A little bit of magic ascended on the UT campus when Disney came to recruit for its Disney College Program.
Nearly 100 student met recruiters and former Disney College Program graduates Tuesday to discuss a paid internship at one of the company’s two theme parks: Walt Disney World and Disneyland.
“One of the reasons that we come to Austin is because of the great talent thriving at the university. The students are talented and goal oriented,” said Erica Nowak, a recruiter for Disney. The Disney College Program is unusual in that Disney travels from eight to ten major cities in search of college student to fill their parks positions, according to Nowak.
The program allows students to take college classes online, at a university nearby, or at Disney University, which offers college classes for credit through the Disney program. Along with these classes, interns will work anywhere from 35 to 40 hours a week at their internship at one of the parks.
The internships that could include positions in: lifeguarding, custodial, food and beverage, merchandise, attractions, costuming, and hospitality. There are also a few entertainment internships that students must audition for.
Doug Baker, 21, a Disney rep who attended the program in 2008, interned in transportation and drove the monorail, a train system that runs around Walt Disney World. “The greatest part about my experience was getting to meet people and keeping up with them. I would see over 100,000 people a day,” said Baker.
The internships are starting level positions, but Disney provides many opportunities to move up in the company. Erica Nowak started at Disney as an attractions host, and now travels the country recruiting for Disney. Many other success stories were shown in video clips, where interns started off at low paying jobs and end up in upper-level management positions.
The perks for being an intern in the Disney College Program are not bad. Students participating in the Disney College Program get free admission to the parks, discounts on merchandise, and sneak peeks of new attractions coming to Disney. The housing options for interns include fully furnished apartments, utilities included in rent, and free transportation, according to Erica Nowak.
“This college program really helped me come out of my shell, and the internship opportunity opened doors I never knew existed,” said Baker.
If you would like to learn more about the Disney College Program you can visit their website at disneycollegeprogram.com. The application is open now for next fall and spring semester.
