Learning Overview

Do you ever wonder what would it be like to take a class at the Walt Disney World® Resort? Well, behind all of the magic and pixie dust we are a world-class business that takes education to the next level. Our education program is designed to give Disney CareerStart participants a comprehensive, experiential-learning opportunity that will provide them with applicable tools and strategies that they can transfer to their academic and professional careers.

Disney CareerStart participants may elect to take Collegiate Courses recommended for credit by the American Council on Education. Each of the Collegiate Courses is focused around an area of expertise within Walt Disney World Resort and contains levels of academic rigor, not uncommon to the classes that can be taken at a college or university. Participants will have required textbooks to read, papers to write and special projects to complete. The difference is that they will be able to apply this knowledge immediately at their work location.

Participants may also decide to take one of the Disney Exploration Series courses. These courses offer students the unique opportunity to learn more about how Walt Disney World Resort operates in key areas. There are several Disney Exploration Series topics to choose from, and each two-hour series meets once a week, for eight weeks.

Each class is highly interactive and encourages each participant to fully experience all aspects of the 47 square miles of the Walt Disney World Resort as a learning laboratory. Consisting of a series of conversations and presentations facilitated by Disney leaders from across the resort, participants will learn about the experiences from these leaders’ careers. Also, participants will learn how to apply the knowledge gained from these sessions in both their personal and professional lives.

In these courses there are no tests, quizzes or papers, because their learning outcomes are already established. We encourage you to share this information with your faculty and advisors to hear their advice or guidance around potential credit opportunities. As with some of our programs, the schedules and offerings are subject to change and availability may be limited.

There are many other learning opportunities at Walt Disney World Resort for our participants to engage in, which include:

• Utilizing resources in the Cast Service Centers or Disney Learning Center, inclusive of using books, videos and computer-led learning activities to enhance their learning experience.
• " Participating in the Disney VoluntEARS program. Service and community are cornerstones of the Disney philosophy, and as a part of a Disney CareerStart Program, participants will have the opportunity to work with the Disney VoluntEARS team and add service learning to their résumé.
• " Partnering with Disney leaders to apply classroom knowledge in their current role. By connecting participants to actual Walt Disney World Resort business practices, this can serve as an additional learning opportunity.