actor

host/hostess

software engineer

intern

manager

The Walt Disney Company

I enjoyed my time at the Disney College Program. I was assigned to Pinocchio Village Haus and felt that I thrived in this environment. Work was normally 10 hours a day, where I would rotate between positions each hour of the day. My duties ranged from greeting guests to cleaning dining rooms to manning the counter and providing guests with their orders. While the work was fairly straightforward, it often proved taxing and exhausting. However, I enjoy environments like this, where I am constantly rotating between responsibilities and moving around. This job helped me learn a lot about myself and business as a whole. I was able to realize that I thoroughly enjoy working, especially when I am able to connect with my coworkers. I was able to find a passion for business, realizing that I desire a role where I feel my opinions truly have meaning. This has sparked my enthusiasm for management and an increased desire for learning business. The management during my college program internship was not what I would hope it to be. My coordinators were awesome. The coordinators were the cast members with more responsibility than standard cast members, but less so than leaders. They oversaw many of the issues and decisions within the restaurant regarding us cast members. They were present and attentive to all the workers in the restaurant. While I may not have always agreed with their decisions, I appreciated that they were able to connect with us. I felt that my coordinators were able to recognize my abilities and skills, providing me many opportunities to showcase my flexibility, leadership, and problem-solving skills. I did not feel as great about my leaders. The leaders were the ones who oversaw more administrative decisions within the restaurant and throughout all related locations. I would expect them to have less of a face than the coordinators, but I often felt that the leaders were disconnected from the rest of the employees. In general, I did not feel heard or appreciated by my leaders. I didn't feel that they recognized my abilities the way my coordinators did. Some leaders were more present than others, but overall, I felt the leaders were distant and did not have much of a face within the restaurant. I respect their time and responsibilities, but I felt more like a number to them, something I did not appreciate. This is what really sparked my desire to be in a position where I can be heard. There were several instances during my time of employment where I believed an idea that was presented was not ideal and would not benefit the business. However, I didn't have the ability to voice my ideas, something that infuriated me. This was probably the hardest part of the job. My favorite part of the job, however, was the people. I made some incredible friends during my time in the Disney College Program, people who I felt were able to accept me, my beliefs, and my desires. This was something I could recommend to so many people. Overall, I loved my experience and have zero regrets participating.

I would say that working as a CP is very much hit or miss. I was surrounded by really cool coworkers and made really great friends that I still keep in contact with.  My program was originally only going to be from the end of January - the end of June, but because of the friends I made I extended until the beginning of October.  

Given how long my program was, I have seen the great and fun things about the job and the ugly.  Discounts across the company change depending on the time of year. I worked in Food and Bev so I got free drinks but not free food during a shift.  I should also mention that I was assigned to work at one of the resorts rather than any of the parks.  The work itself varies on the location, but at my home location we did our own heavy lifting (normally receiving's job) which required the use of carts and flatbeds.

When you have a pretty long program, there is a very good chance that at some point you will get deployed to work at other locations.  This can be a good or bad thing depending on what your thoughts on the matter are.  I personally thought it was pretty cool because I got to wear different costumes and get a change of scenery.  The downside is that when you get deployed, they don't give you a map or directions on how to access the place you're working at from backstage.  The first place I got deployed to was The Mara at the Animal Kingdom Lodge and backstage looked like the Backrooms.  Luckily I saw someone wearing the same costume as me and followed them. 

As a CP, you do not get the same benefits as regular full-time or even part-time cast members.  There is a points system and it works differently for CPs.  If you get 3 points you get a reprimand, and I believe 3 reprimands result in termination.  You get half a point for being late, 1 point for calling out  or calling sick, and I believe it's either 2 points or automatic reprimand for a no call no show.  CPs do NOT get medical leave or any kind of vacation time or leave.  If you get sick or need time off, you have to rely on your fellow castmembers to pick up your shifts for you.  Sometimes, depending on the situation, if you have to call out a certain amount of days in a row because of illness or injury and you have a doctor's note, you can email health services so that they can condense your call outs to one point, but most often you will have to go to your leaders to have them reach out to health services on your behalf.

One final bit that I think is important to note is that no matter how many leaders your location may have, most of the time leaders are going to be a pain, especially in food and bev.  I've been deployed to 7 different locations and have noticed this.  If your coordinator calls out and they don't have anyone to cover (which happens A LOT), be prepared to be the coordinator and have that responsibility placed on you. 

All in all, would I do the College Program again? No, once was enough. However, would I work for Disney again? Yes, because of the benefits provided for their full-time and part-time employees. 

Basic job description: fixing problems on a Guest’s WDW account using proprietary software, engaging in live sales & service chats and responding to email.

Let’s start with the good points…

Metrics for IHD CMs is probably some of the best when it comes to phone agents. Since the calls vary so much, your performance is only measured by after call work and staff time, both totally in your control. If you fail, you have no one else to blame.

“Early Release” from your shift (voluntary) is common (in most departments at the DRC) if the phones are over staffed and the CMs have a lot of idle time. 

Free entry (and parking) to the theme parks and discounts on resorts, dining and merchandise.

There is a casual dress code.

Weekly team meetings.

Free snacks during peak season.

Lots of good people working here. Your peers are always willing to help.

Opportunities to work at home.

You will talk to a lot of interesting people from around the world!

And now, the not so good aspects of the job…

eCommerce Help & Support (aka-Internet Help Desk) is probably the most stressful jobs at the DRC. Functions on the website and mobile app are broken on a daily basis. Many issues are long standing and have been/will be for some time. 

Call volume can vary, but, it is most ALWAYS busy. Once you determine the cause of a problem it can take anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes to get it fixed. Level 2 support for the IHD agents is hard to get which is problematic when a Guest is on the line expecting things to be fixed now!

Shift bids are done every 6 months or so, or when they decide to do one. Eventually I ended up on days only because the phones were swamped for months on end (even with overtime) and they just moved Cast Members’ shifts without a bid (received an email on Thursday that my new shift would be 8-530 effective Sunday)!

If you cannot work overtime, don’t even consider working for Disney no matter what your position may be. On average, DRC CMs can expect to work 10-15 hours of “Required Extra Hours” (aka mandatory overtime) per week for 6 months out of 12 in this department (and others). If you cannot work the overtime, they literally tell you to get FMLA, seriously! If you don’t you will be unemployed real quick.

Chat and email response is also required. Thankfully they are pretty straight forward. You will be trained on every aspect of the resorts and theme parks when you start. You will also be expected to know/learn everything about hotels in the area that don’t even belong to Disney!

Management is definitely lacking. There are many times when a Team Leader (Supervisor) is not scheduled for the Tampa office for this department. This can be a problem on so many levels. The Manager is based in Orlando so he is only in the office once a week. 

Advancement rarely happens unless you are a college grad or are in the right clique. 

Most lateral or upward moves are Temporary Assignments. There is no guarantee you will stay where you are when the TA gig is up.

Loved my job when I first started, but, that changed. Sad really.

I did the College Program as a Food & Beverage Cast Member. It's a great opportunity to get some real work experience and to flex the skills you already have. The people are great; my coworkers were the best part, and management is (sometimes) supportive and helpful. It was a beautiful, exciting place to work in, despite how busy and demanding it can be. 

However, if you're interested in being part of the College Program like I was, it's important to realize you will be there mainly to work. You receive cast discounts and free park entry, but that's all in terms of benefits. You get paid less than a regular cast member. Said regular cast members, in my experience at least, treat you as lesser. You are guaranteed to always be closing, and depending on your location you could be working up to 50 hour work weeks. The main benefit the college program affords you is getting your foot in to join the company long term. I recommend it if that's what you're interested in. 

Even if that's what you're looking for though, keep in mind you are not guaranteed a part/full time role once you're program is done. Having a good record helps, but I've seen colleagues get denied while having zero attendance points or reprimands on their record. But just like many get denied, many get accepted. It's a gamble you have to be willing to make.

The most enjoyable part of the job are the people you meet. I loved my coworkers, they made the job worth it and were the main reason I stayed longer than my original term. You get to meet more people outside your location as well since you can pick up shifts in other locations. So many friends to meet!

The most complicated part was dealing with the guests and the management. Guests pay thousands of dollars to be there, and some of them act like it. Finding a balance between satisfying them and not breaking every single rule in order to do it can be hard to find. Management isn't always helpful in that regard. Some leaders will back you up, no matter what. They will guide you through any issue. They will take your needs into consideration. They will defend you in rough situations. Other leaders will use and abuse you, disregard whatever needs you may have, and leave you to fend on your own. I say stick to the ones that care about you. 

I would absolutely love to be part of the company again, granted I'd only do it as regular Cast Member and not as part of the College Program.

A typical day as a PhotoPass Photographer was quite the experience.  I would get to work, go backstage at Disneyland and get all of my camera equipment ready.  You have a camera, neck strap, PhotoPass Cards, batteries, and a pamphlet to help out with guests questions.  After I got all of my equipment I would go to a manager or as we called a lead, and get my locations and time for the day.  Then I would go and stretch at my location with the other Photographers.  We usually went into a room and watched a 15 minute video to stretch before going out to our location.  

Once we got to our location, we would set up, sometimes with a tripod depending on where we were and then waited for guests to approach us. We were told to never approach guests because it might offend them or intrude on their vacation. When they would approach us, we would take their picture and do several different cute or goofy poses.  We then scanned a photopass card and gave it to the family so they could possibly purchase those pictures later on.   I also answered many questions from guests and did my best to help them out. Some days I would work in the PhotoPass shop and help families pick out their favorite pictures and help sell it to them in a friendly and timely manner. 

I learned so much about the Walt Disney Company, especially about what goes on behind the scenes in such a successful company.  It was an eye opening experience where I believe I became more of a versatile employee just by meeting and interacting with guests from all over the world. Working for Disneyland is definitely a team work kind of job, and it takes thousands and thousands of people to keep these guests happy, and to keep up Disneyland's pristine image. 

My co-workers were always very helpful.  I wish I got to know some of them better, because everyone was always bubbly and happy to be there. I mean who wouldn't be, it's Disneyland.  However I was able to meet some great people who were just as passionate about Disney I was.  

The hardest part of my job is when the parks would reach maximum capacity and there were so many guests it was quite overwhelming.  Also in Anaheim it would get really hot and humid, and it was easy to get overheated.  

The most enjoyable part of my job, was well working at Disneyland! Everyday I got to a location and couldn't believe I was working there.  Although the job itself was very exhausting, I wouldn't trade it for the experience, life lessons, connections, and people I met during that journey.

I worked for The Walt Disney Company from 2013 to 2015 in attractions. In that time, I worked in Orlando and Anaheim. 

Overall, it was a good experience. It is a really fun and rewarding experience to play a role in making sure every guest's experience is as wonderful as you remember your experience being when you were visiting as a child. 

Depending on where you are though, the work will vary. Sometimes, you'll find yourself stuck in a very repetitive rotation. Sometimes you'll be outside in the hot sun being yelled at by a guest who "paid so much money" and they deserve this and that. Sometimes you'll be out in the rain trying to make sure people stay on one side of the rope. Sometimes it's absolutely delightful to interact with people who are having the time of their lives. You never really know what you're going to get. 

The pay isn't the greatest. The only reason I was able to manage it, was because I had student loans helping me through college at the time. You get free access to the parks, which is great. The parks have a culture of their own, which is also wonderful to be a part of. But it's just not that sustainable unless you're able to work a lot of hours. And it's very competitive, especially in California. When I was there, I found myself driving an hour to work, just to work a measly 4-hour shift.

That being said, I didn't last there very long after I graduated. I know of some people who work very hard to move up in the company. But that's an entirely different game. There are individuals who have given their entire lives to the company, and they are still unable to move up because the next person in line either needs to die or retire in order for them to be promoted. It's fairly simple to move around in the company, but for those who specialize in a specific trade that the park needs, it's easy to get stuck.

For me, the best part was being able to get my family in for free when they visited. If I had the extra cash to supplement what Disney couldn't pay for, then I would have stuck around, because it was just that much fun. I know of people who did. One of my buddies stayed for about four more years after I left. He was living in an apartment with 5 other guys who also worked in the parks. Disney banks on the fact that people are working there because they love working there. And when people like me leave, there's always someone on standby ready to fill the gap.
That's not to say that I felt unvalued or unwanted while working there. It really was a wonderful time. But that's all it was. 

The job listing said part time ticket sales, but it was full time (with NO benefits) and anything BUT ticket sales (they actually tell us to discourage over the phone ticket sales). As a GITS rep (Guest Information and Ticket Sales), you get to work from home and you are given the computer, headset and equipment to use. You need to have your own internet and it has to be connected DIRECTLY to the computer they provide.  They train in groups of about 13 people and the training is about two weeks. The training is so intense and difficult that about half will quit before the end of training. We were told in training that they used to get 7 weeks of training, but it was cut to just 2 weeks. On the job you get call after call after call, which is expected. But you get penalized if you take too long on a call or between calls. There are three areas you get "graded" on with a number scale: 1.  How many calls per hour you take (9-11 is expected);  2. The rating the caller gives you at the end of the call; 3. Lastly how a third-party grades you on a call they randomly chose and listen to. All calls are recorded and tracked, which is also expected. The hard part is the management. It's like the lead that you report to is so terrified of THEIR supervisor, that no matter how well you are doing and hitting all your numbers, the lead just keeps repeating you have to hit your numbers. There is NO support from upper management. I think this department is so difficult and because they go through a lot of employees (cast members), they forget to just be supportive of the cast members that are working to hit their numbers and do well. About the job itself, you have guests calling mostly about their tickets. They are confused about the reservation system and the app that Disney has implemented. A lot of callers want to upgrade their tickets to a hopper, but the process for that is so convoluted. It's not a simple click of a button. You have to input a lot of notes in accounts of people that you talk to. They have several systems you have to learn to use, and a remote computer that you have to log in to. In an 8 1/2 hour shift, you get two 15 minute breaks and a 30 minute lunch. But because of how many things you have to log in to when you come back from lunch, your lunch really is only about 20 minutes. Because like any job, you cannot be late. They use the Avaya phone systems that are controlled through the computer they have you use. 

Disney English is basically like a marketing division for the Disney parks and store.  Teachers are called 'trainers', and they do not teach, they promote products directly and indirectly.  You will not even have the job title of 'teacher', they will call you 'foreign trainer' instead.   

   You will receive training but the focus will always be on 'fun' and pleasing parents, not on actual education. Parents have gone as far as insisting that their kids are only taught by teachers of a certain nationality/race, and often management would accommodate these parents.  

  You will be told in advance that you work 3 week days, one 'long' weekend day and one 'short' weekend day. In the real world 7 hours do not count as a short day, yet that will be your easy day at Disney.  On the day that you work 11 hours, you will have a lot of breaks in-between, but probably nowhere to sit, since centres are crowded.  Most centres are located inside malls, so a lot of trainers end up wandering around the mall bored stiff and eating too much.    

Staff are often condescendingly reminded that they have these amazing perks, like free access to Disney land, and the opportunity to win Disney toys through reaching performance incentives. Considering how expensive China is, as well as the massive trade-off in work-life balance, you would think more money would be a better reward.  

You will be required to show up for work 3-4  hours before teaching in the week.  They will conduct meetings every day to justify making you come in that early.  Often they will repeat the same discussion points every day, or feed people cake and other junk to keep them complacent.  

Support staff, who are usually Chinese, receive different training to foreign staff, meaning there is a lot of miscommunication and resentment going around. Especially, considering that foreign staff get paid more and are perceived to work less than Chinese staff.    

Many people believe Disney is a good employer for offering health benefits, but if you have lived around the world and worked at other Chinese companies you will know that is supposed to be the standard. Also, do not think for one moment that they will grant you the sick leave you are entitled to, you will need to get used to fighting for your rights.  

The only good thing I can say is if you accept a job at Disney you will know that they are a credible company and that you are doing a legitimate job.

When I started at Disney, I started as a temporary employee as did every one else and after completing my probationary period, I would have been a full time employee. My position was a Guest Services Representative where I worked in an inbound call center and helped guest place online orders and responded to emails.  It began as a good work environment, management was helpful in the beginning,  and they told us about a lot of advancement opportunities that would be available once I became a full time employee.  After working there for about a month, I was offered a new position as a Dine Representative where I helped guest plan their dining reservations and Disney experiences for vacations.  I was a little hesitant but I am always open to learning new things so I told my manager that I would give it a try.  I did not know that management did not train for this position.  I had one full day of training from other employees that were not very knowledgeable about the position and then I was on my own.  With only one day of training, I did not know everything that I should have known such as information about the park, locations of restaurants, and many other things that guests were inquiring about.  I did not like the fact that I could not offer my guests the best experience possible because I didn't know a lot of the information that they asked me about.  I wanted to change back to my old position where I was thoroughly trained buy I did not know that once I tried out the new position, I couldn't go back to my original position so I was stuck in a position that I wasn't thoroughly trained in. Within the next month of working there, I found out that the company was relocating to Tennessee which they had already planned to do before I began working there.  The only way that I could get a full time position with the company is if I was willing to relocate.  I was getting married in a few months, Disney was not offering any help with housing or a substantial pay increase, and my husband already had a career where we lived so relocation was not an option.  So after working there about six months, the company began downsizing and only kept the ones that were willing to relocate.

I show up to a team of people that were never motivated.
The leads would constantly be late, or not maintaining the duty that was given to them. The workers that are new are made to do everything, while the people that have been there for over 10-15 years sit around and do nothing. The people who actually work are the ones who get reprimanded the most. If you have an idea or a problem, its best to just keep it to yourself. They may ask you about how the work is, but that is after they read a paper, to instruct them about what they are supposed to ask you. If you do not get along with the management team, you will fail miserably. That is on a personal level, not a working level. You can be the best worker in the world, but if they for some reason do not like you, then you will be shunned. I never experienced this personally, but saw it daily. I was one of the people that was accepted from day one. Cast members at Disney always say, if the guest really knew how we ran things, people would never come to Disney. But the company has quite a bit of finances to get away with just about anything relating to a guest complaint. The best parts about the job are the friends you make. That was my only motivation to keep showing up. After a while it just gets old, seeing the same old people making the same old mistakes, and instead of fixing it, they just sweep it under the rug. But hey I learned a lot. I understand how things work, I just would highly recommend someone to talk to someone who has been at Disney for about 2-3 years, not someone who has been there for over 15. Most people over 10-15 years figured a way to do nothing, but it fits with the minimum work guidelines, so they get away with it. It's not a bad gig if you can hide under the radar. but if you want to advance move up and actually make money at Disney, you better have perfect teeth, colored eyes, multi-lingual, physically fit, and always looking and dressed a 10, in everyone's eyes, not just yours.
I was a cast member from 2014 to 2019, and I loved it because of the friends I made. As far as the work went, it was easy. I left because I found a company where I could do the exact same job, and get paid almost twice as much. All the people that I made friends with are people that have been there for over 10-15+ years, so the perks of getting in free and certain discounts, are still there. I just have to give them a ring.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Actor 58 salaries reported	$18.98 per hour
Host/hostess 10 salaries reported	$20.20 per hour
Software engineer 29 salaries reported	$141,717 per year
Intern 11 salaries reported	$19.45 per hour
Manager 4 salaries reported	$160,750 per year

Working at The Walt Disney Company: Company Overview and Reviews

The Walt Disney Company

The Walt Disney Company Ratings

Popular jobs at The Walt Disney Company

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected