In my quest to try and actually blog more, I thought it would be a fantastic idea to document my experience so far in the Disney Cultural Exchange Program!!

Now, if you haven't heard of the program before, I can't blame you. The Disney CEP, formerly known as the ICP (International College Program) was something I'd never heard of either until a friend of mine, Zack, participated in it last year.

Photo of Zack and me back in late 2016

Essentially, the CEP allows folks from all across the world to spend a few months working at Walt Disney World in a variety of different roles - anything from a lifeguard to a behind-the-scenes position in the costuming department. At the pay rate of $10 US an hour (yikes!) you get the chance to make some magic for guests from all over the world! Naturally, I had to apply. Let's talk about that process.

The Application

Before applying, I'd joined a couple of Facebook groups filled with other Disney enthusiasts hoping to apply to the program. Not only did that give me a chance to connect with others interested in the same program, but the second applications opened I was bombarded with notifications. The Summer 2018 applications opened in late September and closed...sometime in November? That I'm not sure of! If you're planning on applying, I would say to get it done as soon as possible.

The application process was incredibly straight-forward and self-explanatory. There's basic information (address, educational history), and a section for work history. In the work history area, you list both your former jobs and skills you used working those jobs. A lot of what I put was copied from my resume and slightly reworded. You attach a resume, a cover letter, and submit! It's that simple!

And then you wait. And wait. And wait. 

Next Steps

December 14th, 2017 I received an email offering me an interview, and Interview Stress plagued me from that day forward. These interviews are a strange format - they are only held in certain cities, and on specific days. A presentation is shown first-thing in the morning, and your interview fits into a time slot anywhere from 11am to 5pm.

You choose your own time slot!! I cannot recommend choosing the earliest time slot enough. If you don't see your interview email immediately, there's a solid chance that you might not be able to. However, if you can, it's a lifesaver. I mean, you have to be in interview clothes for the presentation in the morning! The idea of being present from 9:30am to 11am for the presentation and then having to go about your day, quite possibly in a city other than your own, before returning for an interview late in the day...Well, to someone who spills as much coffee on herself as I do, that's a terrifying thought.

For me, this interview meant that I had to travel to Toronto. Myself and a family member got a hotel room near the building where the interviews took place and came into Toronto the night before. To be honest, I thought it was going to be hard to sleep, but the beds were just so comfy that that wasn't an issue. It's hard to stress about an interview while lying on a cloud under a pile of fluffy blankets!

The Interview

The morning of the interview, I got up early and got into my Disney Look approved outfit. The Disney Look is a document you'll become familiar with...fast. It's a set of appearance guidelines that apply to all Disney cast members, and that includes folks during an interview! While I noticed some leniency with regards to hair colour at the interviews, I would recommend following the guidelines as best as possible. For me, that meant growing out my short, spiky hair prior to the interview to a more "conservative" style.

In terms of outfits, I saw some nice business casual dresses, but I chose to wear a black-and-white dress shirt + black cardigan, as well as black dress pants and flats. While some people chose to wear no jewellery, I chose to wear a set of Minnie Mouse studs and a matching necklace. I also had to switch out my regular cat-eye glasses for an older set of black glasses which my family affectionately refers to as "nerd glasses".

Once I was all dressed up and ready to go, I left the hotel and got hopelessly lost despite the interview location being approximately one street over. Eventually, with the help of a new friend's Facebook messages, I made my way in. I met up with her. She had done an interview the previous year and unlike me, knew where we were going!

After signing in, we sat down for the presentation. Sue Sharpe and Kyky were our two presenters, and later, the women conducting the interviews. I won't go into great detail here about the presentation, but it covered basic facts about the program, the housing, and the fees. Oh yes, there are fees. Lots of them.

The one important thing to mention about the presentation - there's a trivia session! I suggest coming armed with some Disney Facts™, like the date that WDW opened or the number of parks in total. For getting a question right, I got a Disney International Programs popsocket!! Other trivia champs got things like luggage tags and fancy pencils.

Finally, after the presentation, the actual interviews began. Those of us in the first group were herded off to another room to wait. It was nice to pass the waiting time with other enthusiastic people! Kyky and Sue took turns entering the room to grab candidates to interview. Myself? I was the last person in the first block to get interviewed! The second group of candidates entered this waiting room before I had even been taken.

Finally, Sue came to retrieve me. The interview itself was conducted in the same room as the presentation from earlier - Sue at one desk in a corner of the room, and Kyky in the opposite corner.  They were very short and to the point - most people I spoke to said they were only asked a few questions! While it's been a while now since my interview, the major questions I remembered were:

- Why Disney? Out of all the jobs you could apply to, what drew you to this one?
- Tell me about your previous job experience and how that will apply to your Disney career.
- Tell me about how you will ensure that our parks are a safe place.

For the first question, I talked about my mother! When she was growing up, her parents didn't have a lot of money, and they saved for years, every last penny - because we still had pennies then - in an effort to afford a trip to Disney. That trip meant so much to her. I told this story and explained that working at Disney provides a chance like no other to provide those once-in-a-lifetime memories to guests, and that it would be a privilege to be a part of other people's lives in that way.

My previous job experience is going to be different than anyone else's, but I talked about how working in retail and tech support has helped me hone my people skills and make sure that I stay positive and helpful - even in situations where my clients were not. I also mentioned that I was very comfortable with safety regulations and working in a safe environment due to my previous job as a crane operator in a steel processing plant!

Before the interview ended, Sue asked me one more question: "Is there anything else you'd like to tell me about yourself you haven't got a chance to?". Remembering that earlier in the presentation Sue had emphasized the public speaking element of the attractions role, I took that chance to tell her that I was comfortable with public speaking and memorization of scripts, and that I'd had a lot of practice with it while working in IT!

Finally we shook hands and parted ways. Immediately after leaving the building, I was hit with a massive migraine headache that put a bit of a damper on the rest of my Toronto time - but it was over. For better or for worse, all I could do was wait.

And wait.

And wait. 

On February 19th, I received a long awaited email...but that's a story for another post. 😉

Until next time,
Morgan 😊