How to Write a Disney College Program Blog

If you've ever been (are, are hoping to be or even wished you could be) a Disney College Program member, you probably have a lot to share about your experience. If you're keen to reflect on the Program as you go through it and teach others about the process, writing a blog can be a win-win.

Part 1
Part 1 of 7:

As You Plan

  1. Look for blogging programs or blogging websites that support the use of pictures or images, as well as some formatting changes for bold, italic and/or underlining. You might want to start several weeks before you even apply to the Program.
    • Look for ways to customize your text as well as add pictures and videos or even link-previews to your text or ways to jazz up that blog without too much extra effort.
    • A few of the many more commonly-used options include Blogger, LiveJournal, Tumblr, or WordPress.
    • Make sure that you get maximum exposure: Give readers the ability to comment on your blogs. If readers know more information about how you can make your blog or your program better/easier for you, let them tell you. There are blogs out there that don't offer the ability to have readers write comments, or that do but that you can turn off.
  2. The further you get into the program, the more consistent you'll have to be and try to blog once a day to get things out. Try to be consistent, so as not to make your reader lose interest while waiting for your new posts. Even when you have other obligations to take care of, try to make blogging part of your regular routine.
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Part 2
Part 2 of 7:

As You Apply

  1. 1
    Begin at the beginning (a day or so before you even sign up). Where were you when you heard about it, and how did it come up in the conversation? Did you do a search for the College Program on the Internet or was it a something else that provoked you into looking for it? Explain how you came to hear about the College Program. Get as descriptive as you can in expressing your thoughts and feelings.
  2. 2
    Talk about your experiences filling in the application. Was there a question that you really didn't know how to fill out, or was there something unusual that really sparked your curiosity? Without discussing confidential matters, divulge your thoughts about the application.
  3. 3
    Talk about your experience with the web-based interview. Book authors of the Earning Their Ears series (from the Disney Press) of books (tend to talk at length about their web-based interview. If you want to write your own biography as well after finishing, writing this blog posting can help you point out some specifics to mention when you write your memoir. Give your readers an up-close tour of a few of your responses; just be careful not to give out any confidential or sensitive information.
  4. 4
    Make mention of your phone interview. Where were you when it happened? What were you doing when you received the call? What were some of the questions and what were some of your responses? Explain how you felt answering your College Program recruiter.
    • Did you connect well with the person who interviewed you? Did they have a program that you would like to have for your own program? Discuss this in as much detail as you can.
  5. Save some money, because you'll need a bundle of it to enter into the College Program. It can take some time for the Disney College Program to decide if they'd like to bring you on, and so, while waiting, raise a bundle. Make sure you have some money saved, so you can meet the first rent payment. Rent money is due a few days before you get to the area yourself. The average rent payment can cost over $900 (since there are two other fees; some of this may be refundable once you vacate the premises if you leave it in good condition).
  6. 6
    Research and blog about which housing you'd like to be in. In Florida, you have three apartment building areas you can choose from. Discuss why you chose the apartment that you chose and the reasoning behind not picking the other three. However, although the California College Program staff only have one real housing area/unit, College Program staff in Florida have some choices. You might have to do extended research online (not just on the Disney College Program recruitment website) to see what each building offers and what the cons to these benefits include to see what you can live with.
    • Most books about the College Program discuss the three possible choices in Florida and tend to poorly neglect the details of the College Program in California which offers no choices. In Florida, you can choose between Vista Way, Chatham Square, Patterson Court and The Commons [1] , which each have their pros and cons. As for those attending the College Program in California, you'll be living in Carnegie Plaza in Anaheim, CA. [2]
    • Look into Wellness housing if you don't want to live where some people may use alcohol or drugs. You will be mandated by College Program recruiters to live in wellness housing if you are between the ages of 18 and 21. [3]
  7. 7
    Discuss your journey to finding other roommates. When you share a room with more than one person, your rent will go down. Talk about how you found your room-mates and if you had them to persuade them to get them to share a room with you. Discuss some of the places you searched for roommates for your internship program with Disney. You can use small-talk here to discuss their points of view about the application and program, as long as they haven't told you these details in confidence.
    • Readers might not know that your dates of arrival and departure and your roommates' arrivals and departures must coincide. However, minor changes may differ if your roommates were termed (terminated) or asked by the staff to leave for good, or if your roommate is one of the International Cast Members who can't work for more than their allotted time (which may be shorter than if they were a US citizen). However, it's best not to mention if these roommates later were termed; instead, if they were, just remove their names from the blog postings you've mentioned them in and move on.
    • The Disney College Program will only match roommates up by gender. They don't allow mixed-gender roommate situations at the present, without exceptions.
  8. 8
    Discuss any special packing plans (outside of the normal items you'll have to bring such as money, food and drinks, electronics pieces and the like). Try to answer this question as you write: Are you bringing anything that you're attached to, or is this item something with sentimental value? Talk about your reasoning for bringing these pieces with you. If you are choosing to bring other things along which aren't commonplace, consider discussing these choices in your blog.
    • Although wikiHow has some ideas on what to pack, you may have your own ideas. Disney College Program recruiters say to leave valuable items at home [4] .
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Part 3
Part 3 of 7:

As You Transition to the Program

  1. 1
    Talk about your trip to the area. If you took a car, discuss some of the layover or pit-stop locations. If you traveled by plane, tell any good stories about your layovers, delays, or other issues. Talk about interactions with the people you met along the way.
    • Be careful about your readers' (and person's you've met) personal details. If you want to share something personal about anyone you meet, make sure they know you're writing a blog. You might even give them the URL so they can follow you!
  2. 2
    Talk about the bus ride between the airport and housing (if you took one). Was it hard to find the bus? Did the bus have to make any other stops before yours? Did you get there super late or super early? If you didn't take the bus, you can omit this step and continue with the remainder of the steps listed here. Discuss talking with other cast members on the bus.
    • If you have pictures of the bus or talking with other College Program members, post them into the blog posting. You can use an image editing or markup program to blur out the license plate, to help ensure these details aren't a problem for you.
    • Most College Program students recognize that some students begin blogs devoted to the College Program itself, but you can always explain if they ask. After hearing your explanation, some people may even want to hook up to become friends instead of just fellow cast members!
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Part 4
Part 4 of 7:

As You Arrive

  1. 1
    Post about your housing/DORMS orientation without mentioning personal details. After watching a video presentation to welcome you to the College Program, you'll receive your housing authority passes, and room assignments and the like. Look on your acceptance letter to find the time and place you need to arrive to fill out the information for a badge, key, and other necessary items, as you'll need to complete the new hire screening on a computer to provide all the information about you that the College Program requires.
    • Once you get into your room, there should be a book on the table or desk that covers the ins and outs of that particular building. While you can mention things from this book, few readers will want to know most of what's in it. However, read the rules and regulations pages to ensure you follow them, and to know what to expect out of housing staff during your time there.
  2. 2
    Discuss meeting your roommates for the first time. Although you might have hooked up with people to find out room assignments in an online location, everyone has different opinions of different people when these meet these other people offline. What were they like when you first met them in person? Is this the first time they have been through the program? If you talked to them about their past experiences on the program, share what they told you.
  3. 3
    Talk about how you're settling into your temporary new surroundings for the next few months. Do you have to make any last-minute trips to the store to pick up forgotten items? Make sure that you'll have enough of everything to squeak by for at least the first two weeks of the College Program. Discuss what resources in the area you found helpful, so that future College Program participants might find the same helpful stores. If there's something you didn't anticipate needing, you can share that, too, so that readers will learn from your mistakes.
    • In Florida, there is a Walmart Supercenter near housing, as well as a Super Target and Publix at Vineland Ave in Orlando. There's also a Publix at Vineland Rd in Kissimmee which is a short distance from the apartment complex.
    • For those on the California Program, there are supermarkets also nearby, from a Vons less than a block away, to a local supermarket about five minutes by car, to several blocks down S Harbor Blvd to the local Walmart. [5] However, many tourists shop there, too, so be prepared for some interesting visits!
    • Get gas if you have brought a car to the program. Be careful not to get gas at the gas station near Vista Way in Florida, as it is the most expensive station in the area. There are Wawa convenience stores and Racetrack convenience stores nearby that are cheaper. For those on the California program, you can get gas across the street at the Arco or Alliance gas stations nearby. If you want a little more of a trek due to gas prices, try the 76 gas station about five to ten minutes away on S Harbor Blvd. [6]
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Part 5
Part 5 of 7:

As You Complete the Program

  1. 1
    Discuss your time with utilizing the Disney College Program bus system if you used them. Was it hard to find your bus? Did the bus have to make any other stops before yours? Did you get there super late or super early?
    • If you had brought a car, discuss the traveling you did to get there. Was there something about your trip (such as did you hook up to rideshare with co-participants to get there) that you can comment on? Certainly, you might find a story or two to tell, even early on.
    • Discuss talking with other cast members on the bus. If you have pictures of the bus or talking with other College Program members, post them into the blog posting. Most College Program participants do recognize that some students begin blogs devoted to their programs itself, but be prepared to talk about your reasons if they ask you about it.
  2. The Traditions course is rather easy, but you do have to sign the non-disclosure agreement that says that you can't mention insider (internal and confidential-only) information about the company (including park attendance, trade secrets, and non-public policies, as well as how an attraction is run and the like). Don't post these types of details on your blog or you may end up being termed (terminated/fired) from your Program, as well as having to remove these details from the blog. Protect company assets and preserve the magic for the guest to experience when they visit the area.
    • However, you can safely explain in your blog some of the safer details, such as who you sat within meeting rooms and talked to in hallways or mentioning some of the special guests including some of the Disney character names (but without divulging who's behind the mask) or who attended the class or who the trainer was. Course details, however, are off-limits to the public.
  3. 3
    Discuss your work assignment. You'll be given your work assignment as soon as you pass the Traditions course. Disney has many assignments for College Program Cast Members, including assignments in their Operations, Entertainment, Lodging, Food & Beverage, Retail/Sales or Recreation [7] locations. However, there are other jobs in each of these areas which you may be asked to help out with depending on your major, preferences, and a few other factors.
    • Try to describe as best you can where you'll be working. Which building in which park will you be working in? Which type of role will you be in? Describe your job title. Is it retail or is it something as simple as watching a parking lot or helping with moving people between places in a line? You can mention this title straight from the paper you received with the name of the job on it - including the suffix numbers of the assignment. Although your first program assignment will probably not be acting as a character themselves, you can discuss this later in your blog, if and when you chose to audition for a character position.
  4. 4
    Discuss your time spent finding your costume in the Costume Shop. Although it's against policy to take pictures inside the Costume Shop or mention the exact aisle/row location where your costume was found, if you want to add in a picture of you in your costume, you may be able to take a picture of yourself in it at your apartment complex.
    • If there was no costume available that day, remember to grab your exemption paper coupon that will exempt you from the scrutiny until the costume arrives which could be a day or so and which must be handed to your area manager upon your next workday - and wait out the time period on your blog until you receive your costume.
    • If you aren't allowed to take a picture and aren't able to take your costume back to your apartment complex, write and publish the text of the post then take your picture when you are inside the parks with the costume on. Upload it to your blog once you arrive back to your complex and are away from the parks. Don't take any pictures inside of the Utilidor tunnel system under the Magic Kingdom. It's fair game in any other area of any of the other Disney Parks including Epcot, Disney Studios, Animal Kingdom, Disneyland or Disney's California Adventure parks.
  5. 5
    Discuss your training days at length. With each day, bring updates to your blog as these posts can often serve an integral role in your blog towards the beginning. You can discuss who your trainer is and what you generally do in the job, but be careful of what details you mention. [8] [9] [10] These posts are crucial to any person who decides they'd like to later send in their story for their Earning their Ears Book to the Disney Press, or the reader who wants to learn about the insides more of your internship but can't get a job from Disney.
    • During Day 1, you'll be in the Traditions class at Disney University as was discussed previously. The Traditions course will generally last less than eight hours and by the end of the day, you'll receive your training schedule, name pin, and cast ID card.
    • During Day 2, you'll have a half-day of in-class training, as well as a half-day tour of the area where you'll be working. You'll get to know some areas you'll need to be familiar with when guests enter the park. You won't be able to ride any rides during the tour, but you can when you aren't on Disney's clock.
    • Day 3 generally is your area training day. You'll be doing some walking, and taking an eLearning class (for some business lines).
    • During Day 4, you'll be meeting with your locations management team and receiving details of what will be expected of you on the job as well as a safety briefing. However, these details will differ depending on your line of business.
      • During your College Program stay with Disney, you'll be trained in many different areas, as well as cross-trained if needed. Even those who walk around carrying glow items will have training including "Glow and Apron Cash Handling" training.
    • During Day 5 and subsequent days, you can explain some of the guest interactions you'll be starting to have as well as obtaining your "Earning My Ears" sticker on your name tag. Every single cast member who has ever worked at the Parks has received this sticker on their name tag.
  6. 6
    Detail more guest interactions as you move onwards from your training schedule into your daily work schedule. Make a mental note of what happened before blogging about it later that evening. Be somewhat discrete if you interacted with a VIP; don't go into detail about what happened (You can mention "I met up with (x person today)" but let your readers know that you can't elaborate due to confidentiality matters. Your readers will need to respect your wishes). Write about the "magical moments" you experience during one-on-one time with guests. Share any funny stories about your interactions. If you ever get called to pick up a Guest Satisfaction card in the park from a guest you've helped, this evaluation is a great thing to post on your blog - even if this means posting a scanned image of the card on the blog for all your blog readers to see. These types of postings are great morale boosters when you are feeling down or are beginning to feel homesick.
    • Try to blog at least once a day with something you said or did to help a guest. Regular blogging will help keep your readers engaged, but watch your statistics page/chart if possible. Some readers will wander away from a blog if you post too often, overload them with too many details, or not post enough.
  7. 7
    Discuss any other details about the Disney College Program (such as with selecting the courses that are required for some schools to do for class/college credit). Although some schools require additional classes to be taught to receive college credits for this program, not all colleges require it. Were there other classes you had to take or was there anything unexpected about how the Disney system works with the College Program? Not all bloggers go into these details, but your experiences might help other potential Disney College Program attendees and trying to discuss your choices and why you didn't pick the others as you given the sheet might help other attendees of the alternate classes choose more wisely.
    • Although not required by all colleges to get college credit for the College Program, some colleges want you to do some actual bookwork. These extra classes prove that you are learning new knowledge about the company and applying it to your field of study.
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Part 6
Part 6 of 7:

As The Program Wraps Up

  1. 1
    Discuss at length what you saw and felt at the Graduation Ceremony. Most bloggers choose to publish a picture of themselves in their College Program ear hats with their certificates of completion. What did you wear? When and where did this take place? When were you able to attend (if you couldn't stay for the entire event)? What was the party like? Did you have problems taking the time off or was your boss accommodating? Did you make any new friends and contacts? How did you feel about the graduation (did you feel sad or did you feel angry or did you just want to get out of the Program already)?
    • Watch out for the date, time, location and dress code of the Graduation Ceremony. It's an emotional and fun event for most College Program students, but it does happen off the clock. Communicate with your management team to let them know you'd like the time off for it, and most locations will ask that you attend when you are off the clock for that day or to work around your schedule - having to stop by before your shift or shortly after your shift - all to accommodate your schedule.
  2. 2
    Slow down towards the end of the College Program again and discuss your move out. Talk about how you felt, and how it felt when packing up and saying goodbye to your roommates. At this stage, you probably don't need to detail the move-out as much as you did with your move-in, but there could be some experience you may want to share are still some experiences you may want to share. How did you feel different this time around?
  3. 3
    Talk about the bus ride between the housing and the airport (if you took one). Was it hard to find the bus? Did the bus have to make any other stops before yours? Did you get to the airport super late or super early? If you didn't take the bus, you can omit this step and continue with the remainder of the steps listed here. Discuss talking with other former cast members on the bus.
    • If you have pictures of the bus or talking with other College Program members, post them into the blog posting. You can use image-editing software to hide the license plate if you choose to take a picture of the back or front of the bus.
    • Most College Program students recognize that some students begin blogs devoted to the College Program itself, but you can always explain if they ask. After hearing your explanation, some people may even want to hook up to become friends instead of just fellow cast members!
  4. 4
    Talk about your trip out of the area. If you took a car, discuss some of the layover or pit-stop locations. If you traveled by plane, tell any good stories about your layovers, delays, or other issues. Talk about interactions with the people you met along the way.
    • Be careful about personal details. If you want to share something personal about anyone you meet, make sure they know you're writing a blog. You might even give them the URL so they can follow you!
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Part 7
Part 7 of 7:

The Significance and Beyond the College Program Internship

  1. 1
    Blog some more at home after your return if you still find the College Program still making an impact on your life. Maybe you met someone on the way home who wanted to hear all about your College Program internship, or maybe you had trouble adjusting to your regular schedule at home again. Maybe you tried giving your neighbors a Disney guest greeting or used the special DisneyPoint methods of pointing to something when you could have used regular pointing or descriptions of the objects (any Disney College Program participant will tell you that this is generally the last to leave if it ever leaves your body after it's learned)! Let your readers know how your College Program affected you in the long-run (even in funny and silly ways). It's a positive experience worth reflecting on.
  2. 2
    Discuss if you will be signing up for any other internship opportunities on the Disney College Program panel any time soon. While some Disney College Program members say "Yeah, I'll take the plunge to tackle another semester", talk about the transition and see if you've chosen to take on an additional semester (if it is allowed by your college when you are still in college). Even if you tell your college that you'd like to tackle the opposite seasonal program (spring/summer semester versus fall/winter semester or vice-versa), discuss your thoughts on being a Cast Member again if you chose to.
    • You may have to review info for those who were on the Disneyland program to ensure you have what it takes for this program.
    • Don't forget to update your resume before you apply for the opposite program. Make sure to not forget to mention the courses you took as well as a brief description of the items you tackled while on your original program.
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      Tips

      • Limit the talking about the direct use of Disney's Four Keys: Safety, Courtesy, Show, Capacity [11] to a minimum. Yes, there are required knowledge for you to know as a Disney employee, but few readers should know just how often you have to use these points that are apparent in everyday life.
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      • Make it a commitment; stick to your blogging schedule.
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      • Watch for holidays (such as during Easter, Halloween or Christmas) in the program or times when the streets in the park may change in appearance. Readers might be interested to know about the decorations and experiences from an insider's point of view if you want to share those details.
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      References

      1. ↑ http://cp.disneycareers.com/en/onboarding/fl/pre-arrival-information/check-in-details/
      2. ↑ http://cp.disneycareers.com/en/onboarding/ca/housing/overview/
      3. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disney_College_Program#Program_information
      4. ↑ The Disney College Program 2.0 by Eric Root, Kindle edition, ASIN: B01N79GUBV
      5. ↑ https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=supermarket&find_loc=180+W+Center+St,+Anaheim,+CA
      6. ↑ https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=gas+stations&find_loc=180+W+Center+St%2C+Anaheim%2C+CA&ns=1
      7. ↑ The Disney College Program 2.0 by Eric Root, Kindle edition, ASIN: B01N79GUBV
      8. ↑ http://cp.disneycareers.com/en/onboarding/fl/pre-arrival-information/your-first-few-days/
      9. ↑ The Disney College Program 2.0 by Eric Root, Kindle edition, ASIN: B01N79GUBV
      1. ↑ http://cp.disneycareers.com/en/onboarding/ca/pre-arrival-information/your-first-few-days/
      2. ↑ http://disneyatwork.com/disneys-four-keys-to-a-great-guest-experience/

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