“I’m a Disney Cast Member”. There can be few more interesting answers to the question “What’s your job?”. The reality, though, is that some roles at Disney theme parks are seen as being more attractive than others (whether they are actually more enjoyable or not is another question entirely).
Here are 6 Cast Member jobs that carry the “cool factor”!
6. Steam Train Driver or Conductor
The Cast Members on the Disneyland Railroad were viewed by Walt Disney as so important that he employed them personally through his company Retlaw. He even personally autographed their paychecks, making working as a conductor or driver one of the most prestigious positions at the park.
Of course, those days are long past, but working on the railroads that circle Disney’s Magic Kingdom-style parks is still viewed as something of an honor.
5. Kilimanjaro Safaris Driver
The most common question that guests ask drivers on Walt Disney World’s Kilimanjaro Safaris attraction is whether the trucks are on a track and whether the animals are really free to approach the vehicle. The truth is that both the trucks and the animals are absolutely real and able to go where they please.
As Disney jobs go, taking guests on an African safari multiple times per day and being up close to free-roaming giraffes and other exotic animals is one of the most appealing.
4. Matterhorn Climber
The real Matterhorn is a magnet for climbers. And so too is the Disneyland version, where from the early days of the attraction Cast Members would don mountain gear and scale the peak. They could even play a game of basketball in a special court hidden inside the upper floors of the structure. While they have at times disappeared from its slopes, the climbers were brought back during a major refurbishment of the ride in 2012.
3. Jungle Cruise Skipper
Delivering the “spiel” on the Jungle Cruise at Disneyland, the Magic Kingdom and Tokyo Disneyland is the “skipper”. While repeating the same jokes over and over again can become rather repetitive, there are few rides in which a Cast Member plays such as an intergral role in the experience.
Occasionally, a skipper might stray “off-script” and tell a joke or two of their own. They’d better be careful, though – undercover Cast Members dressed in street clothes may catch them in the act and report anything offensive to upper management.
2. Character performer
Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and the various Disney Princes and Princesses play a big part in making younger guests’ trips to Disney’s parks magical. Character performers are “friends” with those characters, who (of course) are real.
And who wouldn’t want to be told that they are beautiful enough to hang out with Cinderella or Snow White?
1. Imagineer
The most coveted Disney job by far is that of the Imagineer – the folks who design the incredible rides that populate the company’s theme parks. It’s not an easy business to break into (particularly as much of the work of building attractions is now outsourced), but few jobs could be so exciting, interesting and rewarding. Not to mention occasionally frustrating – Disney’s management have killed dozens of projects over the years into which Imagineers had invested months or even years of effort.
