Hard Truth #2 About the Disney College Program: You Could Get a Job That You Hate

Have you ever considered joining the Disney College Program? You might want to take all factors into consideration before making a decision.

We previously wrote about the challenges of the Disney College Program (DCP) when it comes to roommates, but that’s not where the difficulties stop. While incredibly rewarding, the DCP has some downsides, and we’re looking at those negatives in this series.  For our Hard Truth #2, we want to focus on one of the most important aspects of the DCP — JOBS.

The DCP is a Disney Programs internship for college students that allows them to work at Walt Disney World for a time during their school career. The experience is truly unique and can be very rewarding, but also comes with its own set of challenges — including the job you are assigned.

Participants may be placed in Food & Beverage, Retail & Sales, Operations, Recreation, Entertainment, or Lodging roles. Right off the bat, we have to warn you that pretty much all of these jobs are difficult and will likely cause you stress from time to time.

For starters, the job you’ll be assigned to has pretty good odds of being an entry-level role that may actually be a step down from what you currently do, at least when it comes to pay and accolades. We’re talking custodial work, food handling services, and attractions operations. You WILL be getting your hands dirty and working hard.

In addition to rough pay and a lack of benefits, the work you’ll be doing will both mentally and physically test you.

One AllEars team member was a DCP participant last fall and encountered several struggles.

“I actually got a job that I wanted, and I was so excited to work at ‘Ohana,” they said. They did a bunch of research on the role and during the interview they were informed that duties “would only include seating guests and checking in guests.”

However, the first day of training saw them work as a barback (which was clearly not in the description) and they were assigned to a less-than-favorable shift assigned to DCP participants because they can’t receive tips and this shift was the perfect workaround for Disney.  “In fact, my trainer was not even trained in this role because only DCP kids do it.”

Our team member said the job was incredibly difficult, as they had to lift heavy crates of glasses through a tight and slippery dish room and carry full tubs of ice on stage through the restaurant.

They ended up getting hurt on the job, which ultimately ended their program early.

While the last AllEars team member got a job they thought they wanted, another AllEars team member was blindsided by their assignment.

Participating in the DCP their freshman year of college, this AllEars team member was assigned to Food & Beverage — which was a big problem considering they are a vegetarian!

They got queasy handling certain things in their interview, so they figured they’d be placed in something like the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor. Instead, they were placed in restaurants in both Fantasyland and Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom.

“I was serving turkey legs, pork shanks, and hot dogs. I tried seeing if I could move locations or roles but I was told that I would need a doctor’s note stating that I could not be around meat. Honestly, I was so disheartened at first,” they lamented.

However, it wasn’t all doom and gloom. “I LOVED who I worked with, I often was at the register and not the one handling the meat (and if I was my co-workers were very willing to trade with me), and I ended up loving my experience and job! But it was really difficult at first!”

Another AllEars team member said the work was even harder than expected. “I often worked the late night shifts and then turned around and did the opening shifts as well. I was exhausted frequently,” they said.

This has been a common theme, and hard work and exhaustion are to be expected when you’re assigned a job.

The main lesson here is to communicate, work hard, and understand your limits. The DCP intends to push you, and that includes the stress you’ll likely face from your assigned jobs. Although these jobs are difficult, you saw both of our team members work hard, stay determined, and do their best to stick at it — serving as inspirations for anyone who wants to give the DCP a shot!

For more Disney College Program information and the latest Disney World news, tips, reviews, and more, keep it here at AllEars to stay in the loop!

I Finished My Disney College Program, But Here Are the Main Reasons My Friends Quit

Have you participated in the Disney College Program? Share your experiences in the comments below!

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