Recently, the question has been thrown around “Is the Disney College Program worth it?” The program offers the opportunity for students to become workers of every variety, from concessions to characters, at the Disney parks in both California and Florida. Some of our very own at Cabrini, like senior Heather LaPergola and Rachel Antuzzi are going to experience this program first-hand in Florida. Senior communications major Sarah Czarnomski experienced this program and has a say on the matter.
Czarnomski heard about the program when she was in high school.
“I went down to Disney and my sister’s friend’s older sister was working there. She told me she was a part of the Disney College Program,” Czarnomski said. “When I got home, I looked into it and decided I wanted to do it when I was in college.”
The fact that the program was a Disney program was all it took to attract Czarnomski to the opportunity.
“I knew I had to apply because I am what you call a “Disney child.” I eat, breathe, live Disney,” Czarnomski said. “To be able to work at Disney is like a dream. It was a no brainer to apply.”
The application was a three-step process. The first two parts are web-based. The first step asks about the applicant’s interests and what they would like to do in Disney if accepted. The second part is a personality test that the applicant must pass in order to move on to the final step, which is the phone interview. The interview is about 20 minutes with a Disney representative and is the most essential part of the process, according to Czarnomski.
For six months last year, Czarnomski was a part of this program. She was accepted to the role of full service food and beverage. However, before leaving for the program she was switched to operations/attractions.
“I was on the opening team for the new FastPass+ system in Magic Kingdom,” Czarnomski said. “That means I would schedule FastPasses for guests or help them with any problems they had as the system continued to change.”
Czarnomski found this opportunity to be very beneficial.
“Not only did I learn things outside of the college classroom, I learned about the different cultures I normally wouldn’t have been exposed to,” Czarnomski said. “I can take what I learned in Disney to my job and career.”
With regards to the program being a waste of time, Czarnomski could not agree. Aside from the two classes she took while there that gave her transferrable credits, she enjoyed the adventure.
“People that don’t explore while in college I think are wasting their time,” Czarnomski said. “If you aren’t traveling while in college, you’re missing out on the greatest experiences of a life time. I chose to go to Disney, and it was the best experience of my entire life.”
Czarnomski’s favorite part of the program was her job. Although it was one of the most stressful jobs at the time, she said she met a lot of people who she is still close with today.
“What also was amazing about my job is it was universal. That means I could walk anywhere in the park because I could be stationed anywhere,” Czarnomski said. “Almost every night I worked, I would be able to watch the parade, laser light show on the castle and the fireworks. That made my job a little more magical every time I watched it.”
Of course, her least favorite part of the job was the 12-hour shifts and working six days a week. Czarnomski’s job was also in high demand because of the new FastPass system, so it was easy for her to feel frustrated and over-worked. However, Czarnomski’s dream job is being a wedding planner with Disney Fairytale Weddings, so the program was worth it even more so.
“It isn’t something you just put on your resume; you gain lifelong friends, memories and experiences from it,” Czarnomski said. “Adventure is out there. Disney was my adventure.”
