Internship at Disney Orlando: “I work with people from all over the world”

How did you end up doing your work placement at Disney Orlando?
I ended up doing my work placement at Disney Orlando through studying at Breda University of Applied Sciences. At BUas I study Attractions and Theme Parks Management.

How long are you staying there?
I’m staying in Orlando for a 6 months long program at Disney.

What is your role? 
For the first half of my programme I worked in merchandise at the Polynesian resort. For the second half of my programme I work at the Fantasmic show and Tower of Terror.
Not every position changes roles, for example character attendant and lifeguard do not change their role during their internship.

What does a typical week look like?
A typical week consists of 4 to 5 days at work with usually 6 hour shifts. The other two to three days I go to Disney parks or a waterpark, do something fun in Orlando, or hang out with friends! 

You also spend one day a week in college, don't you? What do you learn there?
We are here with Central Michigan University. We have to complete two online assignments every month. All of the assignments are either Disney or leisure themed. We don’t go to a physical school here.

What is it like to do your work placement abroad? 
It is definitely different than doing a work placement in the Netherlands. The work culture in the US is different (for example: getting points when you call in sick). And it is really cool to meet people from all over the world, there are a lot of international college programme students. A cultural difference I encountered was driving everywhere, it is almost impossible to walk to your destination here in the US.

Are you with your BUas fellow students all week, or do you also work with students and staff from other degree programmes and countries?
I am not with my fellow BUas students all week since we sometimes have different work schedules and also don’t work at the same locations. I hang out with Americans sometimes. And I work with people from all over the world: Peru, Australia, Japan and Colombia. 

Where are you staying/living during this placement?
I live at Flamingo Crossings Village, this is a campus owned by Disney. It is a really nice campus. We have East and West which both have two pools and movie nights at the pool. I personally live at West (West is best! ;)). I have three roommates which are all girls. There’s busses that take you to your job, to the Disney parks and to Walmart/Target. My rent gets taken off my paycheck, so I don’t need to worry about paying it every week.

What do you do in your free time?
I go to the Disney parks or to Blizzard Beach. I go shopping at the malls, take a fun trip to the beach, or go out to clubs! 
We also visit Universal Studios sometimes, a few even bought an annual pass.

What is the most enjoyable thing you have experienced so far?
The most enjoyable thing I have experienced so far is my family visiting. I missed them a lot and it was such a fun experience to show them all around Disney and Orlando!

Have you had a valuable learning experience yet?
I went on a backstage tour through Haunted Mansion, and I work at Tower of Terror. It is so insightful to get to know everything about the technology and tricks that have been used in these attractions. I have learned a lot about how these attractions work and how illusions are made.

Would you recommend this work placement to others, and why or why not?
I would definitely recommend this work placement to others, because it is such a big opportunity to learn how to live on your own, to make new friends from all over the world, and to have an amazing time living in the US. I would not recommend this work placement if you’re looking for a job to save money, we make 18$ an hour and usually I get 6 hour shifts. So if it’s your goal to make a lot of money: don’t do it.