ORLANDO, Fla. — The Disney College Program is relaunching at Walt Disney World in June, the company announced Monday.

What You Need To Know

  • The Disney College Program is restarting in June at Disney World after being suspended more than a year

  • It's a program that employs college students for roles across Walt Disney World resort 

  • The move comes as Florida's governor continues to lift COVID-19 orders and restrictions statewide

  • Disney said it would make announcements at a later date about its culinary and international programs

Participants whose program ended early or was suspended in March 2020 are being contacted via email and invited to reapply, Disney said in a post on Disney.com. Eligibility requirements for applicants have also been loosened some so that people who have already graduated can still apply.

"We’re encouraged by the progress made possible by rising vaccination rates and recently revised guidance around health and safety measures," it said.

Disney relies on thousands of college interns each year to work a variety of roles throughout the resort, including hotel and hospitality jobs. The post said the company will be reopening more resort hotels and welcoming back more convention and sports groups this summer.

"The Disney College Program has always been a source of optimism and pride for our company with participants who each bring new ideas, talents, and perspectives to the table," Disney said.

The returning participants will be housed at a new apartment complex, Flamingo Crossings Village, the company said. The old complex was put up for sale last month. Participants will get instruction on COVID-19 safety protocols in place, which include physical distancing guidelines, face mask requirements in common areas, and a contactless move-in protocol.

The blog post did not mention a COVID-19 vaccination requirement for participants.

The news about the return of the Disney College Program comes the same day that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced he is suspending local COVID-19 orders across the state. Just last week, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings eased the countywide physical-distancing requirement from 6 to 3 feet and announced a three-phase plan for relaxing or removing the face-mask mandate.

As far as the return of other Disney programs, such as the culinary and international programs and those at Disneyland in California, Disney said it would provide information at a later date.