Disney College Program An internship program begun as the Magic Kingdom College Program, offering a work and learning experience, at Walt Disney World in 1980, with name changes to the Walt Disney World College Program in 1984 and the Disney Theme Parks & Resorts College Program in 2005. The first students were housed at the Hidden Valley Trailer Park (later known as Snow White Village Campground). An international program, the World Showcase Fellowship Program, began with the opening of Epcot in 1982. Disney professional internships, with focused learning, based on specific areas of study, began in 1992. Housing complexes for the students were added, beginning with Vista Way Apartments in April 1988, The Commons in January 1998, Chatham Square in June 2000, and Patterson Court in May 2008. College Programs have also been operated at Disneyland (beginning in 1989), at Disneyland Paris (beginning in 1992), and at Walt Disney Imagineering. The learning component of the program changed through the years from business seminars to college-level courses that the American Council on Education has approved for college credit.
