The Walt Disney Company

Attractions Associate

June - August 2018 • Anaheim, CA

What I liked

The management at the Disneyland Resort was amazing and valued their Cast Members a lot. I felt like the work I was doing for the company mattered and that the management cared about my growth as an employee.

What I wish was different

Nothing!

Advice

Take in every moment - it's not every day that you get offered a job at The Walt Disney Company!

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Machine Learning Intern

May - August 2018 • Orlando, FL

What I liked

Lots of opportunities to see other areas of a single large company. Fun perks.

What I wish was different

My team could have been more prepared for an intern with work and materials.

Advice

Reach out to areas doing work you are most interested in.

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College Program Participant

January - August 2018 • Lake Buena Vista, FL

What I liked

Making magic for guests was the best part about my job.

What I wish was different

I wish I had gotten a bit more hours at the start of my program.

Advice

Don’t go into the program expecting it to be a vacation. You will work, you will have rough days, it won’t always be magical even though it’s Disney. But the times it is magical make up for everything bad and more.

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Photopass Photographer

January - May 2018 • Orlando, FL

What I liked

Everyday that I went to work, a new adventure was waiting for me. I had the opportunity to meet and connect with people from all over the world, and had he opportunity to practice my Spanish skills in real life conversations (which was great since it’s my minor!) My coworkers were so knowledgeable and were always willing to help me. Additionally, as a photographer, I was able to greatly improve my photography skills. During my time there, I was awarded photo of the week twice, and one of my pictures won Photo of the Month at Animal kingdom, and is in the running for photo of the year! The atmosphere and working environment at WDW is pretty indescribable- I’ve never met so many people who sincerely loved their jobs- especially since the jobs require you to enhance other people’s lives as much as you can. My coworkers radiated joy and enthusiasm, which affected not only the guests at WDW, but me as well- making it easy for me to love my job too.

What I wish was different

I worked long hours, and averaged about 45-60 hours per week. My days off were Mondays and Tuesday’s, which made it harder to enjoy typical weekend activities.

Advice

Some people assume you have to be a Disney fanatic to want to work at the theme parks, which couldn’t be farther from the truth. To work at Disney, you need a positive attitude, a strong work ethic, and a desire to spread joy to others. If you don’t have these skills or if you want to improve them, working at Disney is a great opportunity. They’re number one in guest service for a reason, and their brand and legacy is iconic- making you stand out if you apply for positions with other companies. This is an incredible opportunity for personal development, and I highly enourage everyone I meet to apply.

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Summer Financial Reporting Analyst

May - August 2018 • Burbank, CA

What I liked

Working on actual projects and the financial statements which go out to investors.

What I wish was different

More networking opportunities within the company.

Advice

Proactively reach out to managers in other departments to learn more about finance at The Walt Disney Company.

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College Program

September - December 2018 • Orlando, FL

What I liked

It is super fun to work for Disney! You get free admission to all the parks!

What I wish was different

Florida weather is awful and I worked outside for a while and it was really hard to be in the hot humidity all the time.

Advice

Be willing to work hard, Disney expects the very best!

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Walt Disney World Costuming intern

August 2018 • Orlando, FL

What I liked

What I like about the disney program is I get to see what it is like working for a very large company. Seeing how they have been able to be as succsesful as they have. Another thing I like is the work I am doing is allowing me to do projects and day to day work on my own. It has been a lot of fun to be able not to be told what to do every minute but to get a list of things that need to get done and allowing me to work throughout the day at my own pace.

What I wish was different

What I wish was different was that we were able to meet some of the people who work in corporate or who work above us. I am interested in this company and want to have some time to meet with someone to talk about my goals in the company. That is not really an option at this point because there are so many of us, it is really up to you to figure out how to advance in the company.

Advice

One piece of advice I would share is have fun. At times you may feel insignificant and very out of your comfort zone but that is what life is about. Stepping out of your comfort zone and doing things you would never see yourself doing. Try something new every day! You will be amazed at how alive it will make you feel.

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Walt Disney World Character Performer

November 2017 - December 2018 • Orlando, FL

What I liked

Getting to perform 1 on 1 for people up close and personal.

What I wish was different

The hours

Advice

Don’t give up after one failed audition.

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Cast Member

May - August 2018 • Orlando, FL

What I liked

I got to work with people from all over the world. People with all kinds of backgrounds and beliefs. I mean, I got to work for Disney, which is pretty incredible!!

What I wish was different

My managers were not always kind or fair. Had to take some hits for being a Christian in a very secular environment. I wish that I had more opportunities to learn instead of just flying by the seat of my pants

Advice

Never be afraid to ask questions and get correct information.

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College Program Intern

May - August 2018 • Orlando, FL

What I liked

Everything. Disney is everything to me, the place I want to have my career. That they have asked me back for a third internship post-graduation is an honor, and I love being able to make magic for others through my work and how kind and caring everyone is towards the interns.

What I wish was different

N/A

Advice

Disney is worth it and remember, only do this if it's what you love. If your heart isn't in it, you'll think the work is way too had and want to leave. If you love it, you'll thrive.

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Intern

June 2018 • Orlando, FL

What I liked

I liked meeting new people and working at a Fortune 100 Company!

What I wish was different

Pay and hours

Advice

None

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Cast Member

January - May 2018 • Orlando, FL

What I liked

I loved getting to work in a theme park. The hours weren’t bad and I got to enjoy the parks after work. I also made really great friends

What I wish was different

I wish the internship was more of a learning experience about Disney than just doing a job.

Advice

Utilize your time spent during the Disney College Program and take in all the information that you possibly can.

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Attractions Cast Member

May - September 2018 • Anaheim, CA

What I liked

I enjoyed working backstage and being part of creating magic for guests. The company is very generous and cares for their employees. The environment was a pleasant and goal-driven one.

What I wish was different

I wish the company would have been more willing to work with my school schedule that would have allowed me to continue with the company.

Advice

Working attractions is a role that requires lots of responsibility and practical knowledge. I found it to be very rewarding and enjoyed producing the work expected of me.

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Cast Member

January - May 2018 • Lake Buena Vista, FL

What I liked

Working for Disney was extremely rewarding and provided experiences to earn about customer service from the very best. The program helped me to grow a lot as an individual, and gave me life experience I can carry with me into my career and the rest of my life.

What I wish was different

If I had to criticize anything, it would be the housing situation. Considering you have to pay rent, the rules they enforced were a bit over the top. No overnight visitors is just one example.

Advice

If you are even considering the program, DO IT. Even if you get stuck in a role you aren't exactly happy about, if you make the best of it and become friends with your employees its an absolute blast.

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Cast Member

May - December 2018 • Orlando, FL

What I liked

Getting to for Disney is a really unique experience and I learned so much.

What I wish was different

Maybe having a different role.

Advice

If you are thinking about doing a Disney College Program understand that Disney is not all magic and at the end of the day it is a reallly difficult job.

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Disney college program

January - August 2018 • Anaheim, CA

What I liked

What I wish was different

More relevant internship experience

Advice

Super hard work, super rewarding

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merchantainer

January - May 2018 • Orlando, FL

What I liked

They offered housing and transportation. I also received all benefits of a normal employee.

What I wish was different

Wish I had been scheduled more

Advice

Be prepared to work hard and have fun.

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Disney College Program

May - August 2018 • Lake Buena Vista, FL

What I liked

The benefits of working for Disney and being able to list such a well-known company on my resume.

What I wish was different

This was my second college program and I did not enjoy my work location as much this time around but it was still an amazing experience.

Advice

I would absolutely recommend the Disney College Program to anyone and everyone. You work extremely hard but the benefits you receive and the friends you make are well worth it.

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Disney College Program Intern

August 2018 • Anaheim, CA

What I liked

The people at Disney are super friendly and they make the experience a whole lot of fun! We get complimentary access to the parks as a bonus. The class we take has also been super helpful regarding my future career plans.

What I wish was different

I wish I could have been assigned a different role other than food service.

Advice

Do your research if you apply, and during the interview make sure you only explain the work experience that backs up the role you want even though you do have other experience.

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