Amber Makes Her CareerStart Plans

After high school, the plan is - CareerStart at Disney World!

- by Amber Sewell, February 7, 2011

On February 5th, 2010, I left my driveway at two in the morning, my sister in the seat beside me and my parents in the car ahead. My car (affectionately known as Dinosaur) was packed to the brim with stuff: bedding, boxes, lamps and clothes. There was an air of anticipation and new beginnings, despite the early hour; it was an atmosphere unlike any other time I had left my house.

As we reached the end of our little back road, about to turn onto the highway to begin my 655 mile journey to Orlando, I set my iPod to my Disney playlist and selected 'Go the Distance'. As young Hercules sang of fulfilling his destiny, my indicator clicked off as I began a journey of my own.

Amber Gets Hooked on Disney

Now to rewind. Since I was an infant, Disney and I have had an incredibly strong relationship. I spent countless hours in front of the television, the monotonous click of the VHS player a soothing background to whatever Disney movie happened to capture my interest at the time. I slept with my stuffed, purring Nala and my family of Aristocats. I sang along with Ariel and Meg, and dressed up as Esmeralda for Halloween. Then, in 1998, my family took our first vacation to Walt Disney World.

We were hooked.

That first taste of Disney magic was only enough to ignite an... well, an addiction. No matter how many trips we took (and there have been a lot of them - our total is over forty!), the magic never diminished; there was always more to explore, more Hidden Mickeys to find.

So, of course, it was natural for me to look for an opportunity to work there.

My chance came in December 2008. I was surfing a Disney website and wandered into the college section. There I found the main topic was something called the Disney College Program. That sparked my interest, but after some digging, I realized that this amazing experience (which I would kill for!) was beyond my reach as a junior in high school.

Then I found a link to something called the Disney CareerStart Program.

I dug more. I found out all the information I could about the program, and by January I had arranged to graduate a semester early from high school and had filled out the application. Now all I had to do was wait until September so I could send it in.

Disney's CareerStart Program

The Disney CareerStart Program is much like the Disney College Program. It's a six-month internship with the Walt Disney Company at either their Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, or Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. And the best part? You didn't have to be in college to participate. The only requirements are that you must be 18 or older at the time of arrival and that you must have graduated high school within the last 48 months.

By becoming part of this program, I'd be able to move to Florida and live in Orlando, just minutes away from Disney property. I could work for them, getting my foot in the door of the company that had had a major impact on my life. It was perfect.

Through the official CareerStart website and unofficial Disney forums, I learned more about the program. And as I learned more, I become more excited.

For six months, I could work for Walt Disney World in one of many different roles. I could be a hostess at the Haunted Mansion, scowling at Guests as they clambered into their Doom Buggies. I could be responsible for cleaning up Fantasyland, interacting with Guests, and helping them find their way in the mass of people who flock to Magic Kingdom daily. I could serve milkshakes in Hollywood Studios in front of Rock 'n Roller Coaster, sell children their first set of Mickey ears, or sit atop one of the high chairs by the sand-filled pool at the Beach Club, keeping an eye on people hurtling down the slide (okay, I couldn't do that last one as I can't swim, but it might be an option for you).

But I didn't really care what role they gave me as long as I got to wear that Disney nametag and introduce myself as a Cast Member.

CareerStart Basics

Disney provides almost everything you'll need to transition into living on your own in Florida.

For a lot of people, this is their first time out of their parents' house, and Disney's accommodation makes that change almost effortless. Housing is provided in one of four apartment complexes just outside of Walt Disney World: Chatham Square, Patterson Court (the newest of the four), The Commons (housing for those participants in the International College Program), and Vista Way (the oldest housing for College Program participants).

These apartments not only provide a place to live, but they come with swimming pools, gyms, tennis courts, soccer fields, and 24-hour security at the entrance to all four complexes. Rent is taken out of your paycheck automatically, and the amount depends on the number of roommates you have (apartments can accommodate two to eight people).

During the program, the housing communities provide limitless opportunities for fun: soccer tournaments, trips to the beach or theatre, baseball games, grocery bingo, and dozens of other sources of amusement (not to mention the welcome parties for each incoming batch of participants), all of which is free, covered by the initial $100 that you pay upon acceptance into the program.

Transportation is provided, as well. Buses are there to take Cast Members to and from work, the parks (for which you get free admission!), and places such as the grocery store, Wal-Mart, the Post Office, and even the Florida Mall.

Bringing a car may make some people more comfortable, but it is in no way necessary. If you want to go somewhere the buses won't take you, it's easy job to find someone who will - Dinosaur and I were always happy to make an extra trip to Target or Barnes & Noble, and I became familiar with the road to the airport.

CareerStart Perks

As if housing and transportation weren't enough, another valuable aspect of the program (which it shares with the College Program) is the learning opportunities.

Disney offers classes designed especially by Cast Members who work for Disney University. From creativity and innovation to corporate analysis, from 'Marketing You' to the history of the company, there is a class that can captivate anyone's interest.

Another great perk is that quite a few of these classes are ACE accredited, meaning a fair amount of schools will actually count them as college credit. You should first talk with your university to make sure the credits will count - but even if they don't count, the classes are interesting enough to attend for their own sake.

You would have to buy the books (which you could look up ahead of time on the online syllabuses; my father owned most of the books, anyway) and the only tuition fees would be charged by the university accepting the credits.

Networking is another overlooked program perk.

Seminars, presentations by guest speakers, and numerous other opportunities for making valuable connections are easy to find, even if you're not exactly looking. For someone who wants to make a future with Disney, the CareerStart Program is an excellent way to begin. Whether it's chatting with managers about your aspirations, bumping into the head of tourism backstage in Magic Kingdom, or speaking to the vice president of your park as they drop by your restaurant, it's always possible to find ways to edge up in the company.

My roommate and I learned this lesson when we were least expecting it - but that's a story for another time.

Amber Readies Her Application

The information I accumulated was enough to convince me beyond a shadow of a doubt that CareerStart was something I needed to do.

I was already graduating high school early, so taking a few more classes at the local community college was a small price to pay for a semester in Walt Disney World and the chance to add an internship with a Fortune 100 company to my resume.

But all that came later.

For now, I had nothing to do except wait until I could submit my application.

Don't stop there! Check out more Amber Earns Her Ears...