Disney’s Cultural Representative Program Will Return This August At Walt Disney World

Disney has announced that its Cultural Representative Program will return this August after being on hold since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States in 2020. Cultural representatives are people who work at Walt Disney World for a designated period of time and are there to represent their home country at the parks and resorts.

According to Disney, “The Cultural Representatives play an important role in our storytelling by helping us create authentic, immersive experiences for our guests as they share their countries’ culture, heritage and traditions that have inspired our resorts, pavilions, and theme parks.”

These employees can most easily be spotted in the World Showcase section of EPCOT, where there are 11 different international countries represented by large pavilions. Each of the pavilions is staffed with cultural representatives who wear traditional garb and can teach people about their country. Cultural representatives are also commonly found at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, where representatives act as hosts for restaurants, animal spotting guides, and as greeters at the entrance to the hotel’s main buildings.

To kick off the relaunch, Disney is reaching out to participants from a small group of countries whose program was shortened, canceled, or waitlisted in 2020, as well as those who had an offer of employment but had not arrived at Walt Disney World yet. After the initial round of applications, Disney will allow others to apply. Initial recruitment will start in Germany, Norway, Italy, France, UK and Canada for the World Showcase at EPCOT. Disney will allow additional countries, like China and Morocco, on board on two conditions: when they have cleared travel restrictions and when they have CDC-authorized vaccine availability.

The news comes on the heels of the relaunch of the Disney College Program, which resumed at Walt Disney World in June 2021. This program brings in college students and recent graduates from around the country to work at the Walt Disney World theme parks for a semester while learning valuable life skills while earning college credit.

Disney fans have lamented that the absence of cultural representatives at the Walt Disney World parks and resorts does impact their overall experience in a negative way. Part of the joy for many fans going to EPCOT or Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is interacting with these employees, learning about their home country through stories, and being able to share a common enjoyment for Disney.

The return of the Cultural Representative Program continues to prove that Disney management is still looking to return its parks to the pre-pandemic operational standards, and bring back programs that are enjoyed by guests and workers.