I applied for the CRP, but didn't get through I thinking about either trying to get a job with Disney Cruise Line or Disneyland Paris. Does anyone know the best place to find out about available jobs at DLP? Do you have to be able to speak fluent French? -- I can speak some basic french, and have a GCSE in it, and I'm willing to learn more french. The jobs aren't like at WDW are they? -- They don't provide housing do they? Is there somewhere you can find other CM and share housing with them or something? I don't mind what I do really, I was thinking waiteressing or something Any info people have on DLP jobs please...
I only vaguely know about applying for dlrp as a character and parade performer, and from what I understand they are generally 6 month positions- and you get housing but only for 6 months- if you decided to stay on then you'd have to find your own place to live. I may be wrong though, as I said I don't know much about it. I do know however that you have to be at least 21 to work on the cruise ship. I Hope this is some help to you...
I'm here, don't worry. So yes, they do expect you to speak French as most (around 40 %) of the guests are French and so are your fellow cast members. team leaders and managers. They don't expect you to be native but the level of your French affects greatly on the positions available. For example to work in the attractions you have to have a good level of French as the maintenance people are French and can't understand English. But in the fast food restaurants you don't have to speak perfect French. Also, foreign people are quite valuable in DLRP, as quite a few times I was the person they called to help when the others just couldn't understand what the guest wanted. Jobs at the DLRP are similar to those in WDW in terms of accomodation. This means that DLRP has three residences near to the resort where they accomodate CDD (contrat duree determinee) cast members. In English, the cast members with short term contracts. Those decide to stay in DLRP for longer than 6 months are required to get their own apartment after the 6 months. There's probs loads I haven't told so if you have questions, put them here and I'll try my best to answer them.
wow it would be nice also to work at dinsyeland paris!!!! and waht do you know about disneyland in California!!! they also apply people from all oaver the world????
Disneyland Paris would definitely be a treat to see, let alone work at! Too bad my french is restricted to talking about pens sitting on tables, or something pretty much similar to that! It's only now that I wish I stuck with it, would be so nice to have a second language under my belt! From what I've ever seen, I think Disneyland primarily just hires Americans. They may have a college program, though I'd suspect on a much smaller scale. In any of my searches, I've only ever seen international positions with the Walt Disney World resort in Florida. That's okay though, Cinderella's Castle so beats Sleeping Beauty's castle!
You guys are from the UK, right? I could ask some of my British friends to give info on how they were recruited so you couldcontact the agency to see if your French is sufficient. And as a character performer you don't have to know any French at all, I know at least the Americans from last summer didn't!
Oh please Janey, could you? I really want the chance to work for Disney. Do you need any experience for a character performer -- like qualifications in dance, drama or child care or anything?
Work in Disneyland PARIS for a SUMMER in entertainment?! Heck, sign me up! If they do things the same way as they do in Walt Disney World, then usually to work as a character you go through an audition once you're already there. I'm not too sure on what it consists of, but I think they generally want to see how you'd take on the personality of Pluto for example, interact with guests, etc. You can't speak when you're in character, so communication with everybody else is really through movement and mannerisms! As far as actually performing goes, say in a parade or stage show, there's a dance audition - in which case any experience you might have had with dance would help, but isn't mandatory. Being eligible to be a character performer in one of those situations though may depend on how long your contract is. So if you're there for only a few months, they may not see much point in putting somebody through all the rehearsals and lessons associated with the shows. But again, I'm not too sure about that!
I think it's pretty much like Shana just told above. Although I think they have the auditions in London.. Not sure though. I've send my friends a message asking for their help so I'll let you know as soon as they reply. That might take a few days, as I'm off to Milan for few days on Sunday but just try to bear with me, okay?
Also when looking at here (http://www.disneylandparis.com/uk/employment/our_jobs/entertainment.htm), it's says they want to to send a photo of yourself along side your CV. Should this photo be just of your face, or whole body?
Yeah, that's the same for Walt Disney World too. I don't think they're too picky about pictures, they just want to see you! The one I sent in was more of a head/torso shot (and I may or may not have been giving a bit of a goofy face in it ). So really, whatever pic of you you have that's nice, just send it in!
Also do you need to sent a cover letter with your CV aswell? And do you need to put your height and weight on your CV?
You would definately need to put your height, as that's the way they determine if you can be a character or not. They have a webpage with all the audition listings on which is VERY useful, but I can't quite recall what the address is at the mo..... They have dance auditions at the Pineapple Studios in london for parade performers every 6 months or so, which I was gona go to in January, had I not been lucky enough to get a place on the CRP this year!!
Okey, back from Milan. (Which by the way was fabulous! ♥) Anyways, I haven't heard from my friends, they must be busy with unis or something. I did a bit of googling and what I would recommend for you is to contact the Disney HQ in London. I'm sure they'll be able to give you all the information you need. If you contact Disneyland Paris directly I'd recommend you to send a photo that shows a bit of your body as well as your face so that they see you have no facial piercings and no tattoos. Also in the CV I'd defo put height, I don't think weight is that important. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful. All the people in Disney are really helpful though and they'll be more than happy to answer your questions. I do have something to add and I do hope you don't feel I'm putting you down and please don't let this stop you from applying, just a word of advice. DLRP isn't quite what Florida probably is, mainly because it's run by the French. They can be really nice and all but working with them can be a bit exhausting. It has a lot to do with their view of life which is quite laid-back. I don't know if this shows too much in the EPC department but it did in the "normal jobs" (mechandising, f&b, etc.) at least from time to time. Just be ready and you should be fine.
Hi Janey - Glad you had fun in Milan. What did you do when at DLP? How long were you there for? Did you stay in the housing provided? -- If so what's the housing like? Do you have any pics?
In 2003 I worked 6 months at the breakfast in Sequoia Lodge and Newport Bay Club (the hotels). In 2006 I worked for 2 months in Disneyland Park's ODF and last summer it was 3 months in hotel New York's shop. I did indeed stay in the housing provided as it is by far the cheapest and easiest option for anyone staying there for just a few months. They have three residences: Les Pléïades, La Lousiane and La Boiserie. Les Pléïades is the oldest of the residences and all the apartments are studios shared by 2 people. It's geographically the furthest away from the resort but as it is closest to Val d'Europe, a commercial centre and a train station, it's sometimes the quickest one to go to work. La Lousiane and La Boiserie are newer residences and have apartments from studios fot 2 people to two- and three-bedroom apps for 4 ot 6 people. La Lousiane is sort of in the middle of a bus route to the resort and La Boiserie is the closest one to the resort, geographically speaking. I've lived both in Les Pléïades and La Lousiane and have to say I prefer Les Pléïades. It's a 15-20 minute walk from Val d'Europe (a massive, massive shopping centre), La Vallée (extremely nice little outlet village) and the train station. Also, if you take the bus to Disney, you'll be the first to go the bus which means getting a seat. This gets a bit harder when living in La Lousiane and verging impossible when living in La Boiserie. A bus ride to La Boiserie takes about 5-10 mins, to La Lousiane about 10-15 mins and to Les Pléïades about 20-25 mins. Getting a train to Val d'Europe and walking/taking a bus will get you to Les Pléïades in 15-25 mins.
Unfortunately I haven't got any photos I could publish here because they have other people in them as well. Here's one though, it has a building of Pléïades, one building holds 30 studios in three floors.
Thanks Janey for all the info. I read somewhere, that you get charged for the transport from the living quarters to DLRP is this true? How much is it? Do they automatically take it out of your pay like rent? Is it easy to go into Paris on days off? Also are they any great sites, like this one where I can find out more about working for DLRP, blogs or anything?
Yeah, DLRP doesn't have a same kind of transportation system as WDW because there loads of other people (non-CM's) using the buses as well. At least last summer the one month Carte Orange, which entitles to use buses and RER trains unlimited amounts, for the zones 4-5 was around 50 €. The monthly card is valid from the 1st of each month to the last day. So if you'd start in mid-May for example, it'd be better to buy two weeks to you card. The cost of the transportation isn't automatically taken off from your pay cheque so you have to pay it separately. Disney reimburses you a certain amount of your Carte Orange, sorry to say I can't remember how much it was. Maybe something around 40 % or so... You have to hand in a filled form and a receipt from your Carte Orange charging within the first 10 days of each month. The transportation in the resort, backstage and on stage, is free. It is really easy to go to Paris. It takes about 35-45 mins, depending on the time of the day (=how much passengers are travelling) and to which station you're going. The Carte Orange doesn't allow you to travel all the way to Paris (which is the zone 1) but you can go to the last station in zone 4 (Bry-sur-Marne) and buy a ticket from there to Paris. That'll cost you 2,9 € one way. From Paris you can buy a ticket to Bry-sur-Marne as your Carte Orange covers the rest. Also you can try and travel to Paris without a ticket but this abviously isn't highly recommended.. I haven't heard from any sites such as this for DLRP. I could write a few blog entries about working in Paris and the life in there if someone's interested in reading them? And also, I'm more than happy to answer any questions you have. Mind you, I might not know everything so for absolutely sure information it's best to contact Disney.