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Experience the Magic: How to Apply to the Disney College Program

Posted by Michael Brinker on Fri, Feb 10, 2017 @ 10:02 AM

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Being a part of the Disney College Program is an experience that you will cherish for the rest of your life. If you have always wanted to work for the Walt Disney Company, this is how you can start. If you have the passion for magic and fun, this is the program for you. 

I applied for the spring session and applications dropped the morning of Aug. 15, 2016. If you’re interested in the fall session, applications usually drop in January. I was so excited when August came around because I had been waiting all summer to apply. The application process was quite simple. It asks the basic questions like date of birth, name, address, etc. Although a resume is not required, you can upload one to the application. You can also list the previous jobs and experiences that you may have done in the past to boost your application.  

For the last part of the application, it will ask you to rank the “roles” (jobs) that you would like to work in. The rankings can go from least interested to highly interested. Once you have completed the application and sent it, it’s now time to wait. 

Once the application has been sent, your status will show on your dashboard. If it says ”in submission,” that means that the recruiters have not looked at it yet and might eventually look at it later. If it says ”in progress,” which is what mine said, you will be moving on to the Web-based interview. I got my Web-based interview a couple hours after sending in my application. I was so happy!

The Web-based interview is basically a questionnaire quiz that helps the recruiter evaluate whether you would be a good fit for the Walt Disney Company. The interviewer asks how you would respond to certain situations using least likely to most likely. For example, it asked me if I enjoy talking to people and I answered most likely, because I love talking to people. The interview is timed so there are only a couple of seconds to respond to each question. When answering these questions, answer them honestly. Do not think about what Disney would want you to say because, if a person doesn’t like talking to people, then they could have an issue working for the company because ”cast members” (employees) talk to guests all the time. The whole interview process took me about 45 minutes, and immediately after taking it, my process changed to the final step.

I got moved to the next and final process, which is the phone interview. The phone interview gives you the opportunity to talk to a cast member, who works for the company. This is where I had the perfect opportunity to tell my interviewer how much I appreciate Disney. I had my interview scheduled on Aug. 24, 2016, at 10 p.m., because that was the best time available for me. Disney makes it so convenient for the applicants; you are allowed to choose a time that works best for you. You are asked to allow 15 minutes before or after your scheduled time. As it turned out my interviewer called me five minutes before, and I was ready! Make sure that you smile during your interview because it shows that you are happy when answering the questions. The interviewer senses the happiness. My interview lasted about 20 minutes, and my interviewer asked me questions such as, “What would you do if a guest looks lost?”

After the interview, it is a big, long waiting game. I kept checking my email every day after that. Finally on September 16, 2016, I got accepted into the Disney College Program. My role in the program is lifeguarding and I’m so excited to start my journey as a cast member. I’m definitely ready to let the magic and fun begin!

(Photo Credit: Disney College Program website)

Topics: Michael Brinker, Disney College Program, Walt Disney Company, Disney

About this Blog

On this blog, current students write about everyday life on the campus of Saint Vincent College, a private, liberal arts college located in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.

 

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About the Authors

Michael Brinker

Michael Brinker, junior communication major, currently in Orlando, working with the Disney College Program.

Amanda MacMurtrie

Amanda MacMurtrie transferred to Saint Vincent as a sophomore studying English with a minor in Theology. Transferring to a new school is not the easiest thing in the world, but she is steadily finding a home on this beautiful Benedictine campus. Between enjoying life in community, balancing books for fun and books for class, and finding little corners of beauty, Amanda is discovering a few joys of life at Saint Vincent College.

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