Disney Cast Members

As I’ve mentioned before, my youngest daughter was a Disney Cast Member for 9 mos. about 8 years ago. Disney trains their employees well. In fact their training program is so successful that other corporations have taken their ideas to apply to their own companies. My daughter got a job at US Bank when she came back from Florida, and one of the reasons she was hired was that she was trained in customer service by Disney.

Disney staff , who are referred to as Cast Members, are extraordinarily friendly and helpful. The customer is always right (no matter how unfriendly, ornery, or exasperating they may be). If they can’t help you they will always try to find someone who can. Here are some facts about cast members. This information was accurate as of 8 years ago, but I doubt that much has changed.

Employees go through two weeks of intensive training when first hired, followed by one week of training at their work site. Disney standards are almost military. Men are not allowed to have beards. Make-up and nail polish must be neutral, no facial piercing, no strange hair colors etc.

Customers are referred to as guests.

It is drilled into the Cast Members that there is only one Mickey.

They never point with their index finger alone. If you ever ask one of them where something is, they will point with two fingers, the index and middle finger, pressed together or with their hand, four fingers pressed together with their thumb tucked under.

Their uniforms are referred to as their ‘costumes’.

Magic Kingdom is built upon a series of tunnels that the cast members use to traverse the park.

There are Cast Member nights at Pleasure Island (Mondays and Thursdays) and at the House of Blues (Wednesdays) where it is likely celebrities will show up.

When a Cast Member quits, there is a profile done on them that indicates whether or not they are eligible to be hired back should they desire that. A negative profile is a very bad thing.

Cast Members do not make much but they get paid weekly, can purchase affordable health/dental/vision insurance as full time employees, and have limited plans available as part-time employees. Full-timers get vacation and sick leave, annual pay increases and a stock purchase program. They also get other perks like discounts and free admission and parking at the parks.

The Cast Members are a big reason why a trip to Disney World is so enjoyable.