The Disney College Program usually makes headlines for 20-year-olds heading to Orlando. This time it’s a 57-year-old theatre artist. TikTok creator @imaliveonstage says she’s been accepted, and her profile now reads “Disney College Program ’27.”
She shared the news in a September 20 video, calling herself “a non-traditional older adult who would be attending this program.” In a later post, she counted down the days until she’s “at the Disney college program as a 57-year-old woman.”
@imaliveonstage I was accepted into the Disney college program. I am a non-traditional older adult who would be attending this program.
She Asked For Advice, And Got A Lot Of It
The acceptance video wasn’t really a victory lap. She asked anyone who did the program later in life what it was like, and whether she should “leave my home and everything” for it. She called herself a Disney lover and a Disney adult, said she thought she’d gain valuable skills, and ended with the question a lot of people ask before a big leap: “what do I have to lose?”
People clearly had opinions. The video has passed 77,000 views, with more than 7,100 likes, over 1,000 comments and more than 1,200 shares.
There’s No Age Limit
The name makes the program sound like it’s only for college kids, but Disney’s rules are about school, not age. The current Walt Disney World posting asks applicants to be enrolled at an accredited U.S. college or university and working toward a degree, or to have graduated within the past 12 months. You need at least one completed term or six credit hours before your start date, plus valid U.S. work authorization. The posting sets a minimum age of 18 but no maximum.
Walt Disney World programs run four to eight months and can be extended up to a year. Participants work front-line or backstage roles, and Disney shares each person’s role and location closer to arrival. For anyone weighing her “leave my home” question, the program does offer housing at Flamingo Crossings Village near the resort, with bus transportation to the parks, though accepted participants pay a non-refundable program fee within seven days of saying yes.
She hasn’t shared which role she landed. As a theatre artist, she’d be joining a company where performing is part of the job for plenty of cast members, from character performers to groups like Magic Kingdom’s Dapper Dans.
Either way, she’s already got a following ready to watch how it goes. If she keeps posting once the program starts, a lot of people will be checking in.
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