I'm an ex Disney employee. AMA

How many people approximately does Disney employ in Florida?

On average, 75,000.

How the fuck did you know that? I've worked at Universal for three years and I have no idea how you got that number. Seems like that was a Google search.

I asked the orientation leader in my Traditions class because I was curious, and that’s the answer she gave me.

You get free tickets?

I had a "Self Admission Pass" that could get me into the parks for free whenever I wanted. I also earned 3 guest passes for every 150 hours I worked.

That's how they do that nowadays? It used to be we could bring 3 guests with us any day, any time for free (except for special events).
Also, here's the obligatory "What time does the 12:00 Mickey's Main Street Parade start and where?"
(It's been almost 20 years so forgive me if I messed up the quote).

This just goes to show everyone how often Disney changes things up. It’s actually the 3 o clock parade now, but yes that’s still a question CM’s get a lot. The reason they changed the guest pass rule for interns is because there used to be people who would apply for the College Program for the sole purpose of getting free tickets. They would work for a couple weeks, use their guest passes to take their whole family on a free vacation, then quit. Because of this, Disney made a rule that CM’s have to work to earn their guest passes.

Is Vista Way still called Vista Lay?

Yes.

Are there any stereotypes of people that play certain roles? Like, all Jasmine's are bitchy, or all Snow Whites are sweethearts?

I've met a lot of really sweet Rapunzels. Elsa is stuck up. Anna is also a sweetheart. Ariel is a mix. Tinker Bell is also really sweet. Oh and Tiana is always sassy and sarcastic and the very few Elena's that I met were such sweethearts and very friendly.

https://imgur.com/a/2voyv

Elena was so good with my daughter. She was weird around Cinderella but instantly was comfortable around Elena!

Also, we've met Mickey a few times. He can talk in other languages based off cues. Any idea how expensive that device is?

That’s beautiful! I’m not sure about how expensive the equipment is.

How aggressively do they update rides/walkways? Like from large scale rides to small details inside the park.

It depends on what you mean by "update". The attractions have repairs/renovations done to them at least once a year. Every attraction has an opening checklist to be completed every morning, and a closing checklist to be completed every night. The items on any checklist usually relate to safety and show (everything should look the way it's supposed to). If even one of the items on the opening checklist doesn't pass, the attraction won't open until it's fixed.

My sister worked for the mouse and was treated horribly, especially when it came to housing where she was living with 4 people in a 2 bedroom apartment, how was your experience?

I had an amazing experience. Everyone seems to have a different experience when they come to work for Disney. It all depends on your perspective I guess. My experience with housing was pretty great, and I'm actually still friends with most of my roommates. I lived in two different apartment during my time there: the first was a 1 bedroom 3 person in Chatham Square, the next was also a 1 bedroom 3 person in Patterson Court. Which complex did your sister live in?

Not sure, but the whole complex got covered in black mold and they refused to pay for hotel rooms while the rooms were being cleared and then refused to pay for the medical bills for the lung problems the mold caused.

That's awful. Yea I've heard a few horror stories like that from friends of mine.

Have you ever seen someone do anything terrible to the food that worked there? If so, what happened?

I never did, actually. Disney is very strict about food safety. Coordinators/leaders are watching the kitchen at all times, and there are cameras everywhere. I once got in trouble for eating a single french fry in front of people.

Did you serve alcohol there? Follow up, any funny stories of drunk parents and their embarrassed kids?

Duh. Actually, I worked in EPCOT, which most Disney cast members have nicknamed "the drunk park". EPCOT houses the world showcase (alcohol from every corner of the world, pretty much), and hosts the annual International Food & Wine Festival. I had to deal with drunk guests on a daily basis, and I have two pretty funny stories pertaining to drunk guests:

1. I worked at a restaurant called the Electric Umbrella in EPCOT. One day, I was working at the counter, and a middle aged man came up and bought a can of bud light. I opened one and handed it too him, and he chugged the entire thing in front of me, then handed it back and asked me to throw it out. A few minutes later, he came back and did the same thing. This happened two more times, then about 30 minutes later, I looked across the restaurant and saw his wife (I assume) yelling at him in front of their kids.

2. An extremely inebriated guest was trying to find Test Track. I spent 15 minutes (I counted) trying to explain to him that the ride he was looking for was right behind him.

Did your dreams come true?

Yes, all of them. Even the weird ones.

If you had a season pass and were forced to spend a year there, how would you plan out your stay as a guest/prisoner at Disney World?

Annual passes only get me entry to the parks, so do I have any money to spend on food/resorts?

You are a prisoner for a year, basic 3 meals a day, you can work to earn extra money but only Disney bucks and at a prisoner rate.

This would be the coolest thing ever because that means I could spend an entire year in Disney World and do whatever I want without consequences. I’d mess with people so much. Like I’d switch all the dolls in Small World around to all the wrong countries. I’d try to trick character performers into wearing mismatched costumes. I’d figure out how the interactive attractions work (Turtle Talk with Crush, Monsters Inc Laugh Floor) and use those to prank people. Stuff like that. As far as where I live, I’d probably figure out how to set up a permanent camp somewhere in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, since that’s the most I would be able to afford.

How accurate is Swoozie's diaries of an ex disney employee stories on YouTube?

Mostly accurate. Keep in mind, he’s a storyteller, so a lot of what he says is exaggerated since it makes for a better story.

Worst customer experience?

A woman called me racist and screamed at me for 10 minutes because I told her she had to wait in line to buy food.

[deleted]

You’re right. I fixed it.

I've had sex at Disneyland as a guest, and expect it would be easier for an employee. As a cast member, how many escapades were you able to get away with?

The attractions all have cameras on them, so I assure you, some cast member saw everything you did. I actually never had sex in the parks, but I've heard some hilarious stories.

What was the work culture there like? Any difference between lower-level and higher-level employees in attitude?

I'm speaking from my own personal experience here, since every role is going to have a different feel to it. Most of the people that I worked with were super into their job. Disney trains us to treat everything as if it were one big show, so we just tried to make it fun. Everyone seemed to genuinely enjoy being at work. There were a ton of strictly enforced rules and guidelines we had to follow, concerning everything from how you dress to how you have to act when you're "on stage" (on stage means anywhere that you can be seen by guests). The leaders and coordinators usually had more of a stick up their rear end about these kinds of things, but I never had many problems with them. Part time and full time employees have a tendency to look down on/be condescending towards interns, but that doesn't always happen.

This is really freaky. I'm Scott. I did the college program at the same time, and I started as a Lifeguard and ended as Food and Beverage. Let's see how far these similarities go. What complex did you live in?

Oh wow. I lived in Chatham Square from February to August, then Patterson Court until the end of my program.

Did you visit the secret restaurant that's reserved for the world's rich and powerful?

Are you referring to Club 33? Because that’s at Disneyland in California.

Did the mouse ever touch you?

Yes.

https://imgur.com/tJqY8h7

If a person in a costume suffers a heart attack, stroke, etc. in the park, are they just dragged off somewhere?

Disney has plans in place for situations like that. I’m not allowed to say what they are, but they do have policies in place.

I’m not allowed to say what they are

So you aren’t an EX-employee, then?

Barring a lifetime NDA, pretty sure you’re allowed to talk about them now that you’ve left the plantation.

I am, but I don’t want to jeopardize my chance of working for them again in the future. Disney keeps tabs on people that used to work for them, almost like a creepy ex boyfriend/girlfriend.

How seriously do they take costume and characters staying on?

As a character performer, you could get fired for breaking character on stage.

How do the character actors cope in the big suits when it is completely normal for the temperature to be pushing 100 degrees?

If they’re outside, They run on a 30 minutes on/30 minutes off schedule. If it’s higher than 90 degrees outside, they’re only in the costume for 20 minutes at a time.

So typically how many ppl will be playing a character on one day?

It varies.

Did you ever see any Spiderman x Elsa type stuff?

No, can’t say that I did.

Did you save any money while working at Disney? I've heard that they don't let you eat outside food, make you live in certain places, etc. so that in the end you don't really make any money.

Those rumors are pretty exaggerated. Disney does offer housing to their interns, but they give you the option to live off-site. You can eat wherever you want. The last part is true though. By the end of my internship I broke even with my money.

Do you miss working there? What’s one of your more memorable moments (good or bad)?

I miss it very much. I had a lot of memorable moments, but if I could pick a favorite, it would be a few nights before I left. I went to see Illuminations with all of my (attractions) coworkers from EPCOT. Our leader let us up onto one of the balconies in Italy to watch, which is a spot that not even guests get to go. I had become really close friends with these people, and a lot of them cried that. I totally didn’t, because I’m just that manly...haha

Have you ever seen/interacted with someone famous or prestigious at the park?

Neil Patrick Harris and Chris Evans. I found out that I’m a few inches taller than Chris, which made me feel really good. Like, I can tell people I’m taller than Captain America.

Do they really have underground tunnels for employees?

Yes, but only at Magic Kingdom and EPCOT. They’re called the “Utilidor”, because Disney loves making new words for things.

Do those who are in the Mickey Mouse costumes and etc learn how to write their autographs as identical as possible?

Yes, that’s a requirement.

What was your favourite food there?also can we have more proof?

I'm not really sure what else I could submit, would some pictures of me in costume work? (At Disney we call them costumes, not uniforms). As far as food is concerned, definitely the pizza in the Italy pavillion.

Can you PM me some proof of the pizza?

Done.

Is it hard to work at disney and go through the internship?

Yes.

When did you do the college program?

Last year. I was Spring Advantage 2016 (February 5 - August 4), then I extended my program through January 5 of this year.

What college?

I go to a community college.

I did the international college program earlier this year (from December to February). Were you in Chatham? Did you by chance meet the people currently occupying apartment 2013?

I just really wanna know if anyone found the onion we forgot in the cabinet.

I was in apartment 8107. That sounds hilarious though.

Hey everyone! I will not be answering anymore questions until later this afternoon (EST). I’m going to get official verification from the mods by then as well.

What is Quick Service Food & Beverage?

It’s basically the Disney World version of fast food. So any restaurant that doesn’t have waitstaff, or any of the food carts outside.

You know Shannon S.?

Not sure, PM me.

Paid internship? Isn't that actually illegal? If so, surprised a corporation as large as Disney is practicing this.

Edit: added a word

I’m not sure about this, but if you’d like to know more, you can look up “Disney College Program” and do your own research. Disney has been running the College Program since the 80’s and they haven’t gotten in any kind of legal trouble for it yet (as far as I know).

Was it the happiest place on earth?

Yes.