Need help with getting hired with the Mouse.

[CAtexan]

Greetings all! I have a couple of questions that I hope some of you fellow Disney nuts out there might be able to help me with. A little background info first. I went to a military academy and graduated in 05. Recently, I have returned from a deployment to Afghanistan where I had the honor of leading some of the greatest soldiers in the world.
Since I have been back I have made the move to CA and now I want to start my civilian life. I am really interested in Disney but I don't know how to get my foot in the door. I have applied for many different positions online at disneycareers.com but it seems to be a really slow process. I am interested in either Consumer Products or Theme Park operations, marketing and business planning. I am proactive and I have been trying to get job information interviews but the only answer I get when I ask to speak to someone in HR is that "all of our positions are listed online." It is a really cool tool but it does not provide a lot of information required to make an informed decision. I plan on going for my MBA soon and I must decide on what to specialize on.
Disney has always held a special place in my heart and if I could be a part of the magic for some other kid, wheter that kid is only a kid at heart, then I would consider myself lucky. My fiancee and I are some of the biggest Disney nuts you will ever find. We plan on getting married at Disney World sometime late next year. I also understand that Disney is a business but it is a people busines and I am a people person. I have applied for other jobs in the L.A. area but in my heart of hearts I know I would be happiest working at Disney. Any information anyone could provide or any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[AlwaysImagineer]

Same here! I want to work at WDW. I want to be a Technical Designer. I'm not really sure how to take the first step either.

[CAtexan]

Well good luck to you. Hopefully someone will be able to help us.

[glendalais89]

Honestly, what you see online is about as much as you're going to get. Disney, of course, is a really big company, and they really can't go into that much detail about every opening that they have. In some cases, HR can't even begin to fathom what the job does.

If you're looking to get your foot in the door, might I suggest getting a position inside the theme parks. I know here at the DLR, we have a bunch of ex-military folks in roles throughout the resort.

Disney is also one of those few companies that still tends to prioritize promoting from within as opposed to hiring from outside, so it might be a better approach to getting to higher-level positions as opposed to applying straight into them. You would have to get by on CM wages for a while, though, so you would have to make sure that you and your wife are financially comfortable with that.

[CAtexan]

Thanks for the input. Is there anywhere in the park that I could meet with managers about positions?

[glendalais89]

Thanks for the input. Is there anywhere in the park that I could meet with managers about positions?

Not really. I mean, you can ask a manager if you see them, but we don't really have a formal thing where you can ask them those kinds of questions. You can also visit the Casting Centre at 700 West Ball Road in Anaheim, ring the DLR Jobline on (800) 766-0888 or check their website at www.disneyland.jobs .

I know Attractions is very popular with the ex-military personal I've met, just because of the disciplined nature of it. Attractions also handles Guest Control for the Parades/Fireworks/Fantasmic!, which has to be done military style, by its nature.

[CAtexan]

Thanks for the tips. Could you tell me from your experience where people tend to go after they have been a CM for a while and then finished training or schools? To be more specific, do you know of anyone that started out with the attractions and made their way up? Only reason I ask is that you seem to either be a CM or have been. Of course I could be wrong.

[glendalais89]

Thanks for the tips. Could you tell me from your xperience where people tend to go after they have been a CM for a while and then finished training or schools? To be more specific, do you know of anyone that started out with the attractions and made their way up? Only reason I ask is that you seem to either be a CM or have been. Of course I could be wrong.

Well, we have the "Emerging Leaders" programme, which prepares Hourly CMs for entry-level management positions. All of my managers are products of this programme. From there, you can move up to a variety of roles in the resort and throughout the company.

I was talking with one of my coworkers whos been with the company for a long time (he started as a Parking CM back when the parking lot was still in front of the park) about this today, and he was telling me about how some of his fellow co-workers from back then are now in salaried and leadership roles not only at DLR/TDA, but also at WDW, WDP&R (DisneyParks), Corporate, Studios and so on.

We also have the JOBS system, which is where all openings within the company (as well as ABC, ESPN, and the other subsidaries) are posted before they are released to the general public. As I said before, current Disney CMs and Employees do have preference over those from outside the company.

[CAtexan]

Thanks for that. Would I need to go in and interview for a CM position and then talk to them about the Emerging leaders program or would I have to put some time in before that is an option?

[glendalais89]

You would have to put in some time as an Hourly first. The normal progression is to be first promoted to Trainer, than Working Lead, and then you can try for a management position.

Many people also do some time in other Lines of Business/Departments, or over at Disney University as well.

[fantoongal]

Thanks for that. Would I need to go in and interview for a CM position and then talk to them about the Emerging leaders program or would I have to put some time in before that is an option?

They have accepted people straight into Emerging Leaders the last few sessions. Generally from certain local schools, but you could always ask at Casting. The only issue with that, is that once the program is over you are not guaranteed a spot. You could simply be offered a regular hourly position. But like many have said, there are a lot of opportunities posted for current positions that are either exclusive to current CM's or are posted before the general public sees them. I would go into casting and speak in person with a recruiter.

[CAtexan]

Thanks for that. I think I might just do that. Would you suggest I make an appointment or just show up in suit and tie and ask to speak to a recruiter. And please correct me if I am wrong but is the Leader program designed for current college students? Reason I ask is that I graduated in 2005 but I have been with the Army for a few years. I do want to get an MBA though. Does Disney recruit heavily from local grad schools? Thanks again for everyone's help. I really appreciate it.

[fantoongal]

Emerging Leaders is not like the College Program. You do not need to be in college or even have a degree. It is a leadership internship program designed to give a pool of qualified candidates for potential management openings. It is expected that you have previous leadership and management experience and requires extensive interviews with senior management throughout the resort (Directors, Operations Management, etc.)

I would suggest making an appointment and letting them know that you are interested in that program. If you are able to get in from outside, it will look very good when you are looking to transfer to something else internally.

[ZaphodB]

If you want to work in a Leadership role at Consumer Products, being an hourly at DLR is not really the place to start (or, that is, it would take you a LONG time to move into Leadership).

I know the hiring process is slow (it takes, on average, eight to twelve weeks from their first reply to you to the offer letter) but it does work.

DCP is very different to DLR. Nearly everyone at DCP is a full-time regular Cast Member, whereas the vast majority of Cast Members at DLR are Casual Temporary (CT) or Casual Regular (CR).

[CASurfer65]

Not really. I mean, you can ask a manager if you see them, but we don't really have a formal thing where you can ask them those kinds of questions. You can also visit the Casting Centre at 700 West Ball Road in Anaheim, ring the DLR Jobline on (800) 766-0888 or check their website at www.disneyland.jobs .

I know Attractions is very popular with the ex-military personal I've met, just because of the disciplined nature of it. Attractions also handles Guest Control for the Parades/Fireworks/Fantasmic!, which has to be done military style, by its nature.

That's an interesting take. I worked in Attractions at the DLR for ten years throughout the 80s and early 90s, and I never would have equated it (or GC shifts, for that matter) to being a military-like environment at all. Things must have changed markedly at the park since I worked there.