Adam+Paul

Yes, I did. But I didn’t graduate. I joined the Disney College Program while at Metro State. I started school with a major in Speech and Communication but then before I could declare a Fine Arts major I left for Florida. I am now in the entertainment department as a character performer. Before, I was in attractions as a presenter. A presenter is a Disney representative for major companies. I worked the //__Space Race__// __powered by HP__ and the //House of Innovations//, and //__Where’s the fire__// __presented by Liberty Mutual__. I love what I do but if nothing else mattered in my life, ideally I would like to move up to training or casting in the entertainment department. I expected most about the job. The Disney Company was very open with what I would be doing. But, you have to keep in mind that Disney is huge! They are a worldwide and multimedia company, and whether you are a popcorn vendor at Magic Kingdom or a host on ESPN, everyone has to go through the same basic training. The Disney Company expects more from you as an employee. You have to be really committed and you have to enjoy and appreciate it. The system is so intricate and there are TONS OF RULES! No, not guidelines, rules, and it has to be that way. Disney expects a higher effort from their employees because guests expect higher from the company. No, I don’t think so, because I don’t think I was mature enough to handle moving out of state to a job that demands a lot from you. They expect a lot from you and there are no second chances. I was invited back because I had the responsibility that not a lot of the other college program kids did. 10 were invited back for a job in Entertainment out of 700 because those 10 showed that it was serious and not just a break in Florida. I also like that I am older than the others because I fit in better with the full-time workers who have more connections. Plus I also think that I was offered such great characters because my face is more mature looking than the other 18 year olds fresh out of college. There are many different ladders in the Disney system it just matters what you want to do. If you want to be an imagineer then you have to climb tons of ladders outside to even try for the bottom rung on the Disney ladder. I wouldn’t have gotten such a great job with the college program without my background in theater. The entertainment ladder starts very differently. Most of the casting is based on looks and physical aspects. In the casting you have to be able to carry yourself and be animated. Even for fur. Entertainment is a hierarchy. You always start as fur. You can do shows, parades, and puppetry. There are different color codes that you get when you audition. There are 4 that they apply to; movement, animation, puppetry, and stilts. Your color codes tell the casters what you can do. The levels are blue (lowest) and yellow and red (highest). Your scores place you on the “ladder”. Next up is being a performance specialist or trainer. All the managers have had a fairly extensive background with the company. Even the COO or director in charge started out parking cars. Disney is good at hiring within. But in order to be high up in entertainment you have to start in entertainment. The rules, because they involve everything, including your haircut and facial hair. There is so much secrecy! Talking with family and friends is difficult. You are always being watched. There is no room for error. If you go against the rules they will find out. It’s a very high stress job because of the perfection needed. You only get to train for so many days and then they just hand the job over to you. With the college program the first couple weeks are fun and then the pixie dust wears off and it just starts looking like a really expensive theme park. What I’ve learned in Entertainment is that everyone is judgmental and everyone wants your job. I really don’t want you to get the impression that this is a horrible job though. I have little girls and boys running up to me with the biggest smiles on their faces and that give me the biggest hugs. I had a little 7-year old Irish girl that came up to me last week that said, “_________, today is my birthday and all I wanted was to come see you” She’s been waiting since her 6th birthday to see him. She waited an entire year to get that hug and that picture and that is going to be something that she will remember for long after. There is at least one kid everyday that makes it worth it. With those kids I wait until they start leaving and then I go up and I give their parents a huge hug and don’t let go. Because we don’t know how badly they might need that hug. We don’t know how difficult it was for them to get here. We learned that in training. We never let go of the person first because that hug might be all that they need and when they’re ready to let go then they can let go. Disney is very proud of their “cast relations” they treat us very well. The discounts on the park ticket suck, but we get amazing deals on merchandise, food, and hotels. And while in Florida I can flash my ID at Panera or Fantastic Sams and get a discount. It’s great because everyday we have a mandatory warm-up before we go out into the parks. We do 15 minutes of Cardio, stretching, and conditioning. Also if they are ever filming in the park any one in entertainment who wants to be an extra in it can. One of my trainers who is always seen as a couple specific characters in Disney commercials was working and got a call to watch _________ __________ perform for the Christmas parade. They had him put on a Disney T-Shirt and Sunglasses and stand in the front row. He looked like a screaming fan but he was actually there for security. When Michael Phelps came back from the Olympics my friend got to be the one to sit next to him in the parade as a character. Captain Jack Sparrow
 * 1) ** Did you go to college before becoming a Disney employee? **
 * 1) ** What was your major?  **
 * 1) ** What do you do for the Disney Company? **
 * 1) ** What would you like to do for the Disney Company?  **
 * 1) ** What is something that you didn't expect of this job that has now occurred? **
 * 1) ** If you could go back would you have come out to Disney earlier in your life? **
 * 1) ** Is there a "ladder" that you had to climb? **
 * 1) ** What is the most difficult aspect of this job?  **
 * 1) ** Do you have any fun perks? **
 * 1) ** Who is your favorite character? **