Hi All , Recently found this fab website after looking on Yummy jobs website at the UCF Graduate program with paid internship at DisneyWorld & have a few questions hoping someone will be able to help with - 1) I have a degree in a totally un-related feild but think the opportunity to work for Disney would be amazing - do you think this will go against me??? That I havent stuidied in this area before??? 2) I'm 23 - How old are people usually when they go over. From reading a few posts the age seems to be more like 18 / 19 3) Once been on the paid internship, can any opportunites come from it to work for Disney?? Any help would be greatly appreciated... have got the information for the phone interview so just need to email yummy jobs back with the details. Oh, on the email i got from yummy, it said phone interviews would be early jan..... does anyone know the start dates for the program?? Im going on a family holiday to disneyworld in July and have a feeling this may clash?? Cheers Em
Hi emmaleanne I'm going on the Grad Programme from April til Oct 08 so will try and answer a couple of the questions: 1) I also have a completely unrealated degree (I did law) and it wasn't a problem for me, as long as you can show you have an interest in disney and its something you want to do I think you'll be fine. 2) I'm 21, and graduated in July last year - i think you have to have graduated within the last two years for visa purposes. I've spoken to people up to aged 30 that are going on different programmes. The 18/19 year olds are usually on the ICP which are the summer programmes for a couple of months in between uni terms. Grad programme i think participants normally range between 21-25 and Cultural Rep Programmes (for a year) are open to all ages. 3) Unfortunately, not many opportunities are available to work for disney in the states as you have to prove you are a permenant resident with green card etc, think there is a forum in general/alumni discussion about ways/ideas to work for the mouse permenantly, some of which are on the disney cruise line, the occasional job that pops up in paris etc but nothing really in America. And i've read that you can only do some of the programmes once, like the grad programme and CRP. After i've done the grad programme i'm thinking about applying for the CRP but after that the possibilities are pretty much nil to none. I wouldn't let this put you off doing a programme through as i think it would be an amazing experience and would look great on your CV As for when you went out there, they have groups leaving throughout the year. There is a group currently scheduled to go out in July but i'm sure if you explained that you are unavailable they will but you on the next departure group which would be a couple of months later. Hope that helps a bit! Have a look around on here too as there is lots of good info from past and current participants! Good luck with your interviews etc! xx
Hi VickiG, Thanks for the reply - it has defo helped me make my mind up on a few things!!!! Really my main issue was having the unrelated degree (mines in forensics - not in a related job even now tho after graduating last year!!!!!) but as you say the experience would be amazing and will look really good for a CV. You must be counting down the days till April!!! I will have to hurry up with my application - All the information needs to be sent back by Tuesday! When did you apply for yours?????? Thanks again for the reply Em
hey, i have applied for the grad program leaving in july too! i have worked at disney before on the summer programs and it is the best thing i have ever done! So they told you they wil contact you in january? i was told they would contact me in march! Also, aparently the departure date for the july program is around july 13th. If your holiday starts before the start date that will be fine, but you need to let disney know that you wont be being picked up from the airport and you will need to make your own way to the disney housing complexes on the start date. I think you are allowed to enter america a couple of weeks before your Visa start date, but make sure you check how early!
Hi again I applied in the middle of november (found the advert completely by accident while messing round on the web at work!) got a response the same day inviting me for the interview the following week and then found out 4 days later I had a place! So i think it was a bit of a whirlwind at the end of that recruitment session. I think it all depends on when you will be going and when the interviews are schedualed(?) for etc for the speed of the whole process but there are people on here that are applying to go in december next year - so you would be in good company with regards to waiting! And yes I am well and truely on countdown to april - think its around 96 days to go!! Good luck with what needs to be done by tuesday! If you've got anymore questions just ask! xx
Hi Emma. Welcome! I am going on this programme in 20 days. I must say very few people at my interviews had a degree remotely related so I wouldn't worry about that. I did music. I guess I have a vaguely related degree because Disney can be considered an entertainment organisation. But the hospitality thing will be completely new for me. If anything it will give you more options having a 'Hospitality' qualification. If you finish and decide not to go into a hospitality tho it won't go against you because it is extremly valuable to have the Walt Disney Company on your CV. Oh also, I'm 22. Most people I know going are 22 or slightly older so I wouldn't worry about that either. Appartments are divided into over/under 21s too because of the drinking laws so you wouldn't be put with people younger than you anyway. Hope this helped! Goodluck with your application. Ben
Hi I don't think there is currently a website dedicated to the grad programme specifically. The place i got most of my info was http://www.wdwcollegeprogram.com/sap/its/mimes/zh_intlrec/international/icp.html - as the info under International Programme applies to the grad one too. All other info I have either asked yummy for directly or have spoke to people on here about it. I'm currently in the process of setting up a blog site about the Grad programme, as I had searched for hours on the net and come up with zip (apart from on here, of course) but as I will be completing it as I go along, it will be finally finished in Oct (if I can motivate myself to keep updating it!) but up to now, i'm just putting up all the main info Yummy have sent me, so you're welcome to have a look And if you have any specific questions just ask - i'm sure there are loads of people on here that can help you out! xx
Thanks Vicki, that's really helpful. I've applied for the CRP in OCtober but if I don't get on that I'll apply for the Grad program too. ;Dxx
Vicky pretty much told you everything you need to know there. The trouble is that the grad programme is still pretty new so there is not too much info available about it. Only two groups have gone on it so far. I am part of the third going in a few weeks and then Vicki will be part of the fourth group. There is another programme which is even newer called the 'Front Desk Programme'. It is also on a J1 visa but is even more hospitality focused. The best thing you can do is email Yummy Jobs (if you're a Uk applicant... I assume you are?) and they should send you some details including some information about some of the classes you might want to take. Even though it's only six months compared to a year I guess I'm slightly biased towards the grad programme. I was originally going to do the cultural rep programme but I think once you've been to uni you want to look into advancing your career more... and the grad programme gives you more desireable skills than the cultural programme does.
I just noticed you are interested in a career with Disney? I am hoping to do the same and there are a fair few opportunities available in the UK if you'd be content with that. It really depends what kind of thing you want to go into tho. There are hundreds of possibilities because Disney own a freakish amount of stuff. Technically the film 'Kill Bill' is Disney because 'Miramax' is a division of the Walt Disney Company. It explained why there was a lifesize Uma Thurman cut out in the Disney offices in London when I went there anyway haha. Do you have any idea of what you might want to do? You could seriously do anything... just go with your strengths and don't give up on your dreams coz Disney like that
