College Student Theme Park Employment

[dougstanton]

I remember the WDW College Program topic being resurrected a few weeks ago. Let me give you the basics about my situation and then ask for help. I am nearing the end of my first semester in college. I took 12 credit hours this semester and currently have planned for 12 hours next semester. At my school (Kennesaw State University), you are required to be a sophomore for co-ops and a junior for internships. To be a sophomore, I need 30 hours. I want to work at a theme park in the summer or next fall. There are a couple of options in Florida, and I have considered spending the summer at Cedar Point or even SFGAdv. Busch has little to no information on their site regarding employment. Has anybody, as a college student, worked for a Busch Park? If so, how was the experience? Also, since I couldn't find a topic about Cedar Point's program, has anybody worked there? If so, how was it? If anybody knows a good co-op, I can add 2 more classes to my spring semester or take 6 hours in Maymester. Thanks for any and all help.

[Swimace]

My advice: don't plan college around temporary employment in a theme park. Busch Gardens Africa mainly employs USF students, I've heard mixed reviews about what it's like to work at that park. Obviously the WDW College program is a good option if you really want to work at a park, but you should probably wait another year before you start looking into internship programs. As for Cedar Point, I've heard enough to tell you to avoid it.

[Guest]

/\ Wow, cry me a river .

 

It doesnt matter what park you go to, theyll put you where they need people and will get rid of you if you wont work it. Actually if theres one thing CP is good at its those types of jobs. Not many parks have on-property employee housing, and they give their ride ops plenty of hours.

 

Concerning this topic, if your looking for college internship credit do the Disney program. I dont think Disney does summer job on-site housing dealies so if your looking for that try CP (although if youve never been to CP, I must warn you theres nothing to do in that area other than go to CP...everyone I know thats worked there just went to CP or Meijer on their days off).

[ParkTrips]

I think you should work in Guest Relations and be responsible for responding to guest comment cards

[dougstanton]

I think you should work in Guest Relations and be responsible for responding to guest comment cards

 

Haha. Joe, you know that I only fill out the comment cards to improve the park. I don't expect something free out of it like most complainers. I already have a Six Flags season pass.

[Bolliger&Mabillard]

^^ How long did you stick it out? I'm just curious because those of us who have worked in ride operations know that you may have a ride you're normally scheduled for but can always be pulled to another. Did you get sent to Camp Snoopy as a "day transfer" (as we would call it in a Six Flags park) or were you specifically told you would not be going to Dragster at all and spending your entire employment in Camp Snoopy. I doubt the latter happened. We've all got pulled to crappy rides. It happens.

[Carnage]

I talked to the higher up managers who seemed to value me nothing more than an employee.

 

What else SHOULD they have valued you as? Some sort of artist that needed to be motivated?

 

I'm sure had you stuck it out longer then a day they might have moved you. They probably saw you as some winy minimum wage teenager complaining that you didn't get your way.

[Capitalize]

I worked at SFA for a summer after my freshmen year of college. It was a fun summer job, if you're just looking for a job then go ahead and apply to whatever park you're close to...

 

 

 

 

What are you majoring in? If you are going into business and want to work in theme parks from a business perspective, then I would recommend checking out the Disney College Program. Other than that, I can't think of any theme parks that offer housing, possible credit hours, and are accredited for internships.

 

Cedar Point, Cedar Point, Cedar Point.

 

Where do I begin?

 

Well a year ago, I was in the same spot as you are, wanting to work at a theme park. So I applied, interviewed, and got hired to work for Cedar Point for the summer. On my contract I was listed as working at Top Thrill Dragster, so I signed my contract. I drove 11 hours to Sandusky, checked into the housing which was far worse than I ever expected, went through all of the training, got assigned my ID badge which listed TTD on it, and then found out that they had moved me without informing me to go to work at Camp Snoopy. I was there for the experience, not for the job. I talked to the higher up managers who seemed to value me nothing more than an employee. They did not care about my story. They did not care that TTD was on my contract. All they saw me as was an empty spot working at Camp Snoopy the next day. So I quit. I will never work for a cedar fair company again, and I try not to go to the parks. That's not much of a sacrifice to give up though!

 

My advice - unless it will help your major, don't work at a theme park. I feel that working at a theme park will often ruin it and you may not even enjoy theme parks anymore. But if you want to work in theme parks after college, I would recommend the DCP. I've heard a lot of good things about it.

 

EDIT:

 

Here is a topic I found that I created about a year ago that may help you decide. It contains a lot of good responses from past employees.

 

Cedar Point Seasonal Job

 

Yeesh, you get trained for what rides need people to operate them. Maybe if you spent more then a day working there you would realize that as you work at a park you get trained for more and more positions and as you get to know managers and supervisors you get to work better rides.

 

 

 

 

 

^^ How long did you stick it out? I'm just curious because those of us who have worked in ride operations know that you may have a ride you're normally scheduled for but can always be pulled to another. Did you get sent to Camp Snoopy as a "day transfer" (as we would call it in a Six Flags park) or were you specifically told you would not be going to Dragster at all and spending your entire employment in Camp Snoopy. I doubt the latter happened. We've all got pulled to crappy rides. It happens.

True that, many times I started the day working on a good ride and got switched to a ride everyone hated to operate (scrambler) because someone didn't come into work when scheduled and I was the only one who knew how to work the ride.

[EastCoastn07]

To be honest, you shouldn't have to worry about internships your first year. I didn't start thinking about trying to get a theme park based internship as a mechanical engineer major until the summer AFTER my freshman year when I visited Disney. I decided I wanted to do the Disney College Program but wasn't sure when I was gonna get the opportunity so I applied for the hell of it and got accepted over Thanksgiving break. The only reason I am taking a semester off in the Spring to do the college program is 1) I will have all my entrance to major requirements fulfilled after this semester and 2) I'll be locked into a 12 month lease for my apartment up at Penn State University Park next semester. So I went ahead and accepted the Disney internship, not for the job, but for the experience and being able to participate in their professional development studies for engineers. I'll be working Transportation from January 12th to May 22nd down at the Walt Disney World Resort so it should be fun. But seriously, you really don't have to worry about this stuff during your freshman year. At Penn State you're not even allowed to participate in any internships until AFTER you are for sure in your major, which I will be after this semester. But other than that, good luck.

[southpuddle]

I've worked at Cedar Point for the past three summers, and I'm considering going back for a fourth. I'm a Commercial Recreation Administration student at Fresno State in California, so I guess working at parks is somewhat relevant to what I'm going to school for. I've thoroughly enjoyed myself in my three summers of employment there. I don't think that it has "ruined" my love for Cedar Point or amusement parks in general in the least. If anything, it has given me a new, interesting perspective when I visit other parks. It's always fun to compare how other parks are run once you get an intimate knowledge of the park you work at.

 

-- True, the housing is less-than desirable, but considering how much you pay to live there, and how much time you actually spend in your room, it's never really bothered me. You'll start to refer to it as home - everyone does. It's a very fun atmosphere. Like college without the classes.

 

--True, they'll work you A LOT. Especially at the beginning and end of the season. In my three summers there, I probably averaged a good 60-plus hours a week. The most I ever worked was 75 hours in one week. The least I ever worked was around 45. You'll get one day off a week - don't expect or ask for any more than that. You can always ask for additional contracted time off, and if there aren't already a lot of people on your crew that have asked for those days off, you're most likely to get it.

 

--True, don't get your heart set on a ride location that is printed on your contract. There's a line right there on your contract that says they have the right to move you wherever they see fit once you arrive (within your contracted department, of course). On the other hand, make it known to your supervisor that you are interested in moving whenever it is possible, and they are pretty good at making accommodations. Just don't sound winey. Talk to them in a professional manner and they'll treat you the same. It's a business like any other - it's not a summer camp where your supervisors are there to make sure you're having the best time ever at all times. I think that supervisors and managers are pretty good at noticing when an employee is going a great job, and the better you are doing your job and the more professional you act, the more likely you are to be taken seriously and get your way... because trust me, there are plenty of employees there that don't take their job seriously. You'll get moved to different ride locations some days. Nobody works one ride all season. But overall, it's the crew - not the ride - that will make or break your summer. I think that the supervisors and managers at CP are great. Just don't expect to get your way all the time, because sometimes it's out of their hands as well.

 

You'll gain great teamwork skills, and it's a GREAT way to work on your people skills. It's my personal belief that working as a ride operator is the best way to gain customer service experience that there is. You're going to come in contact with thousands of guests a day of all races, religions and socioeconomic backgrounds. You're going to have awesome guest interactions and terrible ones. You're very likely to be yelled at by a guest damn near every day that you work. But that goes for pretty much any park. I know that other jobs I've applied for during the offseason when I go back to school have always been very interested and impressed with my employment at CP. Any job interview question you get asked you will easily be able to relate back to your experience at CP.

 

Overall, the quality of your summer is going to depend a lot on the people you work with - your crew members. Some of the best friends I've ever made, I met at CP. And of course, it's hard to beat being able to go to CP for free whenever you want because you live five minutes away. Like it was said above, there's nothing else to do in Sandusky, but a very large portion of the ride ops at CP are coaster enthusiasts, so you can bet on getting a group together and going to Kennywood, KI, Waldameer, Geauga La.... oops nevermind... on your days off if you want.

 

That said, I also did a Disney College Program last year. I worked at Rock n Roller Coaster. Better pay, better supervisors, and an overall better company to work for, but I genuinely had much more fun working at Cedar Point. Go figure. I worked at Busch Gardens Williamsburg a LONG time ago... 2004... without the employee housing component it just wasn't anything like working at either CP or WDW. Personally going to have to put that at the bottom.

 

ALL of the rides that I worked at in my three summers at CP in order of most to least time spent there:

 

Cedar Point 2006: Wicked Twister, Skyride, Millennium Force

Cedar Point 2007: maXair, Magnum XL-200, Skyride, Disaster Transport and Camp Snoopy

Cedar Point 2008: Magnum XL-200 and Corkscrew

[RideOn87]

Try doing a Six Flags internship. Most parks will have their program listed on their website by Feb 1st, if they don't, give them a call. They essentially hire you into a seasonal supervisor position. Choose operations if you want to do rides, but they have lots and lots of departments. If you're in operations, you will hopefully be doing more supervising then oping. That depends on how well managed and staff the park is. Gadv is your best bet for supervising!

 

Also, they have corporate internships in NYC for college credit. These are not paid, but if you have the ability to be in NYC, go for it! Their office is in the heart of the city.

[thrillrideseeker]

Also, since I couldn't find a topic about Cedar Point's program, has anybody worked there? If so, how was it?

I worked at Cedar Point, and I loved it! I am planning on going back for the 2009 season!! It was one of the best things I have ever done. You work a lot of hours, they provide housing. It is really a lot of fun, and you get to meet a lot of new people. If you are considering theme park employment I would say Cedar Point is going to be your best bet.

~Matthew

[Carnage]

I just asked to have my contract respected. .

 

Your contract was to work at Cedar Point, not to work at TTD. (even though you were assigned to TTD, I'm sure the contract states they can move you wherever needed)

 

So your contract was respected.

 

Seasonal theme park employees are just grunt labour. You shouldn't go into it expecting to get the best position. If you end up sweeping paths, then so be it. Not much you can do about it.

[thrillrideseeker]

^ Then why even put a specific attraction on the contract if it's just going to get changed? I would have never even agreed to the contract if I was just given the position of attractions, because getting a job at Camp Snoopy was not something I was willing to risk.

They do their best to put you where you want to be, but if something comes up and they need some one at Power Tower for example, they might take you from Dragster for a day, or so. Its not like you would never be back at Dragster again. Its just basically saying that your attraction is Dragster, but they will move you if they are short some where else. Make sense?

~Matthew

[Carnage]

^ Then why even put a specific attraction on the contract if it's just going to get changed? I would have never even agreed to the contract if I was just given the position of attractions, because getting a job at Camp Snoopy was not something I was willing to risk.

 

Their hiring is probably pretty volatile, especially at first. With people showing up, quitting, etc at random times.

 

They probably had enough people at TTD, but were desperate for workers to staff Camp Snoopy so that they could keep it up.

 

Should they have just kept you at TTD sweeping the entry way and close down Camp Snoopy because they couldn't get enough people?

 

Had you just had a good attitude, and made the best of it, you probably could have gotten transfered back to TTD or some other major ride. But instead you took a hissy fit, quit, and went back to work at Chick-Fil-A.

 

You did it to yourself.

[Wood Dragon 1988]

After reading this topic and many others about theme park employment, it is very evident that on coaster boards there is a clear fraternity of people who have worked at a park and a clear group many of us who haven't. The "employee" group seems to know a lot about park operations that the rest of us don't. Some seem to enjoy the work, some don't.

 

I haven't worked at a park, and I have never had much of a desire to. It is an unwanted job in my opinion, and I don't think I could stand going to theme parks (traveling and spending money) after working at one.

 

As a more general thought, I see nothing wrong with being an enthusiast and never holding a position at a park. I know Robb, Elissa, Jahan, and many other here have worked at parks, and know a lot about it, but I certainly don't see it as a neccessity for an enthusiast to have on their resume. Just something extra for certain people who like it or are stuck with it.

[Bolliger&Mabillard]

^Truer worlds have seldom been spoken.

[southpuddle]

^^ It's true that working at a park is not a "requirement" to being an enthusiast, but I don't know of very many people in which employment at a park has completely obliterated their love of parks and coasters. Even the people that I've seen quit in a blazing glory of hatred for their job I often see right back at the park as a guest a few weeks later! Again, if anything, I like coasters and parks even more now just for the fact that I now have one more level of appreciation for everything that goes on at one of these places. Being able to visit other parks from an employee perspective is pretty cool.

[Capitalize]

After reading this topic and many others about theme park employment, it is very evident that on coaster boards there is a clear fraternity of people who have worked at a park and a clear group many of us who haven't. The "employee" group seems to know a lot about park operations that the rest of us don't. Some seem to enjoy the work, some don't.

 

I haven't worked at a park, and I have never had much of a desire to. It is an unwanted job in my opinion, and I don't think I could stand going to theme parks (traveling and spending money) after working at one.

 

As a more general thought, I see nothing wrong with being an enthusiast and never holding a position at a park. I know Robb, Elissa, Jahan, and many other here have worked at parks, and know a lot about it, but I certainly don't see it as a neccessity for an enthusiast to have on their resume. Just something extra for certain people who like it or are stuck with it.

I personally enjoyed it a great deal because there's no where else I'd rather be then at an amusement park. Although the hours can be long and sometimes helping some guests can be tough, I found it to be a very enjoyable experience. It gives you an entirely new perspective on park operations, and the opportunity to walk the tracks and restricted areas of coasters. Thats why I'm thinking of applying for full time positions or an internship this coming summer to work at a park again.

[Jew]

I have but one thing to say about all the comments towards Tyler and seasonal employees: perhaps one of the reasons so many people complain about Six Flags and Cedar Fair parks is because their managers share the very same attitude everyone here seems to have towards seasonal employees.

 

If you treat your employees as nothing more than a needed body, you will get nothing more than the minimum effort (if that) from them.

 

I'm totally with Tyler on this one. It speaks volumes about CP's management that would use TTD as a way to get him to come out and work, then show no remorse in switching him over to Camp Snoopy because there is a clause buried in the fine print of his contract about moving you around.

 

My only suggestion is to stay away from a park that is just going to treat you as a body. You'll get experience, but if your bosses don't take an interest in your development/learning...you're not really getting anything from your "internship."

[Bolliger&Mabillard]

^I think you're 100% right about the internship and it being an epic fail on whatever parks management team in treating their employees like expendible dead-weights, but that's how the business is. You are also right about using a major ride to lure someone to employment somewhere and switching them once they got there, but the reality is that's how things are done. I don't personally agree with this practice, from a management standpoint (especially a field supervisor) it's not about showing someone the ropes of park operations only to graduate from a respectablle school and end up with a career that makes four times as much as they do bossing around incompetent teens. It's about filling the gaps in the park.

[Reality15]

I'm going into my third year of seasonal park employment, and let me just tell you I've had my fair share of the "ups and downs" of the ride operations atmosphere. This is going to be one of my longest posts yet, so be prepared.

 

At the start of April 2007, I decided I wanted to switch my college major from Computer Science to Hospitality and Tourism Management. Of course, in doing so, I realized that I probably needed to start getting experience (and a job, for that matter) in the field, so I hesitantly applied to work at Cedar Point.

 

A few people I knew had worked there before, and they told me mixed reviews. They told me the people were fun, the hours were long, the housing sucked, and it was a great experience. Being someone that likes things clean, organized, and fresh, what kept me away from applying earlier was the housing situation. Old, dirty dorms that you share with three other people really did not sound all that appealing.

 

But I applied, and the next day I got my phonecall interview. After telling them a bit about myself and how much I knew about the park and rides, I was offered my choice between Top Thrill Dragster and Maverick. Being its first year of operation, I obviously chose Maverick. (A friend of mine who applied with me then in turn was offered the Top Thrill Dragster position)

 

May came around, and I headed down to Cedar Point the day before my processing in, and I felt as though I had made a huge mistake. The housing was like a prison, I shared a dorm with three guys that were messy, binge drinkers, and probably could have kicked my ass, and I was terrified enough I drove all the way back home (four hour drive).

 

The next morning I woke up and almost didn't head back. I was ready to end my Cedar Point experience after having less than 30 minutes in housing. But in the end, I headed down that morning, processed in, and ended up in a dorm with the friend from Dragster (a month later we were placed with another friend of mine who came down after his school got out).

 

Three days into training day, we were told our ride (Maverick) wouldn't be opening to the public so they would be moving us to different rides. Needless to say, I was furious at the fact that I was being sent to a different ride, and of all people on my crew, I was the only one being sent to a non-coaster ride. I headed over to Snake River Falls (large splash boat for those that aren't familiar) and had the worst attitude I could have ever had.

 

The next few days, I felt like I became a part of the crew over at Snake. Seen as how it was a very small crew, I was able to take a somewhat leader-like roll and helped my TL train employees as they processed in. From what was my (at the time) worst park experience to one of my favorite, I began realizing that summer wouldn't be too bad. I worked opening weekend on Snake, and was told that the following week I would be transferred to the railroad.

 

I felt defeated, because I couldn't just have one crew. I was taken away from Maverick, then Snake, and now I was with a completely new crew. My first day on the train was miserable, I worked two different crossing locations all day, and hated it. But gradually I was trained to be a load attendant and then finally a conductor, and for the next two weeks I was normally found on the back of the train for my entire shift.

 

Finally, I was sent back to Maverick two days before the ride opened, and had to adapt to a whole new atmosphere. Working a major ride was different than my last two rides, it was fast paced, constant people, and made me feel like the crew was my family. Maverick was and still is my "home ride", I feel like I could go back there any day and it would still make me feel like I was at home.

 

Late July a family emergency popped up and I was forced to quit two weeks short of completing my contract. In doing so, I was put on the no-rehire list for Cedar Point, so my time there had already come to an end.

 

In December, I decided to try for something closer to home at Michigan's Adventure. I had been going there my entire life, knew the park inside and out, and felt like I could operate any of the rides already. My experience at Cedar Point had payed off, and I was accepted as a Roving Team Leader.

 

Michigan's Adventure was a whole new ball game for me. It didn't have the housing that I hated at Cedar Point. Crews were smaller, often manning one-operator rides where interaction was very low between staff members. And the fact that I was leading a different crew every day made me completely rounded when it came to operating rides.

 

In June I was offered the TL position on Adventure Falls, and gladly accepted it. I finally was in charge of my own crew, and, going back to my first year, it was like being right back at Snake. I spent the rest of the summer heading up the Ad Falls crew.

 

This year, I do plan on returning for yet another "summer of fun" at Michigan's Adventure. Is it a fun job? Sometimes. Sure, you have to deal with the occasional problem that isn't enjoyable, but in the end, I have to stick with something I told all my crews during training week the past year. "Your job is what you make of it. If you have fun while you work, you're going to enjoy yourself. If you're here just because you think you 'have to be', then you might as well walk out the door right now."

 

So there is my huge essay on working at a park and my experience with park operations. I really didn't intend for this post to get this long, but when I get started talking about my time working with parks I tend to ramble on and on. If anyone has any questions about working in parks or one of the two parks I worked at, feel free to drop me a line and I'll try my best to answer it.

 

-Jon "Fingers hurt from typing too much" Roost

[Jew]

^I think you're 100% right about the internship and it being an epic fail on whatever parks management team in treating their employees like expendible dead-weights, but that's how the business is. You are also right about using a major ride to lure someone to employment somewhere and switching them once they got there, but the reality is that's how things are done. I don't personally agree with this practice, from a management standpoint (especially a field supervisor) it's not about showing someone the ropes of park operations only to graduate from a respectablle school and end up with a career that makes four times as much as they do bossing around incompetent teens. It's about filling the gaps in the park.

 

That's only "how it is done" for a poorly run park.

[southpuddle]

^ No, dude. That's how it is for every park. Even Disney is not going to hire a person and place them at a location if there is a different location that is in more desperate need of an additional employee. That's just how it is. No park is going to trade being short-staffed at a location just to satisfy a NEW employee.

 

The only thing that I agree with is how CP should not put a specific ride on someone's contract. In my experience, only 1 out of the 3 summers that I worked there I actually got placed at the ride that was on my contract right away. It's not the best first impression to give a new employee, I'll admit that. 2006 I was contracted to Raptor, got Wicked Twister. No big deal. Ended up absolutely loving it at WT. 2007 I was contracted to maXair and was placed there upon arrival. 2008 I was contracted to Magnum, and was placed at Corkscrew for five days before I was put back at Magnum. Again, no big deal, and I actually had a lot of fun at Corkscrew.

[Jew]

^No, Dude. That's not how it is for every park. A well run park will know their staffing requirements well in advance of when they are hiring so they can develop a plan for filling those needs. A well run park will also have the option of saying "we have these spots...take it or leave it" without falling short of their needs because people will actually want to work there.

 

Using your Disneyland example, it is my understanding that either ask what your preferences are and place you there if they have openings, tell you what the openings are and let you choose from what they have, let you know you will be working various venues, or tell you up front that you are placed in a department and your location is TBD.

 

But anyways...The point I was trying to make is that there's a much bigger issue with a park if they have to stoop to what happened to Tyler. As I said above, perhaps it is because they only think of their employees as a required body?