The Disney College Program is an internship that gives college students the opportunity to live, learn, and earn at the Disneyland Resort or the Walt Disney World Resort for anywhere from 8 weeks to a full year.
1. How to adult.
2. No matter how many times you tell people back home that the program was not a trip, vacation, or break from school, they will never understand.
3. Taco Bell, IHOP, and McDonald’s runs at 4 in the morning are more valuable than sleep.
4. While you may miss home and your family, you can find a second home and family that becomes equally as important.
5. Genuine friendship.
6. Pictures are truly worth a thousand words.
7. Don't pin trade with strangers.
#ProTip: Don't pin trade with strangers #DisneySide #DCP
This one sounds silly, but it’s a tried and true phrase to remember when interacting with people you come across in life. In some roles, you have the opportunity to trade pins with guests. Whenever a guest would ask my friend and avid pin trader, Josh, to trade pins with him, he would say, “Sorry. I don’t pin trade with strangers… Hi, I’m Josh.” This statement then required Josh and the pin trader to introduce themselves to each other and briefly get to know one another. Taking the extra time to talk to a stranger shows them that you genuinely care and can even result in a new friendship that otherwise would not have happened.
8. Perspective is everything.
9. Recognition isn't required to do a good job, but a little bit of appreciation can go a long way.
I cry.
Working in one of the busiest places on earth with the most trying guests can be very challenging, and it’s hard to withhold the customer service standard that Disney has set no matter the circumstance. Often times, your best moments will go unnoticed and it can sometimes be disheartening. Telling a fellow cast member or being told by a fellow cast member that amongst the chaos you are doing a great job can go a long way and make a huge difference.
10. A job can be more than a job.
11. How to put others before yourself.
12. The value of time.
13. You owe a whole lot to one man.
14. In an always changing world, Disney is forever.
15. And finally, when your program ends and you go back home, you learn that you have never missed anything more than you miss the magic, memories, and your Disney family that changed your life forever.
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