Now's when my life begins

My name is Amanda. I'm a college student embarking on one of the greatest experiences a girl could ask for- 5 months working for the mouse himself at Walt Disney World as part of the college program. This blog will detail the honest ups and downs of my experience, from the road trip down to graduation and hopefully in the future will offer advice to those looking to start their own DCP journeys Best, Amanda.

[acdoesdcp]

Your Outcome.

So now you've finished your phone interview-your application process is over! Now it's time to wait for the fateful email from Disney.

The process typically takes 2-3 weeks but not always. Some people have a much shorter wait while others

Personally, I didn't have a long wait. I interviewed on Friday March 8 and got accepted on Wednesday March 13. But as I said, everyone has a different experience.

Once the phone interview is over, regularly check your email and your dashboard on the disney careers site. You never know when you'll be getting notifications. 

The Three Outcomes and the following steps.

Accepted

YAYY! You Did it! This is obviously the ideal outcome of the application process. If you see this, congrats and prepare yourself for a great time but more importantly HARD WORK. But fun! Now it's time to 

Read your offer letter-this is important. It details the duties of your role. 

Pay your program fees (304 for Disney World, 860 for Disney Land)

Select your arrival date. Select this carefully, as some roles have to be there on certain dates. 

Regularly check your dash! Disney will be sending you emails frequently throughout the next few months including your hiring paperwork and course registration! 

Meet people! There are groups on facebook for arrival dates, roles and DCP in general. Tumblr also has a large DCP community.

Pending

Pending is not a bad thing- it does not mean you'll be rejected in the end-it simply means your application is still up for review. But don't be discouraged! Just keep checking your dashboard! Plenty of people who get pended end up with a spot in the program. It's not a death sentence friends :) 

No Longer in Consideration (NLIC) 

This sadly means your DCP journey is over-for now. But not forever. When you get NLIC, don't let it dash your disney dreams. 

Call your recruiter-ask why they chose to not hire you at the time. 

If it was an interview issue, practice interviews with a career counselor on your campus. They're there to give you tips and help you improve your job interview skills.

If it was an issue with room in roles, next time you apply sign up for more. I basically put I was interested in everything except Bipiddity Boppity Botique and Lifeguarding-and I wasn't lying! 

Remember, you can ALWAYS apply again. Don't let this turn you off Disney College Program forever!

[acdoesdcp]

Applying to the Disney College Program

Hello!

So I found it fitting for the first post to be about the actual application process to Disney College Program, what to expect and how to make yourself a prime candidate. 

Step One

Visit the Disney Careers website and see if they are recruiting for the season. If they are begin applying (explained below). If not, sign up for updates so the second they put up applications, you'll be notified.

You'll need to make an account with the disney careers site and once you're done that you're ready to go!

The DCP application is a pretty self explanatory. They break down every role's duty and you rank from "No interest" to "High interest" 

Pro tip: Do not make the "cushier" sounding roles ALL high interest. I hate to be a spoilsport but if you're applying for the first time or, you're way more likely to get QSFB or Merchandise than Vacation Planning-unless that is you have experience in it.  Yes, they do take your work experience into account! Of course that doesn't "seal the deal" overall but it is something they look at while casting you.

Step Two

The Web Based Interview

Once you finish your application, you'll get an email telling you to fill out the Web Based Interview or "WBI"

This is a personality test. BE HONEST. It is going to ask a ton of questions about your work ethic, your ability to work alone, work in teams etc. Do not just put what you think Disney would want to hear. That can cause answers to contradict one another and make your result unsatisfactory. 

Step Three

If you pass your WBI, you'll get another email telling you to schedule your phone interview. THIS IS THE FUN PART PEOPLE :D 

Make sure you schedule a time you know you'll be in a quiet room with steady cell phone service if you're using a cell. Be free a half an hour before your phone call at least.

Don't forget to smile! Even though it's over the phone, they can tell when someone is feeling the magic. 

Again, honesty is the best policy. Think hard about why you've chosen to apply, what Disney is to you and your top five role choices. These are all things that will come up, like in any job interview. Don't be a afraid to ask questions!

So those are the three basic steps to being a CP. The post interview outcomes I'll write about in in another post! if you have any questions don't be shy :D