Hi there! What season would you recommend-spring or fall? I know in fall there's the Christmas Party and Halloween Party, which would be fun, but I'm also worried it would be so busy I would get overwhelmed! In your opinion, which one is better? Also, how does financial aid work? I'm getting some right now, but I can only get it if I'm a full time student, I think. I also have a scholarship. I know I should ask my college admins, but do you have any idea how that would work with DCP? Thanks!
I honestly think fall is better, but I might be biased--I did my program in the fall, after all (and I don't really have any personal experience of the spring program to compare it to). You're right that it will get very busy, though, particularly towards the end of the program. Working New Year's at Disney is INSANE. Believe it or not, though, as crazy as it was, I actually had a lot of fun on New Year's. By the time the really hectic holidays roll around, you've been working there long enough that you've got the hang of whatever role you're doing pretty well. And as crazy as it may be, I think it's a great experience to have under your belt. After working New Year's at Disney, nothing any other job has to throw at you will ever faze you again. ;) The fall program was a lot of fun, and I'm glad I went in the fall, but I think it's honestly all up to personal preference.
As far as financial aid goes, it differs so much from school to school that I can't really give you much help, unfortunately. Your best bet really is to talk to somebody at your school. If you can get college credit for doing the program, it might not be a problem, since you might be able to get enough credit hours to still be considered a full-time student. In my case, I wasn't able to get enough credit to stay full-time, so I ended up taking the semester off. But I talked to my financial aid office beforehand and made sure I wouldn't lose my aid--in my case, they allowed me to take the semester off and still keep my financial aid (including scholarships) as long as I came back to school within a year. But again, it differs hugely from school to school, so things work out very differently for different people. The only way to find out specifics is to talk to your school.
