Cultural Representatives Arrive at Walt Disney World as International Programs Resume

Cultural Representatives are among the most magical Cast Members at the Walt Disney World Resort as they help to make locations like EPCOT’s World Showcase, and Asia and Africa at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, as well as Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge all the more immersive and special.

Disney’s Cultural Representative Program was put on pause along with the Disney College Program and other in-person Disney internship opportunities at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. While the Disney College Program and other internships have been back at theParks and Resorts for over one year now, we are just seeing the first Cultural Representatives return to the Walt Disney World Resort.

The first Cultural Representatives to return to Walt Disney World have begun moving into their new company-sponsored housing at Flamingo Crossings Village, where they will reside alongside Disney College Program participants.

The official Walt Disney World Ambassadors Instagram account shared some images of the first Cultural Representatives as they arrived yesterday morning, August 1, 2022, writing:

Today we welcomed the first group of Cultural Representatives to return to Walt Disney World! This means all Disney Programs at Walt Disney World are officially back! A warm welcome awaited Disney Programs participants as they checked in at Flamingo Crossings Village to start their journey as Cast Members. We are so excited to have you here and can’t wait to welcome back even more participants from around the world in the coming weeks!

Disney’s Cultural Representative Program allows students from around the world to work at the Walt Disney World Resort alongside Disney College Program participants. While the program has traditionally been available to students in a number of countries, the return of the program is starting in phases.

Representatives from the first group to return to the program are from Germany, Norway, Italy, France, UK, and Canada. When they begin working at Walt Disney World, members of this group will work in their respective countries around World Showcase in EPCOT.

As for the Cast Members who have been working in these locations prior to the program’s return, they will be moved to other areas around Walt Disney World. Having regularly statused Cast Members and College Program participants be able to move out of World Showcase should help staffing in other areas, and could even lead to new shops and restaurants reopening, or the return of missing amenities like package pickup and the Disney Dining Plan.

With the first phase of Cultural Representatives back at Walt Disney World, recruiting will continue to work on getting additional international Cast Members back at the Parks and Resorts.

We can’t wait to welcome international Cast Members back in person, and we wish them all the best for their program at Walt Disney World!