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Disney has a way of keeping the magic alive and the best part is that it leaves a mark on people who have been part of it. Rob Ferre is one of the lucky people who have worked for Disney. And in today’s episode, he shares with us his experiences in working for Disney and what he has learned from it.
Welcome back. So, if you’re like me, you’re probably a big fan of Disney and I’ve always wondered what it would be like to work for Disney. Well we’ve got Mr. Rob Ferre. -Yeah. -Who actually not only worked for Disney but you’ve told a lot of stories… -Yeah. -…about working for Disney. It’s kind of made a big impact in your career. So… -Yes. -That’s what going to be talking about today. Alright. So, let’s dive right in. First of all, how were you able to get a job working for Disney in the first place? -Well, I graduated from college in 2003 from Southern Utah University, okay? And… -With a degree in Disney? -No, I did not. No, I did not have a degree in that. Does a degree in broadcast communications. And I wanted to go into TV and radio. And I was… I didn’t quite find the job I was looking for. I’d still had this opportunity. I still had the small window to do what is called the college… The Disney College Internship. Now, there’s 2 different internships out there. There’s a college program and the there’s a professional internship. The professional internship is actually really good for those who have a focus on where they want to go or what they want to do. I just took the general one which was the college program internship. And that is actually really good for college program… For college students who are in their freshman, sophomore, junior year. -So, how did you how… Do you even know that these programs existed? -So, they have recruiters that come to your college campus. And so I remember meeting somebody and saying, “Hey, I did this. You should try it.” And so they have college recruiters at every campus. I wish… -A career fair type thing, work… -Yeah. And some just set up a kiosk in the Student Union. So it just depends.
So, somewhere I the career fairs. This particular person I believe I met at just… They had a kiosk and the student union. The one thing I do wish… I wish my recruiter would have told me to take the professional internship. I just did the college program. And so, the college program puts you on the front lines. The professional internship puts you in more of an office setting where you are working within your degree. So, if you’re in hospitality, you’ll maybe work a front desk job. If you’re in communication, you work behind the scenes. So, those type of things. I did the college program and I got a job working at the parking lot and MGM studios. So, it wasn’t quite the dream job I wanted. But I was still working at Disney World and working in Disney. Gorgeous. -So, you heard about that when you’re in southern Utah but you went out to Orlando. -Yep. And that was in 2004 and I went out there and I worked. And so I did my college program. And once I finished that college program, I applied for a different job. I didn’t want to be in the parking lot the entire time and so I applied for a job at the Jungle Cruise which was an awesome job as what a dream job for me. And then I was able to be cross-trained, as we call it to the Haunted Mansion. Because the Jungle Cruise in the Haunted Mansion in the same work area. And I really, really, really, really loved my job at The Haunted Mansion. when it was indoors and 2 you get to be a brooding kind of character. Jungle Cruise I got to be a character. but you’re spilling a lot as we call it. you’re constantly going around the river, spilling, spilling, spilling. and so I like the variety of being able to work at the Jungle Cruise or at the Haunted Mansion. but when you work there, you know, there’s a few jobs that are called Universal jobs where you can work at all the different parks. And that’s usually an entertainment. So once you have a job, you work at that one location and that was the location… -So is it… Is it a grueling schedule? Was it enjoyable? -It depends. Depends. You know, certain jobs can be grueling especially if you’re outdoors in the heat. I was part-time. I never went full-time. I was only full-time when I would do my college program. And I had different jobs that I dabbled in. But I learned so many great things about the Disney way and what they do in their training process. Their training process was really cool. They do what is called traditions. -Let’s talk about… I’m very curious about their training process. -Yeah. So, they have what is called Disney University which is behind the Magic Kingdom. In Disney University, they have courses for continuing education. But when you start, you do you take what is called traditions. It’s a day-long class where you learn about Walt Disney and what he instilled and his values and the history. And then the second day of traditions, you take a tour of the park that you’re going to be working at. So when I first got my job at MGM Studios, we took a tour of that. And then when I cross transferred or started working over at the Magic Kingdom, I had to do a whole new traditions there. So I did traditions and I did a day at Magic Kingdom. Where I learned all about the Magic Kingdom. Which is really cool because they go down the street, in the mainstream like, “Okay, did you know about this window over here? Now this window has this person’s name in it and this is dedicated to the man that did this for Walt.” You know? They all have different things that they tell you about the little nuances. They show you the Hidden Mickeys around the park. So, they show you some fun stuff, they give you some history but they also talk about show. Disney is all about the show, okay? Their employees are called what? Do you know this? -Cast members? -Yes, they are called cast members. We are cast in a show. And then when we go out to our job or to our workplace, we are on stage, okay? Yeah, backstage and we have front stage.
So, the idea is you are constantly on you know, on stage. You are in front of an audience. You are a cast member as people are coming into this theme park. Because Disney was like the first theme park where people could experience something different. It’s not just going on ride. Alright, get on the ride, give me a ticket. They create a different experience. And I don’t know if you notice that when you go to different theme parks. But the thing about it is, they have led the way. And a lot of people are emulating what they’re doing. And I’ve been to… I worked at Universal Studios, I’ve also worked at SeaWorld. And I’ve been to all these different theme parks and I can see the difference between Disney cast members and other employees or team members of different types of theme parks. It just brings a story to my mind a few months ago. My family went to Disneyland. -Yeah. -Evil Queen was walking by and my son wanted an autograph. So he walks up, “Can I get an autograph?” And you know, she’s supposed to be a mean lady, right? So, it’s like, “Oh sure.” She didn’t do that. Just like, “Walk with me peasant.” And I thought, “That is so cool.” How… Anyway. -Right, she stayed in character but she still did not demean the kid. You know, she kept a little level of consistency in psych, “Yes, I guess I’ll done you with this.” And so, that’s what I loved about being in the Jungle Cruise. I was able to create a character and interact with the guests in a fun engaging way as at the Haunted Mansion. But they want people to to remember that. Now, she has a very special role where she is an entertainment. Also, think about the people that you interact with when you get onto a ride or when you’re at a retail shop or even people that are selling you food. Now, that one of the coolest jobs and it’s not the most glamorous jobs. But I think it’s really cool what they do and how they frame it are the custodial janitorial staff. They’re not called that, they’re called show keepers. Which I love. Because they’ve shifted that… And I now want to call anybody that helps clean up a show keeper. They are helping preserve this show. And so they are constantly around cleaning up and they’re free agents. They they can go from any place to anywhere. And the cool thing about them is often the show keepers, know the most about the park. So, whenever you’re in a park and you see somebody sweeping something up and you need information, show keepers are the best people to talk to you. Because they know that part, they oftentimes have a times guide in their pocket. “What time’s the three o’clock parade?” That’s a good question. I say a three o’clock parade today is that 2 o’clock. So, but those show keepers are the people that are the glue. But here’s the thing, they don’t do that job alone. This is something that they’ve taught Disney cast members. It’s called the Disney scoop. So for example, let’s say, I’m going from one location to the other and I see a piece of trash on the ground. Do I let the show keeper come by and pick it up? No. In-stride, I pick it up and I find the closest receptacle and I throw it away. I am also keeping the show. So that is something that they train you to do in traditions and also in your training it when you go to the park. Always keep the show. We are working together to keep this atmosphere, this theme park as clean as we can. Also working together to help people. You know, if we see a crying kid, somebody drops at an ice-cream cone, we need to help them have a better experience.
And so, oftentimes people will be like, “Oh, I’m sorry that happened. Sad for you.” But at Disney, they’ll give them a card or they’ll replace it for them. And so, Disney does a really good job of keeping their customers happy, keeping their guests happy. -So, are there things from these lessons that you’ve learned or things that you you saw and admired or the things that you’ve been able to apply in your own business? -Yes. For sure. I think the customer service aspect is just treating everybody that comes under your umbrella the same way. A friend of mine, his name is Jason Hewlett. He talks about the promise. Keeping your promise to your audience. And it’s the same thing. Disney keeps their promise to the audience. And so for me, when it comes to customer service, am I going to give the same show to a group of 20 kids as I give to a group of 200 kids? You know, when I perform for them? Or when I DJ for ten people, am I going to give that same energy for that 10 people as a gift for a thousand people? So, you want to be able to be consistent with your brand and consistent with your services. And I think Disney is the same way. They are very consistent and they want to make sure that everybody feels important and valued. -My wife and I are big Disney fans. -Yeah. -we’ve read lots of books and found little like, “I had no idea.” Is there any anything cool that you don’t think our audience would know about Disney? -Well, the Hidden Mickeys. If you don’t know what Hidden Mickeys are, there there are books on it. And this will change your experience as when you go to the parks. Having those experiences where you are now searching for the Hidden Mickeys while you’re waiting in line. This is another part of their engagement experience. -How many are we talking about here? -I don’t know, thousands. I mean, when you go to ride, most rides have maybe at least 3 to 4 in a ride. -So, is it… Are we talking just the symbol of the Mickey ears yeah or the full Mickey Mouse? -No, it’s just the Mickey ears. So Circle, Circle, Circle. So, for example when you’re on the Haunted Mansion ride and you go into the ballroom scene, where the ghosts are dancing and then the guys are on top shooting each other. If you look down at the table, there’s some… There’s a lady blowing candles out and there’s a guy on the other end. I know this is that while Disney World. I’m not too sure if it’s at the other parks. But if you look at the plates, there’s a plate with one circle and then two small you know, coffee cups or tea cups. Saucers right around the top. So that is an example of a Hidden Mickey. And so you’ll see it all over the place. You’ll even see it in the signs. And so that’s just another fun way to engage your Disney experiences through the Hidden Mickeys. -Cool. -Yeah. -Well, thanks for telling us your experience working in with Disney. If you have any other questions or if you get to know any Disney secrets, share them in the comments below and I look forward to seeing you next time.