Being Part of the Disney Magic

It was 6:00 AM on that cool, tranquil January morning. Time to get up and get myself ready for the first day as a Disney castmember at Walt Disney World in Florida. Oh man, what did I get myself into? Come on...I mean Walt Disney World is visited by millions of avid travel buffs each year. Covering 40 square miles and 25,000 acres WDW is roughly the size of San Francisco. From famous movie celebrities, sports stars, business professionals and tourist extraordinaries, WDW was and always will be asserted as a first-class tourist destination. OK, game face on sweaty palms rescinded and it's off to catch the Disney castmember bus into the tunnel where the wardrobe department is located, to be in costume for work by 9:00 on the Walt Disney Steam Train at the Magic kingdom.

A couple months prior to this big event, I was attending Central Connecticut State University as a sophomore majoring in business administration. Nothing out of the ordinary, had a job at a local supermarket, played hockey, hung out with friends and got OK grades. Something was missing however. I found myself living each day like a page out of the comical movie entitled " Groundhog Day" starring Bill Murray. Change was in order, I tell ya! I had done a college co-op a year prior to this time however, it was at a local clothing shop. Not very exciting nor that exclamation point on a job resume to sell my skills and land me that glamorous job over Joe Shmo. Time for another co-op work experience and opportunity to add, yet another, bullet point on the resume. Up the stakes this time and have fun to balance out the labor intense grind synonymous with seeking an education. Walt Disney World was on the list of job opportunities available for college students. How cool would that be! With in a few days of sleeping on it, contemplating while playing role reversal with myself, it was time to take the plunge. It has to be fun, plus you have to admit, it definitely will look good on a resume! This was the experience and job of a lifetime for a ripened college student, especially!

Waiting in line to receive my ensemble of clothing making up my conductor costume, I was in awe at the immense size of this wardrobe area. Hundreds of pairs of tacky flowery Adventureland Veranda pants and shirts in every size imagineable, dark green wool overcoats worn by those at the Haunted Mansion to the hideous yellow and white outfits worn by those in Tomorrowland at the Grand Prix Raceway. Impressive though, since I have never seen such a diverse array and number of costumes congregated in one place. After a minute or so, my wardrobe was assembled and given to me. Time to suit up!

It was now time to navigate to the steam train area for my shift, however, this wasn't as easy as it seemed. No, I had to incorporate the tunnel system underground to get to my desired destination. Their are many branches off of the main tunnel and numerous doors that enables castmembers to pop up from below at their desired work area. It feels almost like being in a time machine as you exit one door, your in Adventureland at Pirates of the Caribbean, come out of another door and your smack dab at the entrance to Snow White's Scary Adventure in Fantasyland. This is a convenient and discreet way of getting to your area without being out of costume walking through another. It would look pretty weird to see a castmember donning threads from Big Thunder Mountain walking through Cinderella's Castle to Fantasyland would it? Hence, the tunnel system! The tunnel system is nothing more than a way of transporting castmember from wardrobe to their work area. The zoo is located their as well. This is where the characters, such as Mickey, Peter Pan, and Goofy suit up. A huge restaurant is available for castmembers to relax and get a bit to eat during their break, computer rooms and supply passageways are basically the extent of it. Walt Disney initially had the tunnel system built because the foundation for his World was swamp land and their needed to be stability to build off of.

The Disney way is a term employed by the Walt Disney Company that all castmembers on up through the ranks must adhere by. Basically, this is a mission statement that provides attire and make up guidelines, course of actions, behavior and guest service standards. After all, Disney is synonymous with customer service and professionalism that will not be altered or subdued at any expense. The Disney standard is instilled in each castmembers own unique personality trait that offers friendly, personable and helpful guidance. It is through the synergy of each and every castmember that Disney's success has been exemplified. Yes, the attractions, theme parks, landscapes, resorts and food represent a major part of the ambiance and magic, however, without the pertinence of each and every castmember, Walt's World would flounder!

One thing that I noticed off the bat was that the leads, supervisors and higher authority figures were very friendly and helpful. They looked upon each castmember as a part of the family, not to sound cheesy(no pun intended)! After all, your actions are a direct reflection on them. They made your job less stressful and made you want to come to work each day. That combined with the facts that you were part of a Fortune 500 Company that was a tourist destination of epic proportion, where each and every course of action was felt one way or the other similar to an aftershock from a previous earthquake. These facts made you better and successful in the Disney Company, not made to make you feel, inferior and scared like a deer in headlights.

Walt Disney sacrificed nothing nor did he forgo steps leading up to his popularity and success regarding his movies, theme parks, merchandise and marketing techniques and savvy. This holds true today as it did back then. The Disney Company sacrifices no expense when it comes to hospitality, ambiance and entertainment, right down to the food ingredients used at the luxurious Victoria and Albert's in the Grand Floridian Resort or those employed at the casual dinning area of The Backlot Express at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Accommodations, amenities and services are also of utmost importance in creating the best vacation experience. One would expect the best when it comes to providing the best of each and carrying on the Disney tradition and legacy with regards to offering ideal guest services.

The Disney College Co-Op Program opened my eyes...and ears to what it was like to work at the park that Walt built. The experience was well worth it as the skills that I learned would eventually guide me along the in the game called life. It was a immensely fun and entertaining experience where I met many tourists and fellow castmembers alike. To be able to provide, even just a small part, that Disney moment for vacationers that enables them to say that "that was a great vacation", then we, as Disney castmembers have done our job superbly. On another level, having fun working at Walt Disney World, meeting fellow castmembers from around the world, combined with the parties, get together's, events, camaraderie and memories, these will last a lifetime and are priceless!

My advice to you is that whether your contemplating working down at Walt Disney World or other entity of the Walt Disney Company, or are planning your next vacation, consider the Disney venture to diversify your option and experience of a lifetime...