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Hi to all the current and prior cast members who did the college program. My son is a senior in high school and was thinking about trying Disney's College Program sometime in the next couple of years.

I was wondering - - Did you like it? How long did you go for? What year were you in college when you went? Did you get college credit for your time at the World? Did Disney give you room and board? And finally - did you also get paid for your work?

Thank your for all your input and experiences!!!

Well, I may not be of TOO much help, but I applied for the program and got accepted. I ended up turning it down for credit reasons. They pay the cast members around $6 or $7 per hour. You work roughly 40 - 50 hours a week and they give you housing, but you have to pay for the rent.

The college program also offers credits for classes which I thought was awesome but I would have only been able to get about 6 credits for the sememster I would have been there. I wanted to graduate on time so I opted to not do the program.

Your son, without a doubt, should do this program. Having Disney on your resume is amazing.

stev02 wrote:Well, I may not be of TOO much help, but I applied for the program and got accepted. I ended up turning it down for credit reasons. They pay the cast members around $6 or $7 per hour. You work roughly 40 - 50 hours a week and they give you housing, but you have to pay for the rent.

Your son, without a doubt, should do this program. Having Disney on your resume is amazing.

Do you know about how much rent is? I am guessing that you have room mates. Also, did you need to have a car there (silly question, I'm sure).

Does having Disney on your resume really make a difference?

Do you know about how much rent is?
No, but I know you share is with roommates. I applied for this my sophmore year in college back in 2001 so it was a while back.

Did you need to have a car there?
They offer transportation (I think).

Does having Disney on your resume really make a difference?
INCREDIBLY! Disney is also known for its superb client service and having their name on your resume will NEVER hurt.

WDW College Program usually has open seminars at the colleges and I advise you and your son to check it out. It's very informative and will answer all your questions.

Rent is included in the WDWCP package

I have a friend who did the college program a few years ago. She told me that the rooms for the college program kids was in the same place they put up the exchange people for World Showcase in Epcot, in fact she had a couple exchange people as her roommates. She never said anything about having to pay rent, so I'm not sure if that has changed or anything.

I haven't talked to her in a while, as she's now working as an Au Pair in Europe (not entirely sure where right now, I think Sweden), and she doesn't have much (if any) computer access. I'll try and get some answers as soon as I can, but it may take a while. I know she loved doing it in any case, and being on her resume didn't hurt anyting.

I had a friend who was in the college program two years ago. He said it was a lot of fun and he made some lasting friends(according to him) and memories. To my knowledge he didn't get college credit.

About roommates- it depends. It's either 2, 4 or 8 people to an apt(I think). If you choose 8 people, then rent is cheaper. There are either two or three main complexes where all the college students live. Yeah you do get paid minimum wage there, and you pay for rent with your wages. My friend said it was enough to get by. If your kid is under 21, then they'll put him or her with people also under 21.

I think to an extent they provide transportation. I know for sure that college kids take the "Dynamic" bus to and from work. The recruiter said that it's easy to get to Walmart by bus or something.

As for looking good on your resume- I have no idea. Of course the recruiter said yes, but I don't know if "standing by the fryer for 8 hours" counts as much.

My friend did his college thing during spring semester. You can apply for fall as well. That's all I can remember, sorry.

If you want more info, be sure to tell your son to be on the look-out for College Program Ads at college campuses. I'm sure there's a site as well.

[quote="Lion Sleeps Tonight"]
I think to an extent they provide transportation. I know for sure that college kids take the "Dynamic" bus to and from work. The recruiter said that it's easy to get to Walmart by bus or something.
[ /quote]

"Dynamic" ???

there is a site that helps to detail the WDW CP. I'll look for it when I have more time (ie - when I get home tonight).

Yeah, I believe they're called the Dynamic bus. I think it's the name of the company or system. Don't laugh....

here's the site. It has all the info you need. Of course, everything is of a biased nature, as it IS a Disney site, after all. But, it does tell things like rent, living there, majors they offer, etc.

http://www.wdwcollegeprogram.com/sap/it ... index.html

I'd say take a some of this with a grain of salt due to the one-sidedness of it all...

The pay sounds low to me though, an eight hour day would yield $56.00 a day. That's $280.00 a week. One would definitely need a second job, but then there are college classes to consider.

it all depends on what job you take to determine your pay. I think if you work in the Culinary field, you would get closer to $8/hr as opposed to working ticket booth or parking which would probably get closer to $7/hr. Plus, if you look at the rent rates, it's a little over $80/week. so, at the $7/hr level, you'd be taking home about $200 before taxes. Not too bad for a college kid who has everthing included.

I've read reviews both good and bad, and it seems like it's a good program that helps alot of people in future careers. In fact, they even invite people back to work there permanently, which is not something alot of places do. I'd say, if you're given the opportunity to do it, do it.

js3901 wrote:here's the site. It has all the info you need. Of course, everything is of a biased nature, as it IS a Disney site, after all. But, it does tell things like rent, living there, majors they offer, etc.

http://www.wdwcollegeprogram.com/sap/it ... index.html

I'd say take a some of this with a grain of salt due to the one-sidedness of it all...

You beat me to posting the link. For pure logistics, the official site is the best place to go for answers. Most of you based on your past experience or hearsay have gotten it pretty close to right, but information changes constantly. For instance, the Dynamic Bus Company no longer services college program cast members. Several weeks ago American Coach took over that responsibility. Both rent and pay have increased since I was a CP, which is why it's always good to check the site for numbers.

I myself did a college program in the Fall of 2002 and I am back for a professional internship from June '05 until January '06 and I work with the College Program Education Office. Between my CP and PI, I was a campus representative, so I'm pretty well versed in the ins and outs of the college program. However, the debates as to whether it's a worthwhile experience or not can go on forever. (For the record, I say it was. ) It's good that as a parent you're taking an active interest in the program.

A few things to make clear: college program participants live in company subsidized housing. This means that while they do pay rent, the company picks up some of it. Orlando is at 98% occupancy and darn near every apartment complex is going condo. What CP housing offers for what they charge is a better deal than a lot of people find around here. (Gated entry, 24 hour security, close proximity to Disney, fully furnished, pools, bball court, car wash station, free bus transportation, a fully operational Disney Learning Center that I happen to be working in, and special events like pool parties and movie nights, etc.)

There are three housing complexes. Vista Way is the oldest and has 2 and 3 bedroom apartments. Chatham Square has 1-4 bedrooms, and I'm not sure about the Commons, which is primarily where the Cultural Representatives are housed. (Cultural reps are the ones who are here for a year and work in the pavilions at Epcot.) International College Program students live amongst the American students in VW and Chatham, and the duration of their programs is often shorter and on a different time schedule. They work all over property--not just Epcot.

The Culinary program is a bit different. Their recruiting and arrival schedule is often a bit off from most college program students, and they do make a different wage. However, they have to be enrolled in culinary schools/academies to be recruited into that role, so unless your son decides to go into that field, you needn't concern yourself much with this aspect. They live in the same place, pay the same rent, etc. as everyone else, though.

Professional Internships, formerly known as Advanced Internships and Management Internships, has been severed from the College Program and has moved under Professional recruiting. So I'm not really going to go into that.

Also, getting college credit is between the student and his or her school. Disney itself is not an accredited institution and does not give credit for the internship or the courses its Education department offers. The courses, however, are recommended for credit by the American Council of Education. Disney does not charge tuition for this reason, however, if a student takes a class he or she will be responsible for paying for course materials and any textbook(s) that might go with it.

I hope that clears some stuff up!

lovesdisney44 wrote:

stev02 wrote:Well, I may not be of TOO much help, but I applied for the program and got accepted. I ended up turning it down for credit reasons. They pay the cast members around $6 or $7 per hour. You work roughly 40 - 50 hours a week and they give you housing, but you have to pay for the rent.

Your son, without a doubt, should do this program. Having Disney on your resume is amazing.

Do you know about how much rent is? I am guessing that you have room mates. Also, did you need to have a car there (silly question, I'm sure).

Does having Disney on your resume really make a difference?

I just got back this past July. I paid 63 dollars per week for rent. I had a 3 bedroom appt with 6 people in it. It was very big so it wasn't as bad as you think. It actually wasn't bad at all! Also, you definitely want to live in Chatham Square. That is the nice complex. Vista Way is ghetto. I was also in a 2 bedroom appt for 83 dollars per week.(I extended my program and had to move) The one bedroom appts are also 83 dollars per week. We didn't pay utilities and we had internet and cable. Apartments are fully furnished too.