Disney CareerStart in Mothballs

Disney cancels popular student program for Fall 2011

- by Bob McLain, February 7, 2011

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Disney CareerStart was a fantastic program.

If you were a recent high school graduate and able to pass an easy phone interview, you could work for a semester at either Disneyland or Disney World.

Disney would put you up in its housing, pay you for working full-time at the parks or resorts, and even offer courses that would earn you transferable college credits.

My own son planned to apply to CareerStart for the fall.

Well, no more.

Disney told me today that the program is on-hold.

Whether 'on-hold' means gone forever isn't clear. But it is gone for Fall 2011.

Disney had no comment about why the program is on-hold. I'm stumped myself.

CareerStart gave Disney an enthusiastic pool of young workers happy to accept small paychecks (part of which went back to Disney for lodging) and who existed under the complete thrall of Disney for the time of their employment.

The Disney College Program is still available.

Later today, coincidentally, a new column called Amber Earns Her Ears debuts on Disney Dispatch. It'll chronicle Amber's experiences with Disney CareerStart and the Disney College Program.

Don't stop there! More Tidings Await...