The Weirdest Jobs at Walt Disney World

The Walt Disney World Resort is full of world-famous Guest service, incredible Imagineering details, delicious dining, and exciting attractions and entertainment.

One thing that glues this Disney Park magic together and makes our Disney World vacations so special is Disney’s array of Cast Members, with their two-fingered Disney Points, show-worthy costumes, and great customer service. We recently revealed the training that Cast Members receive at the secret “Disney University” across Disney’s theme parks, including Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris.

But what are some of the weirdest and wildest jobs you have at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, or Disney’s Animal Kingdom? Well, we’ve got the Cast Member scoop!

Pavement Artist

One of the more unique and very Disney-fied jobs at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World is the Pavement Artist.

Disney Parks are all about unexpected and unique magic, and if you’ve ever seen a Cast Member draw a Disney character with just a broom and a bucket of water at the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, or Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme parks, then you know what we’re talking about.

These artists are specially trained custodial Cast Members, who spend about an hour each day bringing smiles to Guests’ faces with their fun artwork on the floor. We know it always makes our day when we see these wonderful Cast Members in action down Main Street, U.S.A., or Hollywood Boulevard!

Underwater Machinist

Now, this weird Disney job is definitely for the water lovers out there.

Once the Parks are empty, Disney’s attraction machinists get to work keeping the theme parks’ attractions magical. Between the hours of 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., they inspect each attraction to ensure everything is in working order. Some of these are scuba-certified machinists, who are responsible for the upkeep of Disney’s water attractions, including “it’s a small world”, Splash Mountain, EPCOT’s Sea Base aquarium, and, of course, the Jungle Cruise.

On their dives, these Cast Members check the boats, the ride tracks, and animatronics for wear, debris, and any other issues that may arise. It may be dark and the middle of the night, but someone has to make sure those hippos are happy!

According to the book “One Day at Disney” by Bruce Steele, these Cast Members have helped ensure that the animatronic elephants featured in Walt Disney’s Jungle Cruise are still the same ones installed 65 years ago. Some might even consider these Cast Members the protectors of Disney Park history – like underwater museum curators!

Ranch Hand

It’s not just human Cast Members that work at Walt Disney World – Disney Parks are also home to almost 100 (very lucky) horses!

These horses pull Cinderella’s Coach in a Disney Fairy Tale Wedding, trot down Main Street, U.S.A. in their finery, and offer horse rides to Guests young and old. And, of course, these horses need to be looked after by Disney’s Ranch Hands. Ranch Hands can most commonly be found at Fort Wilderness Resort’s Tri-Circle-D ranch, where they are responsible for caring for the horses, leading trail rides, as well as leading horses in parades and carriage rides at the Magic Kingdom.

Disney World’s Tri-Circle-D Ranch at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground has a long history of housing “The Happiest Horses on Earth,” as it was part of Walt’s vision to bring horses to Magic Kingdom Park just as he did in Disneyland. Tri-Circle-D Ranch was established before the opening day of Walt Disney World Resort back in 1971, making his wish come true.

Disney’s Ranch Hands are the closest you can get to being a Disney Cowboy in their boots and jeans, but they occasionally do get the chance to don the elaborate white and gold costume and powdered wig that are required to drive Cinderella’s Coach.

Audio-Animatronics Costumer

There are (crazily) over 6,000 audio-animatronics at Disney Parks across the world, and someone has to dress them!

Whether it’s a pirate, a President, or a princess, there is a team of Cast Members who design and construct the costumes of audio-animatronic figures. These special outfits must be made so that they can actually be put onto the figure – usually with strategically placed Velcro – and withstand the wear and tear that comes with the character’s repetitive movements or water immersion.

Most animatronic costumes on rides like Pirates of the Caribbean, Na’vi River Journey, or Jungle Cruise last only four to six months, so there is always a need for an animatronic costumer at Disney World!

Adventure Guide

If you are aching to explore America’s beauty beyond Walt Disney World in Florida or Disneyland in California, then Adventures by Disney just might be your thing.

Not many people are aware that beyond the theme parks, the magic of Disney can be found in places like Wyoming, Italy, Japan, and even Antarctica. There may not be rides, attractions, and Dole Whip, but there is that famous Disney service, great Disney exclusives, and the wonders of nature!

And guiding these amazing itineraries are Disney Adventure Guides. These special Cast Members are there to ensure every detail of these trips is attended to. Through masterful storytelling, in-depth local knowledge, and attention to detail,  Adventure Guides help create a lasting connection for Guests with every destination, while also becoming a part of the family.

Adventures by Disney recently announced a new magical itinerary dubbed “Adventures by Disney Private Jet,” with its first trip departing to every Disney Park around the world in July of 2023. The inaugural “Disney Parks Around the World Adventure” is a 24-day magical journey that takes Guests to all 12 Disney Parks and three Disney studios (Disneyland Paris, Walt Disney World, Disneyland Resort, Hong Kong Disneyland, Shanghai Disneyland, and Tokyo Disneyland), plus three legendary bucket-list landmarks –  the Taj Mahal, Pyramids of Giza, and the Eiffel Tower.

So, there you have it – our insight into some of the weirdest and wildest jobs at Disney’s theme parks! From ranch hands and unique artists to adventurers and scuba-divers, there is a job for everyone at Disney. Which one would you dream of doing?