I was a Disney World Cast Member, and This Is How Many Times I Got To See the Fireworks While I Was Working

Disney World Cast Members get a lot of perks when they work at the parks.

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Cast Members

Besides getting free entry into the parks, Cast Members get special discounts throughout the year on shopping and dining. They get to shop at the “Disney World Cast Member Costco,” otherwise known as the Cast Member store, Cast Connections. Cast Members can even enter into weekly raffles and win cool prizes. One of the coolest perks of being a Cast Member is getting to work at the Most Magical Place on Earth, and depending on your work location, you may even be able to see a nighttime spectacular like fireworks!

The Disney Food Blog team is full of former Cast Members, and I just happen to be one of them! I used to be a seater at ‘Ohana over at Disney’s Polynesian Resort! I got to do so many cool things as a Cast Member. I visited Cast Connections all the time and still have Disney World chicken tenders in my freezer. Oh, and those Cast Member raffles I mentioned? I won one on my first try and got two tickets to attend Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party!

I won free tickets to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party as a Cast Member! Can you guess what we went as?

If you did not know ‘Ohana has huge windows that face the Magic Kingdom. At nighttime, guests seated near the windows get a great view of the fireworks, and my favorite nighttime show at Disney World — the Electrical Water Pageant.

Electrical Water Pageant

When it comes to work location, I hit the jackpot. I got to work inside with AC and did not have to commute on the bus to Magic Kingdom, but my location still gave me a view of the castle! I even got to seat AJ and her family once before I even worked for DFB!

‘Ohana

So, how many times did I get to see the fireworks as a Cast Member? Almost every single night. If I was lucky and did not get sent back to roll silverware after my dinner break, I would be able to seat guests and watch the fireworks from ‘Ohana. The music would even play on the speakers. Although I heard it all the time, there was something so special about hearing those first few notes of Happily Ever After. If I did get sent back to roll silverware, I always knew that I was getting closer to the end of my shift as I could hear the boom of the fireworks backstage.

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Happily Ever After

If I got off early enough, and it was a party night in Magic Kingdom (I worked at ‘Ohana during both Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party), I would be able to see the fireworks as I walked to my car. Some nights, as I was leaving the Polynesian, I would stop on the path and just take it all in.

Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular

On my last shift as a Cast Member, my family came to celebrate, and I even got to seat them. The assignor that night made sure to give them one of ‘Ohana’s best window tables so they could watch the fireworks. When it was time for the show to start, I snuck away from the host stand to watch part of Happily Ever After with them.

My family and I got to watch the fireworks during my last shift!

It was so bittersweet, but it was the perfect way to end my time as a Cast Member.

I will always cherish my time as a Cast Member

For more Cast Member stories like mine, continue to follow along with Disney Food Blog as we provide you with Disney insights, tips, and all the latest Disney news!

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