Saint Ambrose University recently issued the following announcement.
The Disneyland and Walt Disney World parks are truly, as their slogan says, some of the most magical places on earth. Between the characters from our favorite Disney movies interacting with the crowds and the adrenaline rush of the rollercoasters, there is loads to love about the experience. But to make the parks that lively and exciting, they require countless people in their "cast" to put in a collective effort.
So what is it like to be a part of the big Disney family? Is it as fun from behind the scenes? Fellow Ambrosian and former Disney cast member senior Joseph Lasher gave us an answer.
Lasher first applied to be part of the Walt Disney World cast in January 2020, and the interview process was extremely extensive. He went through an online application phase, then on to a more formal web interview where he was asked to answer some work-scenario based questions. After that, he had a phone call that led to him being chosen as a strong candidate for hire.
"Apparently, people go super overboard crazy preparing for these phone interviews with note cards for every possible scenario and question asked," replied Lasher when he was asked to give insight into the process. "I did not know it was that intense so I just went in blind, but it ended up going really well!"
Hired at Disney
SENIOR JOSEPH LASHER
After working with Disney last fall, Lasher highly recommends becoming a cast member if you want to enjoy the parks, meet people from all over the world, and gain some acting and working experience.
Lasher then attended several rounds of auditions, and at the end of it all he was hired as a Character Performer. However, shortly thereafter COVID-19 put his plans on hold. Despite this holdup, he was still offered a position in the park after everything opened back up again and with this new role he was in charge of helping guide families through the park and making sure they had a magical experience.
"Probably my favorite interaction from my job was when I spoke in French to a family visiting from France!" said Lasher excitedly. "I have basic French conversational skills, absolutely nothing major, but this family had two little boys who spoke zero English. So, I introduced myself in French, and was asking them questions such as 'What's your name?' and ‘Are you having a good day?' They were just basic little things, but they were so excited that I was speaking to them! It really made my day!"
After his time working with Disney last fall, Lasher would highly recommend becoming a cast member to anyone who wants to enjoy the parks, meet people from all over the world, and gain some acting and working experience for the future. And while there were the downsides of any full-time job, like feeling drained after a hard day's work, Lasher wholeheartedly loved his experience there.
"I made so many friends, and it was so fun becoming an expert on all the parks," he shared. "Just know it's not just a semester-long vacation, it's a whole lot of work and requires a lot of mental fortitude."
So as it turns out, helping create the joy at Disney is just as fun and rewarding as being a guest at one of the parks. Even for the cast members, Disney is still one of the most magical places on earth.
Original source can be found here.
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