r/Chefit • u/Timemaster52 • 1d ago
How is the Disney Culinary Program
Hello all, I wanted to ask what has your experience been with the culinary program at Disney World? What is a day like? What was it like preparing prior to departing for Disney World when selected? Do you have any regrets? Anything to add would be great insight.
Looking for some good insight wheather this would be a good fit for me. Thank you.
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u/iaminabox 1d ago
Did my externship at Disney in 2000. It was not pleasant, but it prepared me.
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u/Drewggles 1d ago
My externship was at Universal Studios during that time period (2004) and it set me up for the future in many ways. I have still to this day never seen that kind of volume. Theme Parks in Season is the busiest I've ever seen any restaurant.
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u/ComprehensiveBed2404 1d ago
I did the internship in 2015, so not nearly as long ago as some folks in here. It is definitely a mixed bag. If your goal in the industry is to work in fine dining, hopefully you interview well and are able to get into one of the signature spots. The 2nd level stuff isn’t too bad either with teaching/reinforcing techniques. Now there’s a possibility you’ll end up in one of the fast casual spots dropping tenders and making milkshakes which does suck but at minimum will teach you crazy volume. You also can pick up shifts in other restaurants if you’re not too tired.
The living situation is also a mixed bag depending on where they place you and the roommates you get obv. Some of the dorms are new builts and can be pretty decent. Ideally it’s only like 2-3 people in ur apartment but I’ve seen like 6 -8 people sharing 2 room apartments also.
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u/Orangeshowergal 1d ago
I’ve heard mixed things. There’s a chance you’ll be making chicken tenders and fries the entirety of it. One kid I know spent 8 hours a day making guacamole for the entirety of his internship
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u/beardedclam94 1d ago
I did my externship with Disney at Victoria & Albert’s. It was an amazing experience! But that was 14 years ago.
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u/DesertSnoeman 1d ago
It’s a good time lots of experience to be gained. If you do the one in fl they take the rent out of your check but that covers everything execpt for food and laundry.
It’s true they work you like a slave. I regularly worked 14 on 1 off. The phrase “slave to the mouse” and tattoos representing it were bandied about by other cp. I met some really awesome people there. Got to work with a lot of great cooks and chefs. If you’re going to do it try to be there over food and wine. Try to get into the food and wine prep team and volunteer every week for party for the senses. All the chefs that are there for the week come in and they have one big 4 hour party for the guest. It will give you exposure to all the chefs there that week. Robert Irvine didn’t like the way I was mincing the red onion for the top of his shrimp and grits dish. But he was cool about it and showed me how he wanted it done with out being an ass. Do the program expect to work like a dog but enjoy the experience.
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u/flydespereaux Chef 1d ago
Ive heard horror stories. Like the dorm situations. People getting drunk off vanilla extract. Slave labor standards. Dont know how it is now but a friend of mine did it back in 2009 and he said its basically like military hours. You get leave to go off campus, have to be back in your dorms by a certain time. No smoking or drinking. 60hr work weeks.
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u/squanchy78 1d ago
I remember hearing stories about people doing externships there and being kicked out for having alcohol even though they were well into their 20s.
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u/flydespereaux Chef 1d ago
Yeah my friend was 22 and did an externship there. Thats why they would steal the vanilla extract. Evidently lots of people would get alcohol poisoning.
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u/DesertSnoeman 1d ago
None of this is true. If you get caught drinking under age they send you home but to get caught you have to get caught at a party. Which also isn’t hard. I had bottles of captain, wine and jager in my fridge when I did the program. It’s a good time.
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u/Human-Document-8331 1d ago
I was lucky enough to be selected in 2004. Also lucky enough to work at Citricos in the Grand Floridian. Huge volume, high standards, $6.25/hr. It was an amazing place to work for six months and taught me not only skills and service, but that I wanted to stay in the business. Imo, the program will either make you a cook or an insurance salesman.
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u/knifeymonkey 1d ago
I viewed it as a great place to start out in one's career. I considered cruises, too. I ended up in a retirement home kitchen and that was fine.
I don't know how they pay but it probably looks great on a resume and you might be able to move around to all their venues.
I did once talk seriously to the chef at a convention venue and he thought it was a great gig. He was in his 40s.
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u/Ambitious-Ad2217 1d ago
Your experience will be what you make of it. Show some initiative and they’ll train you on every station in the place, chefs will invite you to special events it will be a great time. Screw around and you’ll stock a buffet for your entire program.
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u/meatsntreats 16h ago
This is the impression I’ve gotten from the two people I know who went through the program. They busted ass and ended up with great recommendations that got them great jobs.
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u/Special-Package-2096 1d ago
i did an externship in 2009. Only person from my LCB campus to make it during that time
i was a bit older than most of the people going through the Disney program (32 at the time) however it was never an issue with those in my building
Lived in Chatham and for the most part it was just "ok". security would regularly bitch about my sliding back door being open (i was ground floor and on nice days id let the air in) but otherwise folks were ok.....most were too tired to do much after their respective shifts. you'll have culinary folks living with ppl working in the parks. just depends on where they stick the non culinary ppl
hDisney is extremely militant. theres a whole book on hygiene, how to wear your hair and personal appearance
in my teens , id lived in Orlando and my brother worked at Disney (drove the Monorail) so i kind of already knew what to expect but it was still a bit of a shock
had 2 roommates kicked out after the first 2 weeks for a variety of menial BS and i was constantly questioned about my background check (had a bar incident when i was 21 which resulted in exactly NOTHING from a legal standpoint) which ultimately lead them to suspend me until they "figured it out". it was crazy, especially since i was never issued a ticket or went to court. it ended up being a clerical error but was enough for Disney to want to tell me to piss off
at any rate , the time i did work it was long and grueling. worked breakfast egg stations and prepped till my asshole fell off for a couple weeks....then the 2 week "suspension" and after 5 total weeks , i said screw it and left the apartment at 430a and drove home (St Louis)
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u/AutomaticEqual1827 1d ago edited 1d ago
Had a friend that did their’s in 2019, he hated it. Refused to go there for my internship bc I kept hearing how miserable it was from everyone that was actually cooking in a kitchen instead of other more foh style jobs.
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u/Line_cook 15h ago
Did mine at Port Orleans in 2013. If you're not familiar, it's a resort with over 2000 rooms. I mostly worked the food court during my program. The chefs saw some skill in me and I had a couple dozen shifts on the line for the full service restaurant. Got my ass kicked every day for $8.45 and hour, but it definitely prepared me for high volume physically and mentally. Hopefully they're paying more these days.
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u/birb-jesus 1d ago
I will say that anyone I know who has done the culinary externship has been moderately insufferable; take that as you will
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u/Burnt_and_Blistered 1d ago
My culinary school friends who did Disney internships were not terribly enthusiastic about the experience
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u/EmergencyLavishness1 1d ago
As someone that lives on the other side of the world from anything Disney. And has only seen Disney food on YouTube.
I’d think they don’t have too much in the realm of a culinary program. As much as they do just deep fry a bunch of shit and put sugar on top of it.
That seems to be about it. If you’re thinking of using it as a stepping stone for anything serious I’d look at bowling or baseball places before Disney . Which still isn’t saying much
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u/Flacuckold 1d ago
Dude you don’t know a thing about Disney food, cuisine or dining. Educate yourself before you continue making a fool of yourself. P.s. not a Disney fan but been there more times than I care. Maybe 35 years ago you were somewhat correct.
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u/iaminabox 1d ago
You are so wrong. You're thinking food for the kids. The restaurants have very ry high standards. Some of the highest I've ever worked for.
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u/Illustrious-Fox-5469 1d ago
Did a stage at one of the resorts years back, the volume is unreal but you learn to move fast and keep your station tight.