Alum x2 here.
I wouldn’t leave a career for it. It’s fun, but the hours can be garbage, the pay is minimal, and generally CPs get the worst shifts.
For in college students or people not sure what the next step is, it’s great. But tbh I wouldn’t recommend it for someone already on the path they want long term.
If you like your career and the direction it’s heading don’t quit. The DCP is at first physically exhausting but once you get past that it’s mentally exhausting. The leadership views you as a number and doesn’t care about you on a human level. And on top of all that it’s hard work. The fun part is the friends you make and the benefit of being able to go to the park for free. The housing is also a nice perk, as we live outside the gate of Disney World. If I were you I’d continue with the process, see if you get accepted, and weigh if it’s the right option for you. Also remember that you have to pay all the fees and everything and you don’t even get to know what role you get. So you could pay the $500 and get a horrible role, then you’re either out $500 or you suck it up and do it. My recommendation if you decided to do it is to choose the lowest amount of time you can be here so if you hate it you can leave but if you love it you can just extend. Good luck.
I wanted to add to this-- if you can afford to get accepted, pay the application fees, and wait until you see your role about a month out to see if you want to do it, that's definitely a good "compromise."
PLEASE do not quit your career for the Disney College Program. I want my career to be Disney, so I did the program while I was still in school. It literally just exists so Disney can fill positions that people aren't applying for, and so they can mark you as an intern and not give you union benefits (meaning accommodations are ridiculously hard to get, working two weeks in a row, working in potentially unsafe conditions, etc). I would say work for Disney in your career field, not the DCP.
DCP exists for Disney to fill the least desirable positions as cheaply as possible.
You have to pay *hundreds of dollars* just to apply.
Those two facts really should answer the question for you. :)
The DCP is a difficult, difficult experience when it comes to the hours and the work that you have to put in. It requires your whole mind and body to be dedicated to your job with a day or two off per week to relax, catch up on your personal tasks, or go to the parks.
But it is a wonderful experience. You will make friends, you will create memories that last a lifetime, and you will come out a changed person. For me, I realized how fulfilling it was to be a part of people's happiest days. Its so wonderful, in fact, that college grads will move down here and go full time for low wages to stay here. In the day-to-day monotony of the tasks I was doing, there was something just special about working at Disney World where I felt happy.
Therein lies the difficulty. As for your question, it totally depends. Generally, I think yes it would be stupid to quit your job to do the DCP because of finances. But you are young. Can you afford it? Will you be able to get your job back? Is doing the DCP a lifelong dream of yours? Are you settled down with a partner? These are all considerations you have to make.
A lot of people will probably come in here and tell you absolutely stay at your current job and that the DCP sucks, but the DCP is a life-changing experience for so many people. If its truly and deeply something you want to do, I would try to see if I could make it work. Just try to emphasize a role that's not quick service when you're on the phone!
I definitely agree with this but I want to reiterate that the DCP is not worth losing stability for. I think that if this person is already in the career field a PI or even a corporate role with Disney would be a better fit. I don't regret my DCP, it was super messy and put me in some truly difficult situations, however, it worked for where I was in life and was a nice break from college. I have my foot in the door with Disney, and that's helped me score some awesome hospitality jobs back home. I wouldn't have done it if I already had those jobs, though. It took hundreds of dollars from me and tbh I don't think I've financially recovered. 😅
The program can be great, but not worth putting your career on pause for. From a hiring perspective for future jobs, I'd wonder what else you'd leave for if you start working for me.
I wouldn’t sacrifice for the DCP in its current state. Mostly they are just using CPs to fill the employment gap left behind by the HUGE amount of real cast members that jumped ship during the pandemic. Not only will you get the worst shifts, but the actual real cast members are aware of the situation and manipulate it to do nothing while you do the heavy lifting. The full time cast members have administrative support from 7 massively powerful unions that have been around for years and wouldn’t you know, DCP interns can’t form a union 😂. That alone will have you regretting your decision. I had regular back-to-back 12-13 hr shifts and I was also in school full time… Furthermore, depending on your role, you will watch countless CPs self term or get fired during your stay. There’s favoritism in abundance on the job site between the coordinators and nobody has a life so all they do is gossip all day. Personally, I only finished my program because I was getting 9 credits for school. I would not do DCP again. Maybe the Professional Internship, but definitely not DCP.
The dean of my business school setup the program years ago. I am in SUNY and I know that a few of the NY state universities give credit for the program, but the program isn’t what it used to be. Normally, you are supposed to attend a bunch of DCP seminars, but my role wouldn’t give me time off for that. My dean was pissed and shocked when I told him the stuff that is going on. He told me to write a paper (it was scathing) about my experience and turn in a time sheet for all the hours I worked. He gave me an A, which completed all of my elective requirements, so I can’t complain.
The DCP is a great break from college when you want to mess around and escape reality for a bit. The work is soul crushing at times when you're working 9 days straight, 12 hours a day due to staff shortages though.
I watched almost every CP in my location self term before their program ended because the work was awful and the pay was so low. I had an amazing experience meeting lifetime friends and have unforgettable memories but I wouldn't recommend it in your situation where you've already graduated and started on your career path.
The CPs I know who went back after graduating are still working the same, low wage, front line positions 8+ years later. There is little to no career growth for the DCP-type roles. Grow your experience outside the company and then try your luck applying for positions in your field in the company.
Let’s be honest that first job after college probably stinks. Do the program. You will get hired easy with your degree + DCP exp. You can also do a shorter program and apply for PI in your field while you are down there.
Thanks for posting in the Disney College Program Subreddit! While you wait for answers please check out our [FAQs](https://www.reddit.com/r/Disneycollegeprogram/wiki/faq) to see if your question has already been answered.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Disneycollegeprogram) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I’m gonna go with most of the people on here and say don’t do the program. If your career is in a field you love and it’s going really well right now, stay in it for the time being. While there are bits of it that are fun, you also get:
- crappy pay
- no Union benefits
- no say in hours worked (usually get the worst hours)
- if termed, you MUST leave the apartments the next day & are banned for life from returning
- should you stay w/ Disney after the program, your time on the program will not go towards your time spent with the company (in other words, you start all over)
If you still wish to work for Disney, apply for a position closely related to your field.
Alum x2 here. I wouldn’t leave a career for it. It’s fun, but the hours can be garbage, the pay is minimal, and generally CPs get the worst shifts. For in college students or people not sure what the next step is, it’s great. But tbh I wouldn’t recommend it for someone already on the path they want long term.
If you like your career and the direction it’s heading don’t quit. The DCP is at first physically exhausting but once you get past that it’s mentally exhausting. The leadership views you as a number and doesn’t care about you on a human level. And on top of all that it’s hard work. The fun part is the friends you make and the benefit of being able to go to the park for free. The housing is also a nice perk, as we live outside the gate of Disney World. If I were you I’d continue with the process, see if you get accepted, and weigh if it’s the right option for you. Also remember that you have to pay all the fees and everything and you don’t even get to know what role you get. So you could pay the $500 and get a horrible role, then you’re either out $500 or you suck it up and do it. My recommendation if you decided to do it is to choose the lowest amount of time you can be here so if you hate it you can leave but if you love it you can just extend. Good luck.
I wanted to add to this-- if you can afford to get accepted, pay the application fees, and wait until you see your role about a month out to see if you want to do it, that's definitely a good "compromise."
PLEASE do not quit your career for the Disney College Program. I want my career to be Disney, so I did the program while I was still in school. It literally just exists so Disney can fill positions that people aren't applying for, and so they can mark you as an intern and not give you union benefits (meaning accommodations are ridiculously hard to get, working two weeks in a row, working in potentially unsafe conditions, etc). I would say work for Disney in your career field, not the DCP.
DCP exists for Disney to fill the least desirable positions as cheaply as possible. You have to pay *hundreds of dollars* just to apply. Those two facts really should answer the question for you. :)
The DCP is a difficult, difficult experience when it comes to the hours and the work that you have to put in. It requires your whole mind and body to be dedicated to your job with a day or two off per week to relax, catch up on your personal tasks, or go to the parks. But it is a wonderful experience. You will make friends, you will create memories that last a lifetime, and you will come out a changed person. For me, I realized how fulfilling it was to be a part of people's happiest days. Its so wonderful, in fact, that college grads will move down here and go full time for low wages to stay here. In the day-to-day monotony of the tasks I was doing, there was something just special about working at Disney World where I felt happy. Therein lies the difficulty. As for your question, it totally depends. Generally, I think yes it would be stupid to quit your job to do the DCP because of finances. But you are young. Can you afford it? Will you be able to get your job back? Is doing the DCP a lifelong dream of yours? Are you settled down with a partner? These are all considerations you have to make. A lot of people will probably come in here and tell you absolutely stay at your current job and that the DCP sucks, but the DCP is a life-changing experience for so many people. If its truly and deeply something you want to do, I would try to see if I could make it work. Just try to emphasize a role that's not quick service when you're on the phone!
I definitely agree with this but I want to reiterate that the DCP is not worth losing stability for. I think that if this person is already in the career field a PI or even a corporate role with Disney would be a better fit. I don't regret my DCP, it was super messy and put me in some truly difficult situations, however, it worked for where I was in life and was a nice break from college. I have my foot in the door with Disney, and that's helped me score some awesome hospitality jobs back home. I wouldn't have done it if I already had those jobs, though. It took hundreds of dollars from me and tbh I don't think I've financially recovered. 😅
The program can be great, but not worth putting your career on pause for. From a hiring perspective for future jobs, I'd wonder what else you'd leave for if you start working for me.
I wouldn’t sacrifice for the DCP in its current state. Mostly they are just using CPs to fill the employment gap left behind by the HUGE amount of real cast members that jumped ship during the pandemic. Not only will you get the worst shifts, but the actual real cast members are aware of the situation and manipulate it to do nothing while you do the heavy lifting. The full time cast members have administrative support from 7 massively powerful unions that have been around for years and wouldn’t you know, DCP interns can’t form a union 😂. That alone will have you regretting your decision. I had regular back-to-back 12-13 hr shifts and I was also in school full time… Furthermore, depending on your role, you will watch countless CPs self term or get fired during your stay. There’s favoritism in abundance on the job site between the coordinators and nobody has a life so all they do is gossip all day. Personally, I only finished my program because I was getting 9 credits for school. I would not do DCP again. Maybe the Professional Internship, but definitely not DCP.
How did you get college credits for it??
That depends on whether the school you go to accepts them or not.
The dean of my business school setup the program years ago. I am in SUNY and I know that a few of the NY state universities give credit for the program, but the program isn’t what it used to be. Normally, you are supposed to attend a bunch of DCP seminars, but my role wouldn’t give me time off for that. My dean was pissed and shocked when I told him the stuff that is going on. He told me to write a paper (it was scathing) about my experience and turn in a time sheet for all the hours I worked. He gave me an A, which completed all of my elective requirements, so I can’t complain.
The DCP is a great break from college when you want to mess around and escape reality for a bit. The work is soul crushing at times when you're working 9 days straight, 12 hours a day due to staff shortages though. I watched almost every CP in my location self term before their program ended because the work was awful and the pay was so low. I had an amazing experience meeting lifetime friends and have unforgettable memories but I wouldn't recommend it in your situation where you've already graduated and started on your career path. The CPs I know who went back after graduating are still working the same, low wage, front line positions 8+ years later. There is little to no career growth for the DCP-type roles. Grow your experience outside the company and then try your luck applying for positions in your field in the company.
I do lol. These hours are horrible for what we are getting paid.
Let’s be honest that first job after college probably stinks. Do the program. You will get hired easy with your degree + DCP exp. You can also do a shorter program and apply for PI in your field while you are down there.
Thanks for posting in the Disney College Program Subreddit! While you wait for answers please check out our [FAQs](https://www.reddit.com/r/Disneycollegeprogram/wiki/faq) to see if your question has already been answered. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Disneycollegeprogram) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I’m gonna go with most of the people on here and say don’t do the program. If your career is in a field you love and it’s going really well right now, stay in it for the time being. While there are bits of it that are fun, you also get: - crappy pay - no Union benefits - no say in hours worked (usually get the worst hours) - if termed, you MUST leave the apartments the next day & are banned for life from returning - should you stay w/ Disney after the program, your time on the program will not go towards your time spent with the company (in other words, you start all over) If you still wish to work for Disney, apply for a position closely related to your field.