The Disney World has been a dream for many of us since childhood. When you visit the parks, magic takes over you! I bet you know the feeling of wanting to stay there forever. Now, imagine working at Disneyland!
Disney has an Exchange Program offered by the STB exchange agency. It happens during Brazil’s summer vacation and lasts from two to three months. There, you can work in the following areas: merchandising, quick service, seater, character performer, character attendant, custodial and attractions. The functions are not necessarily related to your academic training area and are set by Disney, so you can’t choose the work position or location.
The program is designed for young people over 18, who are in college and speaks fluent English. There you get 30 hours of work guarantee. However, it is possible to overcome this amount with weekends or holidays, in addition to possible overtime.
All Cast Members live in one of four Disney complex condos. The costs are the responsibility of the participant and the rent varies from $99 to $130 per week. The apartments can accommodate from 2 to 8 people.
The selection process is divided into three parts: registration, interview with STB and interview with Disney’s own recruiters. By passing these three phases, you are approved. Take the visa and bye-bye!
Many casperians managed to go through all these phases and did ICP 2018/2019. Two of them, Victoria Boito and Milena Alvarez, of the 3rd year of Journalism, told us how their experience was.
Image Source: Milena Alvarez
Her Campus: What did you think about the selection process?
Victoria Boito: The process is different from what I imagined and what I was told. They want to get to know you, find out if your profile fits the company’s. It’s good to be very clear about what you want to do there and what it will add to your life. It is not a difficult process, but very competitive.
Milena Alvarez: For me, the most difficult part of the selection process was signing up. Who lives in São Paulo, mostly have a lot of competition and the site always has problem. Controlling nervousness is very difficult. Disney wants you to be yourself and check if your values are consistent with the ones of the company.
HC: How was the arrival?
VB: It was a mix of very crazy feelings. The anxiety is huge and you don’t know what to expect. It’s a lot of expectation! We, from Casper, arrived two days earlier and stayed in a hotel before going to our apartments. I remember right from the day I took the key to my apartment and went up the stairs, dreaming that my roommate was a Brazilian. In the end, there were three Brazilian roomies.
MA: It was all very new, especially when we went to the condo. I lived with five Americans and when I arrived, there were already people in the apartment, which was kind of tense. The first two days were a shock and I tried to get used to gradually.
HC: What was your job?
VB: My position was attractions. My job was to organize all the park’s attractions and shows. I worked in Soarin, a hang glider simulator that makes people travel the world, which is placed at Epcot. For me, it was a big surprise because I didn’t expect to work there. The Soarin was not an option for Brazilians last year so I couldn’t imagine staying there. It was a very good surprise and a great challenge, because is an attraction that requires a lot of concentration all the time. I learned a lot from people who worked there and even about myself, dealing with pressure and learning to deal with people and thinking about everyone’s safety.
Image Source: Victoria Boito
MA: In the second phase of the selection process, I stayed as a stand by (a waiting list) and then I went to work as a quick service, when you work in restaurants or food strollers through the park. I worked in two restaurants: Cassie’s Corner, which was a hot dog’s restaurant, and the Dessert Party. Cassie’s is one of the Magic Kingdom’s most crowded restaurants for being right on the main street. I did everything there: I fried potatoes, I set up a hot dog, I stayed in the box, I cleaned the tables… It’s a very heavy job, but it was a rewarding experience.
Image Source: Milena Alvarez
HC: If you could work in another area, what would it be?
VB and MA: I think we both would love to have an experience in every role! But I think we would want to be character attendant, who are the “friends” of characters, like Mickey, Pooth, Stitch, etc. Being the attendant you make many dreams come true and have greater contact with children, which is something we love.
HC: Could you enjoy the trip besides your work?
VB: You can enjoy your day a lot and work at the same time. As cast member we have free access to all the parks with our card. Depending on the hours you work, it is very easy to enjoy. But it depends on your purpose and your work. I worked six to eight hours and the rest of the day I could enjoy.
Milena: I got to enjoy the park a lot. There are a lot of people who go there to make money, but I wasn’t that much. I worked hard during the Christmas and New Year week, but I could always enjoy it. I didn’t took overtime and I enjoyed my days off. More towards the end of the program, I went every day to the parks before work. We watched several shows, went to the resorts, basketball games …
Image Source: Victoria Boito
HC: Which advice would you give to the Casperians who are in the process now?
VB: My advice is to make the most of what you can because it happens so fast. Do everything you want, go to all the parks and attractions, go to places in and out of Disney. But always remember to take care of yourself and your health, physical and mental, because it’s a very good experience, but also very stressful.
Enjoy all the places and the people, the friendships that you will make there are friendships that you’ll take for your life. Another advice is not to rely on the experiences of others. Live the program the best way you can.
Milena: One tip I give is don’t give up. It’s a very competitive selection process, with each passing year more people want to do it. This pressure of not being able to sign up is stressful and sometimes it knocks people down and the majority that was with me at the ICP was on the waiting list. It’s worth keeping trying. If it has to be, it will be. A lot of obstacles came to me in this process, but in the end everything went right because it had to be. Have perseverance and don’t give up.