5 Ways to Make the Most of Your Internship at Hong Kong Disneyland
There are many paths one can take throughout their career at Hong Kong Disneyland, but one thing that’s for sure is the amount of opportunity Disney provides. Whether it's moving from operations to a professional role, or exploring different internships, the possibilities are endless.
Two cast members that embody this principle are current Food & Beverage interns, Noelle and Tiffany.
Noelle is a Food & Beverage Planning intern where her days consist of helping with pre-arrival product development, business performance analytics, research and so much more! Tiffany is a Food & Beverage Business and Operations Integration intern where she helps her team prepare and plan promotions, including exciting campaigns for festival events throughout the year.
Both have participated in multiple internships and roles at Hong Kong Disneyland. Noelle, having worked in the park’s food & beverage operations, knew she wanted to continue to grow her professional career in this department. While Tiffany began as a Human Resources intern and also worked in Guest Communications before transitioning to Food & Beverage. They both have found Hong Kong Disneyland as a place they feel supported and encouraged to grow their careers!
Through their current experience on the Food & Beverage team they have learned a thing or two about success! Here are their top five tips for current and future interns at Hong Kong Disneyland!
1. Focus on your goals and make them clear to your team!
Noelle has an extensive Food & Beverage background, having worked in operations throughout Hong Kong Disneyland for a few years before her internship. Through her frontline roles, she learned a lot about the cast member experience day-to-day and interacting with guests. She wanted to find a role where she could bring these learnings to the back of house team and enact positive change for cast members. After sharing these goals with her leader, she was given the opportunity to implement her ideas to streamline processes and communication for both back-of-house and guest facing roles. Noelle shared, “My leader is very supportive, and I have learned how to handle large projects with a lot of responsibilities.”
2. Make friends with your fellow interns!
Tiffany shared that it’s very easy to build friendships and connect with other interns at Hong Kong Disneyland. She continues to stay in touch with interns from her previous internships, and they often meet to enjoy the parks together. Recently, they celebrated Christmas at the resort and are already planning a gathering for Chinese New Year. With her current team, she enjoyed a movie outing to watch Zootopia 2 followed by a friendly badminton game. They are also planning a karaoke night — which she admits she feels a little nervous about but is looking forward to the fun experience.
Noelle shared, “I love being an intern at Disney because everyone encourages each other. No one is trying to compete with one another. We root for each other and want to see everyone succeed.”
3. Take advantage of cast exclusive offerings.
Throughout their internships, Noelle and Tiffany have experienced many cast-exclusive activities. Some of their favorites include a pin trading event where their team gave them pins to trade with guests in the park! They’ve also enjoyed a behind the scenes tour at Mystic Manor and various VoluntEAR events. Through these events they have been able to network with many different people around the company that they may not have met in their day-to-day.
4. Be open to unexpected opportunities!
Noelle did not expect to learn so many technical skills in her role. As a marketing major, she said that she is excited to integrate technology into her work and learn new programs for market trend analysis and channel management. Learning these new skills have made her more confident when asked to help on large projects from her leaders.
Tiffany shared about how she helped on the Wine and Dine Festival in Hong Kong. She helped promote Hong Kong Disneyland among many other companies at this large-scale event. “We sold caramel popcorn, Duffy & Friends popcorn buckets, character dim sum and signature drinks. I remember I was checking the press release and it was great to have that responsibility to make sure that all the details are correct. It was very interesting and quite a fun job with a lot of responsibility. It helped me be creative to find ways to attract the guests to Disney among other companies.”
5. Enjoy being a cast member!
“I love being able to bring my friends and family to the park and it makes me proud to be a cast member,” Noelle shared.
“Many people think that when you become a cast member, the magic is ruined because of all the behind-the-scenes work. But as a matter of fact, it’s quite the opposite,” said Tiffany, “Knowing more about Hong Kong Disneyland inspires me to think how we can continue to make magic and make things better.” She loves being able to go into the park during a break to check out merchandise and new food offerings.
Noelle and Tiffany have both grown significantly through their experience at Hong Kong Disneyland. For those interested in beginning their Disney career, they shared to always believe in yourself! “Take the leap to learn new things!” they said. During their experience at Disney, they’ve found a supportive environment where everyone is committed to helping you grow. Even if a role feels new or unfamiliar, embrace the opportunity to learn and explore something different.
If you are interested in applying for an internship at Hong Kong Disneyland, click this link to learn more!
