Hello, Disney lovers! I was very recently accepted into the Disney College for Spring 2019 and I can not be more excited! *cue the squealing* This has been a dream of mine since I was a wee little sophomore in high school. If this has been your dream too I know how hard it can be not getting accepted, or really not even knowing how to apply. The application process can be tricky and tedious, but trust me Disney knows what they're doing. If you are thinking about applying soon (Hurry! The applications for spring 2019 are out!) or in the future here are some tips worth melting for.
The application process is four steps.
1. The initial application (sending in your resume and telling them which roles you'd prefer)
2.The web-based interview. It's pretty much a glorified personality test to see the best environment you work in.
3. The phone interview. This is known to be the scariest part of the whole process. A Disney recruiter will call you and talk to you for about 20-30 minutes about your past work experience and why you want to work for Disney.
4. Offer. This is when Disney will email you to notify you that you've been accepted. Once accepted you must complete a list of tasks until you are officially a Disney Cast Member.
The Disney College Program application process is a very competitive one. Thousands upon thousands of students apply each year for the program. Disney can only take so many so unfortunately every season thousands of people walk away empty-handed. However, if you do end up not being accepted your first go around, do not panic! I know people who applied three or four times before they got in. It truly is all about timing. This was actually my second time applying and I'm more than happy that it didn't work out the first time because it wouldn't have been the right time for me.
I learned from my mistakes from my first application and really believe that these tips helped me ace my Disney application!1. Sign up for Disney Recruiters emails
You need to do this way before the applications for the season drop. If you sign up to be on the email list you will be notified the day applications drop. Disney recruiters tend not to tell the public the exact date that applications come out to avoid a massive overflow of applications coming in at once. If you sign up for these emails you be amongst the first to know and get a head start on the application process.
2. Have multiple people proof read your resume before sending it in
This may sound like a no-brainer, but it really is important. You can never be too sure when it comes to your resume. I had four people read, edit and reread my resume a few times before I got the courage to submit it. I even used Grammarly to really make sure I had no grammar mistakes. Your resume is the very first thing they see, so make it count.
3. Edit your resume to make it sound "Disney"
This probably makes no sense to you, but let's face it, Disney has their own language. When you work at Disney you are not an "employee," you are a "cast member." The people visiting Disney are not customers they are guests. You should edit your resume to say things like, "I made sure guests always left satisfied" instead of using the word customers.
4. During the web-based interview, be in a quiet area so you will not get distracted
In my opinion, the web-based interview (WBI) was a lot longer than I thought it was going to be. It takes about 45 minutes to complete it and gives you less than a minute to answer each question. While it seems like it'd be pretty easy because you are answering about yourself it can get pretty tricky. They reword the same questions over and over again to make sure that you are consistent with your answers. So you will want to be in a nice, quiet place where you can really focus on what you are being asked.
5. Practice for your phone interview
GiphyIf you move on to the phone interview this is huge! It's the only thing in your way of receiving your acceptance letter. This can be incredibly nerve-wracking though. On average you'll spend about 30 minutes talking to a Disney recruiter and trying to convince them that you would be perfect to work at Disney. My biggest advice is to really prepare for it. You can seriously Google potential DCP phone interview questions and thousands will come up. I seriously wrote down 143 of them and answered them all. I had them on my laptop and when it came time for my interview I pulled them up and was ready to go. Of course, she didn't really ask most of those questions, but she did ask me very similar ones. It may have been time-consuming but I am so glad I did it. It made me sound 100 times more confident in my interview.
6. Remember your interviewer's name
Disney is huge on names and making sure that everybody has a special and personal experience. They want everyone to feel welcomed and that starts with remembering names. As soon as my interviewer told me her name I wrote it down on a piece of paper. That way at the end of the interview I could thank her by name for taking the time to interview me.
7. Smile during your phone interview
This might sound a little weird, but it really is helpful. You don't want to sound monotone while talking on the phone with your recruiter. Disney hires the most animated people and you don't want to not get an offer because you were nervous and were monotone. A lot of people recommend looking at yourself in the mirror while being interviewed. This will help you remember to smile. It will definitely show in your voice!
8. Keep yourself busy and try not to overthink
Once you complete your phone interview you will immediately want to know if you are accepted. Some people here within a day and others don't hear anything back until a month or two. My best advice during this waiting period is to just try and stay busy. I wouldn't recommend looking at your Disney dashboard everyday, but instead look at it maybe once a week to see where your standing is.
I hope that some of these tips can help somebody make their DCP dreams come true!
