8 Confessions of a Former Disney World Cast Member

Have you ever dreamt of working at Disney World?

If you love the Disney Parks, then chances are, you’ve thought about applying to work at Disney World at least once! As a Cast Member, you learn the nitty gritty on the parks and attractions, Disney history, and you also get to experience the parks in a whole new way. Here at AE, we have several former Cast Members on the team, and today, they’re here to spill some juicy confessions from their time working at the Most Magical Place On Earth. Let’s go!

Our hope for this post is that you’ll laugh, relate to Cast Members throughout your future trips, and also gain newfound empathy and understanding for the folks who are trying to make your Disney day magical. Without further ado, here are eight confessions of former Disney World Cast Members.

“One of the main reasons I applied was for the free park entry and discounts.”

It’s true! One of the biggest things that drew us to working at Disney World was the ability to go to the parks for free as well as the ability to get some serious discounts on merchandise, dining, and even hotel rooms.

If you love Disney World and are willing to accept that most of your payment will be in free park admission and discounts, then maybe you should head to Orlando for work, too!

“I cried in the break room after what a guest said to me. Then, I had to walk back out and act like nothing ever happened to continue making magic.”

This is something that most Cast Members can relate to. Seriously, we’ve seen grown men and women cry backstage because of rude guests. If a Cast Member won’t bend the rules for you, do what you THINK they should be doing, or even if they genuinely do make a mistake, please don’t berate them.

Cast Members are often treated like they are one of Disney’s robots or animatronics. They’re human, and they have feelings. It’s extremely hard to be yelled at and told that you’ve ruined someone’s vacation, that you should be fired, or that you’re a bad Cast Member and then act like nothing ever happened.

“Creating Magical Moments is the best part of my day… Until you ask for them.”

Cast Members WANT to make your day extra magical! They want to serve you and help make your day better. However, it’s a little bit annoying to be asked for them.

We understand that you’re just trying to have a great experience or to even enhance the experience of your loved ones. However, it leaves a bad taste in many Cast Members’ mouths. We reserve Magical Moments for great, personalized interactions with guests, to recover a bad situation, and sometimes just because we’re feeling extra generous in that moment!

“I’ve worn name tags that aren’t mine.”

Fun fact: Part of the official Disney uniform is the iconic name tag. Seriously! You can get a “point,” Disney’s version of a demerit, for not having one on or for wearing it in the wrong place.

However, you can wear whatever name tag you want as long as you have one. Friends will often swap name tags with each other just for fun, and people wear random name tags they find in the Lost and Found bins. My favorite name tag to wear was one that said “Jorge.” Guests loved seeing the Jorge name tag on a southern, blonde college student (whose name was CLEARLY not Jorge) and it actually sparked a lot of great conversation!

“Nice guests got more of my stickers.”

Another fun fact: Cast Members’ pockets are often LOADED with things like fun stickers specific to their attraction, land, or even the characters they walk around with.

If the Cast Member has stickers, they’ll totally give you some if you ask for them. However, they’ll give you a LOT and maybe even some other cool things if you’re extra nice.

“I kept snacks in my pockets and ate them when no one was looking.”

Popcorn, fruit snacks, Life Savers, candy — we’ve all been there while on the clock.

As soon as we’re out of guests’ sight, we’re having a snack. Believe us.

“I loved it when guests made magic for me, too.”

When guests thanked us and gave us goodie bags, treats, and trinkets to show their appreciation, it had the power to completely change a bad shift.

This especially helps on days like Thanksgiving and Christmas when the Cast Members are spending time away from loved ones. Most of these Cast Members spend the day pretty sad, so just know that you, as a guest, have the power to make their day better.

“Cast Compliments matter more than guests might think!”

If you have a great experience with a Cast Member, LEAVE A CAST COMPLIMENT. Not only is it delivered to the Cast Member, it also goes to their leadership team.

Cast Compliments are sometimes even taken into consideration when a person is trying to transfer roles within the company, or even take on a coordinator or leadership role! They DO matter!

And there you have it! We hope you learned something as well as had a bit of a laugh at just how human your fellow Disney-loving humans can be — even though they’re often so hospitable they might seem like magical robots. Remember that these folks have feelings too, and are just trying to help. We’ll continue to keep you updated with more Disney news and facts, so make sure to follow along for more!

Looking for more Cast Member behind-the-scenes info? Click here! 

Have you ever worked at Disney World? Let us know in the comments! 

Comments (1)