I’ve just returned from a fantastic summer in Orlando, Florida, where I was working as a Cast Member at Walt Disney World. It was hot, humid and hard work, but also one of the best summers of my life.
I’d been to Disney once before – aged 8 – and although I’d loved it, the experience hadn’t exactly turned me into a Disneyphile. Don’t get me wrong, I still love Disney movies (they’re pretty much compulsory viewing when you have seven younger siblings!). Coupled with a bacon sandwich or sugary mug of tea, they seem to be a magical cure the morning after a few too many toffee vodka shots at Lounge. However, had you popped in for a visit on one of these post-Lounge mornings earlier this year, you wouldn’t have found any other evidence that I might be about to jet off to Orlando for the summer. No Mickey Mouse plush toys, no “pins” – not even any Minnie Mouse ears. Wuss that I am, I didn’t even think I especially liked roller coasters. All of this makes me sound like the least qualified candidate imaginable to be embarking on a 100%, 24/7 *Disney* adventure. Why, then, was it something I had been hoping to do ever since hearing about the programme almost three years before?
For me, it really came down to the Disney ethos. Disney customer service is world famous – they strive to make every guest’s experience special and unique. Their firmly established reputation as an entertainment company and holiday destination was fascinating to me. Having undergone training at “Disney University” at the start of the summer, as well as watching my fellow cast members at work, I now realise how well-deserved that reputation is. Without giving away any trade secrets (!), I found it intriguing to see Disney’s behind-the-scenes and to learn more about the smooth operation and flawless guest service. I’ve learnt so much from Disney that I know I will be able to take forward into future jobs and, to be honest, I feel privileged to be able to say I was employed by such a well-regarded company.
It wasn’t all perfect however! The buses that took us to and from work frequently broke down or were late. On one particularly memorable occasion I was stuck at work, alone, for an extra two hours after the park had closed, missing my dinner reservation at TREX (A Prehistoric Family Adventure!). Thankfully, my roommate and I were able to re-book our dino-experience for the following evening (and I eventually got home). There was my minor breakdown after the first day of work, I think just from experiencing how exhausting that Florida heat is and how overwhelming the crowds can be. It’s certainly not all sparkles and pixie dust, and anyone who might consider “running off to Disney world” an escape from real life is completely mistaken. In fact it is the opposite: everyone else’s escape is your reality. Every day was rewarding and I felt like I personally was making a difference, but it was hard work by anyone’s standards!
I have so many good memories, though – both from work and my time off. I spent evenings having cocktails at Animal Kingdom Lodge (where giraffes and zebras wander freely), watching movies at the Downtown Disney Dine-In cinema (you press a button to order food!) and singing along at Jellyrolls, an amazing piano bar at the Boardwalk resort. I attempted to “drink around the world” at EPCOT with my flatmates, I lounged around at our apartment complex pool, and I even discovered that I quite like roller coasters. It turns out that when the fear of death is taken out of the equation (as an eight-year-old I had to be escorted off Tower of Terror as I truly thought I was on a one-way trip to the Twilight Zone), rides are quite fun. My favourite thing though? Simply catching the monorail to the Magic Kingdom after work to get an ice cream and sit watching the fireworks. In what other job is that possible?!
There’s a nightly show at Hollywood Studios called Fantasmic. After Mickey Mouse fights off various Disney villains, ending his out-of-control nightmare, a steamboat appears with several characters all dancing and waving ribbons. The night Robin Williams died, the boat appeared and all the characters were hugging the genie. That, to me, sums up the Disney spirit.
Spending a summer working for Disney is something I’d highly recommend, and if it’s something that interests you too visit www.yummyjobs.com for more details.