College Program Questions Thread, Pt 4

Can attractions cast members move around to different locations/attractions like merchandise cast members are able to?

What does the program mean for school? For someone doing fall advantage, would you just miss a quarter/semester of school and then just move in and start school when you're done with the program?

I know that only very few people in attractions get Haunted Mansion or ToT because they are the most popular attractions, but is there anything you can say in the interviews to increase your chances for these attractions? As in, do they take your preferences at all into consideration?

Where are you able to see news about when applications are coming out?
 
Can attractions cast members move around to different locations/attractions like merchandise cast members are able to?

What does the program mean for school? For someone doing fall advantage, would you just miss a quarter/semester of school and then just move in and start school when you're done with the program?

I know that only very few people in attractions get Haunted Mansion or ToT because they are the most popular attractions, but is there anything you can say in the interviews to increase your chances for these attractions? As in, do they take your preferences at all into consideration?

Where are you able to see news about when applications are coming out?
Let me try to answer some of your questions...
1. No, you aren't allowed to move around to different attractions. My dd started off in Jedi Training, and that's where she stayed for her entire program. Yes, there were multiple parts to that area though....she worked in sign up, walking kids over to the show/staying at the show to help out, two different meet and greets. She is now at Pirates, and is waiting to cross train for Jungle Cruise. She will most likely also cross train for Haunted Mansion. But, you need to get your proficiency in a certain area, and maintain it in order to keep working there....once she is trained at Jungle Cruise, she can move back and forth between that and Pirates. But, she can't go back to Jedi Training because she is no longer 'proficient' in it. Or to Main St. Ops...no longer proficient there either.

2. Yes, you would be basically taking a semester off. It used to be that you could get some college credit while doing DCP but that's just not the case anymore. If you wanted to get credits, you would have to do online classes through your college. If you are out of school for 6 months, then financial aid stops and looks to be repaid! So, be careful about that!!! My dd waited until she was in her senior year of college to apply....that way, she was able to graduate, work for the summer and start in Sept. She is now full time, after starting her program in 2012.

3.I doubt there is anything you can do to better your chances of being placed in a particular spot. It's all about what Disney needs. If you get a phone interview, you can mention your preferences, but they really don't seem to pay much attention to that. I will say that my dd has loved each one of her spots. Her manager asked if she was cross trained for HM since he thought she would be terrific there. She said no, she wasn't and that she was waiting to be trained at JC. He said he would see what he could do about making those things happen. That was two months ago, and now change.
 




I would agree with @flipflopmom. He will need to enroll in another class at college to still be eligible, and if he wants it bad enough, it's probably worth doing.

My dd18 is a nursing major as well. She app'ed for the spring and was not accepted. I'm not sure if it was her age, lack of work experience or perhaps, the nursing major isn't ideal for Disney. Either way, she will keep applying and keep applying :D

Tell your daughter to keep applying! My DD is a nursing major as well and she was accepted for the Spring 2019 program. It’s been a stressful 3 months though as she was one of the last “waves” to get an offer.

She applied the day the apps opened and then heard nothing. She stayed in applied/received FOREVER. Finally mid October she got the WBI email and went on to PI. She received her offer email first of November for merchandising role.

My niece also applied (they have been going to WDW together forever!) and they wanted to do this program together. My niece had her WBI within 30 minutes of submitting her app and an offer email 2 weeks after the apps opened up! The only noticeable difference between their apps: my niece was more flexible in role choices, my DD was very selective about what she was willing to do. So we think that played a factor in her not getting out of received until mid-October. Also, they can list up to 5 work /volunteer experiences. My niece listed 5, my DD only listed 4. My DD could have listed 5 but chose not to list a volunteer program she worked with her Jr year of HS - she thought too much time had passed to mention. I disagreed but it was her choice. So we both wonder now if she had listed 5 experiences would she have had a WBI faster?

Just thought I would share her experience in case that might help your DD when applying in the future! Hope she is able to apply and get in - it is a dream come true for my DD!
 
Tell your daughter to keep applying! My DD is a nursing major as well and she was accepted for the Spring 2019 program. It’s been a stressful 3 months though as she was one of the last “waves” to get an offer.

She applied the day the apps opened and then heard nothing. She stayed in applied/received FOREVER. Finally mid October she got the WBI email and went on to PI. She received her offer email first of November for merchandising role.

My niece also applied (they have been going to WDW together forever!) and they wanted to do this program together. My niece had her WBI within 30 minutes of submitting her app and an offer email 2 weeks after the apps opened up! The only noticeable difference between their apps: my niece was more flexible in role choices, my DD was very selective about what she was willing to do. So we think that played a factor in her not getting out of received until mid-October. Also, they can list up to 5 work /volunteer experiences. My niece listed 5, my DD only listed 4. My DD could have listed 5 but chose not to list a volunteer program she worked with her Jr year of HS - she thought too much time had passed to mention. I disagreed but it was her choice. So we both wonder now if she had listed 5 experiences would she have had a WBI faster?

Just thought I would share her experience in case that might help your DD when applying in the future! Hope she is able to apply and get in - it is a dream come true for my DD!
Ah, thanks so much for the encouragement!! I will share with my dd :) Congrats to your dd and your niece! How fun to get to do this together!

How old are these girls? Just curious since my dd was a new 18yo when she applied. My dd also had ALL volunteer experience but no actual work experience. She app'ed on the day the spring apps opened and never even got to the WBI. Just a 'nope, not interested' email within a couple of weeks. I can't believe your dd had to wait so long!! I'm think my dd could have opened up her role choices more as well.
 
Ah, thanks so much for the encouragement!! I will share with my dd :) Congrats to your dd and your niece! How fun to get to do this together!

How old are these girls? Just curious since my dd was a new 18yo when she applied. My dd also had ALL volunteer experience but no actual work experience. She app'ed on the day the spring apps opened and never even got to the WBI. Just a 'nope, not interested' email within a couple of weeks. I can't believe your dd had to wait so long!! I'm think my dd could have opened up her role choices more as well.

My DD is 19 and my niece is 21. My niece graduates in Dec and so we had wondered bc she was older that maybe that was why she received the WBI so quickly? But there were other girls at my DD’s school (Texas A&M) who applied AFTER the apps dropped, were 19 and they received a WBI quickly too. They were open to QSFB and my DD was not so we think thats why they had a quick WBI response.

Having all volunteer experience isn’t bad - majority of my niece’s experience was volunteer through her church or through internships while in college in her social work program. So don’t let that discourage her either. I would encourage her next time to:

Be open to more roles. Fill out all 5 experiences if she can for work/volunteer.

For roles my DD had only 3 she ranked high interest - she ended up with Merch and was thrilled even though she selected that as “medium” interest.

Best of luck to your DD - I hope she will apply again!
 
My DD is 19 and my niece is 21. My niece graduates in Dec and so we had wondered bc she was older that maybe that was why she received the WBI so quickly? But there were other girls at my DD’s school (Texas A&M) who applied AFTER the apps dropped, were 19 and they received a WBI quickly too. They were open to QSFB and my DD was not so we think thats why they had a quick WBI response.

Having all volunteer experience isn’t bad - majority of my niece’s experience was volunteer through her church or through internships while in college in her social work program. So don’t let that discourage her either. I would encourage her next time to:

Be open to more roles. Fill out all 5 experiences if she can for work/volunteer.

For roles my DD had only 3 she ranked high interest - she ended up with Merch and was thrilled even though she selected that as “medium” interest.

Best of luck to your DD - I hope she will apply again!
Thanks!! My dd's volunteer experience has been a lot of church work as well. She gives 5-8 hours a week of volunteer but Disney doesn't doesn't seem to value that as highly. So, my dd went and got a job at a fast food place :) She's desperate to do the DCP lol! She will definitely apply again. Best of luck to your dd and niece!!
 
Thanks!! My dd's volunteer experience has been a lot of church work as well. She gives 5-8 hours a week of volunteer but Disney doesn't doesn't seem to value that as highly. So, my dd went and got a job at a fast food place :) She's desperate to do the DCP lol! She will definitely apply again. Best of luck to your dd and niece!!


My DD 19 was accepted for this Spring. Much like another poster, she applied first day waited until October for her WBI and phone interview and early Nov for acceptance. My best piece of advice is to watch all the you tube videos on the wording to use in your application to get to a WBI. The general consensus is that there are key words and phrases that the system looks for to get to a WBI and that the apps aren’t actually looked at until the phone interview step. So you HAVE to make that app shine to get to the next step. You tube is full of helpful hints! Best of luck!
 
My DD 19 was accepted for this Spring. Much like another poster, she applied first day waited until October for her WBI and phone interview and early Nov for acceptance. My best piece of advice is to watch all the you tube videos on the wording to use in your application to get to a WBI. The general consensus is that there are key words and phrases that the system looks for to get to a WBI and that the apps aren’t actually looked at until the phone interview step. So you HAVE to make that app shine to get to the next step. You tube is full of helpful hints! Best of luck!
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This is very true. There are no people reading those original applications. The computer is looking for specific words/phrases (no idea what they are, so don't bother wondering!!). When it sees those words/phrases, it moves you on. If it sees some of those words, you'll go into a holding pattern. If it sees many more, it will send you right to the WBI. Then if it sees what it's looking for in the WBI, you get an invite to a phone interview. That's when a real person sees what you've put on your application.
My dd applied within hours of applications dropping. She was moved on to the WBI within an hour of her application being submitted. Within an hour of submitting her WBI, she was invited to a phone interview..which she did a week later. Then? She sat and waited...for over a month!!!!! There is just no way to figure it out. She was accepted about 50 days after she applied.
 
.
This is very true. There are no people reading those original applications. The computer is looking for specific words/phrases (no idea what they are, so don't bother wondering!!). When it sees those words/phrases, it moves you on. If it sees some of those words, you'll go into a holding pattern. If it sees many more, it will send you right to the WBI. Then if it sees what it's looking for in the WBI, you get an invite to a phone interview. That's when a real person sees what you've put on your application.
My dd applied within hours of applications dropping. She was moved on to the WBI within an hour of her application being submitted. Within an hour of submitting her WBI, she was invited to a phone interview..which she did a week later. Then? She sat and waited...for over a month!!!!! There is just no way to figure it out. She was accepted about 50 days after she applied.
....that's basically how it went for my DS, except he only had to wait 22 or 23 days....
 
Thanks!! My dd's volunteer experience has been a lot of church work as well. She gives 5-8 hours a week of volunteer but Disney doesn't doesn't seem to value that as highly. So, my dd went and got a job at a fast food place :) She's desperate to do the DCP lol! She will definitely apply again. Best of luck to your dd and niece!!
...tell her to keep trying - my DS tried 2 other times before he was finally accepted....I guess 3rd time's a charm! :crazy:
 
....oh, I thought of another question: how lenient is WDW with days off? My DS is leaving Jan 21 and his older brother will be getting married April 4 [my DS is one of the Best Men - my middle DS is the other]. He already knows that he isn't coming home for the bachelor party (the groom is okay with that). Will they allow him to come home Thursday-Saturday [fly back Sunday]? His cousin is also getting married [in Pittsburgh] June 29, so he has that one to attend also....
 

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