. Between roommates and being placed in a a job with some great coworkers can make all of the difference. Even if your job is mundane it can still be extremely enjoyable and there all always learning opportunities. If nothing else you make life long friends. I was a CP almost 20 years ago and I’m still close with many of my fellow CMs. For those of you that had your fall program canceled, that’s heart breaking. I feel terrible for all of you. However, if you still have the opportunity to participate in the future definitely go for it.

 

[Rosso11]

The problem is, the "cool" jobs are few and far between. It's for this reason you aren't told where you are working until you get there. Disney knows many would back out of the job if they were given a little advanced warning of what their position would be. That, to me, is also what partially makes it a trap.

Unless things have changed fairly recently that’s not true at all. Before you accept joining the program you know your position. You know if it’s attractions, merchandising, custodial, QSFB ect. You don’t know what park/resort you are working at until you get there but you absolutely know the role.

 

[danitaytay]

Unless things have changed fairly recently that’s not true at all. Before you accept joining the program you know your position. You know if it’s attractions, merchandising, custodial, QSFB ect. You don’t know what park/resort you are working at until you get there but you absolutely know the role.

that is true! You get it the minute you get your offer letter. I’ve known since the day I got accepted that I was supposed to be attractions. Talked for so long with my interviewer about working Kilimanjaro safari with my background working with animals. He was the one who told me all about it. Ever since my interview it was all I’ve dreamed about. Now I’ll never know if that dream was going to come true.

 

[Lora Baines Bradley]

Actually I'm going to agree. DCPs are needed because Disney can place them wherever and if I recall, can work them to the bone in the worst positions. Full time and part time (assuming) can quit if they don't like it.

Also FT and PT (if I'm not mistaken) get access to the union, which offers more protections than just being a CP.

 

[Lora Baines Bradley]

LOL what year were you? You are forgetting the part time and full time people who are dedicated to Disney. I know lots of DCP and trust me, what I know that goes on behind the scenes would shock every one on here. There are underground Disney College program cliques for every thing imaginable.

Honest question- what do DCP cliques have to do with the fact that the majority of the guest-facing jobs (QSFB, merch, attractions) are done by CPs after 5 PM (I'd argue even earlier, tbh!) It wouldn't be unusual for all of the 8 people closing the line, counter, etc, to be CPs, at least in my location. Of course, you had your leader and coordinator who weren't CP. But I don't know what "cliques" and behind the scenes stuff has to do with the fact that CPs are a huge part of the guest-facing workforce.

 

[Lora Baines Bradley]

Like what though? What could Disney expose you to that another internship couldn't?

And many of Disney’s best imagineers are working outside of the company!

Both of you are right. I should start exploring other options. But at least with DCP, there was a support system, you know? I moved down there by myself and with no family in the area, but it was easy to make friends and meet likeminded people. With another internship, I don't know if I would have that kind of support network. Not to mention, I was semi-familiar with Orlando, and then there's the entirety of trying to find a place to live and roommates. Plus, they had housing transportation (which has a bad rep, and I did experience some of that, but it wasn't all bad). Disney just has a really good support system and it just made the most sense for me personally.

 

[markc]

You said “to a hiring manager at any company” - that is not a correct statement.

“To a hiring manager at some companies” is a correct statement.

I'd bet my life savings that a more correct statement would be "to a hiring manager at most companies", and even more specifically in this context, in a professional office role within Disney.

Semantics aside, the general point is the same. A college student looking to get a good post-graduation professional job is not going to have much success with Disney on his resume if the role doesn't complement the job he's applying for directly. Hence a popcorn seller, janitor, ride operator, is going to have the same value no matter where he gained that experience at.

My whole point isn't to knock invidivudals in those roles or discourage them. It's simply to provide context of how this program actually will complement your life in the real world, outside of the marketing and hype that you're told before and during your participation in the program.

 

[Rosso11]

The point of the criticism is that there are much better, relevant, and valuable ways to build your resume if you're working hard for a specific career. Whether you sell popcorn at your local movie theater in a small town in Nebraska or in Epcot, it's the same thing to a hiring manager at any company and doesn't provide any value on landing a job that most college students are striving for.

I will give you this, if you are honed into a specific career then the DCP might not be for you but most college students are not. However to think serving popcorn at a local movie theater is the same to serving popcorn at Epcot to a hiring manger is laughable. Maybe in the immediate area surrounding DW but to the rest of the country there is a huge difference. Disney is the largest entertainment company in the world and one of the highest regarded as far as customer service. Non of my fellow CPs or myself has ever had Disney not come up in job interviews. It is always a topic of conversation in those interviews and it’s usually always questions about customer service and specifically about training programs we went through. Companies spend huge sums of money to send their employees to the Disney Institute and these are very similar to programs you are exposed to.

 

[DarkMetroid567]

If I could be a Florida resident working for WDW right now instead of living in cold, boring NY, I would in a heartbeat.

As someone who was living in Florida and aspiring to go to law school in your home city, I'm hoping we trade places soon. Orlando is the place I've most hated living in.

as of right now, the fall CPs who start in August still have their program. I think that’s the thing that hurts the most. I chose fall advantage because I wanted more time to work for the company. Now I’m stuck with absolutely nothing and no option to push my dates to August. So now I guess I have to wait to apply for the spring program which starts in January.

Oh yeah, I'd be FURIOUS. But if you want to look on the grim side; there's still a good chance their program doesn't happen or the program won't go well for them. The fact that they didn't just move y'all indicates that stuff is bad.

 

[Lilofan]

As someone who was living in Florida and aspiring to go to law school in your home city, I'm hoping we trade places soon. Orlando is the place I've most hated living in.


Oh yeah, I'd be FURIOUS. But if you want to look on the grim side; there's still a good chance their program doesn't happen or the program won't go well for them. The fact that they didn't just move y'all indicates that stuff is bad.

The only way to see if you really like Florida is live there for a summer preferably late in the summer in the hot, humid, oppressive heat, the traffic, the people and in the middle of hurricane season. Vacationing there during that time can be stressful, I can tell you that.