Originally Posted By StmbtWilliam311 That's my humble opinion as well (and probably the opinion of the majority of Disney park fans). And yes, Disneyland is Walt's original dream, and that is where I want to be. So you can see my disregard for the WDW college program. lol.
Originally Posted By rafiki72 Yes WahooSkipper is right...the living experience is half the fun..kinda like Real World Disney Style....I am a Disneyland Generalist as well but i looked at the opportunity as worth it since it didnt spoil any of the Magic for Disneyland itself but let me in on lots of other cool things...like the oreintation that took us all over the 64 Square Mile Prop to show us how EVERYTHING from Laundry to Waste is Done....very very interesting...as well as Travel in the tunnels underneath the Magic Kingdom.....all in all worth it ...and i was coming from North Calif....
Originally Posted By StmbtWilliam311 So has anyone decided to make a career out of it after doing the DCP? Anyone been offered a job in another aspect of the Disney company after?
Originally Posted By wahooskipper My friend actually stayed on in a management training program and he is now there over 10 years. There are plenty of jobs...just not always in areas you might prefer. Remember, there are something like 60K employees in Florida alone. Just think how many applications they get when a coveted job opens up.
Originally Posted By imadisneygal A good friend of mine went on from the College Program to be a Disneyland Ambassador and then he was in Entertainment Management and worked with the Disney University. It is definitely possible to go on to do the Emerging Leaders program after the College Program. The EL program is for CM's looking to go into management.
Originally Posted By oneyepete Do you have to be a college student? And, if your are say 50 something and a college student can you get in to the program. I am retiring soon and if going back to school to get into the program, I am there.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros Looking at the website, there is nothing about a maximum age anywhere. I would assume that they are looking for the younger folks, but they don't say that they don't want older people too. The program seems to be designed to give student the opportunity to get a real world working experience and getting to be a part of the Disney magic (and basically provide them with cheap labor).
Originally Posted By oneyepete I should have added that I intend on working at disneyland after I retire. I thought maybe going through the program first would enhance my employment opportunities later.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros From what I've gathered from various sites, you seem more than competant enough to get the job. I keep hearing things about how they constantly need more CM's for various things, and turnover is high, so I would guess that you could probably get the job fairly easily without it. But if you wanted to do it for the heck of it, why not?
Originally Posted By imadisneygal We had many, many retirees working with us at the Main Entrance both as ticket sellers and ticket takers. I would definitely not go back to school just for the reason of getting into the college program to have a better chance of getting hired later. Retirees from other careers make some of the best CM's because they generally have a great work ethic, are relaxed and fun, and aren't necessarily working for the money but for the fun and stimulation of being at Disneyland! If you were planning on going back to school anyway then definitely more power to you, but if not then I'd just apply once you retire from your other career and I'm confident that you'd be hired.
Originally Posted By USCSurfer Disneygal, was your friend THE ambassador? The whole time I worked there there never was a male ambassador. Some would make it to the "finals" or "semifinals," but it was always a woman who was chosen.
Originally Posted By van france 2008 Looks like they just added the housing component to the College Program at Disneyland. Interesting.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros That's pretty interesting. Looking at the site, it looks like the building is very nice, and fairly affordable (about $160 per week). I'm glad that they have decided to bring this aspect of the program back to DL. <a href="http://tinyurl.com/2pznzy" target="_blank">http://tinyurl.com/2pznzy</a>
Originally Posted By christiemarsh88 I can't believe the coincidence--I was just doing a search because I was planning on posting a topic about the CP. They're coming to my school next month for the presentation, and, after a couple of years of saying "One day..." I think it's finally time to apply. I'm definitely more interested in doing mine at WDW, and it's nice to hear so many good things about it--that's what I was really interested in. I wanted first (or at least second) hand accounts of the experience, and it sounds like you guys all have almost nothing but nice things to say about the program. Anybody have any tips for the interview process?
Originally Posted By christiemarsh88 Oh--never mind. I'm still in '08 mode, and I was thinking "Wow! This topic was just started a couple of days ago!" So there really is no coincidence at all, just a silly girl who doesn't know what year it is. My question still stands though.
Originally Posted By Kira Christie Congrats on getting into the program (I just finished reading your other topic =) )!! I hope you come back and tell us all about your experiences. I am actually very interested in hearing some more first hand experiences from trusted LP'ers. I finished my associates degree in dance this past semester and have been toying with the idea of going back for an AA in Business in the fall. I happened to be checking out the college program today and I am about 98% sold on the whole idea. I am in the process of applying for the program at Disneyland. WDW is just TOO far for me (I would be terribly homesick and I hate being any great distance away from my family), although WDW really has the options for entertainment that I would LOVE to go in for. But I don't mind opting out on that entertainment job status for something closer to home. From what I can tell in the pictures the apartment complex looks gorgeous! Does anyone know anymore about the quality of the complex and the area it's located in? I'm looking at this as an opportunity to get out on my own (even if only for a few months), 'experience' the real world, and make new friends. Ultimately I would like to open up my own dance studio, but that is going to be many years down the road. At this point I am still in limbo with my life...and who knows what kind of doors may open to me as a result of the program.
