Disney is a pretty fantastic place to visit, no matter what age you are. After all, it’s a place where just about anything seems possible and where dreams really do seem to come true!
If all the glitz and sparkle of Tinker Bell and Mickey Mouse has you wanting to apply for a job there, it pays to know what to expect in terms of interview questions at Disney.
In general, these interview questions are behavioral and focus on customer experience. However, if you need a bit more advice, don’t panic. This guide goes over what you need to know about interviewing at Disney as well as the top questions to expect.
What the Interview Process is Like at Disney
Before you start prepping for interview questions at Disney, it’s important to know what the interview process will actually be like. Knowing this will help you understand better how to prepare so that you can land yourself the job.
Disney’s interview process is very rigorous and usually starts with an online multiple-choice question quiz. This will ask questions to get a feel for what your personality is like and how well you’ll fit in with the team at Disney.
Roughly a week after you complete the multiple-choice test, you’ll get invited for an in-person interview. These interviews are typically one-on-one with the hiring manager, although sometimes several other team members will help show you around the park.
Sometimes there are also phone interviews as well, depending on which role you’re applying for and how long the team needs to make a decision. In general, most people who have applied at Disney reported that the process took about 2-3 weeks from start to finish.
A Brief Rundown of How to Answer Disney Interview Questions
There are many roles at Disney, depending on whether you’re applying to work in a park or at corporate. However, because Disney focuses on entertaining and inspiring people, a lot of the interview questions are behavioral and have to do with your attitude and people skills.
To make sure your interview question answers are a success, you need to show positivity and that you’re able to spread the Disney magic. The first step to answering Disney questions includes reviewing the company website and the job description. This will help you understand what skills you need to highlight throughout the interview.
For these types of behavioral interview questions, try to implement the STAR interview method. The STAR interview method will help you come up with strong answers to interview questions that highlight you as the best candidate for the job.
Top 16 Interview Questions at Disney
With a bit of background on interviewing at Disney and how to answer questions, it’s time to get into the meat and potatoes. Here are some of the top 16 interview questions, as reported by people who have actually applied for jobs at Disney.
1. Why Do You Want to Work at Disney?
Talking about why you want to work at Disney is a chance for the company to learn more about your personality and what motivates you. It also shows how well your personality and vision align with the company’s.
In terms of wanting to work at Disney, you’ll want to come up with something that fits in with what the company is looking for in an employee. For example, you could say that you are passionate about inspiring children through the magic of fairytales, and that Disney is the perfect place to do that!
2. How Would You Describe Your Personality?
Your personality is going to be a big factor in whether or not you get hired for a role at Disney. Before heading into the interview, be sure to take a look at what the company’s mission statement and vision are. This will help you get an idea of the types of personalities they’re looking for at the park.
With that information in mind, you’ll know how to describe your personality in a way that makes you look like a good fit for the job. In general, at Disney you’ll want to use keywords such as:
- Positive
- Upbeat
- A Go-getter
- Cheerful
- Energetic
- Enthusiastic
3. What Makes You the Right Fit for This Role?
Once again, for this question, you’ll want to make sure that your answers tie back into the original job description. Think about answers that would make sense in the context of Disney and that would set you apart as a great candidate for the role.
A couple of examples include:
- I’m a team player
- I’m great at thinking on my feet
- I have excellent customer service skills
- I’ve worked at Disney in previous roles
4. What Do You Know About the Company?
Before going into any interview, it pays to do some research on the company. Most interviewers will ask you this question to see how well you understand the job you’ll be doing as well as how excited you are about the position.
Try to give some specifics about the company that you would only know if you’ve done your research. This shows that you took the time to look into the business and that you really are excited about the job you’re applying for.
5. What’s Your Favorite Attraction at the Park?
This question is designed to help the hiring manager get a feel for how well you understand the park layout as well as how enthusiastic you are about the job. Although there’s no right or wrong answer here, you’ll want to make this answer personal. Show how much an attraction means to you by going over why you like that particular attraction.
6. How Do You Stay Motivated?
Long days at the theme park can get pretty tiring after a while. That’s especially true if you’ve got to get up early to open the park or stay late to close!
Think about a few ways that you stay motivated and excited about your job. Be sure to focus on the steps you take to stay excited about your work and relate these back to the theme park.
7. What Are a Few of Your Strengths?
This question is important for interviewers to get a feel for how well you’ll fit in with their team. They want to know that your strengths align with the skills needed for the job.
Before you go into an interview, take the time to look at the required soft skills for the position you’re applying for. Then, think about which of those you’re good at and offer those as strengths when asked this question.
8. What Are a Couple of Weaknesses?
When you get asked this question in an interview, the key is to make your weaknesses sound like strengths. Think about a couple of weaknesses that you could list that would actually be positives for the company.
A few examples include:
- I’m a perfectionist, so sometimes I spend too long ensuring my work has no errors
- I’m not good at saying no, so sometimes I take on more projects than I really should in order to help others
- I’m not great at maintaining a work-life balance, so sometimes I work longer hours than I should and forget to focus on my mental health
9. Tell Me About a Time When You Showed Leadership
Leadership is another key component of working at Disney, and at theme parks in general. For this question, the interviewer wants to see how reliable and responsible you are, and how you work in team dynamics.
Try to think of a time when you showed leadership in your personal life, at work, or at school. Describe the situation briefly and focus on the actions you took which demonstrated leadership skills. Then, give a brief overview of what the outcome of your actions was and how it benefitted your team or others involved in the project.
10. Tell Me About a Time When You Had to Deal With an Upset Customer
Customer service is a huge part of working at Disney, which is why many interviewers will ask you how you’d handle an upset customer. For this question, make sure to mention that you’d act according to company policy in order to satisfy the guest and respond to their issue. You’ll also want to mention that you’d stay calm and listen to the client’s concerns to help dissipate the situation.
11. How Would You Handle an Emergency in the Park?
Although no one wants to have to deal with an emergency on the job, at theme parks, this is a very real possibility. Interviewers asking this question want to know that you’ll be able to maintain your calm and help direct guests to safety.
For this question, you can refer back to a time when you tackled an emergency in another position or in your personal life. This can help showcase that you know how to deal with difficult or dangerous situations and ensure everyone stays safe.
12. Tell Me About a Time When You Went Above and Beyond to Fix an Error That Wasn’t Your Fault
At the park, errors may happen all the time. However, Disney has a company culture that focuses on going above and beyond for guests in order to make things right, regardless of who or what went wrong.
Make sure to point out to the interviewer that when handling upset guests, you’re objective in the way you tackle the situation. Let them know that you’d take care of the error regardless of what caused it, and that you’d do your best to turn the guest’s day around.
13. Are You Comfortable Working in the Heat?
Disney parks are located in a variety of places around the world, and they’re often open from summer to winter. What that means is that many times, you’ll be required to work when there are extremely high or low temperatures.
This question gauges whether or not that’s something you’ll be able to handle, which helps the interviewer know if you’ll be the right fit for the job. If for any reason, of course, you’re unable to do so, make sure to make this clear to the interviewer right off the bat.
14. Are You Willing to Adhere to the Disney Look Guide?
While many jobs allow you to show up in whatever you’d like, Disney has very specific dress code requirements that you have to appear to.
In general, you have to look polished, approachable, and professional. You may also have to have protective equipment or to dress in costume, depending on what role you’ll be playing at Disney.
During the interview, you’ll often be asked this question to see whether or not you’ll be willing to adhere to the look. This helps the interviewer get a feel for how well you’ll fit into the team and whether you’re willing to follow the rules.
15. Sell Me My Dream Vacation
One big part of working at Disney is selling. This could mean selling vacation packages or it could simply mean selling concessions within the park!
Whatever the case, you’ll be expected to have a salesey attitude that helps the company earn a profit from its guests. The key here is to do your best selling a vacation to the interviewer and putting yourself in the shoes of someone who already works at Disney.
For this question, remember to stay positive and to try to tie the sales pitch into the interviewer’s potential pain points. This will help you make a successful pitch that wows the hiring manager.
16. Do You Have Any Questions for Me?
This last question is your chance to interview the interviewer! Although you don’t have to ask the interviewer questions, doing show can help show your interest in the position.
Here are a couple of potential questions you can ask the interviewer:
- Why do you like working at Disney?
- What’s the onboarding process like?
- How soon can I expect to hear back about the position?
- What is growth within the company like?
- What is a typical day like in this role?
Wrapping Up: Landing a Job at Disney
Disney really is a magical place, whether you’re a kid or a kid at heart. And, now that you know what to expect when it comes to interview questions at Disney, you should have no problem landing a great job.
Just remember that Disney’s interviews focus a lot on behavioral questions. As a result, your best bet to make sure you do a killer job is to implement the STAR method in your answers. Besides that, be yourself, and best of luck!
