"CPs are overworked and underpaid" 

Image: Natalie Bermudez

Sometimes and yes, but so is everyone else working in the front lines of the theme park industry. CPs are overworked in the same way that regular Disney cast members might be overworked: it's Christmas week, aka the busiest week of the year, and the Magic Kingdom is open until 3:00 AM, and you work at the Emporium, so you have a twelve hour shift that ends at 4:00 AM. You signed up for a job at the world's most popular tourist destination, where you agreed to have open availability for work during all hours of the day, 365 days a year. Occasionally when the parks and resorts are busier, you are going to be overworked.  

 Working long shifts, or over forty hours in a week, at Walt Disney World can definitely be difficult and exhausting, especially if you're outdoors for most of your shift, however it is what you sign up for when you choose to pursue a frontline role in the park. The good news is that CPs, and cast members in general, can come home with some pretty sweet paychecks those weeks due to all the overtime, and the insane fifty-five hours per week schedule doesn't usually become a regular thing.  

 CPs do get the worst of it, because they will almost always close, and they will generally have the late night shifts and work holidays. The reasoning for this is simply that the company works by seniority when scheduling cast members, and CPs are at the bottom of the list, under full time, part time, and seasonal cast members. CPs might not like their position at the bottom of the ladder, but unfortunately that's the way it goes in most internships, especially for large companies, and I'm sure full time employees would not be thrilled to work until 3:00 AM while their CP counterparts worked from nine to five.  

 As for being underpaid, this is another myth that depends on your own interpretation. We like to think that they are underpaid because they work for such a large company, that obviously makes a lot of money, however there are a lot of other factors that go into determining the wages for different employees. The hourly wages for CPs are right on par with similar jobs in other companies within the theme park industry, and while we like to think they should get paid more for being out in the heat dealing with tens of thousands of guests per day, it is a bit of a grey area as to whether or not they should make more. However, to assume that all CPs are overworked and underpaid is just not a simple argument to address, especially without having experienced the program firsthand.  

"Upward mobility is non-existent for CPs" 

There are indeed multiple ways for CPs to move up in the company after their programs end, however this rumor still sticks around for a couple of reasons. One is that like any company, you need to put in the effort to move up. You cannot finish the college program and expect to apply for a management or corporate position, or even just a full time version of your job, and expect to get it because you were an intern. Don't get me wrong, it would be awesome if it worked that way, but unfortunately with a lot of large businesses it just is not that easy.  

One of the most common obstacles for CPs who want to move up in the company but never do is the fact that they have not finished school. Disney recruiters are not interested in promoting former CPs who moved to Orlando for a college internship and ended up never finishing college. Of course, there are roles that you can feasibly move into without having a degree, but at a certain point you will run out of options for advancement if you choose to go that route. This idea should not come as a surprise to most CPs because so many Disney leaders, teachers, and other cast members that you meet throughout the program will repeatedly explain the importance of staying in school. On the first day of my Exploring Marketing class I took in the Fall 2014 program, a student raised her hand and asked our teacher how she could advance in the company following her program and he immediately responded with, "Go back and get your degree after this program, and then come back." Even if you need to do the college program again, or start out in a part time version of the same role you did in the college program, many leaders you'll meet on the program stress the importance of finishing school before looking for further advancement opportunities in the company.  

Image: Brittany DiCologero

 Now say you have finished school already, or you've gone against the general advice and decided to put off school at least for a little while and continue to work for Disney. The company, especially in the parks and resorts sector, often chooses to promote from within. You will very seldom find external job postings for the role you really want, so you're better off taking that entry level hopefully full time but probably part time role until you're able to get your career on the track you're looking for. Moving up isn't guaranteed still, and it's going to take a lot of work. Especially after doing the college program, when you've only been with the company for a limited time, the best thing you can do is network. Talk with your leaders at your location about your goals with the company, attend college program sponsored networking events, and take Disney classes, which often allow you to meet with leaders from all areas of the resort.