College Program Ending & Cast Members Sent Home from Disney World
Participating students have been advised that this semester’s College Program at Walt Disney World is ending. In addition to their internship being over, these Cast Members have been notified that their housing complexes will be closing, and they will need to depart by March 18 at 11 a.m.
This news comes after Walt Disney World announced the theme parks will be closed due to coronavirus through at least the remainder of March 2020. Although it’s probably obvious, the COVID-19 pandemic is the impetus for the abrupt decision to prematurely end this round of the College Program.
In addition to the College Program (CP), this applies termination to Culinary Program, Cultural Exchange Program, Academic Exchange Program, and some international cast members. In this post, we’ll share details of the announcement and offer commentary about the larger implications for Walt Disney World…
Let’s start with the “Important Program Update” that was sent to impacted Cast Members:
As the update indicates, College Program and other impacted participants will be paid through the end of March 2020, and will no longer be charged for their housing. Program participants will also be given a successful program completion, which should help when pursuing future roles with the Walt Disney Company.
This move mirrors the scene at numerous dorms around the country. Over 200 colleges and universities across the United States have temporarily closed in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. In many cases, students were initially advised that they’d be allowed to remain in student housing, only to have schools backtrack, advising them to vacate immediately.
For those unfamiliar with it, the College Program is a semester-long paid internship offered by Walt Disney World. Students work part-time all around the parks and resorts, while taking classes and living in Disney housing. If you’ve attended college in the last decade-plus, you’ve probably encountered Disney recruiters for the CP.
It’s unclear how much of Walt Disney World’s workforce the College Program (and other impacted programs) constitute. Some older estimates put it around 5-10%, but the CP has proliferated in recent years. We find it very hard to believe that the College Program makes up 10% or less of frontline Cast Members. Anecdotally, double or even triple that seems more likely to us.
Depending upon who you ask, the College Program can be controversial or the greatest thing ever. Reviews of the experience are all over the place, varying dramatically based upon the position each student was assigned and whether they’re hardcore Disney fans or simply looking for a strong internship opportunity with a respected corporation.
Beyond that, there’s skepticism about Walt Disney World’s motivation for using the College Program as cheap labor that sidesteps unions, charging above-market rates for housing, among several other criticisms. (All of those are well beyond the scope of this post, but do provide some context for our commentary below.)
In fairness, many students report memorable, life-defining experiences during the College Program and use it as a stepping-stone for careers with the company. (Even without a rose-colored perspective on the CP, I still kind of wish I would’ve done it.)
At present, the next round of the College Program is still scheduled to begin in May. Stated differently, the next College Program is not scheduled to begin until May. That means Walt Disney World is terminating a large amount of its labor force without replacement until at least May 2020.
One of our first thoughts upon hearing this news is it reiterates that Walt Disney World is not realistically expecting to reopen the parks on April 1, 2020. This is something we’ve been stressing since it was first announced that WDW would be closing. That’s simply the timeframe for reevaluating the pandemic status.
It’s more palatable to the public to suggest a 2 week ‘pause’ on large gatherings and events. From Walt Disney World’s perspective, an incremental closure done in rolling phases is also easier to implement and navigate than a longer one announced all at once–as it stands, the phone lines have been overwhelmed since the announcement.
This would be an overly optimistic timeline even with a lot of best case assumptions about social distancing like what has been done in Asia. As we’ve pointed out previously, American individualism runs counter to a lot of that. This is borne out by photos of crowded restaurants, bars, events, and theme parks this weekend. If our collective behavior doesn’t become more disciplined, this could last longer and have worse consequences.
Even in Japan, Hong Kong, and China–countries where there has been greater diligence in self-isolation and social distancing, the parks have not been closed for only 2 weeks. Similar to Walt Disney World and Disneyland, Tokyo Disney Resort originally announced a 2 week closure. That was subsequently extended for at least another 2 weeks, despite Japan doing a fairly good job with containment.
As stated in our Walt Disney World Closure FAQ: Refund, Cancellation, Delay & Extensions, we think the best case scenario is Walt Disney World reopening at some point in mid to late April 2020. If we had a trip planned in or before May 2020, we would begin processing the very real possibility that it might not occur.
We would absolutely love to be wrong on this, and retain a sliver of hope that Walt Disney World will reopen on April 1, 2020. (Mostly because that means current measures will have proven successful in containing coronavirus, and things will have not gotten worse.)
Finally, if you or a College Program participant you know is in need of immediate assistance, there are some options. U-Haul is offering college students 30 days of free storage. Enterprise wants to make it easier for students to get home to their families by reducing the age minimum and waiving the young renter fees for rentals through May 31, 2020. Finally, Frontier Airlines is letting students fly free to select destinations.
Beyond that, Representative Anna Eskamani (who represents Central Florida House District 47) offered support and assistance via Twitter: “If you are one of these students who has no way to get home please contact our office so we can find ways to help: [email protected].” Other local organizations, such as Mosaic at WDW are also providing support with packing, transportation, temporary housing, etc.
Ultimately, this was incredibly sad news for many students who just began their College Programs. There are numerous heartbreaking reports going around on social media of students gathered around phones reading this news while in the parks yesterday, tears being shed all around backstage, and CPs being advised to go home early during the middle of shifts.
No matter how this news is framed, it has a deep emotional toll and devastating consequences for these program participants and their families. Those who were impacted by the sudden termination of these programs are in our thoughts, and have our sympathies. We’ll end with another reminder that is going to be a trying time for a lot of people in a lot of ways, and a little kindness goes a long way.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts
What do you think of the College Program ending this semester early and closing CP housing? Think it’s a smart move or too harsh? Any other thoughts on the CP? What this could mean for Walt Disney World’s reopening date? Do you agree or disagree with our commentary? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
My daughter has been in the CEP for only 6 weeks of her 6 – 12 month program, they have the option to extend. Coming from Australia she had to buy all of her bedding etc. it was a huge outlay when you consider the phone plan and all of the insurance and visa payments. She had been trying to get confirmation that she may be able to return for the second half of the year but there aren’t any guarantees so for now she’s throwing out all of the bedding etc and can’t even resume her uni course until next February because that’s the next time her required subjects will run. It’s so disappointing, money aside, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for these overseas kids. She’ll be home Friday, I’m hoping Disney is going to provide transport to the airport for them. Thanks Tom I’ve been following you for years.
Hi Jade
I am so sorry to hear about your daughter’s experience. Wishing you and her all the best.
Thanks Bel that’s kind of you
While I feel bad for these kids, Disney is not responsible for the corona virus. I am sure that Disney can’t win here. If they let them stay there and some kids contracted the virus who’s fault would that be? And how many lawsuits would that bring? Nothing is perfect but I think they are doing the best under the circumstances.
It’s definitely a no-win situation. I think a big part of it was the messaging and poor communication (Disney essentially apologized for that in a subsequent communication).
Ultimately, these were college students in confined dorm-style housing that has a reputation for partying (Vista Way has an infamous nickname for a reason). Give them a few weeks of no work and extra time, and a coronavirus outbreak isn’t the only unplanned problem they’d have…
Not really a confined situation. 4 or 6 people per apartment. But yeah, horny college students… I lived at Vista Lay for 8 months and it was…fun.
Bottom line, it’s still just a flu and not that big of a deal for college age people. A bigger danger is them traveling home to family members.
Big assumption to stereotype all young adults that way!
I love Disney, but…….. what they did to the DCP participants is not cool. It borders on cruel. The young adults committed to Disney for 6 months; Disney’s commitment was 2 weeks and get out! Their services were not valued. They were terminated and told to leave. Now, they have lost their home and their financial security. How would anyone like to be trying to find employment in an economy that is in turmoil right now? These participants paid money and gave up other opportunities to work for “the happiest place on Earth”! Many of them have car payments, student loans and other financial obligations. Disney posted that they were helping each individual with moving and getting home. My daughter got no help; she got herself home! The stress and trauma that was put on these participants borders on cruel and totally disrespectful. The DCP teams should receive their full compensation for the entirety of their program and all the deposits and money paid on housing should be returned. I am totally disappointed in a place we have loved so much and invested in over many years. Not cool, Disney.
Exactly! Disney CEOs make too much money and showed me they didn’t care. My kid asked if she could quarantine for two weeks and housing said the state was making them move out. Is that true? The sad thing? My daughter loves Disney so much she’s going to lose another semester as she applied to work there this fall. All this to receive minimum wage and then to pay rent back that is most of her pay. I get to live with a kid who is going be depressed and possibly infected. I understand there are people in the world who are dealing with more important issues such as health issues, famine and war. The comment above is based on how disney couldn’t give back to this workforce. And don’t get me started on the people who work there full-time . Four years ago I met and spoke to an employee who was denied a fan because it wouldn’t look good to have him cooled down while working in the heat. I I did hear that she did not have to pay for the shuttle to the airport. Her pay for two weeks and the shuttle probably equals the application fee that she had to pre-pay and will have to pay once again when she works there in the future. This post is about how Disney didn’t think of their workforce , but Mark Cuban did.
CEO compensation is irrelevant. But I agree Disney should’ve done more. Even having an application fee is a loaf of crap. I don’t think there was anything like that or vehicle fees or anything when I did the program.
I think you’ve mentioned before that you did the CP in the early to mid-1990s. I’d just say that a lot has changed since then, both in the substance of the program and Disney’s motivations for offering it.
It still has benefits to both participants and guests, but let’s just say that it has “evolved” significantly.
Agreed Tom. Mine was in 92, and I’m pretty sure I and my friends are the reason for some of the rules they have now…
I think it’s a lot more hassle for the kids now. Fees sound ridiculous. Crazy rules and threats of termination, etc. I talk with a number of the CPs on Facebook and other groups. Still a good thing for a lot but definitely seems skewed for the company these days.
Disney is sending my kid home and now I’m concerned about her infecting me due to the number of people she’s been in contact with over the past few weeks. Trust me there’s been no social distancing on her end, and now I’m panicked about staying away from a family member who is at high risk. Why not keep the kids In Florida for at least two weeks ? Would it really have hurt Disney to let the kids live in their apartments they Had to pay for? Does this make sense at all to make them come home after they’ve been around thousands of people and we’re are asking people to stay home?!
Can someone please explain the program to me. Is the Semester 3 months long and is there 4 Semesters a year. One Mom states her daughter had just done a week. Could she sign up to do it again? Even though Disney says program completed I figured that was for kids who were almost finished, not just started.
My daughter did the college program Fall 2014. She started the first week of September and hers went through the Christmas holidays. A full semester…just like college (typically 15-16 weeks). Spring semester is usually January to April/May and then there’s summer May-August.
Unfortunately, it is true, my daughter started on 3/9 for move in date, 3/11 physical test, 3/13/ Traditions and receiving her ears, 3/14 half day training and receive her uniform, 2 hours later email program cancelled, 3/15 returned her uniform, got reimbursed and shipped home. She is totally devastated that she gave up so much to be a part of the Disney program only to never have worked in the part at all, but received a program completed and her graduation ears. She was terminated before she even started. I pray that Disney finds these kids and puts them back into the program to start what they expected to start.
I participated in the International program in 2006 working at the Canada Pavilion in Epcot. I can’t even imagine how these kids are feeling. For many getting home will be a nightmare as flights to Asia and Europe have been curtailed. Also if they send home all the international program kids how are they going to reopen world showcase? The pavilions are staffed almost entirely by kids in this program, you can bring in a new group when the parks reopen but who will be around to train them?
My son is supposed to start in May on the College Program. We are hoping that this doesn’t change. He, and us, are really looking forward to it.
I wish Disney gave the students a week or two to figure out how they were going to get home.
I understand, but I doubt this was Disney trying to save a few bucks. In this case, I think Disney came to the conclusion that having students remain in the dorms was a health hazard.
It was hard for my daughter to get this news as she was just starting. She was there less than one week and was told the program ended and she has to leave. She took time off of college to do this. She was looking forward to working there as she would like to apply for a job there after she graduates. I don’t see why they could not let them stay til they open and then continued with the CP.
I have to think that it’s because of the unknown as to exactly when Disney would open. There was no guarantee that Keeping the kids in the apartments would help the situation that no one could have foreseen. For example, the closure of so many parks, restaurants, bars, time curfews that have been set, groceries stores are out of stock of food and paper goods and so much more; service area stops on highways closed plus airlines are limiting their flights. I believe they did the right thing, as abrupt as it was, not knowing what anyone would be facing. I’m still praying for a Disney miracle that the CP who just started that week will be asked to come back to get some of the Disney experience they so expected and to pick up the new friendships that were just created.
So depressing to look at the RSS feed from this site I enjoy so much, and note that every recent article is a huge downer.
Not a commentary on your coverage at all (which is incredibly valuable). I just think it’s interesting that something that is all about escapism has become so grounded in grim reality 🙁
Shame on disney using students for cheap labor. Even the casino here in my town say it will still pay paychecks to workers that are not working. Disney is so GD cheap and $ hungry
Disney is still paying EVERY cast member during the closure. The students are STILL getting paid AND program completion. Not sure how you think Disney is being cheap. SMH
DCP cast members are only getting paid 2 weeks, that’s not the same as the regular cast members. The participants are out a lot more than that and now have to find jobs in an economy that is in turmoil!
Yes, you’re right. I was told one month pay and program completion. The program completion means absolutely nothing to the CP that just moved in on 3/9 and had to leave on 3/15. They did not get any chance to work or to earn their graduation ears or have any of the experience except the $ it took to fly and move in and decorate and missed other job opportunities. Yes, these kids gave up a lot. I hope Disney will recognize that and ask them to come back.
I understand the need to downsize the staff, and I understand the parks, etc closing. What I don’t understand is the need to only give the kids until Wednesday 11am to pack up and be out. With all the guests trying to get flights last minute how do they expect these kids to find flights to get out of Orlando. Seems like an unfortunate disregard for their safety beyond the virus. They couldn’t give them until the end of the week if they are unable to find housing/transportation?
Forcing “kids “ out on the streets in 2 days is ridiculous. My daughter is from Washington state. We drove her stuff out and had planned to pick her up in August. How does she get her stuff home? Flying supposed to be not good. Isn’t this why we are closing parks? Seemed like close the parks, protect visitors and full time people and the hell with thousands of kids from all across the country trying to get home. Having some time to coordinate travel would have been nice. They are not charging rent. Wow! No kidding if kick them out you really can’t charge them. Paying until end of month. Great! Broke now. No money to get home. But in 2 weeks we will send you a few hundred dollars. Oh, what about refunding my $345 application fee. That would be handy. Pretty crappy on Disney part. Company that big could at least ship stuff home for free.
I’m very hopeful WDW closes Disney Springs and it’s resort hotels this week. My brother is a CM at Hollywood and today is his last “official” day working at Smuggler’s Run and had planned a flight home to MA to be with our parents. Unfortunately, he along with many of his fellow CMs received word that they had been dispatched to Disney Springs for crowd control beginning tomorrow. He’s heartbroken and wants to come home. I don’t understand the logic behind closing the parks yet leaving Disney Springs open- possibly something to do with other restaurant groups and shops running businesses there versus solely run by Disney? I am hopeful another commented is right, and that they close down soon into this week as well. The swifter our response as a nation, the better chance we have of coming out of this sooner rather than later.
If Disney opens in April, the guests will be down so the workforce can be reduced. By eliminating the College Program, they’ve right sized their workforce without disturbing the union.
My guess is in this next week or so Disney will extend the park closure until at least April 12th. With them letting the CP kids go and the entertainment from Epcot they are letting go(more to come im sure) that they know the parks will be closed a lot longer and are trying to lower expenses by having to pay less people.
My other guess is that Disney springs and the hotels will be closing soon as well. As people leave and no one new checking in that will surely be the next move by Disney.
I was on the CP in 1987 loved it! I’m still good friends with 5 of my roommates. (There were 8 of us in a double wide trailer in Snow White village) I finished my college degree and moved to Orlando. I’m an AP and went last Sunday and got to ride Rise of the Resistance and the Runaway Railway. I’m going to miss my park time and looking forward to when it re opens!
It’s all so sad. But necessary. We are here in studios for last day. Got on resistance but it had a power failure and unloaded around eleven. Used a fast pass on smugglers and had lunch and tried resistance. It was open but we were about the first on. It was even better than last December. See more every time. This park still crowded.
I was in DCP Jan-Aug 92 aaaaaand it was awesome. Eight month paid vacation at WDW! This really sucks for those kids. It’s obvious they don’t plan to reopen before May.
Our trip to WDW is set to begin on 4/4. I think it is becoming clear, and most seem to agree, that the closure is going to extend beyond the initial two weeks as Disney plans internally for a longer shutdown. We are planning on rescheduling anyway as our daughter’s band trip was cancelled by the school but we plan to wait a bit longer before doing so to keep the reservation lines open for people affected in the next two weeks.
This: “If our collective behavior doesn’t become more disciplined, this could last longer and have worse consequences.”
Hit send too soon I agree though this is heartbreaking for these kids and it makes me very sad
It’s really sad for these kids, my heart goes out to them. Tom that was very good info you posted to help. If anyone knew another way to impact this virus it would be great, but no one does so it’s the best (and only), way to help stop the spread. It doesn’t make me happy just knowing Disneyworld is closed without a trip planned for this time.
I did the college program Fall 14- Spring 15 and definitely am a strong advocate for the program. I understand Disney isn’t perfect and the college program definitely isn’t for everyone- I know many people who didn’t successfully complete it. I would have been devastated if this had been during my program but at least I had a car to get home in! I feel so bad for everyone affected by this decision and my heart is with all of them. I also have seen there are many people who are Passholders or longtime fans who are being especially rude to the cast members who have just had their whole livelihoods affected by this. I get there are way bigger problems out there but some perspective goes a long way. These definitely are trying times and I do think many who doubted this are beginning to see this is going to have a big impact on society for a long time.