After seeing this inquiry it made me wonder, if you are leaving a professional career with a university degree and professional experience to go work for Disney why would you be assingned to making nothing as as hourly CM? Wouldn't you be able to get a management position, etc. that is salary?
Do ALL people who come into Disney HAVE TO start at making hourly nothing?
Here's a few notes on the many ways to work at Disney
Jobs are categorized different ways. One way is FT, CR, CT... Full Time with benefits, Casual Regular (part-time, limited benefits) and Casual Temporary (seasonal, limited benefits).
Another way jobs are categorized are Cast Member, Participant and Contractor; that is employee, employee with a company that has an ongoing contract with Disney... such as the ring maker at Mexico, and the glass makers at Germany, and the people selling balloons in the parks. Contractors are temporary workers in some a technical area; most are brought in by a limited number of contracting companies.
Yet another categorization is Hourly, O&T and Salaried. Most hourly cast (FT, CR or CT) start at pay that is typical for the kinds of work required... quick service (fast food) restaurants, merchandise (retail) sales, ride operations and custodial. Some O&T opportunities exist for experienced office workers. Occasional salaried opportunities are posted as well, but consider the odds. At one time, 1 hourly person in 4 was hired... I don't know what the ratio is now. I've heard that many years ago, 1 hourly person in 10, even 20 was hired. Thats probably more like the O&T hire rate today, though I am only guessing. That salaried hire ratio is rumored to be in the thousands.
With that in mind, many former teachers have opted to just take the salary cut and either enjoy a year or two in the lower-pay capacity before leaving the company... or take their chances at advancement. There are several advancement programs, and all are highly competitive.
When you take a huge pay cut during peak earning years, you are knocking the legs out from under your future career as well as life savings. If you don't save and continually compound interest, your material lifetime dreams are likely to remain just that.
If you say "I just want to enjoy life; do what I want; work where I want" and Disney holds a special place in your heart, I think the suggestion to take a summer sabbatical (which teachers probably can do) might be worth investigating. Disney does a lot of hiring for summer months.
Working for a summer at Disney you will also learn firsthand that the smiling people in those onstage roles are working very hard, in the heat, for their pay. It is fun and satisfying in many ways, and certainly WDW is a fascinating place in which to work. But caution, caution. There are many fascinating, meaningful places to work in this country. In shaping a career, try for evolution vs. revolution.
You could go this route, if it makes sense to you: Enjoy your visits to WDW; enjoy a prosperous career and visit often. Maybe take a 2 or 3 month sabbatical sometime and try it out.