The process
I'm not going to lie, the process is really long. I mean it's long to hear back from Disney.
After you apply, you will have an account to check your application most of the time it will say: in progress.
FIRST E-MAIL: you need to upload on their website
- student proof
- a copy of passport
- emergency numbers
- personal information
- copy of past visa (if applicable)
a few weeks after that you should receive a
SECOND E-MAIL: role checklist
It's an opportunity for you to indicate which roles you are most interested in. So, take this very seriously and read carefully each role because that's what you might be doing for 3 months. In this e-mail you are asked to indicate your preferences for each role that is on the checklist from high interest, moderate interest, low interest or no interest. [If you really want to do the program and you do not mind any of the roles custodial or quick services food and beverage are two roles that they always need people]
a few seconds later
THIRD E-MAIL: Interview invitation
Once you completed your role checklist, you will receive an e-mail for an interview. You will be able to choose a date, the time and where between those cities [it might change]: Toronto [2 days], Montreal and Quebec City.
For your interview:
- Dress like any professional interview
- Do NOT stress [trust me it is not worth it]
- Be confident and enjoy to the fullest
After your interview:
- Shortly you will receive an e-mail thanking you for the interview.
About a week later you will FIND OUT !! Either good news or bad. Hopefully good.
In your offer, you will find out what role you will be doing, the amount of time they will give you [minimum 30 per week]. Once you accept your offer, you will have to pay the assessment fees and the housing fees. Total: $355
After that you will receive a ton of e-mail: welcome to the team, provide a background check, travel information, medical insurance coverage and the disney look guide.
ASAP:
- You will have to get a background check.The fees are subject to change depending on the province and city you live.
- You will have to tell the recruiters about your travelling information [they must know before your arrival date]
- Even if you are covered with your parents, you HAVE TO get disney's medical insurance for the time you will be in the States
- You will have to pay a sevis [visa] fees, which is $35. For the rest of the visa, it's in Disney's hand. Disney will ship your DS-2019 at your house.[this is really important because it is your visa and you will need it for customs]
You will also receive an e-mail with all the hiring information. You will need to print and sign those papers and bring them with you to Florida. They will collect those papers on the second day there.
DORMS:
A few weeks before your arrival date, you will have receive an e-mail for the housing. You will be able to list your preferences for your apartment complexes and your roommates. You will be able to request to be with 3 people. Take note it is only requests and it is not guaranty that you will have your first choices. Each complexes have a pool and a gym.
WHEN YOU TRAVEL HAVE IN HAND:
- your offer
- DS-2019 ** [VISA - make sure that the customs sign it]
- confirmation of your sevis pavement
- copy of your passport [especially if you're over 21 and you don't want to bring your passport in the bars]
- paper of the insurance
- hire documentation
- dorms documentation
- confirmation of your assessment fees
- copy of background check [optional]
After you apply, you will have an account to check your application most of the time it will say: in progress.
FIRST E-MAIL: you need to upload on their website
- student proof
- a copy of passport
- emergency numbers
- personal information
- copy of past visa (if applicable)
a few weeks after that you should receive a
SECOND E-MAIL: role checklist
It's an opportunity for you to indicate which roles you are most interested in. So, take this very seriously and read carefully each role because that's what you might be doing for 3 months. In this e-mail you are asked to indicate your preferences for each role that is on the checklist from high interest, moderate interest, low interest or no interest. [If you really want to do the program and you do not mind any of the roles custodial or quick services food and beverage are two roles that they always need people]
a few seconds later
THIRD E-MAIL: Interview invitation
Once you completed your role checklist, you will receive an e-mail for an interview. You will be able to choose a date, the time and where between those cities [it might change]: Toronto [2 days], Montreal and Quebec City.
For your interview:
- Dress like any professional interview
- Do NOT stress [trust me it is not worth it]
- Be confident and enjoy to the fullest
After your interview:
- Shortly you will receive an e-mail thanking you for the interview.
About a week later you will FIND OUT !! Either good news or bad. Hopefully good.
In your offer, you will find out what role you will be doing, the amount of time they will give you [minimum 30 per week]. Once you accept your offer, you will have to pay the assessment fees and the housing fees. Total: $355
After that you will receive a ton of e-mail: welcome to the team, provide a background check, travel information, medical insurance coverage and the disney look guide.
ASAP:
- You will have to get a background check.The fees are subject to change depending on the province and city you live.
- You will have to tell the recruiters about your travelling information [they must know before your arrival date]
- Even if you are covered with your parents, you HAVE TO get disney's medical insurance for the time you will be in the States
- You will have to pay a sevis [visa] fees, which is $35. For the rest of the visa, it's in Disney's hand. Disney will ship your DS-2019 at your house.[this is really important because it is your visa and you will need it for customs]
You will also receive an e-mail with all the hiring information. You will need to print and sign those papers and bring them with you to Florida. They will collect those papers on the second day there.
DORMS:
A few weeks before your arrival date, you will have receive an e-mail for the housing. You will be able to list your preferences for your apartment complexes and your roommates. You will be able to request to be with 3 people. Take note it is only requests and it is not guaranty that you will have your first choices. Each complexes have a pool and a gym.
WHEN YOU TRAVEL HAVE IN HAND:
- your offer
- DS-2019 ** [VISA - make sure that the customs sign it]
- confirmation of your sevis pavement
- copy of your passport [especially if you're over 21 and you don't want to bring your passport in the bars]
- paper of the insurance
- hire documentation
- dorms documentation
- confirmation of your assessment fees
- copy of background check [optional]
2014
The beginning of a wonderful journey.
I was with one of my friends and we were telling each other our plans for this summer (2014). I thought that I would work at a summer camp in Maine called Chop Point. I was hoping to be a counselor at this camp during summer because I was a camper there for 5 summers. Her plan was: doing the Disney Cultural Exchange Program. She gave me all the details of this program. It seems like a wonderful experience : you live in an apartment, you work for Disney and you meet people from all around the world. I've never been to Disney World, and it sounds a-m-a-z-i-n-g. She told me that normally, you should apply very early for this program like in September or October and we were in mid-November already. I thought better too late than never.
On that same night, I went on the Disney International Program's website ( http://ip.disneycareers.com ) and I watched many videos on Youtube. The program looks really fun to do so, of course I applied. That was on November 17, 2013. About a month later (December 18), I received an e-mail saying that I need to upload documents on the website: proof that I am a student, a copy of my passport, emergency number and personal informations. I had to go to my school ASAP because I knew it would close very soon for Christmas vacation and I only had a week to send my documents on the Disney website.
On January 8th, I received another e-mail saying that I need to fill out my Role Checklist. This e-mail is the opportunity for you to indicate which roles you are most interested. So, take this very seriously and read carefully each role because that's what you might be doing for 3 months. I choose Character Attendant, Lifeguard (you have a special formation there but it's not a requirement to be a lifeguard already) and Merchandise.
After I sent my Role Checklist, I think like 2 minutes later, I received an e-mail saying that I will have an interview with Disney and I need to choose the date that I can be there. At this point, I was so excited and nervous. At first, I thought there was only interviews in Toronto and was very sad because I didn't know if I could make it because it was in the middle of the week (Tuesday and Wednesday). I live in Quebec City btw. But I checked very carefully and I found out there was interviews in Montreal on Thursday and in Quebec City on Friday which was at my school - pretty easy to choose when and where I would have the interview.
I wanted to be prepare for this interview. I read a lot of blogs, watch more videos on Youtube and that was pretty much it.
The only thing I had to do was waiting for January 31 for my interview.
I was with one of my friends and we were telling each other our plans for this summer (2014). I thought that I would work at a summer camp in Maine called Chop Point. I was hoping to be a counselor at this camp during summer because I was a camper there for 5 summers. Her plan was: doing the Disney Cultural Exchange Program. She gave me all the details of this program. It seems like a wonderful experience : you live in an apartment, you work for Disney and you meet people from all around the world. I've never been to Disney World, and it sounds a-m-a-z-i-n-g. She told me that normally, you should apply very early for this program like in September or October and we were in mid-November already. I thought better too late than never.
On that same night, I went on the Disney International Program's website ( http://ip.disneycareers.com ) and I watched many videos on Youtube. The program looks really fun to do so, of course I applied. That was on November 17, 2013. About a month later (December 18), I received an e-mail saying that I need to upload documents on the website: proof that I am a student, a copy of my passport, emergency number and personal informations. I had to go to my school ASAP because I knew it would close very soon for Christmas vacation and I only had a week to send my documents on the Disney website.
On January 8th, I received another e-mail saying that I need to fill out my Role Checklist. This e-mail is the opportunity for you to indicate which roles you are most interested. So, take this very seriously and read carefully each role because that's what you might be doing for 3 months. I choose Character Attendant, Lifeguard (you have a special formation there but it's not a requirement to be a lifeguard already) and Merchandise.
After I sent my Role Checklist, I think like 2 minutes later, I received an e-mail saying that I will have an interview with Disney and I need to choose the date that I can be there. At this point, I was so excited and nervous. At first, I thought there was only interviews in Toronto and was very sad because I didn't know if I could make it because it was in the middle of the week (Tuesday and Wednesday). I live in Quebec City btw. But I checked very carefully and I found out there was interviews in Montreal on Thursday and in Quebec City on Friday which was at my school - pretty easy to choose when and where I would have the interview.
I wanted to be prepare for this interview. I read a lot of blogs, watch more videos on Youtube and that was pretty much it.
The only thing I had to do was waiting for January 31 for my interview.
2015
I wasn't planning to apply on a second program with Disney. But let me tell you when you see your friends applying again and you don't have plans for the summer, why would you not apply?
On October 2nd, it was too tempting! I applied on that day for the Disney's Cultural Exchange Program. This year was different from last year. We (Canadians participants) didn't receive the e-mail to upload your documents at the same time. Some people received it in October and November. I received the e-mail at the end of December and it was remind to upload my documents even though I never received the first e-mail. Oh well, at least it was a good sign. This time I had to send those infos: a student proof, copy of passport, emergency number, personal informations and a copy of my past visa.
On January 6th, I received another e-mail saying that I need to fill out my role checklist. I said that I had high interest for the following roles: Character Attendant, Merchandise, Lifeguard and Recreation. A few minutes later, I got an e-mail saying that I was invited for an interview. I choose the one at Laval University on January 26th (this year, Quebec City was their first destination).
On October 2nd, it was too tempting! I applied on that day for the Disney's Cultural Exchange Program. This year was different from last year. We (Canadians participants) didn't receive the e-mail to upload your documents at the same time. Some people received it in October and November. I received the e-mail at the end of December and it was remind to upload my documents even though I never received the first e-mail. Oh well, at least it was a good sign. This time I had to send those infos: a student proof, copy of passport, emergency number, personal informations and a copy of my past visa.
On January 6th, I received another e-mail saying that I need to fill out my role checklist. I said that I had high interest for the following roles: Character Attendant, Merchandise, Lifeguard and Recreation. A few minutes later, I got an e-mail saying that I was invited for an interview. I choose the one at Laval University on January 26th (this year, Quebec City was their first destination).
2016
Right after my program, actually a few days later, I decide to apply AGAIN for the cultural exchange program. This year the process kinda change because Alumnis were not given a face-to-face interview but a phone interview.
We first received the role check list, than the e-mail about the phone interview. After those two emails, we received the DOC email. All those e-mail came in mid-december.
We first received the role check list, than the e-mail about the phone interview. After those two emails, we received the DOC email. All those e-mail came in mid-december.