4 Things I Loved About Being a Disney Cast Member

By Dustin West

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a Walt Disney World cast member? There are so many aspects and details that make being one a lot of fun. But, it’s also very rewarding. I found that out firsthand in my four years working for the company. Many Disney fans want to work there from the moment they fall in love with the parks. It’s the chance to make the magic that they’ve been a recipient of. It’s not just one of those jobs that you work at because it’s close to your neighborhood. In general it takes a lot of desire and that certain something to become a great cast member. Here are some of the things I loved about being a Walt Disney World cast member.

1) Moving to Orlando

Before we get started on this topic, a little background is in order. I grew up in Lynchburg, Virginia, a relatively small city. Lynchburg was certainly not a city with an intense amount of diversity or culture. I got a better taste of these things when I moved to Richmond, the capital of Virginia, for school. To make a long story short, I took two different semesters to work for the Disney College Program. If you don't know much about the Disney College Program, check out the episode of the DIS Unplugged that answers all your question.

After I finally graduated, I moved down to Orlando to work full time at Walt Disney World.

Moving to Florida was a big decision. I was leaving my family and friends in Virginia and starting new in Florida. When I first arrived I stuck to what was familiar. I hardly left Disney property. Even my night life and entertainment was in the Disney bubble. After a few months, you start exploring and realize that Orlando really does have culture, music, art, drinks, etc… Orlando has become my home. I never thought that would be possible considering how much I identified with Virgina. But as soon as I found myself becoming more comfortable here, I realized how much this city has to offer.

Photo: www.cityoforlando.net

Working at Disney and living in such a transient place also showed me the sort of diversity of people I had never seen in one place. The cultural make up of Orlando is certainly different. More impressive was working with people from Australia, Africa, Brazil, you name it. You never know who you’re going to meet next.

2) Meeting Other Cast Members

Like I said earlier, I worked on two different Disney College Programs and eventually worked there full time. Working on the College Program is a completely different experience. In my case, I was there for five months. It’s a bit difficult to make lasting friends in that period. However, you do get to meet a lot of interesting people whether they’re full time cast members or other College Program folks. Working at Walt Disney World, you realize that there a few clear types of people, among others, that seem to work there. Of course you have your College Program folks. There’s basically truckloads of new faces cycling in every few months.

As a full time cast member it’s very interesting to see the rotation of College Program cast members coming in and out. You’ll also find find that most of the younger full time cast members there were recently College Program. And of course with the College Program comes plenty of international cast members as mentioned earlier.

There’s also the retired crowd. I’d say that a very large portion of full time cast members at Walt Disney World are folks that have retired and moved to Florida. For the most part, these folks are amazing. They’re the type of people that really love working at Disney. In contrast to my College Program experience, once I moved down full time I actually made friends. I still see these friends even though I don’t work there any more. Working at Disney World is a very social experience. You get to know people better and better day in and day out. You also develop your own Disney language, and understand things that others don’t. Which brings me to my next point…

3) Discovering a Whole New Disney World

My perspective of Disney World has completely changed since being a cast member, but certainly not in a negative way. I was once a wide eyed Disney magic believer that didn’t understand how any of it was put together. I always had a curiosity to know more and understand how all the cogs of the clock worked. Knowing the inner workings has fundamentally changed the way I look at the theme parks. I’m able to see the park as it is, but also what’s behind it.

As a cast member, I used to love exploring the backstage areas that were within my bounds. Experiencing costuming on a daily basis, eating at the different cast cafeterias, walking through the backstage areas to get to different portions of the parks. It’s made the theme parks twice as enjoyable for me because now i see two different Disney Worlds.

The other thing I still find myself doing to this day is comparing other theme parks to Disney in a much different way. It’s no longer just a comparison of my enjoyment. It’s a comparison of the procedures the other companies use. I compare the quality of the uniforms or costumes. But mostly I can see the difference between the standard of service provided. I know what it was like to be a Disney cast member and a lot of times other companies don’t hold a candle. This brings me to…

4) Making Magic for Guests

It may come as no surprise that working as a Walt Disney World cast member you get to meet thousands of people on a daily basis. Even after leaving my College Program experiences, I couldn’t believe how much I learned about crowd management, body language, and communicating with different cultures.

Most importantly, Disney gave me the freedom to to make special moments happen on a regular basis. There were many occasions where I was able to help provide a more comfortable experience for guests traveling in wheelchairs. I was able to give special character meet and greets to children. I even got to solve problems like replacing stolen umbrellas or strollers.

I was able to be a part of thousands and thousands of family vacations. I’m a small part of their Disney experience. But I like to think I made a difference. I made their vacation special. That’s why I started in the first place. To return the favor given to me from all the cast members that came before. Being a Walt Disney World Cast Member will always be a part of me.