Disney is well known for being the “happiest place on earth.” The cast members (employees) are one of the reasons for this reputation, and Disney will only hire people who have the Disney persona. I know this from first-hand experience; I enrolled in the Disney College program in Spring 2011, and it took two attempts before I was accepted.
I have always been shy and kind of quiet growing up. When I applied for the program the first time, I did not make it past the online interview; which mostly asked questions about my personality. I answered those questions honestly, and (surprise!) I was not a good fit for Disney. On my second attempt, I answered the questions as the person I wanted to become; someone who is always happy and eager to help people.
All interns begin by attending a “traditions” program to learn about the history of Walt Disney and the different parks. It was during the traditions session when I first met my boss, Mickey Mouse. The training building we were in was across the street from The Magic Kingdom, and we were taken on a tour of the park. This was my first time at Disney World, so I did get a little choked up walking down Main Street. We were taken underground and walked the “Utilidors” where I learned more Disney secrets—none of which I will ever spill!
Interns are given different options for living arrangements with the rent coming out of our paychecks. I lived in an apartment off-property with five other girls because it was one of the cheaper options. Although this was not the first time I lived away from home, it was the first time to not see my family for a long period of time. Luckily, there were plenty of interns, and living with five other girls meant there was always someone to hang out with.
One of the main reasons I loved the program is because I was able to become friends with people from all over the world. Two of my roommates were from New York, another was from Michigan, one coworker was from Virginia, another was from Connecticut. I worked with people from Brazil, Columbia and basically everywhere else.
My job was working for the All-Star Music Resort’s food court. I worked the early morning shift, which started at 5:45 a.m. I assumed the shift would be slow, but I was wrong. Almost everyone who visits Disney World eats breakfast as soon as the food court opens so they can be at the parks as soon as they open.
I am very thankful Disney World was my first job because I learned valuable work experience. To ensure all guests have a magical time, every single aspect of their trip has to be perfect; which included me at 5:45 a.m. Having a memorable time means never seeing a mess, so I would literally walk about the circular drink station picking up trash, cleaning up sugar, helping guests push the drink button, stopping the ketchup from overflowing, refilling all the condiments every 10 minutes for my entire eight-hour shift. And I did all of this with a smile.
It was easy to become frustrated at times, but I would notice how excited the children looked while quickly trying to eat their breakfast to leave for the parks. When I had the chance to take a breath, I would just look around at all the happiness and positivity coming from people of all ages and realize that I could never stay in a bad mood at any of the parks.
Being a cast member also came with plenty of perks including free admission into all the parks, backstage access, guest passes for friends and family, free or discounted food, and discounts at almost every store or business on the Disney property.
Internships are a great way to gain work and real-world experience, and I strongly recommend looking into the Disney College Program. The program offers students a chance to work at Disney’s two U.S. locations in California or Florida. Internships are offered during school’s fall and spring semesters. The program may provide college credit depending on the major and job assignment, but it is a paid internship for all interns. The internship is available to students still in college, or recent college graduates who want to participate in a professional internship.
I am happy to have worked at Disney World because they forced me to become an employee who can talk to any guest, who is always smiling and who is a hard worker. The program taught me that I can do anything I set my mind to. As Jiminy Cricket says, “Any wish is possible. All it takes is a little courage to set it free.”
