Have you ever thought about participating in a Disney College Program? Well, I’ve had the opportunity to complete two Disney College Programs and wanted to share my experiences about them both considering they were quite different from one another.
My first DCP was during the summer of 2022. It was in between the end of my junior year of college and the start of my senior year. I ended up doing this program as a way to earn internship credits which ultimately saved me from having to take many classes my last semester of college. I would recommend doing this if your college or university offers it as an option.
To begin, I was very nervous to move away from home for three months, especially considering that it was my first time living over 1,000 miles away from my parents. The most I ever went without seeing my parents was a week. If it wasn’t for their constant love and support, I don’t know if I ever would have been brave of enough to participate in my first program. I was very grateful that I was able to call and Facetime them as often as I wanted.
For this program, I was assigned the role of custodial at the Magic Kingdom. When I first saw “custodial” on my role assignment email, I wasn’t too excited about it. Picking up trash, cleaning toilets, and cleaning up the many “accidents” guests would have did not sound appealing to me in the slightest. By the end of my program, my opinion changed drastically. I would say that custodial is a hidden gem of a role. Each shift, you would be assigned to either a trash zone somewhere within the park or a restroom. Some zones and restrooms were better than the others but I always made sure to do my very best and keep the area I was given as clean as possible. As long as you made sure your area was clean, you were able to interact with guests as much as you wanted and, if you were in a trash zone, you were able to sweep around your land. A plus to custodial was the costume you wear. It was all white and pretty breathable so it reflected the blazing hot Florida sun quite nicely.
Only thing I wish I did more of was make more connections. I had a great group of friends I made, some of which I still talk to and hang out with, but I didn’t have enough time to get to know my leaders that well. Granted, one or two of them remember me since we’re Facebook friends, but the others I never really had the opportunity to get to know well. To put into perspective, the custodial team is by far the biggest department at most of the theme parks. At Magic Kingdom alone, there’s hundreds and hundreds of day custodial cast members. Not to even mention the hundreds of night (a.k.a. 3rd shift) custodial cast members that come to work once the park is closed. All of these cast members are being overseen by only a handful of leaders.
Overall, my first DCP was something I was so grateful to had done. It helped me become an even more responsible person, showcase my hard working skills, helped me come out of my shell more, and overall, how to smile more. Considering how much I enjoyed it, even though it was just a few short months, it made me hungry to return.
My second DCP, which only ended last month, was very different compared to my first one. This time around I had no school to worry about. I graduated and then, not even a week later, I was moving down to Florida to start another Disney adventure. I signed up for the 2023 summer alumni program, which was another three month long program, but ended up extending until mid-January 2024.
This time around, I was assigned a seater role at The Plaza Restaurant which was located back at my home park of the Magic Kingdom. I was beyond excited to be returning to Magic Kingdom because I had my custodial pals to see. This role was way different than custodial. On a daily basis, I would greet guests, help them check in for their reservations, seat them at their tables, and answer any questions they may have. I also learned how to keep up in such a busy industry; food and beverage. There were plenty of times where I got overwhelmed. From being behind on reservations to having five bar orders all come in at once, it got quite hectic to say the least. However, there were always amazing days that I would have. Whether it was giving out stickers to guests or talking to a guest who recognized where I was from, there was always something that would make a tough day end good.
Unlike my first program, this time around I was able to get to know my leaders pretty well. The Main Street North Food and Beverage team was much smaller than the custodial team meaning you got to see your leaders on a daily basis. I was fortunate enough to become close with a few of my previous leaders and still keep in contact with them. They were very helpful and kind to me when I was down there and are still just as helpful and kind to me after I left. Making connections with my leaders, and even my coordinators, was a major goal of mine this time around and I was so happy I had the opportunity to do so.
In all honesty, I have been beyond grateful I had the opportunity to come and work for the most magical place on earth twice. The Disney College Program is definitely something I would recommend for someone to try out. Everyone’s experience on their program is different from one another. I was fortunate enough to have two positive experiences. Disney, more specifically the Magic Kingdom, has become my second home and after leaving, I’m already itching to go back. We’ll see what the future holds. I hope my blog post helps you out and gives you some insight for what the Disney College Program is like.
Simply Ali 