Disney College Program Participant Spotlight: Jerry, Outdoor Vendor
What is your dream job at the Disneyland Resort? For many of you, being in one of our spectacular parades would probably be considered as the best job ever.
Meet Jerry, a Disney College Program local participant who works as an Outdoor Vendor at Disney California Adventure Park. As part of Jerry’s role, he has the opportunity to walk the parade route right before it starts and he sells all kinds of goodies and fun treats. He’s also responsible for getting the guests excited about the parade, which makes him an important part of the show.
“I love being able to march through the parade selling popcorn and cotton candy,” he said.
“I make sure to learn something about all of the guests that I meet so I can make better suggestions to improve their trip experience. I also sing songs about the products that I sell and I give high fives to guests. I always try to make sure those who seem to be having an okay day end up having an even better one.”
As part of his role, he also spends a lot of nights in the park working at a glow cart and having a blast interacting with all of the children that are amazed by the nighttime toys available to purchase.
“My favorite part about my role is interacting with guests and seeing them enjoy their visit,” said Jerry. “When I’m assigned a glow cart, I get to wear our light-up glow products to show everyone how much fun they are. They say we only have to wear three items, but I like to go all out and wear as many as I possibly can.”
Jerry is an Art major at California State – Long Beach and his passion for The Walt Disney Company goes well beyond the theme parks and resorts. “Doing this program, I was looking for an opportunity to diversify my background and get a look into an amazing company,” he said. “Plus, I love Marvel comics and if I could meet or even work with Stan Lee one day, that would be a dream come true.”
As a local participant, he lives in Southern California and utilizes his own housing during the program. He commutes to and from work each day, but still gets to take advantage of all the incredible things the Disney College Program has to offer, such as exclusive special events and backstage tours, educational offerings and career development opportunities.
“The program has provided me the opportunity to advance in a company with a rich history and a brighter tomorrow,” he said. “This company has countless opportunities to choose from and my role has definitely improved my mental math skills. The program has allowed me to be in contact with corporate leaders and take classes, which have helped me understand what strategies and objectives I should be pursuing to reach my ultimate goals.”
Throughout his program, Jerry has learned so much and has gained a lot of new skills he’ll take with him wherever he goes, but the one thing he’s learned that really sticks out is his ability to stay true to himself.
“I’ve learned to be genuine in the pursuit to create magical moments at Disney and as I work toward my goals for the future. No matter where you go after the program, you have to make sure people see the real you.”
Although his program will come to an end in a few months, Jerry knows that this experience is something he’ll never forget and it will stay with him forever. “The one thing I’ll miss the most about the program is the people I’ve gotten to know. Luckily, with social media, I can keep in contact with many of my peers no matter where they end up. I hope to see many of them in person as we continue forward in The Walt Disney Company.”