In my opinion, working for the Walt Disney Company is a true honor. Being selected to uphold the legacy of Walt Disney himself is something that people should truly be proud of and never take it for granted. The Disney College and International Program is an amazing opportunity for young adults to travel to Florida and California to learn from the incredible Fortune 500 company.

As a college program intern, or CP, you are basically at the bottom of the Disney totem pole. Disney schedules people based upon seniority, allowing the people who have been there the longest to essentially decide the locations and shifts they would like to work. After scheduling has filled in those spots, the CPs get scheduled where more staffing is required. As you would imagine, this leaves us with schedules that are varied drastically, from park open shifts, to being force extended until 3:45 in the morning. (And yes, this is me, force extended in Princess Fairytale Hall until 3:45am. And no, we didn't meet anyone after 1:30am.)

I truly didn’t mind Disney scheduling as I understood that I was there for work, not play. Unfortunately, too many CPs considered the program as an opportunity for a vacation rather than a remarkable networking experience. While I understand that college aged individuals enjoy their parties, nights of drinking and going to the club, I also believe that this was not the prime time to spread our wings to explore the party scene.

I saw far too many people terminated from the company, both on their own decision or their mangers’, due to a lack of work ethic or ability to get to work on time, or even at all. Up until now, all cast members, including CPs, seasonal, part time and full time, could release shifts for either a complete give away or just a trade. Recently, Walt Disney World created a policy regarding schedule changes for their cast members. With the new policy, CPs are not allowed to completely give their shifts away; they can only trade shifts.

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This policy ensures that the CPs will work enough in order to cover their weekly rent. This results from a period of time where too many CPs were releasing shifts to give away, but never picked up other shift, leading to a lack of funds on their paycheck each week. The majority of CPs live in Disney provided apartments. Our rent is deducted from our paycheck each week, going directly back to Disney. This policy is nothing new to the Walt Disney Company, as it has been in effect in Disneyland for quite some time.

Many people are upset about the policy, however I think it makes perfect sense. Starting the college program, I knew that I wasn’t going to make a ton of money, but I was going to make a ton of magic. I wouldn’t have all the free time in the world, but when I had a day off, I used my FREE park admission every chance I got. I met amazing people from all over the globe that I will forever be able to share in this memory together. I created countless memories for guests and even made my way into a few family photo albums for people who I will never meet again.

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This opportunity is one that is meant to change your life if you let it. Whether you wanted to work for Disney because it’s your favorite vacation spot, you wanted free park admission or it sounded better than spending another semester at your college, you chose it for a reason. Why wouldn’t you take every opportunity you possibly could?