With the recent announcement that all Disney Parks will now be closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Disney made it clear that they would be taking care of their castmembers. So, imagine the surprise for thousands of College Program participants (at both Disney World and Disneyland) this morning when they received the letter below from the program office notifying them that their services were no longer needed and that they would be required to leave Disney housing by March 18th:
This letter states that not only are housing complexes closing, the Disney College Program, Culinary Program, Cultural Exchange, and Academic Exchange Programs are also suspended. All CPs (College Program Participants) will have to vacate by Wednesday, March 18th. That gives them 4 days to pack up and figure out what they are going to do. But not all College Program participants have homes to return to, which will make this a very difficult time for some.
While we don’t know exactly how many CPs Walt Disney World employs, indications are that it’s in the 3,000-4,000 range. That’s a lot of students to try to move along with all the tourists that already need to find a way home, especially with how crippled travel is right now. This program cancellation also includes the Disneyland CPs, though we estimate that there are only about 400-500 in the California Program.
The local Teamsters Union confirmed the program suspension at Disneyland (We are still awaiting word from park officials and will update this article as appropriate):
We’re also still not entirely sure what will happen to the International Students (ICPs). Epcot’s World Showcase employs students from all over the world to fill their respective country pavilions. Many of those countries, including China and Italy, aren’t accepting travel right now.
How working for Disney @WaltDisneyWorld went from a dream to a nightmare…
I open threatd.
— CRPDisneyAlone (@AloneCrp) March 14, 2020
These ICPs won’t be getting paid during the closure because they’re operating participants (although it seems they won’t owe anything for rent). Unfortunately, to our knowledge, much of the World Showcase is operating participants. The regular CPs will still be paid their wages through the end of the currently scheduled outage.
On a positive note, Cast Members in both California and Florida are banding together to find temporary housing for their College Program friends. They’re also compiling resources for students like flights and U-Haul storage. Definitely reach out to any CPs you know if you can help house them temporarily.
Finally, because of the sheer amount of CPs being sent home, we’re unsure how operations will handle the major hit to their workforce once the parks reopen. It’s no secret that the College Program is a major component to the Walt Disney World workforce (less so at Disneyland), so we’re unsure how the Walt Disney World Resort will manage – especially World Showcase, which is almost entirely run by International Program participants. The first indication will likely come from all the CPs who were working at locations that are staying open, like the Disney World hotels, golf courses, and Disney Springs.
This cancellation might be an indicator that Disney believes that they’ll be closed longer than just the end of March.
UPDATE 3/15/20:
After initial shock and backlash to Disney’s harsh dismissal of College Program and special program participants, it seems Disney has softened its tone and is extending additional outreach. Below, the message sent out by the Disney Programs social media expresses a softer touch:
We know these are extremely difficult times & appreciate your continued understanding. We are basing our decisions on the safety and well-being of our Cast Members and Guests. No one will be without accommodations. Please read our letter to you. pic.twitter.com/uqdDfZdKfW
— Disney Programs (@DisneyInterns) March 15, 2020
Along with assistance getting home, Disney is also encouraging participants, who want to return and complete a program later, to fill out an information request form. Along with that, cast member blockouts were lifted today for CPs at Walt Disney World for the final day of park operations. We’ve seen reports that Cast Members at big attractions like Rise of the Resistance and Flight of Passage are letting all CPs with a housing ID come through the FastPass lines.
Considering Disney’s Hollywood Studios has been blocked out for much of these CPs term, this may be one of the first times they’ve ever been to that park. This was a great gesture to all the CPs who have worked so hard and it gives them a chance to say goodbye to their friends.
Unfortunately, Disneyland had already closed, and any CPs there didn’t get a chance to come back one final time or say their farewells.
For many college-aged students, the College Program is an aspirational goal. It’s a foot in the door of the Walt Disney Company and many CPs stay on after their programs. We personally know many participants who have given up everything they had in order to move to Florida or California to join the Disney College Program. This is a devastating event for thousands of young adults.
While our hearts are with all of the program participants losing their jobs in the middle of very uncertain times, we would also like to note that they will all be paid through the end of March. Disney is clearly having to make some serious business decisions given their almost total lack of revenue during this period. And, it appears that they are also preparing for the potential of a much longer shutdown, should it be required.
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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