Now I am doing this post due to someone mentioning that although I have talked application, process, pay, and housing I have not touched the subject of how many interns get taken for the DCP, MIs, or PIs –I know. This question is a touchy and complicated subject, and also is going to lead to some information that is not going to make some candidate very happy. I know it has been said a lot that Disney is very competitive this is not an understatement I promise –they truly are. So, let us begin with this touchy subject of numbers.
To begin let us keep it basic there are thousand of candidates (Disney does not give away specific numbers for candidates), but by the amount of people on the pages applying you can easily tell there are a lot. Why does this matter? For the DCP it means selecting only Disneyland that usually takes about 100-200* candidates is going to hurt you a lot more then selecting Walt Disney World who takes 500-800 candidates**. For a PI this means a little more that means while you may believe you are more then qualified you are competing against a big pool of fish. Which leads me to leave this out here on the open right now most candidates do not receive an offer for a PI/MI on the first try, and sometimes not even the second try. As for how many PI candidates Disney is going to take depends entirely on the role, year, and department –why? Some roles only need 1-2 interns, and some roles need 15-20 interns really depends. Now why they year? This has more to due to interns currently there then the company, and this is because interns who currently hold the internship are allowed to extend making one less spot open for someone else. Department also matters some departments like fairytale weddings simply do not need the same staff that say guest relations is going to need. As for you MIs the only number I can really give you is a general one from 2014 where a recruiter mentioned they only planned on taking about 160 MIs. Now again that may sound like a large number, but in reality those are tough odds to face. I also want to get this out in the open that yes some internships are strictly for undergraduates or MBAs, but those applications that do not state otherwise are open for all. Why does this matter to me? That means some of you undergrads fighting for MIs are going to be competing against MBAs –see where I am going with this? Yes, you did read that correctly you are not only competing against undergrads for some roles, but graduate students as well. Now Disney College Program applicants this also includes you, yes you, as MBA students can also apply to the DCP. Great! So now my chances are lower then I thought they were, and yes I know I had a hard time getting my head around this too. Disney is a large company I mean it is the second largest media company out of the big six so it should come as no surprise they are popular for internships.
So, now you know where you stand (possibly) in a pool of applicants, but what does that mean if I am offered one? Good question I presume many of you are looking for experience in your field to take onto another company, and there are plenty of you who are looking for career here. I am going to be that person while Disney does hire plenty of interns if you have not noticed looking at a regular job posting they are not an entry level company. For you DCP this means a lot less to you then it does the PIs, but since you are easier to explain let’s start with you. The DCP is the essentially the same as a summer job just longer –someone had to say it. So, if you wanted to work here after graduation and start at an hourly theme park position you could. Then as a regular employee you could work up to trainer, relief coordinator, coordinator, manager, and maybe even area manager –noticed how I stopped. It is possible to move above area manager into a general manager, but Disney cannot be your only experience otherwise it might be quite difficult to do so. From what I have noticed in the entry level theme park roles you are going to make a lot of lateral movement before moving you do any moving up. Moving on, for you PIs this means something quite different especially for you post-grad students applying. With the exception of management, who are usually offered roles is available the likelihood of you getting a full-time offer in the internship position you are currently working is pretty low. Wait what? Yes I know this is the disappointing truth when it comes to Disney internships even though you were qualified for an internship that does not mean you are qualified for a job. Now I know does this raise the question does this happen to everyone? No, some lucky interns manage to find permanent jobs in their department, so it does happen although just not often.
Let’s bring up the subject no one likes to talk about either rejection… I know it is the thing no one wants to see on their Disney dashboard –NLIC. Trust me I know that feeling of absolute heartbreak wondering what you did wrong, what you could have done better, or simply just what happened. For the DCP applicants I do not know this feeling as much as I was accepted both times I applied, but trust me I know it must feel just like a PI rejection or even worse. As for you PIs who have never applied for a DCP who are wondering why well unlike the PIs if they are rejected from an application they cannot apply for another DCP until the next round of applications***. As for you PIs trust me I get it as well when I let my first finance internship slip through hands I was heartbroken. I am pretty sure I refreshed my dash at least ten thousand times hoping it would go back in progress. However, not all is lost PIs do not have the same rule if you get NLIC for one PI you are still in the running for the other ones you applied to. If you are NLICed for every PI you applied for you can apply next round of applications just like the DCP. Now I know the first rejection is hard, and it does not get any easier trust me –I do know. Calm down like I stated earlier most do not get it on the first try PIs and even CPs are competitive, and that means sometimes even good candidates fall out of the process. As a dear friend one reminded me when I left that magical place, “Disney is not going anywhere it will still be here if you ever want to come back.” They were right Disney has been around a long time, and I promise in the six months you are unable to apply it will still be there –promise.
*/** Both these numbers were based on varied stats done on accepted applicants from third parties, blogs, and accepted students self reporting
***I also would like to state for you alumni that means if you fail a WBI for summer you cannot apply to fall you must wait spring applications.