Difficulty of getting into the entertainment/theme park industry

DisneyFreak777 · 06-25-2012, 02:31 PM

Anybody here applied for, have worked for, or are currently working for this industry? All I've heard are that the job market is sparse and very tough to get into, but it's been my dream since I first visited Disneyland as a child, and decided to do Mechanical Engineering. Thoughts?

naturaldistaster · 06-25-2012, 04:04 PM

Have you tried applying for the Disney College Program? I know two girls who are currently participating in it. Granted, it's not easy to get into, and it's usually running a ride or some task like that, but it is a good way to get your foot into the door.

Chucktown · 06-25-2012, 04:53 PM

I know Disney hires a lot of Industrial Engineers.

DisneyFreak777 · 06-26-2012, 05:15 PM

Heard way too many negatives about the Disney College Program to consider it. First off, it's only during Fall and Spring, not summer. And their "college classes" that they offer during it I've heard don't count for much. And I mean if I would do that I'd rather just get an actual job at the parks then become "forced labor" as I've heard from many about this program. I'd really like to hear some positive reviews on it if anyone's done it but yeah I feel the positives and negatives of it weigh out to it being more of a waste of time. What have the people you know said about it, naturaldisaster?

Industrial Engineering makes sense at a theme park. I'm considering taking some classes in that area as a MechE in transportation systems and queue theory but other than that I'd rather be designing the attractions themselves, not making crowd projections or estimates on how many cars should be in use at each ride on a certain day or something.

I don't want Disney to be my only option either, I'd be perfectly happy to work at any similar entertainment company. I know someone who joined Walt Disney Imagineering right after graduation as a Civil and Environmental Engineer now doing Environmental R&D, so really I think any engineering career could be put to good use at Disney or theme parks.

MistaDee · 06-26-2012, 06:00 PM

I'm very interested in this as well. Would an urban planning/civil engineering area be useful here? Are there any jobs that aren't necessarily engineering? Besides like painting and such.

Scoutmom9 · 06-26-2012, 06:40 PM

I know a girl who did the Disney in the fall and is down there now for the summer working. She decided to transfer to a FLorida collegefor the fall
so she can keep working for Disney.

NeoDymium · 06-26-2012, 08:22 PM

Put yourself into a position to have a chance at it and you should be able to have plenty of other options if you fail.

OCELITE · 06-26-2012, 09:29 PM

Disney is a great entertaining company to work for! I know of several people who are working for Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, from operating the rides to performing in the parades and shows. Many of these people have talents and skills in their fields or in other areas of the entertaining industry. It's not easy to get in. Some jobs will require auditioning. It will open doors if you're able to get in.

soozievt · 06-26-2012, 11:49 PM

My daughter, who is 23, is NOT an engineer. And she did not apply for a job at Disney. However, she has a contract with Disney Imagineering. They found her. She is working on a commission for them writing music for potential theme park shows. She lives in NYC and is working on it there but being flown to LA a few times to meet with the head people there at different junctures.

Momofbassist · 06-27-2012, 12:41 PM

Friend's son just was hired at Disney as a computer engineer. He did an internship last year with them for engineers not just running "rides" but getting to work on fixing and designing the rides. He loved it last summer and is super pysched to be working there full time. He turned down other higher paying offers for this one. So look for computer internships not just the college program at Disney.

DisneyFreak777 · 06-28-2012, 05:47 PM

Soozievt, just curious, is your daughter a music major, and does she compose regularly for the entertainment industry before Disney?

And thanks for the help everyone! I think jobs in pretty much any sector can be found at Disney, it's just tough to get your foot in the door.

naturaldistaster · 06-29-2012, 12:18 AM

I was almost positive that it's the college program they're there for. One is already graduated though, so I don't know how the class part is working. I just know they're working there for the summer. Anyways, they seem to like it. They're meeting new people and are just happy to be working for Disney.

kelsey11 · 06-29-2012, 12:19 AM

are you the type of person who is obsessed with disney and knows everything about it??? bc i know a person like that

soozievt · 06-29-2012, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Soozievt, just curious, is your daughter a music major, and does she compose regularly for the entertainment industry before Disney?

My daughter is 23 and graduated college at age 20. She majored in musical theater (as a performer) at NYU/Tisch. She did not study composing. However, she is good at it. Disney found her and she did not apply to anything at Disney. She has written one musical ever (though is also a songwriter) and she wrote it while in college. That musical has gone on professionally. A sample of the musical (actually just one song) was selected to be featured at a national festival for the industry and theater and other industry people around the country came. Disney was one of those people and they did contact her afterward with interest. She had just turned 22. She is based in NYC though. She also has an agent in NYC. She did have an appt. in LA with Disney arranged but she canceled it when she was cast in a show. However, 1.5 years later, the head guy for this at Disney contacted her and was in NYC and met up with her. She was offered a contract for a commission to create new music for them. This is not her full time job by any means and in fact, she is still a performer and also has a major commission to write a musical for a major theater as well (that theater also attended the same festival of new work that Disney did and offered her a contract to write a musical for them based on that). Disney is flying her out to LA twice this summer to work on this and for her to do a presentation to the people at Disney with what she has written/composed this summer. She is working directly with the head of music for Disney which is really cool. She did mention in her meetings how obsessed she was with Disney as a kid. It is sorta coming full circle for her, even though she did not pursue Disney but surely when they approached her, she was not going to say no. Her training, however, is in performing, not in music or composition.

MD Mom · 06-29-2012, 04:23 PM

I have a neighbor whose daughter was a musical theater major, and now works as an Imagineer at Disney World. She definitely went through the pay your dues track. She has had lots of different jobs at Disney over the past several years. She befriended someone in HR who would give her a head's up when a job would come along.