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In this rare photo, construction continues on Space Mountain in 1976.

New water fountain on Buena Vista Street outside the Carthay Circle Theater@ #dca. #sunset #disney #disneyland #dlr #bvs (Taken with Instagram at Disney California Adventure Park)

Walt Disney Parks & Resorts Cast Member Wiki - Part 9

Personal Experience - All of the observations in this assignment were made personally while in the employment of TWDC over a several year period in many different capacities across multiple organizations within TWDC in both Orlando, Florida and Anaheim, California.

I first began working for TWDC in January 2006. As an intern I was part of Disney’s College Program. My role was Parade Audience Control (PAC) and Fantasmic! Audience Control at Disney Hollywood Studios (formerly Disney/MGM Studios) located at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. Life during that six month internship was literally all Disney all the time! I lived in Disney housing, took Disney transportation, ate Disney food, had Disney friends, took Disney classes… you get the idea. Theme park operations were my speciality. I gained intimate experience working in the daily, routine of a Disney theme park both through the experiences of my own role and the roles I frequently observed others performing (e.g. merchandise, attractions, outdoor vending (ODV), security, etc.).

I also served briefly in Stadium Operations at ESPN Wide World of Sports (formerly Disney’s Wide World of Sports) during the Atlanta Braves spring training and the inaugural tournament of the World Baseball Classic.

After a brief hiatus, I returned to Orlando in January 2007. This time serving as a Professional Intern, I worked as an Employment Coordinator Associate at the WDW Casting Center. Here I was exposed to an even broader array of corporate structure, operational, and occupational needs required to run the Resort effectively and efficiently. The WDW Casting Center would routinely interview up to 100 potential candidates a day.

Additionally, I was tasked with organizing the (approximately) thirty Professional Interns employed in the many different casting departments at the Casting Center into a single contingency of peers whose goal it was to enhance the Professional Internship by planning and executing uniquely planned extra-curricular activities that aimed to broaden our knowledge, understanding and appreciation of Disney history, heritage and legacy.

This goal was realized over the duration of the internship by each intern preparing an activity that highlighted a different area of prior expertise. For instance, I planned a special backstage tour of the Fantasmic! set using my connections to the show having previously worked there.

In January 2008 I was recruited to help expand the college recruiting efforts in southern California for the fledgling Disney College Program at the Disneyland Resort. I was responsible for the promotion and marketing of the Disney College Program at 20+ colleges in southern California. In this role I worked independently while maintaining partnerships with a Disney Recruiter, school faculty and staff, and reporting directly to my manager in Orlando. I made only occasional appearances at the College Program office located at Team Disney Anaheim (TDA) in the backstage area of the DLR. 

Unfortunately, the program was discontinued after six months at which point I moved to Guest Services at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. Guest Services was responsible for fulfilling the special requests of hotel guests.

In late 2009 I left The Walt Disney Company to return to school.

Walt Disney Parks & Resorts Cast Member Wiki - Part 5 & 6

Stereotypes - There is a myriad of positive and negative stereotypes associated with CM’s. Some people may perceive CM’s as overly naive based on the generally wholesome nature of entertainment TWDC provides. Other observers might stereotypically think a CM must be very well qualified to be employed by such a prestigious corporation.

Ethnocentrism - While most CM’s will stand together to collectively defend against external debate about their perceived overly cheery dispositions there ironically exists many varying levels of negative judgements, or ethnocentric hostilities, among the different sub-cultures of Cast Members who believe their Role is more essential or important than another. 

For instance, character performers generally view themselves as the most important aspect of theme park operations. While all CM’s have a role and are said to be performing it is the characters, parade performers and the like who think they are real performers while the others are just pretending. 

Another example of ethnocentrism might be DLR CM’s thinking themselves superior to WDW CM’s because the Disneyland is Walt’s original park and the only one he actually worked in and saw completed.

Walt Disney Parks & Resorts Cast Member Wiki - Part 4

Culture Shock - As a new CM there are so many new experiences to be had that each new intricacy and detail of a new job, err, role may prove to be overwhelming. Each stage of the classic culture shock phenomenon can be experienced as a result of being hired and integrated into the culture of Cast Members. For example…

• Honeymoon: Excitement of being hired and the prospects of a new job.
• Disintegration: Frustration with the many new things to learn, like the “Disney Point” in which a CM must learn to point with two fingers instead of one. Or, having to read a work schedule listed in military time.
• Reintegration: Might occur when a new CM starts to catch on to the Disney way of doing his/her job but still feel uncomfortable about it.
• Adjustment: An understanding and acceptance of a CM’s new role and competence in completing the required tasks.
• Biculturalism: A tenured CM will be fully integrated, know his/her job well, passed any proficiencies, learned the jargon and is able to function autonomously.

PHOTO CAPTION - A group of College Program interns from Disneyland pose in Walt Disney’s actual apartment above the Fire Station on Main Street, USA.

Walt Disney Parks & Resorts Cast Member Wiki - Part 3

Culture - Cast Members (hereafter CM’s) are quickly indoctrinated with the idea that it is  the exceptional level of quality service provided by each CM that is directly related to the company’s success and un-equaled reputation of industry leading guest experience. To achieve this great care is taken to provide each CM with a socially healthy work construct. Positive messages and activities (propaganda) promoting the company’s legacy and heritage are frequently strummed to the heart strings of the combined 70,000+ CM’s at the Disneyland and Walt Disney World (hereafter WDW) Resorts. Some examples of these purposefully sentimental avocations include: annual canoe races, private holiday parties, merchandise discounts, complimentary theme park tickets, backstage tours, sports leagues, Imagineer seminars, social clubs, etc.  As a result, an overall sense of community has been established among those who are privileged to work at a Disney theme park.

Photo Caption - A group of interns pose for a photo on the set of Fantasmic! after a backstage tour.

CAPTION: A group of Employment Coordinators at Walt Disney World’s Casting Center

Walt Disney Parks & Resorts Cast Member Wiki - Part 2

Jargon - Specific and deliberate terminology is used as a frame of reference to provide context to the employee responsible for maintaining a specific aspect of Walt’s show. Some examples are:

• Casting: Disney’s employment center. All employees (e.g. PT, FT, intern, professional, executive, performers, etc.) are processed through Casting.
• Cast Member: An employee of TWDC.
• Traditions: Every new Cast Member goes through orientation, or Traditions, on their first day of employment.
• On Stage: Any place in a Disney theme park accessible to guests.
• Backstage: Any place usually reserved for Cast Members only.
• Costume: Each “On Stage” Cast Member is issued a uniform, or costume, themed to the area to which he/she will be working.
• Role: Each Cast Member plays a “role” in the show!
• Show Ready: Ensuring that an “on stage” area is clean and appropriate for guests.
• Magic / Pixie Dust: An abstract term used to define the “above and beyond” lengths TWDC will go to impress their guests and ensure their satisfaction. It can also be tied to the emotional connection some guests have with TWDC.
• Fur / Face Character: The difference between playing a character that is non-speaking and fully-costumed (e.g. Mickey, Donald, etc.) or a character in which the actors face is portrayed to be that of the character (e.g. Mary Poppins, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Prince Charming, etc.).
• Friends with Mickey: A Cast Member who plays the role of Mickey Mouse is said to be “friends with Mickey” so as to uphold the illusion of Mickey being real.
• Global: A Walt Disney World Resort specific reference to a character performer’s ability to perform anywhere on property. 
• Disney Look: A set of conservative appearance and personal grooming guidelines that dictate what is appropriate for a particular role.
• Protein Spill: Code word used for a guest who has vomited onstage.
• The Disney Difference: Perks uniquely available to Disney Cast Members.
• On The Mouse: A phrase used when referring to an expense the company will pay for.
• The Boss: Cast Members sometimes refer to Mickey Mouse as the boss.

While there are many more examples of corporate jargon used by TWDC to help maintain Walt’s illusion these ideals are more effective in practice by integrating them into the cultural language that every Disney Cast Member learns. From the moment you walk into the Casting Center the idea of “show” and “theater” are ever present and help mold the mind to the idea of giving a great performance while at work.