For several years at the beginning of this century, I was a coordinator with CIPO (College and International Programs) at the Walt Disney World Resort. A board for the College age crowd to talk Disney, including the Disney College Progam. Walt Disney World International Program. The Walt Disney World International Program is an international internship program sponsored and operated by The Walt Disney Company at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, in the United States. The Walt Disney World International Program recruits participants (1. United States for year- long cultural exchanges with paid positions and summer- long paid internships working at the Walt Disney World Resort. This program, which is designed to attract international students and workers, shares many similarities with the U. S. Program length, work locations, job responsibilities, living arrangements, pay and required qualifications varied depending on the program which was applied for. Previous programs include: The World Showcase Fellowship Program was similar to the Cultural Representative Program but also involved a structured educational program and community involvement. The International Hospitality Program was for those who were fluent in either Japanese, Portuguese, French, or German and were pursuing a career in the Hospitality Industry. Participants were able to experience different work roles all over the Resort. The Waterpark/Sports and Recreation Trainee Program offered a training and development opportunity in Disney's Waterparks and recreation locations for those with a specialized interest in the recreation/leisure industry. The International Culinary Trainee Program was for participants who had 2 to 3 years' experience in the kitchen area of the food- service industry and were looking to develop their skills in one of Disney's food- service locations. The African Cultural Representative Program was set up for African participants working at Disney's Animal Kingdom and/or Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge and was similar to the Cultural Representative Program. The International Management Program was primarily for those who had completed one of the above programs and were looking for management experience at Walt Disney World. Many of these programs were created to add authenticity to one of Disney's theme parks. As one travels around World Showcase at Epcot, the accents of the 'Cast Members' change to reflect the particular country's pavilion. For example, one will not hear a French accent in the United Kingdom's pavilion. This stems from a concept which Disney calls . A new seasonal worker program has also been launched which initially required participants to have previously completed an International Program in order to be eligible, but this requirement was soon waived due to insufficient applications. Cultural Representative Program. ![]()
To qualify for this program, applicants must . This program lasts approximately one year. International College Program. The program coincides with the participants summer vacation/holiday from their college or university. The Walt Disney World International Program is an international internship program sponsored and operated by The Walt Disney Company at the Walt Disney World Resort. This program is reserved for students who are currently enrolled in an accredited college or university and are pursuing a three- or four- year degree. This program lasts between 2 and 3 months. Students may spend up to a full year working at the resort while taking coursework through the Disney College Program and distance learning at their U. S. Alternatively, students may spend five months studying at their U. S. This program is available to current students and recent university graduates. As the student is technically a student of their U. S. Candidates must complete their current program successfully with a positive rehire status and return to school for one semester in their home country before returning on an H- 2. ![]() ![]() B visa. The options for H- 2. B participants with regard to available roles are similar to those for the International College Program. Cultural Representative Program. Participants in the Cultural Representative program may apply for several positions, including: attractions, food and beverage, guest relations, and merchandise. Interesting to note during the application process is that if successful, the applicant's employer may not be Disney but an 'Operating Participant', trading within Walt Disney World. Should one end up working for an Operating Participant, he/she will not be eligible for the same benefits as 'proper' Disney Cast Members, such as a Maingate Pass and he/she must also pay an additional $9. One will also not be entitled to the same health insurance and other perks such as Holiday Discount coupons or Trade Union support. Participants in the Guest Relations program will work in one of the four Theme Parks or at Downtown Disney. Participants on the Cultural Representative Program (especially those working at Epcot) will have different options open to them during their application process. For instance, Norwegian applicants may apply for a position in . However, applicants from the United Kingdom may not apply for . Participants working at Epcot as part of the Cultural Representative Program are considered an employee for one of these companies, though costumes (uniforms), name tags, et cetera are still issued by Disney. However, participants are employed and paid by the specific company which runs that participant's pavilion. As such, there may be some slight additions to the requirements for application relating to how and where to apply. International College Program. Participants on the International College Program are often assigned to roles based on seasonal need and may be rotated based on peak time operational needs. Participants on the International College Program may apply for several positions, including, but not limited to: attractions, characters, food and beverage, housekeeping, and lifeguarding. Work locations. Participants in the International College Program may work in any of Walt Disney World's four theme parks, two water parks or numerous resort hotels. Participants are often rotated based on peak- time operational need and may be cross- trained as such from position to position and park to park. Applicant qualifications. Students enrolled in a vocational or two- year school are not eligible. Enrolled individuals must be between academic years and as such, the program will run during the participant's summer vacation. Program length can vary from two to four months but is typically around three months long. Housing. Rent is auto- deducted from each paycheck. The complexes are The Commons, Chatham Square, Vista Way, and Patterson Court. A common misconception is that the housing is run by Disney, where it is in fact run on their behalf by the Lincoln Property Company starting September 2. Typically, Cultural Representative Program participants are housed in any of the four complexes, mainly The Commons. International College Program participants could be housed in any of the complexes. Application process. They will give more information and show how to apply from each individual country. Some countries hold a preliminary interview (usually by phone) before issuing an invitation to a scheduled Walt Disney World International Program presentation and interview. If you qualify, you should receive an invitation approximately four weeks before a scheduled presentation and interview. In some cases, the invitation is issued at the end of the phone interview. Presentations are held in a variety of countries throughout the year and all applicants must view the entire presentation before being allowed to participate in an interview. Presentations outline key components of the program and provide details on housing, work locations and roles, and visas etc. In some cases, applicants may have to travel (possibly even to another country) to meet with one of the recruiters from Disney Worldwide Services, Inc. All travel costs incurred to and from the presentation will be at the applicant's own expense, regardless that they may have spent a small fortune travelling across Canada or the UK (for example) and are not guaranteed a position. Learning experience. Participants can also sign up for various seminars similar to those offered on the Walt Disney World College Program. Disney College Program . The Disney College Program recruits students (1. Walt Disney World Resort. In the early days, the College Program consisted of just over 2. Magic Kingdom. At that time it was known as The Magic Kingdom College Program (MKCP). In October 1. 98. Epcot as well as the Magic Kingdom and the program was known as The Walt Disney World College Program, employing approximately 5. From the beginning of the program until 1. Snow White Village Campground (the remainder in Lake Vista Village apartments) in nearby Kissimmee, Florida. Vista Way apartments, which were much closer to the participants' employment. Following the resort's massive growth in the 1. College Program has grown substantially, seeing three new participant housing complexes built and many more colleges represented. As of 2. 00. 5, 8,0. The program was renamed to the Disney Theme Parks and Resorts College Program. Currently, the program is being promoted as, simply, the Disney College Program. All students must be of 1. Students must be enrolled in an accredited university or college as a full- time or part- time student, and actively taking classes. Students must complete at least one semester of university or college before entering the Disney College Program, but can apply during their first semester for participation in the program during their second semester. In the case of schools with additional requirement criteria, a student must meet all of those eligibilities before being considered by the program. Students who are selected to proceed beyond the web- based interview then go through a second round over the phone. Here the students clarify with recruiters which of the roles they would be receptive to while attending the program. Some of these roles (or positions) are food and beverage, attractions, custodial, hospitality, and entertainment. If a student chooses to apply for an entertainment role, he or she must attend one of several regional auditions. At one point, there was a required viewing of a presentation, however, as of the Fall 2. Since that time, the experiences have changed slightly to . Once the student has accepted their position with Disney, they can stay in one of four company sponsored housing units near Walt Disney World Resort during the duration of the program: Vista Way, Chatham Square, Patterson Court, and The Commons (which houses mainly international Cast Members). At the Disneyland Resort, participants stay in the Carnegie Plaza building approximately two miles north of the resort. Each participant can choose to live in a one, two, three, or four bedroom apartment with two people per bedroom. In addition to these options, the Disneyland housing offers a limited number of studio- style apartments. The cost of housing varies depending on the location of the student’s program. There are fees the student must pay upfront upon acceptance into the program based on housing, and these too vary between locations. In Florida, there is a nonrefundable program assessment fee of $1. In California, the program assessment fee is $1. Roommates are assigned by gender and age, except in the case of a married couple. If a student is under the age of 2. Wellness Apartment”, or one that is deemed alcohol- free. All of the apartments are non- smoking in all areas. For students located in Florida the Disney Company provides transportation to and from the theme parks. Transportation is not provided for students located in California. Those students are encouraged to bring their own cars. They are also given free bus passes for the OCTA public transportation system, and earn $1 each day the pass is used. It has grown to include 8 different courses, each focusing on a Disney topic, rather than a business area. The Students are required to do textbook readings, write term papers and participate on projects. Additionally, there are now Disney Exploration Series courses, which are more focused on business areas as they relate to Disney. Participants, just like every Cast Member attend Traditions, which is a 4 hour long orientation that demonstrates everything about the Resort of employment and the company in general. The Disney Look is required for attendance at Traditions, which is the participants' first official day of work. The program also offers . At the program's inception, students were expected to work in one of 4 . Currently, Disney College Program students work in more than 2.
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