Last semester, I had the magical opportunity to work at Walt Disney World through the Disney College Program (DCP). DCP is a program for students in college or recently graduated that allows them to live and work at Disney World for a semester, or longer.
The Walt Disney Company will assign you a role from working attractions to working food & beverage, which you will work full-time during your stay in Orlando.
I applied because I’ve always been a huge Disney fan, and I had dreamed of participating in this program since middle school, so as a sophomore in college, I simply couldn’t wait anymore.
I was assigned an attractions role, which means I was in charge of operating a ride. I operated the Slinky Dog Dash roller coaster in Toy Story Land, Hollywood Studios. When I first received this email, it was a dream come true. Hollywood Studios is my favorite Disney park, and working on a roller coaster was exactly what I’d wanted.
Working at Disney World definitely had its challenges; some days I had shifts as early as 6 am, other days I had shifts as late as 2 am. I was scheduled to work on Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day. I also had to battle the heat in Florida, dealing with stressful days while still keeping a smile on my face for the guests. Sometimes guests would be upset about the wait time or the heat, which could make it difficult to keep up the Disney magic. However, these struggles made me work harder.
One of the best parts of doing this program was absolutely my coworkers at Slinky Dog Dash. I met people from all over the world, from Honduras to Korea. A majority of my closest friends from the program were all coworkers, considering we got to see each other so often at work. I’ve stayed in contact with so many of the people I’ve met, and they really shaped my time in the program.
I got to experience so many things I’ve never had before, such as going to Universal Studios, The Florida Mall, and visiting just about every Disney resort in Florida. I also traveled to California for a week during my program to see Disneyland in California, and I did this with my best friend, whom I also met through the program. The past five months were definitely a Disney-packed adventure, but I really wouldn’t trade it for anything.
–Mar. 2, 2026–
