LIFE AT DISNEY: TRADITIONS
The first day was a mix of moving, settling in, unpacking and getting to know our roommates. On the second day, we were all brought into an auditorium at another apartment complex, The Commons. The meeting was to get us up to speed on everything we needed to know going forward. First they gave out our job assignments and they explained some relevant information, such as facilities we could use and available transportation.
Transportation was an important one for many of the students, since most didn’t have a personal vehicle.
Much like the Disney Parks and Hotels, Vista Way had a bus stop where various Disney buses would come and go. Mostly, the buses took you to Disney properties so that you could get to work or go play in the Parks. But they also had special times when a bus would take you to the Walmart, which was the closest store where you could get groceries and other amenities. It was six miles away, in Kissimmee.
Disney probably could have made even more money if they had built a grocery store just for their CP students. Not sure why no one ever thought of that.
We rarely took the buses except for CP Nights at Pleasure Island, when we could get into the clubs for free. A lot of my friends would just ask me for a ride when they wanted to go somewhere. Driving a minivan didn’t make me popular with the ladies, but I was always a first round pick when a bunch of people needed a ride.
That second day in the Commons, they also tried to sell us on signing up for an account with Vista Federal Credit Union. This was essentially a bank that was exclusively for Disney Cast Members and their families. They explained that it would make paying us easier and make our own transactions a lot simpler. I had a bank account already, but there were no New Orleans-based bank locations in Florida. Vista FCU just made sense for most of us. I actually still have my Vista debit card, even though the account is long since defunct. That was my first ever debit card. This was from the ancient times when we still used actual money and most people paid their bills with checks.
While we had our work assignments, we still had one more hurdle before we were allowed to start at our new jobs. On the third day we left to attend Disney’s orientation class, Traditions.
All new hires at Walt Disney World were required to go through Traditions, even if this wasn’t your first time working for the company. Like the title implies, the class was there to inform you of the rich history of Walt’s company and what you were being asked to be a part of.
This was the first time we had all been separated since we arrived at Vista Way. We were each scheduled at different times throughout the day. One of the buses took us to Disney University, where the class was being held.
Traditions sort of felt like a kindergarten class. They gave out these workbooks with quotes from Walt and then-CEO Michael Eisner. One of our assignments was to talk to some of our classmates, write down their names and get to know them.
When it comes to that last part, I wonder about the purpose. Was it to facilitate introverts like me making friends? If so, it failed. I never saw those people again. Or maybe the point was to convey the spirit of Walt Disney, sharing moments with strangers. Maybe it was just corporate propaganda. …yeah, that’s probably what it is.
There was some busy work and corporate rhetoric sprinkled throughout the book. Traditions was about teaching us the magic of Walt Disney World, but a lot of it just sort of reinforced how manufactured the Magic really was. At least… that’s how I felt at the time.
These days, I look at it all with the benefit of time and experience. I mean, sure. It is manufactured, but that isn’t the same as fake.
When dealing with guests, we were told to end conversations with the words have a Magical day. I said it every time. And I meant it. For all the bullshit I went through, I still look at my time working there fondly. My interaction with guests was usually either positive or neutral. I honestly can’t remember having an unruly guest, though those did obviously exist. Most of Disney’s employees genuinely believed in the magic that was being created there. And it is magic. We were making people happy. We were making children believe in worlds of wonder. And in the simplest way possible, we made the world a little bit better place.
If that isn’t magic, then I don’t know what is.
When I went through my old handbook, it reminded me how special it was to work for Disney at that time.
Walt Disney World had plenty of problems during my tenure, but it still felt like every Cast Member was doing their best to give every guest the experience of a lifetime. That was the tradition that was passed onto us. Part of me still believes in it.
“We must never lose sight of the ethical responsibility that comes with working at the Walt Disney Company.
At Disney, the high road should be the only road. There is no substitute for integrity, truth and moral conduct, and it is the responsibility of each of us… to uphold the ethical traditions of our company.”
-former Disney CEO Michael Eisner
