How does Disney attract employees?

Disney Parks Careers uses three major social media channels – LinkedIn, YouTube and Facebook – to target and educate its audience on what makes for a great park employee.



Disney attracts employees (whom they call "Cast Members") primarily through its world-class brand prestige and a unique "Total Rewards" package that focuses on "Magic" as much as money. In 2026, a major attractor is the Disney Aspire program, which provides 100% upfront tuition coverage for thousands of employees to earn degrees and certifications. Additionally, "Cast Members" receive high-value perks like free theme park admission for themselves and their families, significant discounts on merchandise and hotels, and "Main Entrance Passes" they can give to friends. Disney also uses its "Traditions" orientation to instill a deep sense of "heritage and purpose," making employees feel like part of a historical legacy. While pay has increased to remain competitive in the 2026 labor market, the real "draw" for many is the "resume value" of having Disney on their record and the opportunity to work in a high-intensity, "guest-first" environment that is globally recognized for its standard of excellence in hospitality and entertainment.

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Seeing and interacting with their favorite Disney characters in real life is one of the most magical things a child can experience. In addition to parades, live shows, and meet-and-greets, Disney World offers a variety of events for guests to interact with the characters.

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The Five Keys—Safety, Courtesy, Inclusion, Show and Efficiency—serve as the basis on which all Cast Members make decisions to provide the greatest hospitality to Guests. The Five Keys are also the most valued standard for Oriental Land Co., Ltd.

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Average The Walt Disney Company hourly pay ranges from approximately $12.00 per hour for Lot Attendant to $32.62 per hour for Machinist. Salary information comes from 8,113 data points collected directly from employees, users, and past and present job advertisements on Indeed in the past 36 months.

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If you have a strong resume and good soft skills, it's easy to get a job at Disney. You need to find the positions that suit you best and make sure you have the right experience. Some people enter a Disney college program, which means you can intern for the company. Many interns end up working full-time later on.

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“Working for the Mouse,” a study by Occidental College and the Economic Roundtable published in February 2018, found that 11% of Disneyland employees reported experiencing homelessness in the previous two years, 68% were food insecure and 73% said they do not earn enough for basic living expenses.

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“We have made the difficult decision to reduce our overall workforce by approximately 7,000 jobs as part of a strategic realignment of the company, including important cost-saving measures necessary for creating a more effective, coordinated and streamlined approach to our business,” Iger shared in the memo.

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Whether they are working directly in one of the parks or they're at one of the resort hotels or Disney-owned shops in Downtown Disney or Disney Springs, they receive a pass that will allow them to enter any of the Walt Disney World or Disneyland theme parks for free.

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A cast member (or CM) is a Disney employee that works at Disney Parks or at the Disney Store. Cast members have various jobs, such as watching over security (telling people the safety rules of rides and attractions, for example), tending to rides and attractions, and playing Disney characters.

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Free Theme Park Entry is Top Cast Member Perk Whether they are working directly in one of the parks or they're at one of the resort hotels or Disney-owned shops in Downtown Disney or Disney Springs, they receive a pass that will allow them to enter any of the Walt Disney World or Disneyland theme parks for free.

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