Why aren't there more people in the College Program

[Pure_Imagination]

Gimme a break ""3 or 4 am" is insane hours? Not for someone who's ever worked a day in their life.

I'm just saying , I got the work history to back up the fact I don't just "Talk the talk", I walk the walk.

Plenty of these young college folk with no work history are all enthusiastic and tell the potential employers what they wanna hear, and then they have to deal with putting in 12 hours daily of hard labor and they have major breakdowns.

Thats why I hate teh college kids we hire where I work, they all can't handle it.

Thats why Disney SHOULD value work history and work ethic more than the most smiley, pampered college kid.

I actually did have work experience before Disney, thank you very much. Unlike most people I didn't get the chance to go away to college. Please stop talking about everyone like you know exactly what they've been through. You're not going to make very many friends in life that way

Have you even worked for Disney yet? Why don't you let people who have actually been there tell you what it's like. Working at Disney is not like "normal" retail. You work in all weather conditions. I had to stand there with a smile on my face and tell people I loved working at 2 am when it was 40 degrees and windy outside. Normally 40 degrees isn't cold to me, but when I don't have a jacket, the wind's blowing, and there seems to be no rotation and no one has a problem letting the girl without the jacket stay outside all night it's hell. Most of my shifts were standing outside in either 90+ degrees with humidity or in 40 degrees with wind. And if you've never lived in the south then you have no idea what you're in for when it comes to terrible humidity! And sometimes you can go a long time without a break. You'll also have days where you can work say 4 pm-4 am and then turn around be back by 12 pm. When you figure in driving time, trying to get to sleep time, sleep time, and time it takes to get ready and drive there again the next morning that's not very much time. It's most likely not the same working conditions you'll be used to and, like I've said, until you've tried it you can't say anything! Not to mention that all this time you're hundreds of miles away from family so yes, it does get hard to deal with. If you make fun of people for it then you just don't have a heart.

And I DID give up a full-ride scholarship to do the Disney program, lol.

I would so kill for a full-ride scholarship. Or any scholarship. This isn't something I would be bragging about.

My advice to you is to keep your head down and don't go in acting like you know everything or that you're better than everyone. Stop trying to insist that you're an expert because trust me, people will not like that at all.

P.S.: Sheltered rich kids would most likely not be the ones willing to move cross country, live completely independently and have to provide for themselves while working at least 40 hours a week on minimum wage in all kinds of weather conditions during all kinds of crazy hours. I have no clue where you get that idea from.

Oh, and to give you an idea of my crazy hours I had, getting out at 1 am was considered getting out early! Oh, and that was if they didn't randomly decide to extend park hours without telling anyone in advance!

 

[chexie]

My advice to you is to keep your head down and don't go in acting like you know everything or that you're better than everyone. Stop trying to insist that you're an expert because trust me, people will not like that at all.

P.S.: Sheltered rich kids would most likely not be the ones willing to move cross country, live completely independently and have to provide for themselves while working at least 40 hours a week on minimum wage in all kinds of weather conditions during all kinds of crazy hours. I have no clue where you get that idea from.

Oh, and to give you an idea of my crazy hours I had, getting out at 1 am was considered getting out early! Oh, and that was if they didn't randomly decide to extend park hours without telling anyone in advance!

Bravo, Well Said :]

 

[Pure_Imagination]

Oh, and I just read that you're lacking in the friendly department...

If a Disney recruiter ever heard that they wouldn't for a second think to hire you! I'm not even sure why you'd want to go? Friendly is like the number one thing one would look for in a Disney employee, and if you can't be friendly and learn to get along with other people then you're going to be pretty miserable. Nobody likes to be around that kind of personality!

 

[graygables]

Permission to speak blatantly, comrade, but that is just...so gay.

"Soft skills"? I mean, you're turning me off my life's dream here. I'm starting to hate the Disney college program.

Your right, I ain't much to speak of at "soft skills". I'm a mad hard worker, enthusiastic, and do my job well, but I'm a little lacking in the friendly department, and quite frankly I'll mess up anyone who thinks they can put me in check.

So the question is, am I gonna be able to hide the real Anna during my interview.

As I said in another post, the idea is NOT to hide the "real" person. If the culture doesn't fit (i.e. FRIENDLY, DIVERSE), then you shouldn't work at the Company. As far as someone putting you "in check" bothering you, I'd reconsider applying. Managers are there to put you "in check". Rules are there to put you "in check" and there are a LOT of rules; start with the Disney Look. I am highly supportive of the CP and of pursuing dreams, but I also strongly believe that it is not for everyone, "dream" or not. If you don't fit into the organizational culture, it is best to not even apply or you could find yourself at Orlando International scanning for a flight home without the benefit of a 14 day advance purchase.

 

[SportsChick]

If you're not friendly and a people person, I don't think that the DCP is for you. I'm a hospitality management major, I want to work in guest relations, I LOVE working with people, but I know that many (like my engineer fiance) hate it.

I have a "Disney" personality (which also translates to other companies) but if you don't, you might be better off looking for an internship elseware

 

[ZeroToHero]

Permission to speak blatantly, comrade, but that is just...so gay.

"Soft skills"? I mean, you're turning me off my life's dream here. I'm starting to hate the Disney college program.

Your right, I ain't much to speak of at "soft skills". I'm a mad hard worker, enthusiastic, and do my job well, but I'm a little lacking in the friendly department, and quite frankly I'll mess up anyone who thinks they can put me in check.

So the question is, am I gonna be able to hide the real Anna during my interview.

Soft skills aren't being friendly. Soft skills mean a person is able to be mallable, in other words, they come prepared to learn how to do any job assigned to them. Disney wants to be able to take a bunch of college kids, and stick them in positions they need them in. Like Play-Dough in molds. Not a round peg in a square hole.

If you aren't friendly, accomodating to all Guests (even if they're wrong, they're still our Guests, and you have to treat them as such), and willing to listen to orders from those above you, it's not going to work out.

And it definitely isn't a random lottery, and I can say that as someone who didn't get in twice, not someone who was accepted right off the bat. Why would Disney take those chances, when they have so much at stake on their public image? We are Disney, to Guests. They don't want us to make them look bad. It behooves them to be selective and take people they believe have what they are looking for.

Why "BS" your way through the whole interview, move cross country, and then realize you're miserable because you can't be yourself? If you don't think you're going to be able to conform (because in a way, you have to), then I would also advise not trying out for it.

 

[kamik86]

I know why many at my school didn't do it.

My college required co-ops which made the program already 3 years. In addition to that our school was on a trimester system so going to disney for a normal semester (Sept - Dec or Jan - May) would actually span 2 of our trimesters so you would have to take both off. This would put you pretty behind for your degree, all for some work experience at a minimum wage job. which would never matter to employers when you graduate since they would really only care about those co-ops related to your major that you had to do to graduate anyway.

I would have loved to work for Disney and do the program but I just wouldn't have been willing to take the time off and graduate later. It wouldn't have been worth it. Espeically since I didn't hear about the program until after I was eligible for co-ops and mine paid $17-$20 (average for my program was $15.80)

Even if you went to a school that didn't require co-ops any student in a more technical field can get jobs at many companies in their field that make much more then Disney pays and it would be better on their resume. I do wish I had known about disney's professional internships though. I could have done one of those.

 

[mollay]

Permission to speak blatantly, comrade, but that is just...so gay.

"Soft skills"? I mean, you're turning me off my life's dream here. I'm starting to hate the Disney college program.

Your right, I ain't much to speak of at "soft skills". I'm a mad hard worker, enthusiastic, and do my job well, but I'm a little lacking in the friendly department, and quite frankly I'll mess up anyone who thinks they can put me in check.

So the question is, am I gonna be able to hide the real Anna during my interview.

Oh my gosh, you've got to be a troll. Everything you've said so far has been absurd but this truly takes the cake. I don't understand why a person who acknowledges and embraces the fact that they lack people skills would want to work at Disney in the first place.

 

[Anna's_Order]

*Deleted* (off topic)

 

[Anna's_Order]

Oh my gosh, you've got to be a troll. Everything you've said so far has been absurd but this truly takes the cake. I don't understand why a person who acknowledges and embraces the fact that they lack people skills would want to work at Disney in the first place.

(SORRY! I'll go back and edit this into one post)

I'm not a troll. And there are many valid reasons I want to work for Disney. I love Disney, I love (almost) everything about it. I'm admittedly a closet disney fan, but when I'm with the right friends, all I want to talk about is "Oh my god did you hear what this Disney executive gave money too"
"Did you know Nick Jonas gets paid more by Disney than Kevin" "Do you wanna come over and play the games I got on the new 50th aniversary Sleeping Beauty DVD"?

Someday I am going to work either for the Disney International Resorts as a graphic designer for the marketing/advertising division, or work as a graphic designer in the marketing division of one of Disney Interactive's cmopanies.

So maybe I need to do the College Program to learn a little more about the Disney culture and stuff, ok?

 

[Tri-Delta4Life]

I know why many at my school didn't do it.

My college required co-ops which made the program already 3 years. In addition to that our school was on a trimester system so going to disney for a normal semester (Sept - Dec or Jan - May) would actually span 2 of our trimesters so you would have to take both off. This would put you pretty behind for your degree, all for some work experience at a minimum wage job. which would never matter to employers when you graduate since they would really only care about those co-ops related to your major that you had to do to graduate anyway.

I would have loved to work for Disney and do the program but I just wouldn't have been willing to take the time off and graduate later. It wouldn't have been worth it. Espeically since I didn't hear about the program until after I was eligible for co-ops and mine paid $17-$20 (average for my program was $15.80)

Even if you went to a school that didn't require co-ops any student in a more technical field can get jobs at many companies in their field that make much more then Disney pays and it would be better on their resume. I do wish I had known about disney's professional internships though. I could have done one of those.

Same thing here! We didn't require co-ops, but we had trimesters so you'd miss 2 terms to do 1 "term" in the CP. It was an all engineering school and we had to stay in line with the rest of your class to graduate on time... and nobody graduated late unless they choose to do a co-op (and those were usually students with low GPAs who needed something "extra" to put on their resumes to make up for the academics). I did consider doing the CP and just graduating a year late, but I had a full scholarship (covered room, board, books, computer, tuition and other living expenses) that I would've lost if I took time away from school... and that was valued at over $180k for the 4 years. I couldn't justify giving that up for a minimum wage job... no matter how awesome it would've been!

 

[Pure_Imagination]

I AM friendly! Just in a more in-your-face i'll-mess-you-up-if-you-piss-me-off kind of way. Soon as we get past that, we can be muy bueno amigos.

LOL! I don't know in what language that's supposed to mean friendly. "I'll mess you up"? Who says things like that?? Certainly not someone working for Disney. You clearly don't like people telling you how things are, and I can't ever imagine living with that kind of person in an up to 4 bedroom apartment with 7 other people! There are going to be people you don't like and people who are not going to like you, and you're not always going to be right. A mature person learns how to deal with those kinds of situations.

If you want to get anywhere- especially in a huge company like Disney where there is a very strict ladder you have to climb and you're told from day one that you're at the very bottom and pretty much mean nothing- you're seriously going to have to learn some perspective. People are not going to always agree with you, and they are going to tell you the cold hard truth. If you can't even get along with people then I don't know how you're going to survive working amongst tens of thousands of people every day- guest who expect everything to go exactly as plan and who have paid a LOT of money to make sure they have their way. Not to mention managers who expect nothing but the absolute best, and even then you'll still get yelled at. It's just what managers do, they're hardly ever just satisfied with something. AND not to mention the potential SEVEN other roommates you have, all with different personalities that will not necessarily mix with yours!

This just sounds like a recipe for disaster until you learn how to take criticism and realize that the world doesn't fit neatly into the nice picture that's inside your head. Everyone's not going to live up to your standards- nor will they even want to.

 

[Anna's_Order]

*Deleted* (off topic)

 

[Pure_Imagination]

If you're anything at all like you've been here then I would seriously consider a reality check and step back and really look at how you act and treat people. Quite frankly you do have to be all smiles and sunshine while working at Disney If you can't even stand what people have been saying on this forum then you might need to really work on your people skills.

am I all sunshine and smiles, mi amor? No way, love

I hope you don't talk that way in real life. It's rude, definitely not cute, and something a majority of people wouldn't put up with.

 

[teamlouise]

Permission to speak blatantly, comrade, but that is just...so gay.

Just one more thought, while you're thinking about if you want to do the college program... Using homophobic slurs like "that's so gay" is incredibly offensive to a lot of people (including me.) Disney is a really gay friendly place for cast and guests. I hope you'll remember to at least pretend to have greater respect and tolerance for GBLT folk in real life if you get to work at Disney.

 

[mollay]

Just one more thought, while you're thinking about if you want to do the college program... Using homophobic slurs like "that's so gay" is incredibly offensive to a lot of people (including me.) Disney is a really gay friendly place for cast and guests. I hope you'll remember to at least pretend to have greater respect and tolerance for GBLT folk in real life if you get to work at Disney.

Thankyou for this post. That particular comment of hers really rubbed me the wrong way but I didn't know how to address it -- you were right on the mark. Just glad to see someone else pointing it out. <3

 

[chexie]

Thankyou for this post. That particular comment of hers really rubbed me the wrong way but I didn't know how to address it -- you were right on the mark. Just glad to see someone else pointing it out. <3

i totally agree with you :]

 

[Cloudless Nights]

I'll get back to the original question.

My college rarely gives credit for internships such as the Disney College Program--to do one you'd have to take a leave of absence for a semester, which would lead to trouble getting back into housing, registering for classes, and you'd graduate a semester (if not later--some classes are only in spring or fall) late. That said, I did apply for Fall Advantage 2009 and got in. I did plan on going and taking summer classes so I could graduate on time. Unfortunately my financial aid package did not help with this situation, and I got an awesome job opportunity at about the same time, so I declined the program.

I do plan on trying for a Professional Internship after college, however!

 

[Anna's_Order]

Just one more thought, while you're thinking about if you want to do the college program... Using homophobic slurs like "that's so gay" is incredibly offensive to a lot of people (including me.) Disney is a really gay friendly place for cast and guests. I hope you'll remember to at least pretend to have greater respect and tolerance for GBLT folk in real life if you get to work at Disney.

I have nothing against gays or being gay. My apoligy, I should not use that phrase (*now removed*);I've often thought before it was kind of messed up.

Bad habit, sorry again. (The phrase has never pissed off my gay friends, as they are insensitive about such things, but I understand that it does offend some)

Won't apoligize for using the loose term , "Mi amor". It has intended no offense and its just natural to me to toss such phrases in, yes, even aloud.

IMPORTANT NOTE PLEASE SEE REVISED MESSAGE ON THE FIRST POST OF THIS TOPIC