Happiest place on Earth?

Disney World is famously known to be that special place where all children's dreams come true.

Is this also the case for college students?

Each year, the Disney College Program offers opportunities such as paid internships and valuable, on-the-job experience to students across college campuses nationwide. Many individuals may wonder if working in the "happiest place on Earth" will actually be beneficial to their studies or just end them up in a labor trap.

Junior tourism management major, Katherine Miller, said she feels the program offers tools that can benefit any career.

"Anyone can learn something from it that is necessary to be successful," Miller said. "For me, these included communication, having a pleasant demeanor and guest service and recovery."

Miller worked 30 hours a week at amusement park attractions and received two days off each week. She said although the living accommodations were not glamorous, living amongst people her age from all over the country and the world made it worth it.

The length of the program varies from three to seven months with the option of extending one's program at the end. The amount of hours worked and salary depends on the job, and a certain amount of money is deducted from one's paycheck each week for housing.

Junior advertising major Ashley Taber participated in the Spring Advantage program for seven months and worked 45-65 hours per week at various park attractions. She took online classes through Southern Miss during her stay.

"Going into the program, I knew it was not going to be fun all the time, but I was very excited to venture out and meet new people," Taber said. "Of course there were certain aspects of the program that I feel won't help me in my career goals. However, after participating in the program, I have now completely changed my career path and was able to obtain tons of information that will be beneficial to me in the future."

College program alumni are given the opportunity to apply for a professional internship with the company.

Senior tourism management major Janet Thompson has participated in two college programs and landed a professional internship in event planning after her second program experience.

"I have gained more than I can put into words from Disney," Thompson said. "Lifelong friendships, unforgettable experiences, a wealth of knowledge, not only about the company but also myself, and a network of priceless contacts are only the beginning of what Disney provided for me."

Although the program has received some criticism in the past for Disney using the college students as a cheap source of labor, according to an article on MSNBC.com, it has maintained a mostly positive reputation. Most students who participate seem to agree that one gets out of it what he or she puts into it.

"Whenever you think of working for Disney you may think of being a princess or dancing in a parade," Taber said. "However, the chances of that are very slim and you often get placed in a job that you may not feel is very beneficial to you."

Taber said when she first learned of her job title, she wasn't excited but ended up loving her job and interacting with all of the guests. She said the program is not for everyone and includes a lot of hard work and long hours, but she still feels the experience was worth it.

"It is hard to go, but harder to leave," Miller said. "If you're interested in expanding your horizons, don't hold back, and let it change you. Just remember to come back home and serve your university using everything you have learned."