DVDizzy Forum

Jeffel wrote:I'd love to be one of the guys who dresses up as a character and walks around signing autographs and stuff. Fanatastic job.

I plan on being a face character soon enough. I've been told I should, by those who know me and by Disney World employees, the latter who assumed I was one out-of-costume.

My recommendation is try not to hurry in finding your career. It is one thing if you need to hurry up and get a job, but if you are deciding a career path picking one now based on location and job availability is NOT the way to go. You will never be fulfilled or happy.

Careers/jobs at Disney are great! The pay is not the most competetive (unless you're an executive), but the benefits and job satisfaction are off the charts!!! Everyone loves working for Disney. That is part of why it is sometimes hard to get a job there.

You've stated before that your dream is to work for BVHE or The Disney Channel, and that this job at DisneyWorld would be a foot in the door. That is a good idea. Working for Disney DOES open up a whole lot of opportunity. Once you are a Disney employee, you have access to a "different" classified ad listing for jobs not available to the public. Subsidiaries like ABC, ESPN, The Disney Channel, etc. all post job listing for offices around the country. If they cannot pool their employees from already exisiting Disney resources (i.e. parks, stores, etc.) then they post the job listing to the public. In short, moving up in the Disney Company is not only possible, but highly supported by the company itself.

My caution, is that MOST people who work in the parks inevitably stay in the parks. Their promotions never seem to go above managerial positions (though you do hear some dream come true stories now and again). Remember, Disney is hiring people based not only on their previous employment experience with the company, but in their personal education and work experience. In other words, they don't hire a Merchandise Store Manager to coordinate programming for The Disney Channel unless the applicant has had some background in marketing, demographics, and broastcast television.

Most of the jobs that park employees get promoted for include 1) managerial positions 2) guest relations and 3) characters. In order to qualify for being one of the characters in the shows (i.e. where you dance and everything), you must first pass the character audition and then after passing a second dance audition, you get a "color code". This tells Disney your ability to perform. Some shows are more demanding than others and their demand is also organized in this color code. For example, a simple parade where you walk down the street waving would be the color "blue". However, Fantasmic! where you must have impeccable timing, and know what effects are going off might be a color "red" or "yellow". If you've seen Fantasmic!, then you know how physically demanding some of the roles are (I'm thinking of John Smith's swing across the stage on a rope to a rock cliff.....every night!).


If you are just looking for a job until you figure out what you want to do in life, I would still highly suggest a job at Disney. Especially if you live in Orlando! Part of the benefit is having a free pass to go into any of the parks anytime you want! Even on the crowded holidays when they close the gates and won't let customers in, you can still sneak in backtage with your Disney ID . Even if they aren't hiring for a certain position, don't be afraid to ask about them. You seem like you might benefit from a job with any of the stage shows (i.e. Beauty and the Beast at the Theatre of the Stars stage in MGM Studios). While you may not be able to work in a stressful environment due to your tummy, there are a ton of behind the scenes people that are important. Costuming would be a great fit. Imagine going to work everyday putting hair and makeup on Beast or Mrs. Potts. Or even Ariel herself for her stage show!

Disney is not out to make their applicants feel uncomfortable. The recruiters all know how nervous a job interview can be, and so they are all highly trained in finding the real potential of any Disney employee applicant. The fact that you've had to leave the company is NOT a mark on your record (especially if it was for health reasons). The real indication of your dedication to the company is in your desire to return to work for the Mouse! Asking for another recruiter may seem like you have something you are trying to hide, or that your recruiter was somehow mean to you. I don't think you should feel awkward at all by seeing the same recruiter, and you could even say it might work in your favor if the recruiter remembers you.

Lastly, there is the age old story. Disney animators are few and far between, and so getting a job for Disney animation is hard to come by. When I used to work at MGM studios (when the animation studios were still there), I used to have lunch every week with a bunch of animators at "Take 5", the cast member cafeteria behind the animation building. They told me that every applicant......I repeat EVERY APPLICANT......was denied an interview with the Company. Why, you ask? Because Disney wants to see that you are dedicated to finding a job with them, and working hard to prove it. Only those applicants who applied a second time after rejection were ever interviewed! In other words, if you applied for a position with them and they turned you down don't be afraid to reapply!! It looks really, REALLY good!!!

I hope that whatever you find, though, you're happy. It is not important to be fulfilled and happy if you are just needing to find a job. You can always quit or transfer if you find it unbearable. I do recommend, though, while working to find out what you want to do. If you think, "well I can't do that I'm not qualified, or my degree is in something else", then go back to school and take those classes you need. It is a whole lot of hard work, but well worth it. There is nothing more rewarding than enjoying your work and living a happy life.

It took about 2 years for me after college to find out what exactly I wanted to do and what I needed to do to get there. Honestly, I have never been happier

MouseHouse55 wrote:Just to give you a little heads up, if you're applying for any "professional" positions outside a Professional Internship, a minimum of three years experience in the field is required to be considered. That is not on many requirement lists you will read, but it is a general rule for the majority of professional positions. If you can live without health and dental care for 6 months, I would apply for the Professional Internships while you are still enrolled in college, as they require practically no experience, but get you the same position! You would then have to reapply near the end of the internship to try for a full time hire, but it is the best way to get a foot in the door. As soon as you graduate, you will no longer be eligible to apply for the Professional Internships. Hope some of that was helpful!

I didn't know about the 3 years experience rule. That kind of stinks! A year and a half or two years ago, when I was thinking about my future, I called WDW and asked if a people can be a part of the College Program after they graduate, and I was told yes, a person can be in the College Program the semester after they gradate if they want, as long as they have already signed up for it. I don't want to be a part of the College Program, I don't think (and I probably missed the deadline), but I wonder if the Professional Internships work the same way. I noticed, though, that on DisneyCareers.com, many internships say that you must be a Sophomore or Junior in college, and I am a graduating senior, so I don't even think that I'd have a chance.

disneyfella wrote:Working for Disney DOES open up a whole lot of opportunity. Once you are a Disney employee, you have access to a "different" classified ad listing for jobs not available to the public. Subsidiaries like ABC, ESPN, The Disney Channel, etc. all post job listing for offices around the country.

disneyfella wrote:My caution, is that MOST people who work in the parks inevitably stay in the parks.

So, what you're saying is that I could easily be transfered to another part of the company, but not necessarily promoted to another part of the company?

I just wonder if I should try and get a job not with Disney but with another company when I graduate, like a TV station or a video distributor, or something along the lines of what I might be interested in, and then in a few years, try and apply with Disney, since I'll have experience. Is that a bad plan; should I just suck it up and apply at WDW and hope to transfer to another part of the company? Or is it good to get experience in a field somewhere else and then apply for a Disney job after having X years of experience in the field?



As much as I love dancing, I just probably won't end up going that route- I wouldn't want to do that for the rest of my life (and Disney wouldn't want me to- how many old people do you see in the parades?!?). I mean, as an in to the company, yes, that'd be great, as long as I could do something else later on. I feel that I'm going to college- I don't want to totally waste my degree.

disneyfella wrote:Even if they aren't hiring for a certain position, don't be afraid to ask about them.

But how would I even know what positions there are if they're not advertising them? That's one of the biggest reasons why I don't know what I want to do with my life- I just don't know what's available out there.

disneyfella wrote:You seem like you might benefit from a job with any of the stage shows (i.e. Beauty and the Beast at the Theatre of the Stars stage in MGM Studios). While you may not be able to work in a stressful environment due to your tummy, there are a ton of behind the scenes people that are important. Costuming would be a great fit. Imagine going to work everyday putting hair and makeup on Beast or Mrs. Potts. Or even Ariel herself for her stage show!

That's actually amazing advice, and I will definitely look into that. Would costuming jobs be listed on DisneyCareers.com, or would I go to Casting for those? (side note: The "Now Hiring" sign at Casting has actually been taken down, and my husband was curious for me, so he called the Disney Jobline, and they're not advertising nearly as many jobs as they usually do, so I wonder what's up with Casting.) And, what other behind-the-scenes jobs would there be, and how would I get those (Casting or online) and what qualifications would be needed?

My recruiter probably doesn't remember me. I guess she just seemed strict...there's nothing wrong with her, but she doesn't make me feel too comfortable. But that's something that I could get over, I'm sure...?

I'm definitely not talented enough to be an animator...if I did anything with the animation, it'd be through BVHE or marketing or Consumer Products or something, I'm sure.

disneyfella, how did you find out exactly what you wanted to do? I'm just curious, because I have no idea!

Thank you sooo much for your advice, MouseHouse55 and disneyfella- I really do appreciate it!

disneyfella wrote:Working for Disney DOES open up a whole lot of opportunity. Once you are a Disney employee, you have access to a "different" classified ad listing for jobs not available to the public. Subsidiaries like ABC, ESPN, The Disney Channel, etc. all post job listing for offices around the country.

disneyfella wrote:My caution, is that MOST people who work in the parks inevitably stay in the parks.

So, what you're saying is that I could easily be transfered to another part of the company, but not necessarily promoted to another part of the company?

I just wonder if I should try and get a job not with Disney but with another company when I graduate, like a TV station or a video distributor, or something along the lines of what I might be interested in, and then in a few years, try and apply with Disney, since I'll have experience. Is that a bad plan; should I just suck it up and apply at WDW and hope to transfer to another part of the company? Or is it good to get experience in a field somewhere else and then apply for a Disney job after having X years of experience in the field?

You can totally move up in the Company as well as transfer through different Disney jobs. What I was meaning to say, though, was that if you are applying for a programming job with The Disney Channel and your only work experience is a Park Greeter at WDW then you might not be the best candidate.

My advice is to find a job that might help your career, or give you experience in a field similar to a possible career choice. You can always pick up a Seasonal Cast Member status for a foot in the door with Disney.

disneyfella wrote:Even if they aren't hiring for a certain position, don't be afraid to ask about them.

But how would I even know what positions there are if they're not advertising them? That's one of the biggest reasons why I don't know what I want to do with my life- I just don't know what's available out there.

You could always ask your recruiter for unlisted jobs. Some behind the scenes jobs off the top of my head are:

-Costuming
-Food Services (cast member cafeteria...be careful, though, because if you just ask for food services they may stick you on a hot dog cart;) )
-Education Services (there are learning centers in each park for the Cast Members)
-Casting (yes sometimes they are hiring the hirers;) )
-Healthcare (they have first aid clinics at each of the parks)
-Animal Care (EPCOT and DAK both have extensive animal care services)
-etc.etc.etc.

These jobs may not be listed on the DisneyCareers website, because they post they may be trying to hire park employees already. Part of the whole "keep it within the company" mantra.

disneyfella, how did you find out exactly what you wanted to do? I'm just curious, because I have no idea!

I graduated college and knew I wanted to do something medical, but wasn't sure what. I went to work in a Hospital for 2 years. I felt kind of bad, because I totally wasn't using my degree....I was working a job with people who had either no college, or only a GED. They were awesome people and very smart, but I felt like I wasted 4 years and all that money to only to find a job that didn't need any college! Honestly, though, that job was the best thing that could ever happen to me because I got to travel all around the hospital and see what each department REALLY did; what their impact on the patient was, and how each department interacted with each other. I saw what I wanted, and applied and got into PA School. I'm getting ready to start my clinical rotations, and am working on applying for a cardiothoracic surgery residency at Duke. Something I never thought I could/would ever do, I'm totally taking control of my life and doing what makes me happy. I'm not waiting for opportunity, but rather making it!



If you have no clue about what you want to do in life, my advice would be think about a career field that you like. Find a job that would put you right in the middle of that field of work and find out what jobs are available in that career field. Then do whatever you need to do to get that job that looks fun and makes you happy! It may be hard work, but like I said....the reward is nothing short of amazing. Being fulfilled in your career as well as home is truly living 'the good life'.

Be sure and keep us posted, too

Again, thanks for the advice, disneyfella!

I need advice!

I applied to a job on DisneyCareers.com that I really, really, really, really want. But, there are 4 more that I could like, too (there really are 17 on my list, but 4 others seem like good fits, too).

Should I apply for the other 4 jobs (or even just 1 or 2) just in case? I'm not sure what exactly the recruiters see- can they see all the jobs that I've applied for? Since I want this job so badly, I don't want them seeing that I've applied for many other jobs, because they might think that I don't really want this job...

HELP!

Are the positions somehwat related? If they are you could apply for all of them, and then when you talk with your recruiter break the ice by saying "I really want to work for Disney....and let me tell you how!".

If they are completely different roles (i.e. casting, vs. merchandising, vs. imagineering) then it might be a good idea to apply for one at a time. I'm pretty sure the recruiter can see all of the Disney jobs you've applied for.


Again, if they are all just park jobs (i.e. merchandising, attractions, food services, maintenance, etc.) then just apply for them all now.

What positions are you looking at?

disneyfella wrote: What positions are you looking at?

Well, in my previous job search/just looking period, I overlooked the internships, but my husband said that internships would probably be the best way to get in with the company, since I can get experience.

So, I applied to the Entertainment Resource Center Internship. It says you need either a library degree or library experience. I've been going to the library all my life, and I have knowledge of Disney, so I might not exactly have those qualifications, but maybe they'd overlook those?

The other 4 internships that I starred (but haven't applied for) are Casting Services Recruiter, Media Relations, Travel Industry Marketing Communication, and Professional Recruitment.

I just wish there was a way to let them know that I'm mostly interested in the Entertainment Resource Center one, but if I don't get that, then I'd love to have one of the others. Since these are internships, I'm not sure how many positions of each they'll have open. The last day to apply for all of these is Friday, so I need to make a decision quickly.

As long as I know that they won't think that it's a bad thing if I apply to 5 internships, then I will, to increase my chances of getting something.

I'm back to freaking out, but I just reread everything in this thread. I still haven't heard back about the Professional Interships I applied to- they have until May 16th to contact whoever they'll hire, I guess.

My last final is on April 28th, and I'm not walking at my graduation, so, in my mind, I'll be a college graduate in 11 days. I've applied to 15 jobs, not including the Professional Internships. I applied to the first job on March 29th, and I had an interview- they'll contact me on or before April 29th. The position coincides with my major and my previous internship experience, but I've never heard of the company before, and it's not Disney. In my mind, if I can't get a job with Disney, ideally I'd like to work for a big-name, national company, such as Hilton (I had had an internship interview over the phone last year with them, but they never hired me, and I recently applied to another job with them).

Part of me feels that I should try and get a good entry-level job, where I'll be making $24,000 a year, and I'll be working 8-5, M-F, which is a very deightful schedule. Part of me is thinking that I moved to Florida to work for Disney, I know I want to work for Disney, so I should make some sacrifices.

I like disneyfella's Costuming idea still, and I think I'll call Casting this morning to ask what credentials you need in order to work in Costuming (I can't sew for the life of me, so I need to see if that'd be a problem). The job hotline still isn't saying that most positions are available, which is frustrating, because I don't know if they're not hiring in those positions, or if they're just not mentioned for some strange reason.

What exactly does seasonal status mean? I know that it means that you need to have 24/7 availability for a short period of time, but why do they call it seasonal? Do they only look people for certain time periods, meaning, are there specific seasons/dates they hire people (how like the CP has a spring program and a fall program?)? Or is it just you work 6 months or whatever from your starting date? After you complete your seasonal status, can you easily transition into a part-time or a full-time role? Or can you contiue your seasonal status?

I was thinking, before I reread this thread, that Housekeeping could be something I could do, at least part-time until I get a "real" job. I don't know.

(I thought I had written this, but apparently not.) If I did get a Costuming role, I feel that that might actually be good- it might be a good "in" to Disney Channel or the film studios, since actors need to wear clothes, too. What do you think?

I know that people need to follow their dreams, but I'm not sure what my dreams are. I have things that I'd ideally do, but at this point, I'm stressed and freaking out, and I probably *could* be happy in a bunch of different jobs, both with Disney and not. I know that if I got a job with a company that's not Disney, though, that I'd probably think, "Oh, I wonder what life would be like if I worked for Disney".

Should I go to Casting and, if I can't get Costuming or Educational Services (which is pretty similar sounding to the Professional Internship that I really wanted), should I get a part-time or a full-time (and which one?!?) attractions, merchandise, housekeeping, etc., role, just so I'll have a job with Disney?

One of my biggest concerns is the money. We're financially stable, but we could use the money. I would HAVE to move up in the company at some point in order to justify my making almost-minimum wage (unless I got into Costuming, which I feel could lead to jobs in the movie or TV industries). If I choose a role in attractions, merchandise, housekeeping, etc., and don't move up, I won't have any relevant job experience, unless a hotel would hire me for a customer service position. I don't want to waste my degree (and have my parents be upset that they spent good money for a college education that I wouldn't be using).

Oh, and disneyfella mentioned doing makeup as part of Costuming- wouldn't they only hire a licensed cometologist for that?

Help, please!!!

*edit* So, I just called casting and the cast member answered my question about needing to sew- she said that you don't, that you work with the cast members checking out their costumes and organizing the costumes, etc. Which is still working in that industry- I think that I could move up and even help with costuming in other areas- maybe after 6 months, I could maybe shadow people who do other costuming work or something. I have an appointment for Monday at 2pm. They just have part-time costuming roles available now, but I said that that's alright, since I really want the position. I also asked if they'll have costuming roles available on Monday, since "needs change from day to day, hour to hour, even minute to minute here at the Walt Disney World Resort". I will definitely keep you all informed! Thanks again for the advice!

Oh, and does a spotless record include taking days off? For example, Bobby & I have been planning our Disneyland trip for a few months now. If I requested a week off, would that indicate that my record isn't spotless, as long as I'm always there for my scheduled working times?

From my understanding, seasonal work status indicates that you are not garunteed 40 hour work weeks. Usually that is NOT a problem during the summer and holiday times (i.e. seasonal times); most of the people who work seasonal are people who just work for Disney so they can get the discounts and free passes into the parks for them and their families. Also, a lot of older retired people move to Florida and work for Disney seasonally.

Be sure and keep us posted....and best of luck with all the interviews:)

Good luck with your interviews, Ames!

A good friend of mine found out today that she got a job she applied for at Epcot, though she's being hush-hush about what the job actually is. Says she wants to keep it a surprise until the going away party next month (Job starts June 1st).

She knows I'm a huge Disney fan and my life's ambition is to be a story writer for the Disney Animation Studios, and promised that she'd help me to secure a job at the parks (gotta start somewhere right?) as soon as I finished school.

I'd assume my credentials would get me a job in grounds maintenance or landscaping (since right now I am working towards becoming a certified landscaper) and I don't see how working in that department could benefit my ambitions. But on the other hand if I can start building connections with people higher than me in the company anything is possible right?

how dose one get in contact with disney animators? i have questions 4 them i really would like 2 get answered

Good luck for monday Amy!!!

Thanks, disneyfella, Dan, & Anne! I decided, with the help of a friend yesterday, that I'll try and get a full-time position in almost anything, as long as I know that I'll get out earlier rather than sooner (like at Animal Kingdom) or if there's some way that I can take Sunday and Monday nights off.

I know that it'll be a lot of sacrifice if I work full-time (not having much free time, and I won't know my schedule until a week before or whenever...). But if I want to work for Disney, then this is a good way to begin, I guess. I just hope that I will be able to move up or sideways (as Bobby says)...because I don't want to be doing the same exact position the rest of my life- I want to change positions or be promoted!


I'm kind of nervous...!!!

So, I've been sending in my resume for different jobs (mostly human resources, customer service, management trainee, and administrative assistant). I've had some interviews, and a lot of rejection. I'm kind of at an all-time low for self-esteem. Getting rejected sucks.

I know that Disney is my passion, but the theme parks are not. I know that the animated movies are my absolute passion (I mean, Disney Channel and Hollywood Records are passions, I guess, but not as much as the animated movies). For years I've always gone online and have done research on upcoming Disney films, or researched the backstories on the DACs. I know that that's my passion. Sometimes (like last night) I find myself looking up archives of articles about the films before they came out (like I was reading articles about "Atlantis" from 1999-2001. I'm so passionate about that kind of stuff, it's rediculous. So maybe I should try to get a job dealing with that. I don't know how, though, but I'd love my job!

Should I try to write to Dave Smith? If so, what should I write? Working in the archives would be super swell. For Disney, I definitely would move to California. It's hard- I've never known what the heck I wanted to do, but my interest has always been Disney. Having not gone to a Disney park until I was 18, I never had a passion for the parks- I have always had an interest in them, but I had seen the movies and that's what I've always loved.

I minored in film at school, so at least I have a little background on the subject, academically. I can just spend hours, even days, just looking up stuff on the production of the movies- I absolutely love it and am so interested in it. I have always been this way.

Any and all advice would be appreciated, as always!

Sometimes the job that will make you happiest may not be with Disney. I know that sounds depressing, but think about it seriously. If it is more important that you work with a company than in a field of interest you end up making sacrifices just to work for Disney. For some, this will ultimately be the best thing for them. They'd rather work for the mouse and maybe compromise a bit, then really enjoy their job role.

I would definitely recommend contacting Dave Smith. I know that they don't have many archivists for Disney, but I'm also not sure if that is something they are hiring for (I don't think they listed the last two positions they hired for either, though).

It also sounds like to me that you would be great at writing film criticism and/or teaching film. I know that may come from out of the blue, but have you ever thought about it? I don't know how many film professors I've come across that are passionate about one single filmmaker or one certain artform, and usually end up offering a class on that aspect on top of their normal cirriculum.

You have a minor in film, so I'm not sure you could be a high school teacher yet. I'm pretty sure you'd have to go back to school if you wanted to teach college/votech/communitycollege level courses. It'd be a sacrifice, but could you see yourself getting enjoyment out of that? You'd get to research and be around movies all day, and also get to answer questions that other students have who are just starting off in the field.

You could always email your old film professors and get their input on a "day in the life of" sort of thing. Or even ask if you could audit a class, or shadow them for a day/week.

I'll keep thinking of other ideas, but that is the first one that came to my head (outside of Disney) that you'd be great at.

Oh, I almost forgot. I wanted to give you some words of encouragement with the recent rejections.

Walt Disney himself said that he felt everyone needed some good failures in life to really accomplish anything. Walt himself failed time and again with motion pictures, theme park attractions that came and went, and short subjects. The thing that set him apart from everyone else, is that he was positive about every experience and learned something from them. He was able to persevere and be successful, and honestly no one appreciates succes as much as someone who has been rejected or fails at something (believe me, I've failed at more things than you can shake a stick at...lol).

So hang in there. Everyone goes through those times where you just can't find the right place. Even Walt went through this. If you keep working hard and keep trying, though, you'll succeed like never before and truly enjoy success.

I actually haven't thought of being a film teacher before. In all of the film classes I've taken, we never studied Disney, but one of my teachers had worked on "Fantasia 2000" and "Brother Bear", so we briefly had mentioned that in class...She might be someone I could talk with, since she actually worked for the company.

I have thought about teaching, in general...that's not something that I'm oppposed to, but at this time I'm not qualified.

You said:
"If it is more important that you work with a company than in a field of interest you end up making sacrifices just to work for Disney."
I guess that's my point- I don't just want to work for Disney just to work for Disney...I'd rather be almost anything else instead of being a burger-flipper at a Disney restaurant, for example. Having moved to Orlando, the only Disney "thing" near me is WDW (unless you count the Disney Store), and the WDW corporate or office jobs are really hard to get. I'd rather not just to a park job, but it may come to that. My interest is the Disney films, so ideally I'd work doing something associated with the films.

The jobs I've had interviews for have been human resources positions, which I really have no experience in, and yesterday I had an interview for a manager-in-training retail position. I don't really want to do these kinds of professions, necessarily, but they seem like something that I could do (versus being an engineer- I couldn't do that).

As for writing film criticisms, how would a person even go about doing that? I don't think I'd be a good person for that, though- I'm pretty biased. Especially for the animated films, I'm so biased, because I think that they're all wonderful. I wouldn't want to be a film critic for just any film that comes out, because I'm just not interested.

Thanks for the advice and encouragement, Aaron- I appreciate it!

Does anyone have any info on the college program. I am only going into grade 11 in September but that is something i really want to do. Is it hard to get into? What are the university classes that would help you get in? I am at a performing arts school now and am in the drama field. i am planing to continue that in university. would this help me get in?