Query for past cast members...

copcarguyp71

copcarguyp71

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Calling all cast member alumnus. I am wondering your thoughts on how your time working for the mouse actually helped you in your career long-term.

I have always heard that while the pay stinks carrying a tenure working in the parks on your resume holds a good bit of value to employers in the customer service, hotel and entertainment industries. Have you found this to be true in any major or minor way following your tenure at the parks. The ship has long sailed for me working at the parks unless I do it as a snowbird someday in retirement but with some of the recent postings I have seen about the not so great times working at the world I just wonder if it was worth it at any level later on in your career.

Please....for the love of Walter Elias can we keep this discussion free of finger pointing and pixie dust versus curmudgeon...please?
 
IowaHawks7

IowaHawks7

Well-Known Member
I was only a college program participant but it has helped me a lot on my resume. Just potential employers seeing Disney on my resume shows i have gained great customer service skills and many more. I enjoyed working at the world but it really does rely on your managers and location and hours.
 
MarkTwain

MarkTwain

Well-Known Member
Helps some industries but doesn't do much for others. For my experience in the design industry, it's mainly raised eyebrows more than anything, with employers wondering why on earth I took time off to go work for Disney. Not much correlation between working in a theme park and the contemporary design industry, so I'm contemplating taking it off the resume, unfortunately.

I'm extremely glad I did it though, if for selfish, non-professional reasons. I loved how it helped further my understanding and appreciation for the parks, and it let me really feel like I was becoming closer to this place. And it can have perks for pursuing opportunities within the company as well. ;)

Your mileage may vary.
 
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CP_alum08

CP_alum08

Well-Known Member
It was a while ago for me, but I still think it looks good on a resume. The last job I interview I had (and got) the person interviewing me brought it up and said his wife did the college program too. So if nothing else it gave us something in common to talk about which is always a a good thing.

I'm not sure it's ever helped me neseccarily, but it certainly hasn't hurt.
 
BrittanyRose428

BrittanyRose428

Well-Known Member
I'm still on the college program, but it's definitely opened up a bunch of doors for me. It helped me get in contact with a publisher, so I will have a book coming out next year, and it's also been helpful in job interviews as it stands out on my resume.
 
copcarguyp71

copcarguyp71

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
BrittanyEarnsHerEars said:
I'm still on the college program, but it's definitely opened up a bunch of doors for me. It helped me get in contact with a publisher, so I will have a book coming out next year, and it's also been helpful in job interviews as it stands out on my resume.
Click to expand...

Curious what position you work in?
 
J

Jakester

Well-Known Member
Working in the Outdoor Food world and Food and Wine made me understand the value of hardwork. Working at the various Fastpass Kiosks has taught me the value of paitence.
Just my .02
 
I_heart_Tigger

I_heart_Tigger

Well-Known Member
I took an 18 month interruption in my classes (travel and tourism and microcomputer with business applications). When I returned home I finished my course, graduated and had job offers out of the gate. Disney really stood out, obviously being in the travel industry it was a big plus.

I didn't want to work in an office at that point - I wanted to do some traveling first so I worked on cruise ships (non-Disney) for 2 years. Basically as soon as they saw Disney on my resume I was hired - seriously I had an interview on Jan 24th and I flew to meet the ship on the 27th. Cruise line jobs are, of course, very transitional as people come and go a lot but it's the only time I was ever hired right in an interview.

I then came home and worked for a couple years as a home based travel agent. I'm now Vice President of the agency and honoured to be among a handful of Canadian agencies that is Disney Earmarked. I still book travel as well and specialize in Disney. I don't really have to market as most of my clients are from word of mouth. As soon as they hear I worked there they are sold.

Craziest thing ever seen? My first week I saw a woman wearing a Mickey costume on the phone with the Mickey head beside her. She was chain smoking and cussing at her boyfriend. That pretty much shut off the flow of pixie dust though I have learned to separate being a guest and a CM.

I was friends with Aladdin who was dating the guy that plays the Terminator at US. Watching Aladdin and the Terminator make out is really a whole new world.

Worst guest experience was when a woman poured a beer over my head because she said I lied to her son. She had told him that Nova Scotia was part of England and I corrected her (being from Nova Scotia I felt I had to say something). All I said was, "Actually Nova Scotia is a province on the east coast of Canada. That's where I'm from." She screamed that it wasn't because she went there as a teenager when she went to England and that I was an idiot who should learn to mind her own business.

Strangest "it's a small world encounter". A man from Nova Scotia came to the Canadian pavilion and wanted to know if anyone from NS worked there. I was on break at the time but they called my break room to see if I would be up soon. I enjoy talking to other Maritimers so I came up and we chatted and found we didn't live too far away from each other. A few weeks later he met a woman at a social back in Nova Scotia - they hit it off and started dating. He showed her photos from his Disney trip including one with me. That woman is my mother and the man is now my step-father.
 
HRHPrincessAriel

HRHPrincessAriel

Well-Known Member
I_heart_Tigger said:
I took an 18 month interruption in my classes (travel and tourism and microcomputer with business applications). When I returned home I finished my course, graduated and had job offers out of the gate. Disney really stood out, obviously being in the travel industry it was a big plus.

I didn't want to work in an office at that point - I wanted to do some traveling first so I worked on cruise ships (non-Disney) for 2 years. Basically as soon as they saw Disney on my resume I was hired - seriously I had an interview on Jan 24th and I flew to meet the ship on the 27th. Cruise line jobs are, of course, very transitional as people come and go a lot but it's the only time I was ever hired right in an interview.

I then came home and worked for a couple years as a home based travel agent. I'm now Vice President of the agency and honoured to be among a handful of Canadian agencies that is Disney Earmarked. I still book travel as well and specialize in Disney. I don't really have to market as most of my clients are from word of mouth. As soon as they hear I worked there they are sold.

Craziest thing ever seen? My first week I saw a woman wearing a Mickey costume on the phone with the Mickey head beside her. She was chain smoking and cussing at her boyfriend. That pretty much shut off the flow of pixie dust though I have learned to separate being a guest and a CM.

I was friends with Aladdin who was dating the guy that plays the Terminator at US. Watching Aladdin and the Terminator make out is really a whole new world.

Worst guest experience was when a woman poured a beer over my head because she said I lied to her son. She had told him that Nova Scotia was part of England and I corrected her (being from Nova Scotia I felt I had to say something). All I said was, "Actually Nova Scotia is a province on the east coast of Canada. That's where I'm from." She screamed that it wasn't because she went there as a teenager when she went to England and that I was an idiot who should learn to mind her own business.

Strangest "it's a small world encounter". A man from Nova Scotia came to the Canadian pavilion and wanted to know if anyone from NS worked there. I was on break at the time but they called my break room to see if I would be up soon. I enjoy talking to other Maritimers so I came up and we chatted and found we didn't live too far away from each other. A few weeks later he met a woman at a social back in Nova Scotia - they hit it off and started dating. He showed her photos from his Disney trip including one with me. That woman is my mother and the man is now my step-father.
Click to expand...
That last part is totally crazy and awesome!
 
BrittanyRose428

BrittanyRose428

Well-Known Member
copcarguyp71 said:
As in inventory/distribution or as in "front of house" retail? Intrigued is all. Sounds like a very promising start for you and sincere hopes that it continues for you!

(no it is not sarcasm....that is only one of the many services I offer)
Click to expand...
As in front of house. I'm in Dinoland, in Animal Kingdom, so I do ordinary merchandise things and the carnival games. My blog, that I was working on before my college program started, caught the attention of my publisher. So for me I've received a great opportunity right when I started working here. I've now accepted an offer to extend my program into the Spring 2015 season, but before that I had a couple of job interviews where the employers were also really interested in how Disney is on my resume.
 
copcarguyp71

copcarguyp71

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
BrittanyEarnsHerEars said:
As in front of house. I'm in Dinoland, in Animal Kingdom, so I do ordinary merchandise things and the carnival games. My blog, that I was working on before my college program started, caught the attention of my publisher. So for me I've received a great opportunity right when I started working here. I've now accepted an offer to extend my program into the Spring 2015 season, but before that I had a couple of job interviews where the employers were also really interested in how Disney is on my resume.
Click to expand...

Awesome sauce! Even though I have a large dislike for Dinoland I am sure you make it more gooder;)
 
BrittanyRose428

BrittanyRose428

Well-Known Member
copcarguyp71 said:
Awesome sauce! Even though I have a large dislike for Dinoland I am sure you make it more gooder;)
Click to expand...
Haha I'm pretty sure everyone dislikes Dinoland. To be honest, it's the only place in Disney that I really disliked as a guest before working there. I'm not letting the fact that it's not my favorite place ruin the experience working there though. I love working here, I just don't love the concept of the land so much. I have a greater appreciation for it after having worked here, but I still completely understand the dislike for it.
 

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