Halloween Horror Nights

I know that I am a Disney Cast Member and all, but the nice thing about living in Central Florida is all of the cool things to do that are near by. Some of them aren't even Disney related-gasp! Tonight I am going to that other park down the road to attend Universal's Halloween Horror Nights! One of my roommates is a Universal Team member and he LOVES Horror Nights. He's been bugging me to go since before it started, even though he has already gone a handful of times. I think I am going to buy a pass so I can go more than once so I can go more than once. Here's a sneak peak of what I am getting myself into tonight. 

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.

Viewing Job Descriptions After Applying

Job descriptions are not only useful when applying to a position, but they are great to reference during the application process. I always recommend looking at it/having it in front of you for each job interview. However, once a posting closes you might worry that you don't have access to it anymore. A question that always comes up every year is how to view the job descriptions after the positions have closed. When you apply it is easiest if you get into the habit of saving the descriptions so you can refer to them later, but if you forgot to save them or lost them, don't worry! There is a way to access them later!

When you first apply to a position when you go to your dashboard if you click on the position name it will take you to the job description. However, when the position closes, when you click on the link it will take you to a page that says the position has been closed or open another page with the dashboard. When this happens there is another way you have to go to get to the description. 

On the top of your dashboard you will see where is says "Resumes/CV" and a link that says "edit." Click on that link and it will take you to a page where your resumes and cover letters that you have submitted are stored. When you click on "View Submissions" a page will load that includes all of the jobs that you applied to using that resume. If you click on the job title on this page it will open the job description. Voila! There's that job description for you! 

More about Montage Interviews

I previously posted about Montage Interviews, however as more internships this cycle begin to have second interviews I figured I would make an additional post about them. Montage is a video interview service that Disney uses that is a lot like Skype, but here is some additional information.

What positions use Montage?

Some of the most common internships that I know definitely use Montage are Animal Programs internships and Management Internships. Animal Programs don't have a screening interview and this will be the only interview animal programs will use. Note, not all animal programs uses Montage (I had a phone interview for my Chemistry interview) but most do, especially if they are at Animal Kingdom or the Seas. It seems like ones based out of the Land do them a little less often, but it can depend on the position. 

As for Management Internships, if you pass the screening interview and are extended an invitation for second interview you will have two choices: an in person panel interview in Florida or a panel interview with Montage. In the invitation it says that the in person ones are mainly for locals, but it isn't uncommon to hear of people flying down to do this interview. In my opinion, I would say not to waste the money on a plane ticket/hotel to come down for the interview, but it is really up to you. I know people who have gotten it from the video interview and I don't think it would be offered if they weren't going to actually treat the applicants the same. However, if you have the money and really think you will make a better impression in person than go for it.

Other positions may use montage, but it varies much more by position. I know my current managers have never used montage for interviewing and don't really see the point in it, but are being more heavily encouraged to use it by Casting than before. 

What to Expect

A few days before your interview you'll get an email which includes instructions and a link to the Montage "room." There are instruction videos about what to do and it allows you to test to ensure you software/webcam are on the correct settings so it will work optimally during the interview. You will be allowed to "enter" the room at any time to see what it is like. Definitely log on to your interview at least 15 minutes early to make sure everything works. Sometimes a person from the Montage team will come on to make sure everything is working well and give recommendations to help make sure everything is working correctly. During my first Montage interview, my webcam was being funny and she was a big help in making sure it was fixed before my interviewers came on. Make sure you are in a place that has good cell reception and that you have a pair of headphones nearby. 

I have had 4 different Montage experiences: 2 that everything has gone flawless, one where the interviewer had never used Montage and couldn't figure out the sound so we both put our microphones on mute and he called me, and one that was kind of a disaster technology-wise. In the disaster interview, everything was going well at first and worked great with the Montage team, then I was asked to use my headphones since there was a ton of feedback from the speaker. This is not an uncommon thing to do since the interviews ultimately don't want to hear themselves. Then my video lagged a TON and the sound wasn't really working so we were typing to figure things out. They then called my cell phone to use as the sound with the video still going so we could see each other. Then my cell phone dropped a call (one of less than 5 times since I've had a cell phone) so they called me back on my home phone to finish the interview. Funny enough, the two where the technology worked perfectly were the positions that I did not get. So if something goes wrong, just take a deep breath and know that it isn't uncommon and the people interviewing you will not in any way hold it against you. 

After the first time using Montage the process seemed pretty straightforward since I had prepared by reading/watching everything included since it really walks you right through the entire process. I know it can seem kind of confusing and nerve wracking if you have never done a video interview before, but it really was great to interact with the interviews more than what you can do via phone interviews. Just be prepared from the technology side so you can prove yourself and why you should have the position. Good luck!

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