Working at Disney – How it works and my experience

Working at Disney was the best decision I made in my life.

I always liked the company's films, but it was after visiting Orlando for the first time, in 2007, that I realized how much I liked this film. magical universe. There was no other way: I returned home and started coming up with plans to save money and return to the parks.

Researching how to make a more economical trip, I accidentally discovered that Brazilians could work at the complex during their college vacations. I fell in love with the idea and decided that I would try it as soon as I was old enough.

I turned 18 and, in the middle of my third semester of computer science, I signed up for the selection.

I didn't pass.

Devastated, I concluded that I needed to improve my English for the following year. I decided to do an exchange in Australia, where I studied a lot, but also fell in love with traveling. The truth is that my desire to explore the world, and even this blog, would never exist if it weren't for my desire to work at Disney! Isn't it incredible?

I returned from the other side of the world, participated in the next selection process, and was approved for the 2013/2014 season. In this post I'm going to tell you about what the work was like, the coexistence with people from all over the world and why this was one of the best experiences of my life.

Working at Disney

How works

The CEP (Cultural Exchange Program) is a program for university students in Brazil who want to work at Disney during the summer vacation period (winter in the United States). At the time I participated, the exchange was called ICP (International College Program), so don't be surprised if you see this acronym throughout the text.

The program lasts an average of 2 to 3 months, and participants are hired to perform functions such as operate rides, work in restaurants, in stores, help with cleaning the park, control queues and even be friend of the characters.

The truth is that, in addition to cheap labor, Brazilians are chosen by Disney to deal with the countrymen who fill the park during this time of year. It's much easier to instruct a tour group if you speak the same language, especially if they are children and teenagers.

What is the advantage of participating in the program? In addition to including international experience with the largest entertainment company in the world on your resume, you learn how to deal with people from different cultures, you are paid for your work, and you also have the benefit of visiting the parks free of charge and purchasing products at a discount. (yes, your salary ends up going back to Disney, lol).

The selection

To be able to participate, the candidate must be enrolled in an in-person bachelor's degree course recognized by the MEC, be studying between the second and final phase, be fluent in English and be at least 18 years old at the time of the interviews.

It is also necessary to be available to embark during the period established by the company itself, with dates between November and December, and financial conditions to pay for the air ticket, Travel insurance, visa and other program-related fees.

In Brazil, the selection is made in partnership with the STB agency. The first stage usually takes place in May, and consists of an informative lecture and an interview that can be carried out with up to three people. Once approved, a second interview, now individual and with recruiters from Disney itself, is scheduled for mid-August.

If you are chosen to participate in the program, you will finally receive your job offer and you can start the visa procedures. This job offer specifies your salary and what your salary will be. role (function), which it is not possible to change. Although it is possible to express a preference during the interview, the final decision is made by Disney itself.

My experience working at Disney as Attractions

When I received my offer to work as Attractions I felt a mix of happiness and apprehension. I was happy to be chosen to participate in the program, but I was worried about operating a difficult toy. My first option role rd merchandise (working in stores), but I decided to take on the challenge.

I participated in a Facebook group with all the candidates, and some of them were friends of employees who could access the system and see where we would go to work. I found out that I was allocated to Epcot, and again I felt that the exchange might not be what I expected. That was my park less favorite on my first visit, and I confess to being a little disappointed.

Today I see these events with different eyes.

I'm glad it didn't go my way, because that way I had a chance to fall in love with a park that had previously disappointed me — today it's my favorite.

I also consider myself lucky when it comes to work, as my friends who were merchant were cast for shifts long hours, which often ended at 3 am, carrying heavy boxes and other similar situations.

I was chosen to work at Living with the Land, an attraction where visitors get on a boat and are taken inside greenhouses and learn a little about the environment. If you've already visited Epcot and don't remember this ride, it's probably because you chose to go to Soarin', which is on the side.

At first I thought it would be boring to spend my days in an unpopular attraction, where the queue never exceeded five minutes. But the truth is that, precisely because of this fact, our work went far beyond the toy, and we took care of an entire building.

In addition to operating the boat controls, the boat's employees Living with the Land were also responsible for Circle of Life, Lion King 2D cinema, for standing at the entrance giving information, parking strollers outside, controlling the flow on the two floors of the The Land and, in general, interacting a lot with the public.

This was my favorite part because I loved talking to the people. guests, help and offer tips. There were many Brazilians who hugged me for “finally find someone speaking Portuguese”!

It may seem like it, but it wasn't an easy job, you know? I had 12-hour shifts with few breaks, where I had to stand almost the entire time, as there is a rule that says you can't sit in front of guests. I didn't take a day off for 13 days straight during Christmas and New Year's, and some of my friends worked almost 100 hours a week during that period.

For being close, I only had training for my specific functions, and I couldn't take extra hours on any other toy. My salary was very small compared to my friends who were quick-service, since they could work in any “fast restaurant” in the complex.

It was good because I had more time to enjoy the parks, but also bad because I didn't make much money. If your goal is to make money, I don't recommend my role. Try quick or even merchant, to have a better chance of getting shifts Additional features.

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Living in Disney housing

Unlike other exchanges work experience, CEP participants do not need to worry about where to live. Disney itself offers four apartment complexes, which are divided among all Disney workers. college program (for American university students) or cultural exchanges (for foreigns). They are: Vista Way, Patterson Court, The Commons and Chatham Square.

It's not free, and an amount is debited from the weekly salary to cover rent, electricity and internet, as well as some furniture and essential objects. Food, bedding, pillows, cleaning materials, and other minor items are the responsibility of the residents.

After receiving the job offer you are added to the system housing, where you can inform what type of apartment and who you would like to live with. Again, these are just suggestions, and the company makes the final decisions.

The process to work at Disney lasts almost a year, and as I mentioned I had already made friends with other candidates through Facebook and Whatsapp groups. A friend of mine had also been selected to go on my date (a criterion for choosing roommate he needs to arrive on the same day as you) and we both filled out our forms that we would like to live together.

Our request was granted and we went to live in a three-bedroom apartment in Chatham Square, together with another Brazilian and three Americans. The latter left on January 6th, at the end of their programs, and after that we were left with just three people.

It's difficult to live with different people, even if they have your nationality. In addition to stress with the temperature, since the air conditioning was central, we had problems with trash, dishes in the sink, noise, people in the apartment and other situations. Being flexible to live with strangers is one of the program's prerequisites, and with the exception of roommate who I chose, who is still one of my great friends to this day, I don't think I was very lucky.

For me, the great advantage of living in housing of Disney is closeness to friends. Those were awesome and made up for any roommate issues. Nothing like arriving from a shift long and knock on the door of that person who just prepared dinner (Amanda, I love you!).

Another benefit is the exclusive bus system for residents, which took them to all parks, hotels, other condominiums, Walmart and even the Florida Mall. The location was also great as The Commons is right next to the Premium outlet from Vineland, and from there it was easy to catch the i-trolley on International Drive and go to the Universal parks.

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Worth it?

In an attempt to keep this post as brief as possible — it's already on the fifth page — I'm not going to tell stories or talk about how cool it was to go to the parks on my days off. If you want to know in more detail what my experience was like, I recommend listening to the first episode of Landing Podcast, project of mine and Dé from the Foco no Mundo blog, where we spent almost an hour just talking about working at Disney:

But to be fair, I'll end this post by answering the question everyone asks me when I talk about working at Disney: worth it?

Financially speaking, it is one of the cheapest exchanges there is. You pay the visa, ticket, insurance and a fee of USD 354,50 for the first two weeks of housing and for events in the condominiums, and that's it. It is possible to live for the entire duration of the program just on the salary from work, and those who manage a few extra hours can even make a profit. Several friends came back with macbooks e iphones.

Working for a company of this size, even cleaning the floors, is a huge enrichment for any CV, especially for a university student.. The lessons I learned in work ethic, safety and customer service remain with me today.

Above all, I say it's worth it for the experience. I would trade any trip to spend another three months with my friends eating Ben n Jerrys in the condos after 12 hours of shift, going to the parks with people who are as passionate about Disney as I am, buying defective stuffed animals at a discount, and even putting up with some guests grumpy. To this day I cry with nostalgia when any song from that time plays.

This exchange was incredible, as most of them are, due to the people who shared this time with me. They were the ones who made my days magical, and I can only be grateful for embarking on this adventure.

If you are thinking about working at Disney, my only recommendation is not to miss the application deadline. You won't want to wait until next year.

Good luck and have a magical day!

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