Thursday, November 24, 2011

Disneyland Resort Hiring Process (In-Person Interview)

       I arrived at the"casting center" 30 minutes prior to my interview. I was instructed to park in the Simba Parking Lot (to the left of the building, not the parking structure). Walking from the parking-lot towards the buildings, there is a security check-point where they will ask to check your bags, the reason for being there, and direct you to where you need to go.

       The casting center itself (building 700) is to the left (apposed to the administrative buildings that are strait ahead from the security-check-point)

       Once you enter the casting center doors, there is a "help desk" to your left, which always has at least one cast-member manning it. I let them know I was there for my initial in-person interview, they checked my name of of a list and directed me around the corner to the lobby. I was the only person in the lobby; they had "The Lion King" playing on the TV's which was nice, it helped take my mind off of the interview and calm my nerves a bit.

       One by one job candidates showed up, when there were eight of us sitting there, the cast-member from the "help desk" walked back and called our names one by one into a room filled with desks and a video monitor. We watched a brief (15 minute) introductory video talking about "the Disney look" and why Disney is such an amazing company to work for. After the video concluded the cast-member from the "help desk" walked back in, reiterated a few points from the video and asked if anyone had any questions. When we all shook our heads no, we were directed back out to the lobby and told we would be called one by one for our interviews. 

       I was the first candidate to be called, my interview lasted about an hour. Partly because I had applied for a position that the recruiter felt I was over-qualified for, but wanted to talk to me about the other positions that were available in the park.

       The recruiter was VERY nice, she was very personable and put me at ease. She asked me general questions about why I wanted to work there, past work experience and general customer service questions. She also asked me to give her an example of a time I had to deal with a difficult customer and how I had resolved a complaint in the past.


       When she was done asking me questions, she stated that she felt that I was over qualified for the position I had applied for and wanted to check to see what other rolls they currently had available that I might be interested in. She suggested a few positions that would be opening up "soon" that she wanted to "wait list" me for. I expressed interest in two different rolls, she handed me two different papers that explained what each position entailed and asked if I had any questions. I said no, she verified that I wanted to be wait-listed for those positions, and changed my information in their computer system and told me that I should be hearing from then within a couple months, and if I haven't heard anything within 6 months that I should reapply online. I thanked her left.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Disneyland Resort Hiring Process (Application, Web & Phone Interview)

There are a few ways in which you can apply for a job with Disney, (1) you can either call the Disneyland Resort Jobline at (800)766-0888 so see what jobs are available, and they will redirect you to their website or have you come in to pick up an application, or (2) you can visit the Disney Careers job portal at www.disneycareers.com or (3) you can visit the "Casting Center" in Anaheim (700 W. Ball), off of Ball Road and Cast Place.

 I applied online via job portal and received a confirmation email a few hours late.

Dear ________,
Thank you for your interest in the Disneyland® Resort. We appreciate you taking the time to apply for ________- Part Time, Disneyland Resort.
We are reviewing your application information. We may be in contact regarding next steps.
We recommend that you frequently log in to your profile at disneyland.jobs. Here you will find updates and messages from us regarding your interview status.
Below is the job description for the role for which you applied.
Again, we thank you for your time and interest in the employment opportunities at the Disneyland Resort.
Best Regards,
Disneyland Recruitment


Three days later I received an email:
Dear ________,

Thank you for your interest in the Disneyland® Resort. Based on the information you provided in your application, you have been selected to participate in an initial interview for possible employment at the Disneyland Resort.*

This initial interview is a Web-Based Interview. We ask you to complete this interview within seven (7) days from receipt of this e-mail. The Web-Based Interview can be accessed on any computer that has a high-speed Internet connection. If you do not have a computer, or if you would like to complete your Web-Based Interview at the Casting Center, please call the Disneyland Jobline at 1-800-XXX-XXXX to schedule an appointment.

At the conclusion of the Web-Based Interview, you will be informed about whether or not you will continue in the interview process.

About the Web-Based Interview:

    The interview can be viewed in English, Spanish or Haitian-Creole. We encourage you to select the language you are MOST comfortable reading so you will best understand the questions.
    There are two (2) sections to the interview. You will be asked two types of questions. Some are multiple-choice and some ask you to rate items on a 1-to-5 scale.
    The interview is timed. If you do not answer a question in the allotted time, the interview will proceed to the next question. Choose the response that best describes you. Do not hurry through the questions.
    If you need to stop the interview, step away from the computer. The interview will stop in a few minutes. You may continue with the interview at a later time by clicking the link below and entering your login information.
    If you have difficulty with a computer or experience a technical problem, please contact us immediately at 1-800-XXX-XXXX.

In preparation for your Web-Based Interview, please:

    Find an area that is quiet and free from interruptions
    Allow 40 minutes to complete the interview
    Use a computer with a reliable, high-speed Internet connection

Thank you again for your interest in the Disneyland Resort.

Best Regards,
Disneyland Recruitment

Web-Based Interview:
 The web-based interview was LONG, took me at least 30-minutes to finish, and essentially personality test of sorts.

3 or 4 days after my "web-based interview" I received a phone call for a phone-based interview.

Phone-based interview:
I honestly don't remember exactly what the recruiter on the phone asked me... This recruiter seemed more concerned with my scheduling and availability. She also asked me if I'd be able to stand on my feet or X amount of hours, lift X amount of pounds, she read me what the specific job I had applied for entailed and asked if I was still interested. I said yes, and she told me I should be expecting an email from Disney casting shortly.
About a week later I received an email:
Dear ________,
Thank you for completing the Web-Based and Phone-Based Interview and for your interest in the Disneyland® Resort. The next step in the interview process is for you to schedule an appointment to discuss your interests and possible employment opportunities.*
Please schedule this appointment within five (5) days from receipt of this e-mail.
To schedule your appointment:

  • Log in at disneyland.jobs
  • Log in using the Username and Password you created at the time of your application
  • Look in the Your Interview and Events section
  • Click View under your Pending Invitations
  • Select the date and time for your appointment
On the day of your appointment, please:
  • Arrive at least 10 minutes before your scheduled appointment time
  • Allow at least 30 minutes up to two (2) hours to complete the appointment
If you need additional assistance, or require a translator or Sign Language Interpreter during your appointment, please call 1-800-XXX-XXXX.
I immediately scheduled my in-person-interview through the online portal and received a conformation email within a few hours.
Dear ________,
Thank you again for your interest in the Disneyland® Resort. This message is a confirmation of your scheduled appointment at the Disneyland Casting Center on ________ at ________.
This appointment will give us an opportunity to discuss your interests and possible employment opportunities.*
Reminders in preparation for your appointment:
  • Arrive at least 10 minutes before your scheduled appointment time
  • Allow at least 30 minutes up to two (2) hours to complete the appointment
  • Please bring with you two (2) forms of identification for proof of employment eligibility
If you need additional assistance, or require a translator or Sign Language Interpreter during your appointment, please call 1-800-XXX-XXX.
Best Regards,
Disneyland Recruitment