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Hey! I was wondering if anybody had an prior experience working at Disney World in FL or perhaps has had experience with the college program there and could answer some questions.

I've been a huge Disney fan my whole life and my parents have sort of spoiled me over the years with the opportunity to have gone many times, actually more times than years I've been alive. My father was fortunate enough to score a good job early on and I was lucky enough to be born into a family with a decent amount of money.
I'm on the path to become a professional tubist at this point, pursuing a double major in education and performance, but in the mean time I was thinking of perhaps taking a semester off to work the Disney College program or even audition to work there as a tubist.

I guess my first question is, is this something that would be worth it in the long run? Is it as good of a job as you would expect it to be, or is it more or less a regular job (aside from the fact that it's Disney)?

Second, does anybody know how the college program works? What are the benefits of taking an entire semester off of school just to go and work for WDW?

Third, if I were to audition to be a tubist perhaps in one of the parks, would that require me to submit a full resume, and would someone who is just a college student currently be able to fill the requirements that they need? Without trying to sound too big headed or cocky I do think I'm a pretty good player and from what I've seen around the parks, the music isn't extremely challenging, but correct me if I'm wrong there.

Fourth, if you're willing to share, what's the pay like in this job? If I were to say go and audition and play tuba doing whatever, be it playing in the parks, doing recordings, stuff like that, how much would that net me for a salary, or is it like an hourly job?

Thanks a bunch you guys. I'm sure I'll come up with more questions because I had a bunch but for some reason as soon as I started typing I forgot a whole bunch of them.

Thanks!!!

I played trombone in the Disney College Orchestra in Florida some years ago. It was just for a few months during the summer so it didn't overlap our school schedules. The pay was OK for college, a couple hundred a week and an apartment and van pool. It was a cool gig, 1 rehearsal and 2 shows, 5 days a week. The other college programs were 2 marching bands, 1 each in FL and CA. The CA band pays more due to agreement with AFM Local 7. I don't believe the orchestra is still going, but they still do the summer bands. So if you like carrying a sousaphone in hot FL summer heat, go for it. Tubists who double on something else, like string bass or other rhythm section, are preferred so they can be useful for the sit-down big band sets. Disney also tries to represent a good number of colleges around the US. I think I was the only player from USC that year, so despite my faults as a player and auditionee, representing that school was a plus for me.

I met a lot of bigwigs on that gig, Rosie Clooney, Bill Conti, Dave Brubeck, Ashley Alexander, many more, plus top players from colleges all around. Bill Conti gave me some very good advice. I made a few friends and it was a positive in my life. So if you have some interest, take every opportunity to audition and network and play music. If you audition but don't make it, you had the practice of another audition. Remember that this sort of audition is not classical conservatory style, but rather a showbiz audition. You want to play something jazzy and catchy and memorable, be in good physical shape, put yourself and your style together, dress well, look good. It's show biz. I wouldn't come in expecting to play something like the Hindemith and win. Maybe the Tuba Polka. My audition was sitting across from trombonist Jim Christiansen, the MD, who said, "Whadaya got? Do you play like George Roberts?". ("Yes, of course I do.") Don't worry about more than a basic music resume. Nobody really has much of one when they are 20. Schools, teachers, honor bands, areas of interest, something memorable about you, that's all you need.

A number of my colleagues from that orchestra have done very well in the biz. Tubist Ben Kirby is faculty at U Montana, trombonist Jacques Voyemant is at USC. Mike Roylance was a tubist in the FL band that year. You know he's done OK. Many more are out there, and the College Orchestra players have a Facebook page for previous years.

-F

Hopefully you've found this link:

Disneyland Resort All-American College Band

Yeah, I've met Mike a couple times, and he's told me that's where he worked before he got to where he is now. So this is more of a jazz style gig than like a concert band? Also, if you were to recommend something to play for the audition what would it be? Also, I double on bass trombone but might consider auditioning on that, do you know if they specifically would accept bass trombonists, or would it just be "trombone" in general?

And yes, I have seen that link. Thanks!

Rick F wrote:Hopefully you've found this link:

Disneyland Resort All-American College Band

Do you have any idea which of the parks this is for? Meaning FL or CA. I assume CA due to the fact that it says LAND instead of WORLD but just wondering.
Do you know if there's some sort of similar program to this for FL if this is the CA only site?

I don't know any more than what their website says, but there's this information about location and format:

Disney wrote: The 21-piece All-American College Band performs at the Disneyland Resort in California for eleven weeks each summer. If selected, you would perform five-days-a-week at Disneyland Park and attend daily clinics/rehearsals each morning. The daily performance schedule consists of five sets: one on stage in a big band/jazz format and the remaining four as a marching/show band.

Also, you already missed the deadline for initial application & screening:

Disney wrote: We ask that all interested collegiate musicians submit a YouTube video for review—submissions will be accepted September 15 - November 30. Each video should be no longer than 15 minutes in length and contain your name, school you are currently attending, classification and all contact information. Please send your information and a link to your video to dlr.talent.casting@disney.com" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank. After the video submissions have been reviewed, e-mails will go out to those being invited to audition only. If you do not receive an invitational e-mail, you are welcome to attend an upcoming audition in person but will be seen on a first come first serve basis.