I’m moving to Florida to work at Disney World - How did this happen?!

Anybody who knows me will know that Disney World is my favourite place in the whole world - and yesterday, one of my biggest dreams came true. Finally, the long wait is over, and the email that I have been waiting for arrived… As of June 2020, I am going to be a cast member at Disney World for the summer on the Cultural Exchange Program!

Disney’s Cultural Exchange Program allows university students from around the world to spend the summer in Orlando working at Disney World Resort. There are several different roles you could be chosen for, including attractions, merchandise, entertainment, custodial, quick service/full service food and beverage and lifeguarding. I’d known about this program for a really long time, and I always knew that I wanted to apply as soon as I was eligible after my first year of university.

It was a pretty long process from start to finish. My first application to Yummy Jobs was sent off on the 9th of July, then two trips to London for interviews later, my acceptance email came on the 26th of November. The first interview was with Yummy Jobs, the company who will connect you with Disney if you are successful in the first interview. This is a group interview that takes place in their office in Epping - it feels very informal and laid back, more like a conversation with the five or six other people in your group than an interview. 

The second interview was a one on one interview with one of the Walt Disney World recruiters in the Disney headquarters in Hammersmith, which was also quite relaxed and nothing to be too nervous about. My interviewer focused a lot on which roles I was interested in and why, and asked a lot about previous experience I had that would benefit me in the top three roles I chose (merchandise, attractions and custodial). Two weeks after my final interview, my acceptance email came through!

And now, the countdown has started until my Disney adventure begins!