Overview
The Disney College Program (DCP) is an internship experience providing uniquely Disney work opportunities all while creating magical memories. Mizzou’s campus liaison works with Disney recruiters to ensure students have the necessary information to transition to and from the internship.
If you are considering the Disney College Program, there is an important process to follow:
- Arrange your DCP-Mizzou Process Meeting with the campus liaison, where you will receive your enrollment form and additional information.
- Next, connect with your academic advisor to discuss your graduation plan.
- Also, explore the Disney College Program website to learn important details like application due dates, fees, and compensation.
Academics
The Disney College Program is a full-time paid internship, and the experience includes working days, nights, weekends and holidays. You will learn gain valuable skills in your role; however, internships are typical park positions (food service, amusements, merchandising, etc.). Therefore, most Mizzou students do not earn any academic credit for the experience.
Hospitality Management and Parks, Recreation, Sport & Tourism majors may be able to earn some academic credit, so connect with your academic or faculty advisor about this exception.
To remain enrolled at Mizzou, all DCP students must register in a special 0-credit hour course (SSC 1500 Disny Internship) as a place-holder on your transcript. More details about this will be outlined in the DCP-Mizzou Process Meeting with a campus liaison.
Position Logistics
Disney has Fall and Spring internship cohorts, each lasting 4-6 months. There are no summer-only internships. Interns may extend their internship through the summer months through the “DCP Advantage”. DCP interns can pay to live in housing complexes located near the amusement parks and housing fees are automatically deducted from paychecks. Interns may bring vehicles but must register them for a fee. Transportation is provided to and from your work location.
Accepting an offer to Disney College Program may affect your housing, financial aid and graduation date, so it’s critical to speak with someone about the impact of participating as an intern.
Application tips
Please carefully consider all your answers on your application to DCP as they cannot be adjusted and will directly affect your assigned role (food service, amusements, merchandising, custodial, etc.).
If you decide to decline a DCP offer, you can apply again without concern. In fact, you can participate in DCP up to 2 years after graduating from Mizzou!
Accepting an offer: Actions steps
Meet with Career Center staff to discuss how the internship will affect your graduation plan, financial aid, and housing. Disney requires a decision to accept within 7 days of making an offer, it’s crucial to follow Mizzou’s process to help you decide if Disney College Program is right for you! here are some important considerations:
Impact on Graduation Plan: The Disney internship is rarely accepted for acacemic credit at Mizzou. Before accepting an offer, you should meet with your academic advisor to discuss how the internship may affect your progress toward graduation. You may need to explore options such as taking summer or online courses or adjusting your graduation date. Having a clear plan with your advisor before accepting an offer can help you make an informed decision and avoid unexpected delays.
Plan ahead for course registration: Connect with your academic advisor before leaving campus to discuss which courses you should enroll in for the following semester. Make note of important registration dates and be sure to regularly monitor your Mizzou email while away so you don’t miss registration information, advising communications, or other time-sensitive academic deadlines.
Speak with Student Financial Aid: Make sure that you talk with a financial aid advisor to determine if your aid (scholarships, grants, loans, etc.) will be affected.
Live on campus? You’ll need to cancel your housing contract (which includes your dining plan) by completing a check out in MU Housing Portal. Also, please alert your RA about your plans and be sure to take all of your belongings with you to avoid charges.
Live off campus? Unless you plan to continue to pay your rent, you’ll need to find a subleaser. Please use the Off Campus Housing Marketplace to post a listing. This is a Mizzou maintained site that assist students with housing resources, minus the clutter of generic search sites.
Consult Mizzou staff
You need to learn how the internship may affect your graduation plan, financial aid and local housing. We can help you understand the impact of participating. Also, if you accept, we can outline the critical steps you must take before your departure for a seamless experience.