When Disney World reopens, Disney College Program participants won’t be among the thousands of employees returning to work.
Disney is indefinitely suspending its internship program, saying it doesn’t know when it can reopen the Disney-owned apartments where the students had lived together.
Last month, a Disney union leader acknowledged it was unlikely to return anytime soon. Disney said Thursday the suspension was “until further notice,” calling it a “difficult decision.”
“We understand this is not the news you were hoping to hear and we want to assure you this decision was not made lightly,” Disney said in an open letter on social media, promising to refund students their fees and allow participants, including recent college graduates, to re-apply.
The program was first suspended in mid-March as the theme parks and hotels closed down from the pandemic.
The Magic and Animal kingdoms are the first Disney theme parks in Orlando to reopen July 11. Universal and SeaWorld parks are already open.
grusson@orlandosentinel.com
EDITOR’S NOTE: An earlier version of this article contained incorrect opening dates for the Disney theme parks.
