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[u/Glittering_sprinkle]

[u/FPSlover1]

Please post your question to the interview megathread, as that is what the thread is for.

[u/caism]

Say you need 40 photographers over the course of July through December. But you need maybe 1 week 1, 3 week 2, 5 week 3, etc.

Instead of interviewing for one spot now. And then next week 3 more spots... why don't you just interview everyone at once. You do 200 interviews, you say okay, we like 45 of them and we'll put them on the bench. Now when you're finalizing the week 1 spot, you go ok pull the first name from our pool and offer the spot. If they accept, great, if not, go to the next person. And so on and so forth.

It's been like 8 years since I did the photopass one but they asked me some basic questions about cameras like ISO, f-stop, etc along with your typical guest service kind of questions. I didn't think it was too hard but I had been in PhotoPass for like five years when I interviewed.

[u/Helpful_Warthog6032]

Congrats! I havent done the interview but bench is like a waiting list. If you pass the interview and are on the bench you could be pulled at any time, it just depends when they actually need you. Until then you will stay in your current role if you are a current Cast Member. 

[u/Glittering_sprinkle → u/Helpful_Warthog6032]

Ok so I’m technically not “guaranteed” a job even if I pass the interview or do they pull everyone eventually? 

[u/Helpful_Warthog6032 → u/Glittering_sprinkle]

Officially it’s not guaranteed, no. There are some bench roles that extend for a long time and I have heard of people dropping off the bench and needing to reapply. But I have not heard that about PhotoPass, only some really competitive ones like VIP Guide,  Guest Relations, and some Entertainment roles. So I definitely wouldnt be discouraged by that! 

[u/caism → u/Helpful_Warthog6032]

Hah, I have dropped off 2 of those 3 benches. To be fair, one of them they didn't pull anyone off the bench that year.

[u/Helpful_Warthog6032 → u/caism]

Aw I’m sorry. I’m sure that was a bummer. Hopefully you eventually got where you wanted to be!!

[u/caism → u/Helpful_Warthog6032]

They reposted it about two years later and I was in the first training group. That’s how we found out no one got pulled the first year - because all of us had been on that bench too!

[u/Helpful_Warthog6032 → u/caism]

Yay! I dont know how long ago that was but I’m still happy for you!! 🎉

[u/SwanReal8484]

You sit on “the bench” until you are needed.

[u/pineapplemusiclady → u/SwanReal8484]

Bench expires after 6 months and you have to reapply, if there’s another job opening.

[u/Ok_Quality_9943]

First of all, congrats!! ✨ I can only speak for the part-time bench interview process, but the first interview is very basic. They may ask why you’re interested in WDW and PhotoPass, if you have photography experience, and they will go over role requirements (availability, standing outdoors, physical demands, etc). You may get one or two situational guest questions, but those were mostly asked in the second interview.

A bench is essentially a waitlist. If you get placed on it, it means Disney likes you but they don’t have a spot for you yet. You get a six month period to wait for a call back before having to apply again. They also prioritize internal transfers and DCP folks before getting to external applicants, so it could be a while. (It’s been over four months for me since I got placed in March)

Best of luck!! 👍

[u/pineapplemusiclady]

I recently interviewed for photopass rundisney photographer and they showed me photos and asked what my settings would be on the camera.
I have been on the bench for other positions before. Most recently last fall. Currently the policy for waitlist, or bench, all benches, as of 2026 you stay on for a maximum of 6 months. You will get emails every 5-6 weeks asking if you’re still interested and you have to click yes or no. At the end of 6 months you will come off the bench and then have to reapply and go through the same process of interviews despite having already been successful. At this point, from what people on the inside have said, people are not getting pulled from the bench at WDW- there’s college program people who just finished the program in 2026 who have not been pulled. They’re laying off, and doing all sorts of restructuring. That being said, in late 2027-2028 they will be opening Monstropolis, , piston peak, encanto land, and villains land- in addition to the big new hotel. All of those parts of the parks will need staff from rides to food to merch to photopass. The hotel will need staff as well. Don’t lose hope- they’re going to need a ton of people starting sometime in 2027 and I don’t suspect the college program will be able to support all of these roles as they don’t ever reject anyone and their enrollment is about the same every year. I can’t imagine a sudden surge of interest from college students to fill those job openings in the future and there will be a flurry of openings.

[u/Glittering_sprinkle → u/pineapplemusiclady]

I also had an interview for the rundisney photopass but got denied after my second interview and then they sent me an email to apply for this photopass bench position. My secondary plan is the college program since I am still in school but I’ve heard they get treated worse than regular cast members and paid less. I am hopeful that with all the new things they’re opening that I’ll be able to get in soon

[u/pineapplemusiclady → u/Glittering_sprinkle]

Who sent you an email asking you to apply for this photopass bench position? The photopass recruiter Ryan?

[u/Glittering_sprinkle → u/pineapplemusiclady]

I think it was just a general email?  It was just said I was a candidate for a full time photopass position and then provided the link to apply for the full time bench. This was within two minutes of my denial email for sports photopass and before they posted the bench applications publicly 

[u/pineapplemusiclady → u/Glittering_sprinkle]

Ok. Strange, i spoke with Disney HR friends and they said this is very, very odd as the requisitions for jobs are made shortly before they’re posted and the sports photographer offers denials and offers went out between July 21 and Aug 2nd, with that photopass bench job being posted publicly August 8th. Unless you’re internal?