<p>I will put it simple. As a communications student is the Disney internship worth it?</p>
<p>Is this the college internship program (where you likely be working in the park taking tickets/selling concessions/directing traffic) or the professional one (where you apply for a specific dept)?</p>
<p>It can certainly be a great opportunity. A friend’s D is in hospitality management. She had an internship which she loved and has stunning offers for jobs from it. Even if it doesn’t land you a job, it seems like it would be great fun.</p>
<p>To put it simply, yes.</p>
<p>For S1 the college one was interesting but in the end not worth it. They used them as cheap park labor, part time, and it did not get them into Disney corporate jobs when they finished college. They only offered more hourly park jobs. Other employers were not impressed. And they charged an outrageous amount for the rent in the mandatory apartments. So check it carefully and maybe in hospitality management it is different but for him it was not. </p>
<p>What year are you? He went fall of senior year and missed a lot of on campus career activities, too. Perhaps earlier would have been better.</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies.
I just finished my first semester in college majoring in communications. I’m just checking out what internships are a possibilities for me so I thought of the Disney one right away because its famous. I know that a lot of people hate the program because like singersmom7 said sometimes they used it as legal “slavery”. But students have to understand that you’re going there to give the people that have been saving money all their lives the"Disney experience"so I get why they are so though.</p>
<p>How you handle the experience; what you learn from it; how you discuss it in future interviews would make the determination. I would think the program is selective so perhaps you’d get some notice for being selected. After that, it would be up to you. I’d go for it if you think you’d enjoy it. I hire interns for my company and I always notice other jobs and ask what kids have learned. Lots of jobs lend themselves to communication skills down the road. It’s up to you.</p>
<p>I know someone who is doing it now. She works hard, yes, but feels she is learning a lot.</p>
<p>So at the end of the day an internship is as good as you make it and take advantage of it?</p>
<p>It really depends on which department you get assigned to: of four communication students I personally know, one ended up directing traffic in the parking lot, one waited tables, one was in “guest relations,” and one did computer animation. In my opinion, Disney utilized the talents of each individual appropriately, but it’s hard to justify internship credit for some of those experiences.</p>
<p>Don’t they rotate positions? I’m pretty sure the young woman we know has had a couple of assignments.</p>
<p>I’ll answer a yes to that. You just have to work extra hard. It can be very demanding.</p>
<p>One of my summer employees did it last year and really had the time of her life. I am not sure where it will lead her in the future , but she learned a lot of valuable life lessons and really matured through her experience .</p>
<p>D is doing it right now. She knew going in that it was a minimum wage job working with the public. However, she’d like to apply for a Disney Professional Internship later on as they have one in her chosen field and you have a much better chance of being chosen if you’re a DCP alum.</p>