Will Ferrell quit Disneyland after one day with a Cowboys tryout excuse
Synopsis
Will Ferrell once quit Disneyland after a single day of training — not because he called it in himself, but because a friend phoned up and claimed Ferrell had a tryout with the Dallas Cowboys. Somewhere in Disney's HR files, that excuse apparently still exists.
Key Takeaways
Will Ferrell worked at Disneyland for exactly one day before quitting.
He had hoped to operate a ride like the Jungle Cruise , but was told such roles require around eight years of tenure.
A competing offer at a Newport Beach surf shop — at the same hourly rate — led him to leave.
His friend John called Disneyland on his behalf and gave 'a tryout with the Dallas Cowboys ' as the reason for leaving.
Ferrell shared the story on the 'Good Hang' podcast alongside Amy Poehler , where the pair also reflected on their 2017 film The House , which both called a 'flop' despite enjoying making it.
Hollywood actor Will Ferrell has revealed that his stint at Disneyland lasted exactly one day — and that he was too embarrassed to quit in person, leaving a friend to invent a spectacularly unlikely excuse on his behalf. The 59-year-old comedian shared the story on the 'Good Hang' podcast, offering a rare glimpse into his pre-fame working life in Los Angeles.
The Disneyland Dream That Wasn't
Ferrell recalled being excited about landing a job at the iconic theme park, convinced he would be assigned one of the more entertaining roles. 'I thought that I was going to be assigned to be one of the really fun jobs like the Jungle Cruise operator,' he said on the podcast. That optimism quickly faded when he learned that coveted positions go to employees who have been with the park for around eight years. Instead, he was assigned to one of the front ticket-selling kiosks.
The Rival Offer That Sealed It
At the same time, Ferrell had a competing offer — a position at a friend's surf shop near Newport Beach. Crucially, both jobs paid the same hourly rate. Faced with a choice between selling tickets at Disneyland and working at a beachside surf shop, Ferrell chose the latter. The only problem: he could not bring himself to make the call to quit.
The Dallas Cowboys Excuse
Ferrell enlisted his friend John to phone Disneyland on his behalf. When the park's HR asked for a reason for leaving after a single day of training, John told them Ferrell had 'a tryout with the Dallas Cowboys.' The response, according to Ferrell, was a polite 'Thank you very much.' 'So somewhere there's a file at Disney corporate,' Ferrell said, 'it says, "Will Ferrell worked for one day. Reason for leaving? Tryout with the Dallas Cowboys football team."' Ferrell then joked about how the Disney staff might have reacted: 'Did he make the Cowboys? Anyway, I wish them the best.'
Reflecting on 'The House' and Past Work
Elsewhere in the same podcast episode, Ferrell appeared alongside comedian and actress Amy Poehler, his co-star in the 2017 comedy The House. Poehler described making the film as 'a dream come true,' while both acknowledged it was a commercial disappointment. 'It did not resonate at all,' Ferrell admitted. 'Yet, I still argue that that movie's funny.' The candid exchange underscored the pair's enduring affection for the project despite its box-office performance.
Why the Story Resonates
The anecdote is a reminder that even Hollywood's most bankable comedic talents had unremarkable early chapters. Ferrell's Disneyland episode — orientation pay collected, surf shop chosen, Cowboys excuse deployed — has quickly become one of the more memorable celebrity odd-job stories to surface this year. The podcast clip is drawing wide attention online, with fans noting the story's near-perfect comedic structure.
Point of View
The mundane counter-offer, the friend drafted as proxy, the absurd excuse. But it also points to something the entertainment press rarely examines: the pre-fame labour market that most Hollywood stars quietly navigated. Ferrell's Disneyland file is funny; what it represents — young workers gaming low-wage exit interviews — is entirely ordinary. The detail that both jobs paid identically is the sharpest line in the whole anecdote, and it went largely unremarked.
NationPress
20 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Will Ferrell quit Disneyland after one day?
Will Ferrell quit Disneyland after discovering that desirable roles like the Jungle Cruise operator require roughly eight years of tenure. He had been assigned to a front ticket-selling kiosk and simultaneously received an offer to work at a surf shop near Newport Beach for the same hourly pay, which he chose instead.
What excuse did Will Ferrell give for leaving Disneyland?
Ferrell did not make the call himself — his friend John phoned Disneyland on his behalf and told them Ferrell was leaving because he had 'a tryout with the Dallas Cowboys.' According to Ferrell, Disney's records reportedly still carry that as the official reason for his departure.
Where did Will Ferrell talk about his Disneyland job?
Ferrell shared the story on the 'Good Hang' podcast, where he appeared alongside comedian and actress Amy Poehler. The episode also featured a candid conversation about their 2017 film The House, which both described as a 'flop' they nonetheless enjoyed making.
What did Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler say about The House?
Both Ferrell and Poehler acknowledged that The House, their 2017 comedy, was a commercial disappointment. Poehler called making it 'a dream come true,' while Ferrell admitted it 'did not resonate at all' but maintained he still finds the film funny.
How old is Will Ferrell?
Will Ferrell is 59 years old at the time of the podcast appearance in which he shared the Disneyland story.
