Love to hear you Disney career stories!

[jdy328]

I have been reading post in preparation for a possible move to Disney to start a new career. I hear cast members say that you can start anywhere in the company and move up as high as you are will to work for. I would love to hear stories about how some of you cast members have been able to get where your at in the company.

 

[4eyedbuzzard]

I have been reading post in preparation for a possible move to Disney to start a new career. I hear cast members say that you can start anywhere in the company and move up as high as you are will to work for. I would love to hear stories about how some of you cast members have been able to get where your at in the company.

Noticed several of your posts...

I don't work for Disney but know a few people who do, including one who is a VP. Like any other company, Disney requires certain levels of education, training, and experience especially for higher level positions. You'll hit ceilings based upon your education/experience within the Disney corporation just like any other one. You'll move up only as quickly as your qualifications, education, and experience will allow, only if there are positions open, and only at "the pleasure of management" - just like any other company. Disney is running a for-profit enterprise and you will be but one of over 50,000 other employees (with an average wage of $12/hr.) With hard work, some luck, some timing, etc, Disney can be as good a career as any other, just don't let the pixie dust blind you - it's a job.

 

[Unregistered]

Well I appreciate the information. I have talked to several managers at the parks and every single person I spoke to was a person that had started at the bottom and worked up and where making far more that 12.00 an hour. When I was planning a move to Florida I had a lot of replies on forums that said "I know someone" that lives in this place and that place and it is awful. I moved and loved it, well, all accept that Disney is 3 hours away....lol

Many executives do not have degrees at Disney Diller and Jeffery Katzenberg (RUNNING DREAMWORKS) just to name a few. Walt himself, as I said, didn’t have a degree. I am not saying Disney doesn’t want degrees but I think that you under estimate where people are able to get on the Disney ladder with hard work and dedication. From what I understand, from those I talked to @ Disney, they have people in positions that have the job of just spotting talent and drive and then assisting that person on finding the most effective career path.

And as for it being a job. I hear that a lot. I do understand that of course I have be a retail manager for a long time. But my though on that is this. People do find a joy in work. When you find a company that can take advantage of your talent, passions, fills a need and is in line with conscience you’ll find a career without limit(8th Habit by Steven Covey). If you could find a level of happiness working at Disney where in the world would you find it?

 

[4eyedbuzzard]

I'm not trying to be harsh or squash your enthusiam, I'm just trying to be honest. There is lots of information out there about working for Disney. I'm just suggesting that you take everything you hear, both good and bad, with a reasonable degree of healthy skepticism and proceed with eyes wide open.

 

[DisneylandGuy22]

I will be starting my Disney Career in July. I will be on the International program working in Epcot at the Canadian Pavillion. It is a 1 year contract but i hope there will be a way that i can continue to work for Disney after that.

"Never give up your hopes or dreams"

 

[jdy328]

I'm jealous .... Man make the best of it! You could stay for sure from what I hear. When I was at the job fair they were hiring people on the spot. So if you work hard I would think you could have a job for life.

 

[blitzkrieg048]

Hope to hear back from you when you start to let us know how it works out. Godd Luck!!!!!

 

[starbaby0103]

i myself have been considering a move to orlando (from nc) to pursue a career with disney.....i've been applying through the website for about a year with no luck....so i thought a new strategy may be to try to work my way up from the inside. i figure my worst case scenario would be to take an hourly role until i could find a "professional" role that fits my interests/skill set. of course, i would be leaving a comfortable corporate job (which i hate) to take a pretty big leap of faith.....i've not made a definate decision yet, but i appreciate any tips/insights any of you have to share!

 

[Unregistered]

Just wanted to give feedback to this section as we just moved out of Orlando, FL 2 months ago. My husband was a Disney cast member working in various roles (PR, HR, etc.) and I have to tell you that unless you have a college degree (regardless of what the other poster on here said about not needing one) you will not move much past the hourly role in the parks. I am not saying it is impossible but very close. The other big factor with Disney is you have to understand that they have approx. 52,000 employees so unless you know someone in the department you want to move up to they usually always have someone in mind before the job is already posted. Please understand I love Disney and we will continue to vacation there but working there is another story.

 

[2excited4words]

My husbands nephew just started working there a few months ago in landscaping. He worked there last summer while on summer break just as summer help I guess you would say but then told them he would like to go full time after he finished school. He was here just last week visiting while home for his girlfriends graduation. Yes, he went to school for 2 years for horticulture so he was hired at a "gardener" level. I think in 5 years he said he can take a test to move up to master gardner or something like that. If you don't have a degree in horticulture or something, you can be hired on as just regular help in landscaping at beginning wages. That's my understanding of how the landscaping department works anyway. He works at Corondado Springs so I'm exited to see their work even though I'm staying at Wilderness Lodge.

 

[starbaby0103]

as far as "needing to know someone in the dept", i think that's true for most major companies! i graduated a year ago, and the only reason i got "my foot in the door" of the company i work for now is b/c my boss' brother-in-law passed my resume along to several different individuals for me.

and sure, you hear these wonderful, pie-in-the-sky stories about individuals who never went to college and have these amazing jobs...but i think they probably represent a very small minority of the workforce. i think as my generation continues to enter into the workplace, you'll hear fewer and fewer of those stories b/c so many people go to college now. a BS/BA is turning into our parents' high school diplomas.

i'm just so conflicted in thinking about making this move! i feel confident about my abilities, it's just trying to figure out how in the world to get your resume/portfolio in front of the right people!

ps--to the unregistered poster...i would love some additional insight about working for in PR for disney...please pm me if you have anything to share!

 

[jdy328]

and I have to tell you that unless you have a college degree (regardless of what the other poster on here said about not needing one) you will not move much past the hourly role in the parks.

Well I would be the only one that has said that, and in case you did'nt read my post well enough I have talked face to face with cast members that have been promoted to manager with no degree at all. I also have a freind that is at Paris Disney because he went to training every time he could and they made him a manager and sent him to help with the Paris Disney parks. So dont be discouraged.

If your husband cant advance tell him to just jump in and really show some ambition, I sure that they will notice him and give him a chance.