My Disney College Program was Supposed to be Over
The best times of my life were spent on the Disney College Program. When I participated in my first program in 2022, I met the most incredible people and had the most fun I’d ever had in my life. Working and living with all my favorite people and getting to spend time playing in the parks with them made me feel like a child again, in the best way possible. Ever since it ended (and honestly even before it ended), I’ve been dreaming about going back and experiencing it again.
When I left the program the first time, I was working 60+ hours a week doing a job that I loved but with getting my own place, I had to worry about making my rent on time every month, paying all my bills, and meeting new people. I moved to a place where I didn’t know many people and I had a hard time making friends when I spent all my days in an office with me and one other person (Eli, if you’re ever reading this, hello!) It all felt very… adult.
After a year of working, I switched between design studios to work fewer hours because I decided to go back to school. I started at the Savannah College of Art & Design in Atlanta which I am so fortunate to attend. I met some more amazing people there and I truly enjoy every single class I take there. But real adult life was stressful and draining and expensive! And I missed being a kid and getting to play so I applied for the Disney College Program again.
My program dates were originally set for August 25th, 2025 through January 2nd, 2026. I decided I would just take one quarter off from SCAD, which I had never done, even during summers. It would be like a reset for me. I would make new friends, I would spend time relaxing and having fun instead of just worrying about everything all the time. And then when my program ended, I would go back to Atlanta and finish my last year of my B.F.A.
Move-in day came so quickly and the first week I was here felt like a blur. Before training started in week two, I spent every day in the parks with my friends and I already felt so rejuvenated. This was going to be my life for the next four months. At that point, four months felt like such a long time. Because I wasn’t going to waste a second of it, right?
Wrong. I got so caught up in work, which is honestly my favorite job I have ever had. The people I work with are some of my favorite people I’ve met in my entire life, leadership is incredible, I love my location. I truly have no complaints. I was working six days a week for a few months, with some weeks reaching 55 hours.
And genuinely, I was happy. But then I realized it wasn’t August anymore. It wasn’t September. It wasn’t October. It was the middle of November. At some point in October, I applied for a program extension. I didn’t want to leave my location and my coworkers, so I applied to stay the full year. My program was originally supposed to end on January 2nd so more than half of my original time here was up. And I had barely visited the parks. I didn’t hang out with anyone I didn’t work with. I literally dragged my friend Bobby here with me from college so we could spend every day together and we both just got so caught up with work we didn’t see each other for months.
So I realized that even though I’ve been perfectly happy at work, I wasn’t doing any of the things I came here for. It hit me that if my program was still set to end on January 2nd, I would not be content with my time here. I still felt like I just moved in two weeks prior.
So December came and I decided to be more intentional with my time. I took a social media cleanse for 40 days and I actually got myself up and out of my apartment before and after work. I went to Animal Kingdom as a guest before my shift and I went to Disney Springs for late night dessert or a movie. I even went outside of the Disney Bubble and took myself to see The Nutcracker in Downtown Orlando. That has been on my bucket list all year. I brought my vlog camera with me and I documented the past month. Looking back on my vlogs from my first program has been something I’ve done at least once a month since I left. You can watch my December vlog here! There is so much that Disney World AND Orlando have to offer and no matter how much time I’ve spent here, there is still so much I haven’t done.
Going into 2026, I am going to be as intentional as possible. If there is one thing I’ve learned these past few months, it’s to make the most of your time. Especially with the knowledge of how often I looked back on my first program, I know I’m going to look back on this program with the same nostalgia and longing to come back. So I want to make the most of it while I can and do anything and everything I can, even if it means I leave my program broke (which I guarantee will happen either way). So my advice, if you are thinking about doing the Disney College Program or you’re starting it soon, is to make the most of every day. Leave the apartment. Go to the classes and engagements offered at Flamingo. Bring a change of clothes and go into the parks for an hour after work. Grab breakfast at a resort you’ve never been to. Say hi to the people you see in lines. And if you’ve already completed your program and you miss it as much as I did, go do it again.
Watch my DCP journey on YouTube here!
