Disney College Program

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

How Can I Become a Disney Character?

“If you can dream it, you can do it.” -Walt Disney

Any Disney lover knows how magical it is to meet and get a picture with your favorite character. I know I have chased Mickey down plenty of times during my internship. But what if you desire to be the character? It may be hard to figure out where to start but if you have the Disney spirit, you may just get your chance.

Where Do I Start

If you’re reading this, you have probably had dreams of becoming your favorite Disney character. It doesn’t matter what size you are or color, as long as you’ve got the magic in you (and some dancing shoes), there’s a character you can play. Though, there are a few stages you must pass first.

Eligibility- If you are going to do this through the Disney College Program, you will need to be a college student. You can be full-time or part-time as long as your school grants you permission to intern. This means that you must be in good standing with your school also.

Application- You will need to apply to the program. If you go to the Disney College Program or Disney Careers website, you will find a link to all of the information you need to successfully complete the application. The application is fairly simple. I explained this in my first post.

Audition- You didn’t think it would be that easy, right? Pending that you have passed the application process and Web-Based Interview, you will need to audition for your character. You will be given characters you can play based on your height. Of course a man that is 6’2 would not be able to play our beloved 5 foot Mickey Mouse. So you will need to audition either in Florida or a location on the Tour Dates Schedule. During your audition, you will be measured for height purposes and learn a routine. Reserve a whole day for this because these auditions take hours. 

Remaining Tour Dates for March 2014

            In addition to this, if you are auditioning to become your favorite human character, you will need to look like them. Note that Peter Pan is a small boy shape. Cinderella has light blue eyes. Jasmine has pretty, brown skin. The more you look like the character, the easier it will be to get accepted to play that character. Although, don’t think that if you are of a different race, you can’t play a certain character. I watched the Aladdin play at California Adventure. Aladdin was played by the hottest Asian man ever! This guy had the moves, the voice, and the hair. I am sure that he had everything that they were looking for and no one cared that he was not really from Agrabah. It’s all a part of show business. 

 

 From the Disney Auditions website

When Do I Hear Back?

Unfortunately, there are cuts during the audition process. If you are cut at this time, you already know that you have not been accepted to participate in the Disney College Program as a character. If you have made it through to the end, you will hear back from the recruiter within 2 to 3 weeks. If you were not accepted as your favorite character, there are still plenty of roles left to play. So keep in mind that

Disney uses many dancers and singers for parades, shows, and parties. You might just find yourself in a larger role in a Disneyland musical. Good Luck magical dreamers!

Yours truly,

      Michaela

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Moving into Disney Housing

“If you can dream it, you can do it.” -Walt Disney

So you made it through the interviews and are now looking forward to moving into Disney College Program housing. You have come to the right place. I have already lived in Disney housing and experienced the best days to the worse days that come with living with your Disney coworkers. 

Your Congrats Pack!

The Check-In

This is the day you will check into your apartment and hopefully meet your roommates if you have all chosen the same move-in date. Don’t worry, you will receive their names prior to move-in. So hopefully you all will become Facebook friends. And if you chose people that you already know; congratulations, you just made your stay easier! Moving on! Be early for your check in, especially if you are attending DCP in Anaheim because YOU WILL BE DRAGGING LUGGAGE UP STAIRS. In order to be processed, you will need your On-Boarding paperwork. Don’t forget it or else you’ll be chilling outside for a very long time. Also, be sure to have your two forms of ID ready. This will probably be your state ID along with your Social Security Card or Birth Certificate. If you have a car and want to make sure you get your parking spot before they are all taken, make sure you also have registration and proof of insurance. Also, they do not let you move in without showing proof of renter’s insurance. I assume that they do not want to have anything to do with replacing your things if your stranger of a roommate steals your belongings. Since I am very cheap, I paid for the first month of my renter’s insurance and canceled it after that. The housing office never checked after move-in and my roommates were well aware of the beatdown waiting if any of my stuff were to be missing. Also, we had that little thing called respect… Once you finish checking in, they give you a packet with all of the Disney rules along with everything you need to get into your new home. Another thing that may be helpful to know is that DCP housing is currently $140 a week and they deduct it right from your paycheck every Friday.

The Good. The Bad. The Magical?

Much like college dorming, there is a good and a bad side to living in DCP housing. Let’s start with the bad. If you are like me, you will have to move in with a bunch of strangers. Depending on how many rooms your apartment has, you will have between 2 and 5 other students living with you. This means sharing half of your room and taking turns in the bathroom. Unfortunately, my roommates had to deal with my light snore and I had to deal with my apartment looking like a pigsty most of the month! I’m not exaggerating either. Luckily for me, we had inspections every other week. So, for one day every other week, all of the dishes, floors, and the bathroom would be livable. Honestly, I never knew girls could be so messy. So THANK THE MOUSE FOR INSPECTIONS! 

Ooowee that mess over there! LOL.

As for the good, there were many good things that came from living with strangers. Since this was a program specifically for Disney careers, these people were already interviewed. If you know anything about Disney, you know that you have to be a certain kind of person to work for Disney. This means that you will be bunking with Disney enthusiasts that are just as perky as you are. This was the biggest plus for me because I was able to be my happy, nerdy self. Also, the roommate that I did like has turned into a lifelong friend. We have kept in contact ever since our first DCP experience and have been supportive of each other’s Disney careers since.  So they mean it when they tell you that you will make lifelong friends during this program. I wouldn’t know where I’d be without my Disney Crew.  

What is the magical, you ask? Working at Disney will give you some awesome perks, but who knew what was really in store. As a DCP participant in Anaheim, you are given passes that can get your friends and family into the park for free. My program offered each participant 16 passes for the program. Each pass allowed 3 people to enter. This meant that you can get 48 people into the park for free! On top of that, as an employee of Disney, you get in the park for free every day! So not only can you experience life with the mouse, but you can also share the experience with your loved ones. THIS WAS AWESOME!  Unfortunately, you do not get this pass at move-in, but it will be sent to you through mail shortly. So don’t forget to update your address upon moving in.

Anything else?

Hell yeah! Have some freaking fun! This is probably one of the most creative and fun internships you will ever do. Take part in every housing event that you can. Also, take note of all of the important people you come in contact with. Your teacher, Land Manager, and roommates are all people you want to network with. Use this program to your advantage! And don’t forget to have a magical day!

Yours truly,

      Michaela

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

How to Get into the Disney College Program

“If you can dream it, you can do it.” -Walt Disney

So you want to intern for the mouse? It might me easier than you think. All you really have to do is apply!

Where to Start

Disney College Program (DCP) takes applications during the semester before your start date. So if you want to apply for the fall quarter, you’ll need to put your application in starting the first week of February. If you want to apply for the spring, you’ll need to put your application in starting the first week of October. You do this by going to DisneyCareers.com and selecting “internships”. This will take you to the DCP application where you will first watch an online presentation and then receive a code to access the application.

What will I need?

In order submit a complete application, you will need to have your resume ready. Also, preferably a cover letter to tell the hiring team a little bit more about you. It may take about 40 minutes to complete the DCP application, but it is very simple. They will ask you questions about your previous work experience. If you do not have work experience, don’t worry, you can also use volunteer experience.  

Once you have completed the application, you will receive an email for a web-based interview. These are mostly personality questions. They will ask you anything from your work habits to your social life. Unfortunately, you will need to pass this interview before moving on to the next step. So, answer wisely. Also, during this portion of the process, you will be selecting the roles that you will be willing to work. Select only the ones you truly want because if you select all of them, you may end up with a position you have no desire to work for 6 months. The roles offered are as followed:

Operations

Operations cast members help ensure our guests have enjoyable experiences while visiting our theme parks and/or the

Roles in this area include: Disneyland ® Resort – Attractions, Custodial, Resort Transportation & Parking, PhotoPass Photographer and Park Greeter. Walt Disney World ® Resort – Attractions, Custodial, Hopper, PhotoPass Photographer, Main Entrance Operations, and Transportation.

Lodging

Roles in this area include: Disneyland ® Resort - Disney Desk, Front Desk and Guest Services; Walt Disney World ® Resort - Bell Services Dispatch/Greeter, Concierge, Hospitality, and Housekeeping.

Food & Beverage

Roles in this area include: Disneyland ® Resort – Custodial Busser, Food & Beverage Food Cart Cashier, Food Prep, Quick-Service Food & Beverage Cashier, and Food & Beverage Quick-Service Restaurants; Walt Disney World ® Resort – Full-Service Food & Beverage, and Quick-Service Food & Beverage.

Retail/Sales

Roles in this area include: Disneyland ® Resort – Retail Sales Clerk; Walt Disney World ® Resort – Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique/Pirate League, Merchandise, Vacation Planner.

Recreation

Roles in this area include: Disneyland ® Resort – Lifeguard; Walt Disney World ® Resort – Lifeguard and Recreation.

Entertainment

Roles in this area include: Disneyland ® Resort – Cast Costuming, Entertainment Costuming; Walt Disney World ® Resort – Character Attendant, Character Performer, (Audition Required), Costuming.

Audition

To be considered for a Character Performer position, you must attend an audition. Note that this position is only offered at the Walt Disney World ® Resort in Florida.

From the Disney Website*

What happens next?

If you pass the web-based interview (I hope you do), you will receive an email for an invite for a phone interview. This is also the last interview. Keep in mind that this process could be as short as 4 days to as long as 2 months depending on how late you apply. Anywhooo, the phone interview is your last chance to shine! Take this opportunity to explain why you are the best choice for Disney. They love enthusiastic employees! I have attached a video from YouTube with a recording of an actual phone interview. I urge everyone to listen to it prior to your interview because it is soooo helpful!

Be ready and on time for your interview. You should write down the name of your interviewer and use their name when you are speaking to them. This will show that you are paying attention. Also, make sure to have a list of your top 3 roles that you want to do. Don’t worry, even if those roles are filled they may offer you something else form your original list. Lastly, make sure to have some questions ready. I like to use “how long would you say the process takes before I know if I am accepted?” Be sure to ask something so that they know you are very interested in the program.

Finally!

Hopefully you have made it through these steps and are now in waiting. This is the most nerve-racking step because you are probably thinking things like, “I probably should have said…” and “I wonder if they liked me.” Try not to think so much. Most anybody who follows these steps appropriately and passes the personality quiz will be offered something. Although, if you are not, don’t be afraid to apply again. After my own initial DCP, I did not get accepted again until 2 years later. This was probably due to the fact that I have already done the program, but this shows that you can always be accepted in the future.

GOOD LUCK! 

Yours truly,

      Michaela