6 Lessons I Learned from Working at Disney

Each of us has a dream, a heart’s desire. It calls to us. And when we’re brave enough to listen and bold enough to pursue, that dream will lead us on a journey to discover who we’re meant to be.

Thousands across the world dream of working at the most magical place on Earth — many of them are willing to travel halfway across the globe to do so. There’s something about Disney World that attracts guests from around the world. It has been the global icon for family vacations and it continues to be one of the most visited places on Earth. ‘It’s all about the magic,’ they say, but no one can really understand what that means without experience the magic itself.

I had the opportunity to be a part of this magical place. The summer of 2018, I spent my time as a trader selling lightsabers, became an Agents of Shield, was part of the Storybook Circus, time travelled back to the time of dinosaurs, and so much more. During my time as an intern, I was able to experience working in diverse environments, each with its own quirks and engaging storylines.

I learned numerous lessons as a Cast Member (or employee in non-Disney language) for Disney. These are just a few of the many things I learned that made me realize why Disney is one of the best companies in the industry. It was a wonderful opportunity to have worked for the Walt Disney World Resorts and Parks — an opportunity that has changed my career and life mindset. Here are 6 lessons I learned from my time at Disney:


1. Make every guest encounter an experience

Every single day, my managers and coordinators would encourage every Cast Member to engage with guests — it doesn’t matter if they’re buying or just browsing, no guests should leave unattended. Engaging with the guests doesn’t end with just a ‘hi, how are you?’, engagement means inviting the guests to be part of the story. It’s creating an experience tailored to the theme of the store. It’s by saying ‘hello, princess’ or a simple birthday greeting.

Engaging with the guests means caring about their day and figuring out what they came for. I remember many instances when Cast Members would create magical moments for guests celebrating their birthday. There are also instances where a conversation about their vacation and why they came to Disney sparked their interest in the products we were selling.

Just because the guests aren’t looking for anything in your store, doesn’t mean you can’t help them find the product or service they’re looking for in another store or park. Guest engagement for Disney is tailoring the guest service to whatever the guests need and want — it’s about going above and beyond for the customer no matter how peculiar their requests are.

2. Make your people believe in your company

Encouraging Cast Members to go above and beyond for your guests can be hard if they don’t believe in your company. It’s hard to produce a magical guest experience if Cast Members don’t believe in the story and the culture of the company. This is why Cast Members receive intensive training and informational sessions explaining the company history and culture.

Disney University

In my first week as a Cast Member, I was enrolled in several classes at the Disney University. These classes are meant to introduce new Cast Members to the company and teach us about the history and the culture of the company.

Our ultimate mission? To create happiness. We were shown videos from guests that show their magical moments throughout their vacation.

My favourite video was a compilation of kids finding out that they’re going to visit Disney World. Their reaction and their smiles (and their tears of joy) are testaments that Disney never fails to create happiness for guests from the beginning of their vacation planning to the end of their vacation.

At the end of my class, the big boss (aka Mickey Mouse) came to visit us and gave us our name tags — and that was the moment we became official Cast Members and we became part of the magic.

3. Make sure to give back to your people

Walt Disney World is a massive place with thousands of Cast Members all working to create magic — both backstage and front stage. With the hot weather and thousands of guests, it’s easy for Cast Members to tire out and get yelled at by guests. But at the end of that, Cast Members still wear smiles on their faces eager to create magical experiences for their guests. Why is that? That’s because Walt Disney World gives back.

Not only does Disney make sure that their Cast Members believe in the company, they make sure to give back to the Cast Members that make Disney a magical place. During my time as a Cast Member, I enjoyed multiple discounts on merchandise and food purchases. I also got free admission to the parks and I got to enjoy every single park.

Disney allows their Cast Members to experience the magic that they create. After all, it’s hard to create magical experiences without experiencing it yourself. One of the most memorable experiences I had was when the Disney Springs management organized an appreciation party for their Cast Members. It was one of these moments that motivated me to represent Disney the best way that I can and to go above and beyond what was expected of me.

I love meeting my favourite characters, especially this big, sweet guy.

4. Make opportunities for growth

What is one thing that motivates an individual to do better? The opportunity for growth. Disney provides Cast Members with the opportunity to move around the company. May it be moving to different parks and roles or moving from different corporate departments. Disney is a big company with various departments and multiple branches across the world — it’s always great to network with fellow Cast Members, coordinators and managers. You just never know who you can meet.

5. Make marketing an experience

As a marketing major, I had the opportunity to experience and to witness Disney’s marketing strategies for various projects. Disney’s marketing strategies are always creative and impactful — not only does Disney’s marketing go viral, it also yearns positive results. But Disney doesn’t care about virality or exposure — Disney prioritizes storytelling as a way to push their brand, services, and products further. Disney taps on their consumers’ emotions. Disney creates an emotional connection with their guests and attracts guests through genuine storytelling. Disney creates an experience around their services, their products, and their movies that invites guests to be part of that particular experience.

It’s always fun when a new Disney movie is set to be released. For instance, Walt Disney World created a lot of themed products and fun activities to promote The Incredibles 2. From changing the background music in Tomorrowland, themed burgers and candy apples, to new character meet and greets — Disney World created an interactive experience to increase the hype and excitement for The Incredibles 2.

6. Make quality your priority

Finally, prioritize quality. When quality is the priority, it’s no wonder that Disney is applauded for what they do. From exceptional guest service, magical experiences, innovative rides, to amazing dine-in experiences; Disney aims to move the boundaries about what can be done. Disney never settles, and they intend to improve, and improve, and improve.


As awesome as it was to learn from the best of the best — all good things must come to an end. It’s one thing to learn about business management in university classes, but it’s a whole different experience learning from the Walt Disney company.

My summer at Disney was spectacular and magical. I met people from around the world, coworkers that I now consider lifelong friends. It was quite sad leaving a place I considered home for the summer… but this is not the end of my Disney career. It’s only just the beginning. As they would say, ‘grab ahold of your dreams and make them come true. For YOU are the key to unlocking your own magic.’

John Louisse Fernandez

Written by

By force and fire, we create our own purpose and success.

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade