question to cast members!

hey guys

i was just wondering about this... do you guys ever not enjoy working for disney.. when i grow up i want to have the most enjoyable job possible and i thoght that working as a cast member at a park would be the most rewarding job anyone could have... my parents occasionaly tell me that its part of a cast members job to smile and hide whatever troubles they might have but i still really want to work here... i was just wondering if this job is really enjoyable as it looks and sounds?
any replys would be great
thanks

Working at Disney is one of the most rewarding, exciting, fun, and enjoyable jobs I have ever had, it has also been one of the most demanding, and strenuous, and difficult jobs too. However, I am a firm believer that your role at Disney is ENTIRELY what you make of it. If you come in to work looking forward to your day, and WANTING TO HELP people you will have a great day. If you are one of those people who are lazy and are looking to slide by and do nothing all day and expect to get paid for it, your life will be misrable. But if you like making people smile, and you enjoy having a good time, and getting to watch fireworks every night, see parades every afternoon, go on all the rides just about whenever you want, enjoy meeting people from all around the world, then Disney is a GREAT and WONDERFUL place to work and play. Also, one of the amazing things I've found out about Disney is that even when you work here, the magic is rarely ever lost, you may know all the secrets when your working, but when you go in as a guest reality is once again suspended and visiting the parks and resorts is a great experience. :monkey:

thank you so much. im thinking when i finish college i will move to florida and join the team of castmembers there
thanks for the reassurance.

If you have a love for all things Disney, and you want to be a part of someone's good time, then working at a Disney park is for you. Keep in mind though that you'll be doing this (at least at first):

a) on weekends and holidays (yes, including X-mas day and New Year's Eve)
b) at the last minute (you may get calls at home asking you to cover a sick call)
c) a few occasional hours past the time you expected to go home (you'll be asked to 'extend' more than once)
d) in weather that may not be so agreeable (especially in Florida)

If you can hack all that, you're going to have a great time. My short time at Disneyland in California was like being in high school again. You develop strong bonds with your co-workers, and you'll be hanging out in one of the coolest spots on the planet. You will cross paths with many celebrities and world dignitaries, and you'll have many opportunities to make a child smile the kind of smile that melts hearts. You will also be expected to be almost robot-like however is keeping that smile up. You, as they will remind you, are playing a role in a giant show. You'll come to familiarize yourself with terms like 'cast member', 'costume', 'backstage', 'onstage'......you're a performer, and the show must ALWAYS be maintained in public view. Yes, you called it correctly - you'll be expected to leave your problems behind once you punch in. You're not a person with problems. The guests (customers) didn't come to see that. They came to see Disney's dream, and you're now a part of it.

It's a pretty demanding job in that respect. You really have very little in the way of individuality as a representative of the Disney name. The standards are high....but you feel like a part of an elite performing troupe because of it. Not everyone gets where you will be. If you have tattoos, you'd better be able to hide them. If you have piercings, they'd better be just in your ears (or on a hidden area of your anatomy). There are no fashion statements or 'pushing the envelope' at Disney.

The side effect of all that repression is a pack of party animals once they all get together away from the confines of the park. Disney kids know how to PARTAY, and I know this from experience. Oh, and if you happen to be single going in, you won't be for long. It's a dating maelstrom at a Disney park. :D So....if you're serious about joining up, put on your best face, be sincere in your desire to help make the show, DRESS NICE FOR THE INTERVIEW (can't stress that enough), and remember that a lot may be asked of you...for not-so-great pay. You'll have to work your way up to that.

Whatever happens, you'll never forget it. I still haven't.

So did I cover it pretty good, folks? It's been 15 years! ;)

Working or playing as a Cast Member was great! The people I met were pretty cool except for 1. She took her job a little to serious. Won't get into details but she freaked out when I relieved her (Churros) and didn't replenish her little stack of chocolate/carmel dips that our guest had purchased. I was mad at first but felt sorry if her stack of chocolate/carmel dips were that important in her life. (Get a life)
I only worked the summer of 2004 but had a great time. Always got extended which was fine, worked almost every day into the night until the wee hours. Pay wasen't that wonderful considering how much gas was/is. You have to really love Disneyland to do this job.
If I were to go back to work I would love to do something different than ODV. (outdoor vending) That's my 2 cents.