Updated Phone Screen Questions

Hello again!

One of the most popular posts on this blog has been Screening Interview Questions and Tips. I can't believe that I wrote that post 2 and a half years ago! How time flies!

While I don't do it as much as I used to, I still hang around the PI Facebook groups answering questions here and there. Therefore, since it has been so long, I have combed through the last few seasons of groups to put together another list of Phone Screen/Interview Questions. Many of these may be the same as my previous article, but I figured I would update the list to show what has been asked within the last year or so.

Focusing on the phone screen, you will mostly be asked about yourself, your career goals, and general questions about your experience. Listed below are some of the other potential questions that may be asked. Most phone screens last between 10 and 20 minutes, so you will likely only encounter a handful of the questions listed below.

While panel interview or interviews with the individual hiring manager may be more in depth, more internship interviews do not get too detailed. While you may encounter more role specific questions, many of the questions below are just as likely to come up in a second interview as in a phone screen.

Note: These were all taken from different Professional Internship Facebook groups and are all real questions that were asked applicants. 

General Questions
-Specific items listed on your resume
-Current work/school tasks
-Past experience
-Education background
-Talk about your struggles and accomplishments
-What positions have you most enjoyed and why?
-Describe one trait about yourself
-Do you have experience with professional email correspondence?

-Why do you want this role?
-What are your career goals?
-How will this internship help your future goals?
-What do you hope to get out of this internship?
-What are some of your hobbies?
-What you want the hiring managers to know about you?
-Which of your work experiences most aligns with the position?
-Why do you think you are the best candidate for the position?

Disney Specific Questions
-Why Disney? (this is a very common question!)
-Why do you want to come back to Disney (if you previously worked for the company)
-Are you a current cast member?
-What do you bring to our company?
-Do you have any tattoos and piercings? (they need to determine if you can follow Disney Look)
-Can you provide your own housing and transportation (there is limited company sponsored housing for non-MIs)
-What's your favorite Disney character?
-If you did a CP, what did you like and what didn't you like about your experience?


Situational
-Explain a time when you overcame a difficult situation
-Describe a time when I went above and beyond for a customer
-How do you deal with disagreements between co-workers?
-Tell about a time when you went above and beyond for a guest
-Describe a time you worked with a difficult/negative coworker

-Tell me about a difficult guest situation.
-Describe a time that you didn't agree with your leadership
-Tell a magical story and a not so magical one.
-Tell about a story that you turned a bad day into a good day
-How do you deal with conflict resolution with your peers, your superior and with guests?

-What has been your greatest mistake?
-Strength and weakness (may also be referred to as places you excelled or felt overwhelmed in a specific position)
-Talk about a challenge encountered in a project you have worked on
-How do you work on a team?
-Explain a situation where you made a mistake/received correction and how you reacted?

-Tell me about a time you had to lead a group during a team project.
-Tell me about your most encompassing project you have completed in school and what did it involve
-Tell me about a time you were positively recognized at school work/and a time you needed coaching
-What is your favorite/least favorite part of your current job?
-What is something that bothers you at work/in a coworker?

-Describe your communication style.
-Tell me three things about you that would be important for this role that we haven't discussed.
-How do you deal with working in a busy, fast-paced environment?
-How do you balance tasks when it’s busy?

-What is your main strength and what is your main weakness?

Leadership Questions (mostly for Management Internships)
-Previous leadership experience
-Management responsibilities
-How do you manage teams
-How do you motivate teams
-Qualities of a good leader
-Why are you interested in a leadership position?
-Why retail? (as a specific area for an MI)
-If I was interested in the 6 months or 12 months program or both
-How do you go about working with a different line of business
-What are the hardest/most enjoyable aspects of being a leader?
-What are some of the challenges of being a leader?
-How long have you had leadership experience? What does it involve?


VIP Tour Specific
-Why VIP Tours?
-What can you provide?
-Level Of safety
-Working with others/independently
-Any coachings or record card issues
-How a Disney professional internship with help your future

WDI Set Decoration:
- Ask for experience with props (i.e. design, handling, installation) and the importance of props and how that applies to the role
- Ask to explain familiarity and experience with hand tools
- Rate skill for Photoshop, Illustrator, and SketchUp
- Ask what you are most proud of in your portfolio and your role in that work

Other Role Questions
Events: What are your experience in events? 

      -Describe an event that you executed from start to finish
Technical roles: What programs are you familiar with and rate your proficiency (e.g. Illustrator, Excel, SAS, PhotoShop, programming experience, etc)

      -Walk me through your experience with Excel.



I know that this is an extensive list, but I didn't want to cut anything out as I know some people like to be as prepared as absolutely possible. I hope that lists like this and other information in my blog is still helpful and relevant to everyone out there applying for PIs that may come across this blog!

Likelihood of Full Time

Time for another check-in! I know I am bad at blogging (I would say welcome to working full time and going to grad school, but I have gone through periods with 0 excuses). However, I am really good with following the intern Facebook pages and answering questions! I figured I may try to revive some blogging habits and do some posts on topics of frequent questions that I help answer in the groups, so here is my first topic!


Many people who apply for professional internships with Disney use it as a way to get their foot in the door to hopefully get a full time position. While many full time cast members in professional roles were once PIs, there is definitely not any guarantee of a full time offer during or after your internship. Because of this, a frequent question that people ask is the likelihood of going full time at after your PI. While I don't have any hard and fast numbers, I can tell you a bit of what I have learned from my experience of completing two PIs and staying with the company in a full time capacity. 

Work Ethic
Before you even think about full time, make the most of your PI. You aren't going to get anywhere with a full time offer if you cannot impress your leaders on your internship. Hiring managers will ask your leaders about you (they do it even for full time cast moving into new roles) so don't spend all your time worrying about the full time offer and not taking advantage of doing quality work and maybe learning a few skills to put on your resume. Recognize you may need to do 2 internships before getting anywhere, so build up the skills in your...

Area of Expertise
A big determination of how likely you can stay with Disney is what your background is in. For example, if you have experience in analytics, there are many teams around Disney that you may be qualified for and is an area that generally is growing. This means that you have more opportunity to stay, whether or not it is in the department that you interned in.  
On the other hand, if you are in Environmental Education, there is really one department you can work under. Thusly, by the nature of the team, you may not have a good chance of going straight to full time after the internship because their is a limited number of full time positions, so for this team you may need to go part time for a while (months or years) before getting a statused full time position. While going part time is an option for that area, not all areas have that option. Therefore, if the team you intern with is one of the only teams in your area, you may not have a good chance of staying with the company, because a lot depends on...

Timing
Timing is everything. If you are interning during an economic downturn, there may be a lot of cuts without many positions opening. This could also be conversely true with periods of growth as well. 
I always say that it is unlikely to stay with the team you intern with, because there has to be a lot of luck with the team either growing and gaining new headcount or someone leaving the team resulting with an opening. Not only that, you often have to hope that the position is going to be posted as an entry level position and the team enjoys your work enough to consider you. With those situations being few and far between, to take full advantage of your PI, you need to consider...

Networking
Networking is perhaps one of the biggest advantages of having a PI over applying externally. While I was awful at it (and really, REALLY lucked out to get a position without it), this is one of the biggest pieces of advice I give interns. Really use your time with the company to your advantage! It is such a big company with departments doing things you never knew Disney did, so take time to go and learn about them. The more you know about what you can do with your experience at Disney and the more people in those departments that may have openings during your time as an intern, thereby increasing your chances! If leaders can recognize your name in a stack of resumes, it can help increase the chance of getting interviews and potentially a full time position!

So when your on your PI, go talk to your leaders on how to approach networking, because who knows if you connect with a department or someone you network with and they end up having an opening on their team! Maybe I'll even do a post on how to network one of these days....

So to top it off, don't go in thinking everyone is going to love you and you will have a job offer in the first month (yes, there are some people that think this way), but if you work hard in your internship on your team, keep an eye out on my Disney Career for job postings, and do meet and greets, the timing of a great position and your skill set may align and give you that opportunity to stay with Disney post-PI! 

Update to Intern Park Passes

One of the greatest perks of being an intern with Disney is the free park admission. Can you imagine being able to enjoy the magic whenever you want!?!?! Even after two years with the Company I have to say it doesn't get old. While, I might not go quite as often as I did during my first internship because I wanted to make the most of my unknown amount of time here, I still go quite often. I love being able to just go for a few hours in the evening after the sun goes down in the summer, grab a bit to eat during Food and Wine at EPCOT, enjoy all of the holiday festivities, and more whenever I want. 

As a cast member, you even get to bring guests in to enjoy with you! While I am very fortunate to be statused in a full time position now so my guest passes work differently, interns (College or Professional ones) still get the same unlimited self admission and get some guest passes as well. I made a post last year about the old way that intern guest passes used to work (Old Intern Park Pass Post) but at the beginning of this calendar year Disney shook up the way intern passes work so I figured it was worth doing an update for those who might be itching to know what to expect.

The self admission main entrance pass still works the same, but instead of getting 3x 6 use passes at the beginning of your internship, interns and seasonal cast members now accrue their guest passes based on hours worked.

Need to actually type how the new passes work. I believe that once you have worked 150 hours you will receive three 1 person park hopper tickets. These could all be used on the same day or different days, it's up to you! Then after you work another 150 hours you get three more 1 person park hoppers. Finally you will recieve 3 more after the 450th hour worked. I believe at that point you will stop accruing so during your internship you will likely get nine 1 person park hoppers. 

If you were to let in the max of 3 people each time you used the old version then technically you got more under the old way (max 18 across 6 days) and could do so from the day you got your main enterence pass was nice. However, the felxibility of when you can use the new passes is nice too! Why did this change happen? Perhaps Disney was trying to avoid people starting a CP/PI using the perks and then quitting and/or trading away shifts as a CP but maintaining their own entrance to the parks. Who knows the exact reason this changed but I haven't heard many complaints about the new system besides when it was first announced, so I assume it has been going well. But let's be honest: who can complain about getting in free to Disney and having the opportunity to intern at such a great company!!!!

Spring 2017 Professional Internship Applications

So I've been behind on this semester, but we are in yet another round of Disney Professional Internship applications. Many of the applications have closed, but there are still some out there for those interested in applying and I bet they'll be additional ones posted here and there. I've been following along on the Facebook pages and this year does seem to be working a bit differently than in the past. I'm not going to pretend to know how the process works, but I will let you know some of my observations from this time around.

1. Phone Screenings: In the past you generally only had one phone screening that counted for all of your applications. Occasionally, someone would get called up to ask a few separate questions, but for the most part you generally only had one screening whether it be for PIs in different departments or for Management Internships as well. This time around people are reporting getting more specific phone screenings and one for different positions. I remember for my second PI I applied to a wide variety of positions, including analytical ones, animal ones, and MIs and had one phone screening that I was told would be used by all.

2. Animal Programs: In the past Animal Programs PIs skipped the phone screen completely (so if you only applied to these positions you never had a phone screen) and move straight to the Animal Programs team who requested the applicant fill out a questionnaire. This year it looks like Animal Programs is acting more like other PIs in having phone screens and skipping the questionnaire. There is still the familiar outreach from the hiring team, but instead of a questionnaire it just wants to ensure people are still interested in being considered. Then people are getting the typical leader interviews for the positions. The questionnaire/phone screen swap is an interesting change, but perhaps will make it more streamlined.

3. Timeline: Overall it looks like they are changing it up to perhaps get the timeline moving faster than the past. Then again every semester everyone thinks it is going faster than previous years, and it normally works out to be the same time (or in some cases later) to hear back for positions. This year does seem to have more of a drastic shift in how the process is running, but people have been told to hear back as early as the first week of October to early December (some of these people being in the same department!). I guess only time will tell how the changes earlier in the process will influence things down the line.

As always, the current semester's Facebook page is one of the best sources of information and to unite with other applicants going through the process. Disney Professional Internship | Spring 2017

If you applied for this round, good luck and if you have any questions always feel free to comment on a post or reach out to the Facebook group as the people on the pages are great resources.

Spring 2016 Interns Starting

I know, I know. I haven't updated in over 2 months. I am pretty much the worst, but what can we truly expect? I always lapse, but this time I think I have a good excuse. A girl on my team left the company after 11 years to move closer to home, so I have taken on part of her position until we hire her backfill. Therefore I have been swamped with work on top of experiencing all the holiday related experiences that Walt Disney World has to offer (including the last year of Osborne Lights :'( ) I even got to go home for one and a half weeks at Christmas. I will try to catch you all up to my life, even maybe do a reflection post or two in the spirit of the new year, do some more PI related posts since the new application season is about to start, and even answer an questions anyone would care to ask!

Even though my time as a Disney Professional Intern came to a close last June, I have been extremely fortunate to continue my career at Disney and I love to answer questions and provide information for anyone looking to start a career at Disney, especially during the long and confusing PI application process. I just want everyone to be successful and live their dreams like I am!

Anyways, it is really weird to be at the other side of the PI process. This is my first internships season that I am a full time cast member. I started my job in August so the Fall interns had been there since June and so I never felt like I was "above" them in any way. If any thing I felt raw and new to the department just like them and in some ways they had been working in this part of Disney longer than I had! 

However, this past Monday the new spring interns have started. Coming into Team Disney on Monday was so weird with all of these extremely well dressed people walking in large groups around the building as seasoned cast members gave them a tour of our building. They were easy to identify as interns since almost everyone that works at Team Disney is very casual and wears jeans as often as possible. Our team doesn't have intern right now (we didn't in the all either. maybe next fall?) but there is a large cube of food and beverage interns that sit right outside my row. I pass them every time I go to the bathroom, elevators, see the other half of my team, etc. So I basically walk past them every 30 minutes or so. I haven't introduced myself yet because I want to introduce myself to all of them at once, I have been busy this week, and I feel like I should wait a few days since they are probably overwhelmed with the number of people they have met. 

Since I am the youngest on my team and am still pretty fresh out of college I kind of hope I can become friends with a few of the interns or at least help guide them in staying with the company. I only really started talking to the old interns right before they left so I didn't get to know them well, but I hope to change that this time around since I am more confident in my role and surroundings. I am excited to see how things end up shaping up and see where this set of interns goes!

Guest Relations Numbers

One of the most popular Alumni Only Professional Internships is the Guest Relations Internship. For Alumni Only you have to have done a CP or PI to be eligible to apply (or currently doing one). Guest relations cast members are very highly regarded in the parks and is perhaps the most coveted front line position. Since this is an internship with such high interest and acceptance should be rolling out in a matter of weeks/days, I decided to look up how many current Guest Relations PIs there are. Note that this is one of those internships that is very likely to vary the numbers by semester. For example, I have heard that while My Disney Experience with the new FP+ system  and magic bands rolled out a lot more interns were accepted than normal to help with what was anticipated to be an extra crazy time in the parks. 

Right now there are currently a total of 32 Guest Relations Professional Interns and here is how they break down by park:
15 Magic Kingdom
7 EPCOT
2 Animal Kingdom
4 Hollywood Studios
4 Disney Springs

It seems to change each semester when Guest Relations PIs find out which park they are in. I remember a semester when the recruiter used to tell you when they were giving the offer. There have also been semesters where your future leaders will reach out a few weeks after your acceptance (similar to how MIs find their placement). I think there have been a few different scenarios as well so who knows how this semester/future semesters will play out. I guess we will all just have to wait a little longer to see! Good luck to all who have applied!

Here is a link if you want to see a similar post about MIs: Management Internship Numbers

Reminiscing about the DAK Wilderness

I've been missing my park home lately, so I visited DAK not once, but twice last weekend to see my old home. I love my new job, but since Animal Kingdom is where I began my Disney journey I will always have a BIG soft spot towards it. I hadn't been the Animal Kingdom in a while and hadn't visited any of my old locations since the Spring. So I decided to use the afternoon on Saturday to earn a few badges before meeting an old presenter friend in the evening. Despite being at the park for a few hours on Saturday and a little on Sunday, I actually didn't do many of the parks attractions. That's because I always run into people I knew working there or get into good conversations with new cast. I loved being able to spend time watching the animals, meeting a few trails CPs, catching up with a DVC friend, and talking with the current Conservation Education Presenter Group. It made me miss my time there some and I wish I was able to pick up a shift once in a while to relive my days as a Wilderness Explorer Troop Leader.

I remember when I was first learning about the Presenter internship I came across this video and I came across it again last week so in the spirit of reminiscing, I figured I would share it with you. With the start of the Wilderness Explorer program, the costume and role for the Presenters has changed, but overall responsibilities she talks about have remained the same. Enjoy!

Disney Professional Internship Presenter Video

Disney Ambassadors

The Disney Ambassador program is something that I learned about earlier this year during my time with the Walt Disney Company. It is a wonderful program where 1-2 cast members are chose to represent each of the different resorts around the world. These are truly some of the best of the best of the Disney company and they have the honor of representing the Company and their Resort with different public engagements and cast recognition events for a year term.

The Ambassador program started in Disneyland for their 10th anniversary in 1964 with the first Ambassador Julie Reihm. Walt Disney couldn't make it to every requested appearance during the busyness of the 10th anniversary, the success of the movies, and ProjectX (future Walt Disney World) so he chose Julie, who was a tour guide, to represent him when he wasn't available. Talk about a lot of responsibility to be Walt when he couldn't be there!

While the number of ambassadors for Walt Disney World during a given year has fluctuated from 1-3 individuals since the resort first opened, the current ambassador team represents the nearly 75,000 cast members at Walt Disney World resort. They also represent the cast at Hilton Head, Vero Beach, and the Disney Cruise Line. This is a very big responsibility and those chosen are truly representative of the legacy and ideals that the Walt and the Company hold dear.

The Disney Ambassador symbol.
You can identify a current ambassador if you see them wearing silver pin
with this symbol above their cast member name tag.
image source: http://publicaffairs.disneyland.com/community/ambassador-program/

I am currently taking a series of classes at Disney University and had the lucky opportunity to be in a class with one of the current Ambassadors, Nathaniel Palma. This was my first time meeting an ambassador, and in some ways I was almost a little awestruck. Here was someone that is literally a representative of the entire company, and I was sitting in class with him! I always enjoy reading the articles the ambassadors write during their cast shadows (they get to follow a role around for the day, learn about it, and write an article for the Hub. They even did a shadow of the Wilderness Explorers recently- my old team!) I was able to work with him on a few group projects in the class and ate lunch with him. It was so cool to hear about his adventures thus far in his role and all the cool work he does. He is probably one of the most positive people I have ever met and was truly genuine in thanking everyone for all the hard work they do. It was an honor to met him and I would love to cross paths with him again someday!

If you are a current cast member I encourage you to look up the Disney Ambassador module on the Hub. There are biographies on each of the past Disney Ambassadors and a lot of cool information including the stories that they post about their shadows!

For those who aren't current cast, or even those who are, the Disney Parks Blog has done a lot of cool articles about the Disney Ambassadors over the years. If you want to learn more about this cool position or these awesome people just search for "Disney Ambassador" in the search area. I've also included a few of my favorite articles down below. Enjoy!


Note: Reading these articles I just realized that Steven Miller was a Disney Ambassador in the "where are the ambassadors are now" type articles! You might recognize Steven Miller from the merchandise articles he writes for the Disney Parks Blog! I worked a little with him during my second PI as a Merchandise Planning intern. I literally walked by his office everyday and talked to him a handful of times during my work there about future items for articles and to help answer guest questions that were being asked on the blog. I can't believe that I never realized that he had been an ambassador! That is so cool. I could totally see him as an ambassador. He even had an important job as his ambassadorship was extended after the events of September 2001. It truly is amazing that at such a large company you have these connections!

Here is a cool interview the Disney Parks Blog had with the first ambassador, Julie. First Disneyland Resort Ambassador Comes ‘Home’ for 50th Anniversary of Disney Ambassador Program

Here is the article from when the current group of ambassadors were named last year (including Nathaniel!) First Disney Ambassador Julie Reihm Casaletto Welcomes New Ambassadors

Some Minor Updates

I made a few minor updates with my blog that mostly included going back and fixing formatting errors, but I did add a few new blogs to the Other PI blogs page. As always, if you know of any blogs that I haven't included, let me know and I can add them to help other PI hopefuls!

2015 Twitter Q&A: Additional Questions and their Answers

So I previously included a link to a Professional Question and Answer session recruiters held on Twitter. (see post here: Disney Professional Interns Twitter Q&A) While looking around twitter I noticed that not all the twitter answers were included in the link that Disney provided from their Twitter Q&A session. 

It looks like there were additional questions asked and answered so I figured I would compile the other questions answered by Disney Recruiters here. I have grouped them into related questions. In addition, a couple of the answers from the Disney recruiters (@WayneH1991 and @JulianaDisneyPI) didn't have corresponding questions, so I've included their answers, but the question is missing so in some cases I've made an educated guess at what the question might have been. Enjoy!

Applying for internships (eg when to apply)

Q: When will summer opportunities be available to view & apply for?

A: Posting timelines will vary so we recommend checking the website regularly for summer opportunities.

How many internships can we apply to?

There is not a limit, apply for roles you’re interested in and qualified for, just stay focused in your job search

Do you happen to know if there will be any ESPN/ABC News internships for rising college seniors for summer?

We anticipate internships in both those areas next summer, and will post them on our website later this Fall

Most of your summer production internships are for undergrads. Will there be great opportunities for grads next year?

Every summer, we offer exciting internship opportunities. Please visit http://www.disneyinterns.com  this Spring to learn more

I'm in my senior year graduating with degree in computer animation. When can I apply?

Students typically apply one semester prior to participation. Eligibility includes students and recent grads.

Can you apply for a PI your sophomore year in college, or should you wait until closer to senior year?

Be sure to review the qualifications in the posting. Some require specific academic levels, but not all do.

If I attend a school that is on the quarter system, can the internship schedule be different than what is on the job description?

Our internships are compatible with academic calendars for quarter schools. Specific dates are given at offer.

When are the ESPN internship opportunities for Spring or Summer 2015 in Bristol, Connecticut posted?

Spring Positions will be posted this weekend, and Summer positions will be posted just after the new year

Do you have the same PI job positions for both the spring and fall?

Internship opportunities may vary each season, so please visit http://www.disneyinterns.com  for all current openings

Is applying for a professional internship a better idea at the beginning or nearing the end of a persons college education

Most PI's are looking for a minimum of Junior level status, so see the job descriptions for more details

How can I still apply for an opportunity with Disney if I've passed the graduation max requirement?

hose who graduated over 6 months ago are not eligible for internships so check out http://DisneyCareers.com  for jobs

College Program

Can you apply for a CP and a PI at the same time? If you get accepted to both can you do the PI instead?

Of course! If you receive multiple offers we will work with you to determine the best role for you.

Is it possible to get a PI without first having completed DCP? Or do they have first priority?

While there are some Parks roles that do require the CP, there are also many that do not across the Company

Does having previous experience as a College Program Intern help when trying to apply for a Disney Professional Internship?

CP experience is a great way to learn our Culture, network with leaders, and prepare for the next step in your Career

No Question (probably something like, can you apply for both a CP and PI)

You can apply for both the CP and PI, and if offered both would make your selection at the time of offer

I'm graduating this semester, hopefully doing the college program in the spring, can I apply after that internship?

You are able to complete two internships back to back if selected

Cover Letters/Resumes

Q: Is it better to write a general cover letter if you plan to apply to multiple positions or write specific letters for each?

A: Be sure the position requires a cover letter. If so and the positions are very similar, one cover letter is fine.

What is your FAVORITE thing to see in a cover letter?

Be sure that a cover letter is required. If so, highlight your passion for Disney and your qualifications.

If you have different resumes on your profile, can you choose which one is attached to each application?

Yes, you can customize each resume for each application, or use one resume for all applications

Interviews

Q: If we apply for both Alumni Only & Alumni Only Events positions, do we still get one screening for all positions?

A: Only one phone screen is needed. Some positions may then require additional steps such as another interview.

Top 3 tips for a phone screen?

Have confidence, share relevant experience to the role, and be professional throughout the interview

Do interviewers work around your schedule for phone interviews?

If selected for an interview, you and your interviewer will work together to select the best time for both parties

No Question Listed (Probably something like: what are the number of interview for each position?)

The number of interviews will depend on the role, anywhere from 1 - 3 interviews on average per position.

Time Frame/Dashboard

Q: I applied for a position after interviewing for another. The status bar moved to "In Progress". Am I being considered?

A: In progress shows that your application is under review by the recruitment team, and you are in consideration

After submitting the application, what's the usual time frame to hear back for a further step with the application?

Typically, our Spring decisions will be made by late November/early December

Under my application status I see an eight step procress chart. As an applicant, what are those steps?

imelines can vary depending on the position, and range from application submission through final selection

How long are the Internships, in the Spring? Is it based on Semester or quarter system? Thanks :)

Internship lengths can vary between 4 and 7 months on average

I applied thru the Disney Hub , but I left recently , will I be able to still check the status of the app

You should still be able to view your dashboard by signing in through the external site, http://DisneyInterns.com   

Other Questions

What is the number one thing an applicant can do to stand out?

Be sure to review the qualifications for the internships for which you have applied and know why you meet them. 

Besides experience in their field, what are some things students gain from an internship at Disney

Learning from industry experts and networking with leaders from across the Company are two unique components

What are some of the classes given during the program ?

Classes are not offered as part of Disney Professional Internships.

Is is appropriate to add recruiters on LinkedIn?

Not all Recruiters will accept all Linked In requests but be sure to include an intro when requesting.

Who do I contact about an internship in Archives and corporate record keeping!

For questions about any of our internships, you can contact wdpr.professional.interns@disney.com

Generally how any applicants are there per program

We do not have a specific number, and welcome as many qualified applicants that choose to apply

Can experience hurt you? For example, work in theme parks for an extended period of time

Previous experience is a great way to showcase your knowledge of the field by telling us your story

Disney Professional Interns Twitter Q&A Fall 2015

For a couple of weeks the official Disney Interns Facebook and Twitter pages advertised a Twitter Q&A. Basically, leading up to Sept 8th people could ask questions with the hashtag #AskPI and then recruiters answered the questions on September 8th. If you are interested in knowing what questions people asked and how the recruiters responded. Check the link to view the chat! Just remember, there is a character limit so the answers weren't always super specific. 

Disney Interns Twitter Q&A

If you have questions that aren't answered out there, feel free to post them in a comment and I would be more than happy to answer them! I have had a varied experience here at Disney and have friends in a WIDE range of areas, so even if I don't know the answer, I probably know someone who does. :)

Park Passes for Interns

One of the coolest perks of working for Disney is free entry into the parks! Cast members can get into the park almost every day of the year using their Main Entrance Pass (also called their Main Gate). There are a few set day that cast are blocked out, such as 4th of July, New Years, 24 Hour Days, etc.  If the park reaches a certain capacity cast can also be phased out. This usually particularly happens during the holidays. Typically only Magic Kingdom gets blocked out for cast, but occasionally other parks will be hit, too. For example, in October EPCOT is blocked on the day of the Wine and Dine Half Marathon.

The exciting thing is, that not only do you get yourself in for free, you get a certain number of guest passes! That means you can get friends or family in for free, too! When you are an intern (whether it is on a college program, a professional internship, or management internship) you will get 6 guest passes. These 6 passes allow you to get 3 people in at a time. If you only bring 2 people into the park, the 3rd pass expires. Unlike your maingate pass that lets you into the park, your guest pass has a lot more restricted dates. Usually block out dates are posted for 3 months at a time and can be found on the following website: Block Out Dates

Another cool perk, is your Main Gate works at any Disney park in the world, besides Tokyo Disneyland. That means if you are really lucky during your internship you could try and make a long weekend to visit Disneyland! I have even heard that if you use your guest passes there they do not count against your guest pass usage at Disney World! If you go there I have heard you have to go to guest relations to get your passes using your company ID. 

Note: This information is for interns at Walt Disney World. Disneyland is a little different. I heard that interns there do not get guest passes.

Screening Interview Questions and Tips

After applying, people wait for the moment they get the email for their screening interview. This is a big step, but I think people psych themselves out more than they need to. The following is what the Disney Professional Intern recruiters have to say about the first round interviews from the Official Disney Interns Blog 

"First-round interviews with the internship recruiters help weed out those who aren’t qualified. Though they may ask more general questions, you should know exactly what position you’re applying for and steer the conversation in the direction. Help them help you."

So while the screening interview is important, it is largely to help the recruiters get an idea of what positions you are most qualified for so they can pass on truly qualified applicants onto the hiring managers desk. From the experience I have gathered, it is most common to have one screening interview for all of the positions you have applied for. However, it isn't unheard of to have recruiters call back to ask additional questions or even schedule additional interviews (especially if you apply to additional positions after your interview). 

This interview is going to be more to see if your a fit with the company, if you are qualified for the positions you applied for, and is likely to last an average of 20 minutes. However don't worry if yours goes longer or shorter than that. Sometimes recruiters are short on time if they get behind. Sometimes they don't need as many questions to see to an idea of your personality/experience. Sometimes if they have time they would love to talk with you about their Disney experience, etc. 

My recommendations are to be calm, pull up your resume and job descriptions on your computer or print them out so you can refer to them during the interview, listen to a Disney song beforehand, smile, and be yourself. You worked hard to even apply for these positions so be proud of your accomplishments and the positions you've held!

This interview asks typical interview questions so if you Google "possible interview questions" those are likely to be possibilities of things you might be asked. However, I did put in some leg work and scoured some blogs and compiled a list of questions that others have said they have been asked in the past (I barely remember the questions from interview. lol) There is no way you will be asked all of these questions, but if you can answer these, you'll be golden for your interview!

Beginning Questions

-Why do you want to work for Disney?

-What are your career goals?

-What would you like to get out of a professional internship?

-List your top 3 positions that you've applied to. (especially asked for Alumni Only)

Situational Questions

-Tell me about a team project you have worked on and how you accomplished your goals.

-Tell me about a time where you were working on a project and something didn’t go right, how did you react?

-Tell about a time when you had too much to do and not enough time to do it all. How did you handle it?

-Tell me about a time when you had a disagreement with a co-worker, manager, or guest.

-How would you handle a disruptive guest?

-Talk about a time you were in a difficult situation.
-Tell me about a time you had a conflict with a guest, how did you manage the situation?

Leadership Questions (mostly for MIs)

-Tell me about any leadership positions you have held.

-How do you define leadership and what qualities are needed in a leader?

-What do you look for in a leader?

-What is the most challenging part of being a leader?

-Tell me about a project you were a leader and how you handled it?

Other Experience/Personality Questions

-What do you believe you will be doing in this role?

-Tell me about the positions you have held and how have they prepared you?

-How would a past manager describe you in 3 words?

-Who is your favorite Disney character and why?

-How do you you stay organized?

-Name an accomplishment you are most proud of.

-What do you think your biggest strengths are?

-What computer programs are you familiar with?

-Do you prefer to work independently or on a team?

Ending Questions

-Why are you more suited for the job than other applicants?

-Is there anything else you'd like us to know about you, or are there any questions you'd like to ask us?

I'd like to give a quick shout out to these blogs for having a excellent posts on the screening interview and are where I got the majority of the questions found on this list. So check them out if you want to read more about their specific experiences before your interview day! Good luck!

http://wdwcollegeprogram2011.blogspot.com/2010_10_01_archive.html

http://professionalmousekeeter.blogspot.com/2013/02/my-phone-interview-for-alumni-only-and.html

https://design2disney.wordpress.com/2014/09/20/typical-interview-questions-for-those-pursuing-a-professional-internship-with-disney/

http://kristyndoesdisney.blogspot.com/2014/03/second-interview-complete.html

http://todisneyandbeyond.blogspot.com/2014_02_01_archive.html

http://sharonmooresmith.blogspot.com/2012/02/disney-professional-internships-step-3.html

2014 Fall Presenters Stats

It's been a little over a year since my group of presenters started our internship. Since I have had a ton of time on my hands I've decided to dig a bit to see where we are all now.

-There were 29 of us in the Fall 2014 Conservation Education Presenter internship Group.

-There are currently 15 of us still employed by the company (not including the 3 that are still seasonal presenters).

-Of the 15 of us left, 10 have positions still within Animal Programs. (This is a little lie since in reality one person works with Natural Encounters, Inc which is a contractor, so she technically isn't really a cast member and isn't in Animal Programs, but it's close enough...)
-The 10 who are in Animal Programs currently hold positions as Summer Conservation Camp Instructors, Education Programs Instructors, Wild Africa Trek Guide, Pangani Trail Guide, Animal Keeper, and Wilderness Explorer Coordinator Internship (called Conservation Education Operations).
-Most of the people in Animal Programs are part time. The Conservation Day Camp Instructors are on a Full Time TA for the summer but go back to part time Instructor positions afterwards. 1 person is an intern. The one who is a contractor with NEI is full time. The Keeper at DAK Lodge is on a Full Time TA.

-The 5 of us who aren't in Animal Programs are in widely different positions from Revenue Management to Secretary to Cruise Line Trainer to Attractions Host to a position that I don't understand.
-The 5 of us that aren't in Animal Programs are Full Time or have Full Time TAs

So that's a peek into what a Presenter Group looks like 6 months post-internship completion. I loved my group and can't wait to see where Disney takes us, whether it is a life long career or a place to vacation.


As a side note, the 14 who aren't employed by Disney have a wide range of jobs too, including Museum Education Manager, part time Zoo Keeper, a couple Zoo Educators, Au Pair in Germany for a year, one still in undergrad, an Education Coordinator, one going to dentistry school, one works with the Salvation Army, one is getting her PhD, and a few that are between things (such as just moving across the country and getting married to her marine fiance, another getting married in a week or so, and a few that are a bit of a mystery to be honest after finishing their second PIs a month or so ago)

PI Timeline Part 2

This timeline is a bit more confusing than the first since I am making it so much later. Additionally, I never got official emails/notifications about not being in consideration any longer about a few of the internships. I also applied to A LOT more internships than the first time around. I applied to internships and got NLICs at across a wide timeline so that makes it confusing. Ultimately, it is just a big mess, but I eventually got an offer and that's what counts, right?

Spring 2015 Professional Internships

5 Sept 14- Applied for Management Internship-Animal, Science, Environment Operation

12 Sept 14- Email request to schedule a phone screening interview

18 Sept 14- Applied for Consumer Insight Market Research, Workforce Management Science, Learning Analytics & Evaluation, Forecasting and Planning, Travel Ops Planning, Analysis, & Optimization 

1 Oct 14-  "Thank you for your Interest" NLIC for Workforce Management Science 

6 Oct 14- Applied for 3 Animal Programs positions (Conservation Education Instructor, Behavioral Husbandry, Education Project Specialist)

13 Oct 14- Applied for Pricing Strategy and Analytics 

16 Oct 14-"Application Complete" email from Animal Programs team

20 Oct 14- Email to set up Montage video interview for Conservation Education Instructor

29 Oct 14- Email to set up Montage video interview for Education Project Specialist

30 Oct 14- Montage video interview for Education Project Specialist

               - Montage video interview for Conservation Education Instructor

3 Nov 14- Applied for Strategic Initiative & Integration and Consumer Insight

7 Nov 14- "Thank you for your Interest" NLIC for Learning Analytics & Evaluation 

12 Nov 14- "Thank you for your Interest" NLIC for Management Internship-Animal, Science, Environment Operation

17 Nov 14- "Thank you for your Interest" NLIC for Education Project Specialist, Behavioral Husbandry, and Conservation Education Instructor

24 Nov 14- Applied for CMR Tech Solutions, Marketing Campaign/Analytics

26 Nov 14- Animal, Science, and Environment email about NLIC/feedback

28 Nov 14- "Thank you for your Interest" NLIC for Travel Ops Planning, Analysis, & Optimization 

3 Dec 14- "Thank you for your Interest" NLIC for Forecasting and Planning 

4 Dec 14- "Thank you for your Interest" NLIC for Management and Analytics

6 Dec 14- Applied for Travel Operations Reporting Analytics

8 Dec 14- "Thank you for your Interest" NLIC for Consumer Insight Market Research

11 Dec 14- "Thank you for your Interest" NLIC for CMR Tech Solutions, Marketing Campaign/Analytics

2 Jan 15- Applied for Merchandise Planning Internships

14 Jan 15- Phone call to schedule a phone interview for Merchandise Planning Internships

15 Jan 15- Phone interview for Merchandise Planning Internships

               -Email from recruiter to set up follow phone call

16 Jan 15- Merchandise Planning Offer Phone Call!!! 

               -Accepted offer

               -Welcome to the Team Email

               -Emailed about being added to Housing Waitlist

19 Jan 15 -Got email about being added to Housing Waitlist

19 Jan 15 -Got email about a spot in Company Sponsored Housing

22 Jan 15- Email about Arrival/Transfer Information 

25 Jan 15- Transfer Date between internships

27 Jan 15- Start date

2 Feb 15- "Thank you for your Interest" NLIC for Travel Operations Reporting Analytics