With Disney World closing as a precaution for the Coronavirus along with Disneyland on the opposite coast, Disney is working to protect its guests and Cast Members during this time!
Hi, friends!!
And, although many of the park employees will continue to be compensated during the closure, we’re sad to see one of the most magical parts of Disney temporarily shut down.
According to FOX 35 Orlando, multiple Disney Programs will be interrupted due to the Coronavirus outbreak. Beginning March 16th, the Disney College Program, Disney Culinary Program, Disney Cultural Exchange Program, and Disney Academic Exchange Program will all be suspended temporarily. International Cast Members in Guest Relations are included in the program line-up as well.
©Disney
The Disney Program housing will also be closed during this time and program participants have been asked to collect their belongings to depart the complexes by March 18th.
©Disney
All the Disney Program participants will continue to be paid through the end of the month with the weekly housing deductions waived. They will also receive a notice of successful program completion so they have the opportunity to work with Disney again.
Sweet Disney Cast Members!
Although it must be difficult to have the experience end so abruptly, we are happy to see that Disney is doing their best to ensure the safety of its program participants!
UPDATE: On March 15th, Disney Programs released the following announcement via Twitter expressing their commitment to finding accommodations for all members affected by the closure.
©Disney Programs
Want to know more about how Disney is handling the Coronavirus outbreak? We have all of your questions answered here!
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Are you a part of any of the Disney Programs? Or, do you know anyone who is affected by the suspension? Let us know in the comments below!
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Our daughter is in the DCP and called today sobbing with this news. She’s wanted to do this since middle school and gave up leadership roles going into her senior year at college to take this semester off to work for Disney. She’s loved these last 8 weeks!!
We personally know CPs and they are getting paid only to the end of this month which is 2 weeks pay. That barely covers fairs to get home for these CPs getting paid $9-$10 hourly. Many are from out of state/country. They were informed today that they will have to vacate the college housing premises by this coming Wednesday. A lot of these young men and women are left with no place to go. It’s leaving many stranded without a means to get home or even a place to stay after next Wednesday. Many of them from what we’ve heard are very frightened and hysterical, especially the ICPs who cannot travel back to their countries. Seasonal and part time cast members are NOT getting paid. We know many who are part timers or seasonal CMs and they’ve told us that there is currently no news as to them getting paid during the shutdown.
People are saying disney are throwing these student out on the streets and not providing them a way home.
Is this true?
So where are all these cast members supposed to go when they leave the dorm??
My heart is broken. My daughter, Mallory, is coming home early due to the suspension of the program. It’s unfortunate because I’ve never seen or heard her happier.
We just talked to a young lady at a disney resort. She gotta be gone by Wednesday and has no real way of going back home. That is just not right Disney!