How to Get a Job at Disney Store
A popular retailer of Disney-related merchandise, Disney Store maintains locations throughout the United States and internationally. Locations are mostly found in shopping malls and commercial centers, as well as official amusement parks. The retailer provides great opportunities for job seekers interested in employment. Naturally, the retail chain demands applicants undergo multiple job interviews fairly simple in nature. Applicants may easily prepare for interviews.
What Kind of Interview Should I Expect?
After submitting all of the required employment forms to Disney Store, a manager will contact qualified applicants for an interview. The retail chain uses different interview formats based on the discretion of a store manager. The company uses both one-on-one and group interviews lasting an average of 30 or 40 minutes to hire the best employees. Additional interviews may prove necessary, especially if the specific location is screening more applicants than expected.
Typical Interview Questions
Disney Store interview questions cover many standard topics for the retail industry. Expect to hear common questions like: "What previous experience do you have in the retail industry?", "What would you do if your replacement was late for work?", and "Are you able to work on weekends?" Many of the questions, such as, "What is your favorite Disney character?" and "How would you make a visit to the Disney Store the best experience of a child's day?" heavily revolve around the Disney image. Answers should be coherent and well-thought-out.
Knowing the Brand
Applicant should reflect on the qualities that will make them the best selection for Disney Store hiring managers. The retailer promotes a strong family atmosphere, so applicants must feel comfortable frequently working around young children. Additionally, interviewees should become a little familiar with store products and popular Disney movies or TV programs. Candidates with previous retail experience should highlight accomplishments from past jobs, while first-time job seekers should display responsibility and good judgment by using common sense in responding to interview questions.
The Disney Store Cast Member Interview Video
Video Transcript
Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties.
The Disney Store Cast Member: My primary job title was called a cast member. Basically my job duties were, when I go into work, it’s basically you get into character in the back, as soon as you clock in, once you walk outside, you’re in character. What I mean by character is you have a smile on your face the entire time and it’s just being friendly, being nice, being courteous to people. Your job as a cast member is to make people smile, make their day, try to get the sales. Sales are important, but it’s honestly more important to actually make a benefit and try to make somebody’s day.
Interviewer: What was the work environment like?
The Disney Store Cast Member: It’s a nice environment. There’s Disney everywhere. If you love Disney, it makes you feel like a kid again. You hear the music playing in the background, the kids are all happy. You remember being a kid when you were growing up, going to Disney World. It’s just like, that how it feels.
Interviewer: How would you describe the application and interview process?
The Disney Store Cast Member: The application process is pretty much all done online. You go through Disney Careers and you go and you log in, put in your work ethic. I actually was recommended by a friend of mine because she worked there originally. I had to put her down as a reference in order to, I guess, get an extra lift going to the job. You basically put in your experience if you did have any work experience. Build a resume, see what you can do, what kind of skills you do have. They’ll definitely evaluate it. Took about three weeks to a month for them to call me back, but they did call me back. I went in for an interview and I pretty much got the job right there on the spot.
Interviewer: What questions did the interviewer ask during the job interview?
The Disney Store Cast Member: Basically who’s your favorite character at Disney, who did you like. If you had a job, what struggles did you face within the job and how did you improve. They would ask things like that. For the most part, they ask you standard what skills do you have, where do you want this to go, things like that, what are your goals. What’s your degree plan if you’re going to college right now, if not, when you go to college what’s going to be your degree plan, things like that.
Interviewer: What other advice would you give to a job seeker looking to gain employment?
The Disney Store Cast Member: Love what you do. If you’re going to go into it, the best opinion is just to love Disney. If you don’t like kids, don’t go for it. It’s not going to be your thing. If you don’t like retail, if you don’t like talking to people, if you work in the back, it’s just not going to be for you. Be outgoing, be courteous, be friendly, be yourself, and you’ll do just fine.
Disney Store Sales Associate Interview Video
Video Transcript
Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties.
Disney Store Cast Member: At the Disney Store, I was just a regular sales associate. My primary duties were basically cashier. They call it cast member there, but I was a sales associate, I was a cashier, I helped customers. Basically, there weren’t a lot of people working at the same time, so we did everything, worked with the manager and a few other cast members.
Interviewer: What was the work environment like?
Disney Store Cast Member: The work environment was definitely very fun. It was a fun place to work because they were so many kids. So, that was really fun. It was definitely very focused on the formants indicators, like conversion, making sure you were adding on purchases; that’s a very important thing to the Disney Store, because it is a small store. So, it was a little intense with adding on at the register, or asking if they had a charge card, but overall, when you’re interacting with guests it’s a really fun place to work.
Interviewer: Please describe a typical day as an employee.
Disney Store Cast Member: They definitely expect you to be very timely. You get there pretty early, you’re shirt had to be ironed out. Just get there, meet with the manager, find the goals we have that day. Just assist people on the floor, help them find something. A lot of times, they were confused about the difference between the park and the store. They had questions about the park, so I knew a lot about that, helping with that, and creating “magical moments” for the customers by interacting with kids and the toys and all that stuff. Checking them out at the register and making sure they had a good experience.
Interviewer: What questions did the interviewer ask during the job interview?
Disney Store Cast Member: I don’t remember any particularly difficult questions. I know they asked me about kids or something like that; I hadn’t really had that much experience with kids, because I mostly worked in retail for my age, American Eagle and stuff. But other than that, I would say they were pretty average questions.
Interviewer: What set you apart from other candidates?
Disney Store Cast Member: I think I was just really positive, good attitude, and I think I just really believed in the ideals of Disney. It was a huge part of my childhood, and I knew I wanted to bring that same magic to other kids and adults alike. My love for the characters, I know I talked a lot about the characters I liked of kids shows, so I think like actually knowing a lot about Disney itself, just from being a big fan of Disney really helped me stand out.
Interviewer: What other advice would you give to a job seeker looking to gain employment?
Disney Store Cast Member: I would definitely tell them to expect to have a lot of fun and to know a lot of Disney songs by the end of it, because the track is very short at that store. But overall, definitely just expect to work with few people at a time, just because it’s not a very big store, and be ready to have things expected of you, as far as making those sales, just because there’s not that many people working at the same time, so you definitely have to ask those questions. They have secret shoppers, so you have to be prepared to do your job right every day, but you still have a lot of fun with it.
Ellie says:
hello, i’ve got an interview tomorrow, and was just wondering whether it’s more likely to be a group interview, or what i could expect? Thank you 🙂
vanessa says:
i have an interview tomorrow and im wondering if its a group interview too ? ill write a review after im done with the interview too 😀
Og says:
I have an interview tommorow can anyone tell me what to expect? I know it is a group interview!
Erin says:
Vanessa! How did the interview go?!?! What did they ask you?
Kat says:
Most Disney store interviews are with a group, I think especially if hiring for seasonal. They asked very common interview questions as well as role play i.e, “a 3 year old buzz lightness fan comes in..what do you do…ok now while you’re with the buzz fan a huge group comes in..” etc. Also, lots of “tell me about a time when you….solved a conflict…your team was stuck and you pulled through… “. The norm….didn’t have any questions pertaining to Disney. Also VERY strict dress code. No piercings other than one in each lobe, none for boys, no crazy hair colours, no nail colour, no tattoos, no necklaces, not a lot of makeup and completely black or brown shoes. And they do background checks.
Francesca Bertucci says:
I was wondering if there was an application to the Canadian Disney Stores or is it all general.
Jessica says:
Hi, I’m planning to apply at a Disney Store, and I would like to know if you need previous work experience to work at the Disney Store? Please and thank you.
Cez says:
you don’t need any previous work experience to work at the Disney Store, I have a interview tomorrow and I have never worked before.
Katie says:
I’m thinking of working at the Disney store. I’m a Disney fanatic, and I’ve joked about teaching kids a lot about disney. I was just wondering about specific questions I should ask or the dress code and the age requirement.
Kimmy says:
Does Disney Store drug test?
Claire Stirton says:
I had an interview for temporary cast member – Perth FTC today for the new Disney Store opening in the St John’s Shopping Centre, Perth, Scotland. If I had known that it was going to be a group interview I would never have went as I find these kind of interviews very daunting. I had to walk out of the interview before it commenced as it was herendous. I feel that I would not have matched up to the other candidates criteria and skills/experience as I saw the people that I was up against. I feel that a one to one basis works better as you can sell yourself better than you can in a group basis as you are already nervous and sitting in a room with strange people makes you even more nervous. I adore Disney and would have loved to have the chance of the temporary cast member – Perth FTC job but I think these interviews should be done on a one to one basis as the group interviews are so silly and off-putting. You can relax better with one person. I think Disney should change the way that they interview people as people would relax more with a one to one interview. Please take this comment on board Disney as these group interviews do put people off.
Alex says:
A group interview is good practice as you’re going to be interacting with plenty of customers. If you are this nervous with a group of staff, then working there is perhaps not for you.