Why do Cast Members accept a relatively low wage while working at Walt Disney World? Does it have to do with employee empowerment, the job setting or management styles? Let me know what you're thoughts are on this topic!
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Cast Member Wages
- Thread starter Madison Kozlowski
- Start date
Berret
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- No
Ok, I'm a new poster and seeing an , I guess that will happen soon. But I'll just give my opinion. The wages that WDW sets are those it feels are commensurate with the values the jobs provide. Also, this is from a complete place of ignorance, never having worked there, but perhaps the hourly wage/salary are not the only reason people have for working. Perhaps they have a great benefits package. I have heard of perks like being able to visit the park when you're off, which is a huge value right there. And, from everything I've gathered, people WANT to work at WDW, and if the entire package, including wages, is acceptable enough to them to sign on the dotted line, then that's what they'll do.
While this should be the way it works for all industries, the reality is that it is a romantic notion. Most, not all, but most companies will pay employees the lowest wage they can get away with both from a legal sense and supply and demand standpoint.
Relative to what? What/who are you comparing against?
Nick Wilde
Well-Known Member
And pina coloda's.
Nick Wilde
Well-Known Member
CM's are paid low wages, simply because it doesn't take much skill to be one.
WhatJaneSays
Well-Known Member
While entry level CMs make minimum wage ($8.05 in FL currently) or slightly more, there are fairly regular opportunities to move up or get raises at a slightly higher rate than the surrounding industries.
Also I would take $8.05 an hour at Disney over $8.05 at a fast food place. Simply with the passes, family/friends tickets, discounts both at Disney and the surrounding area make up a pretty nice pool of fringe benefits.
Also I would take $8.05 an hour at Disney over $8.05 at a fast food place. Simply with the passes, family/friends tickets, discounts both at Disney and the surrounding area make up a pretty nice pool of fringe benefits.
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
The in park CM's, based solely on observation, are either young people with no previous experience, looking to get a big name on their resume or older semi-retired people that have loved Disney in the past and have looked forward to retiring and going to their happy place to work. I don't think that many of them are terribly disillusioned about the state of their financial affair and are only looking at is as a temporary stepping stone. That stepping stone is either toward a better position at Disney or a thing they can talk about at their real job interviews. (or as you said, rich kids with no other direction that thought it would be a fun way to postpone life for awhile.)
I think that they should probably get paid more, but, that is just because of the gap between the lowest paid and the highest, which is almost immoral. There is nothing, I repeat nothing that one person, one individual can do that is worth the millions that they are getting paid. No one is that good. Boards of Directors are that bad though! There is a reason for minimum wage and that is to easily identify the starting positions of any company. Pay them what their worth... well, that's what's happening. Until they become self motivated, and do things above entry level behavior they are really only worth what they get paid. That goes for every business in the world. They have no worth until they have proven their worth.
If you have ever heard uttered... When they pay me more I will do my job better, it just about sums it up. The cart gets put before the horse constantly in this society. Sadly, it doesn't work that way and we end up with disgruntled people upset because a company refuses to recognize an ability that they haven't shown yet. Why? Because they don't get paid enough. It is indeed a hard lesson to learn.
I think that they should probably get paid more, but, that is just because of the gap between the lowest paid and the highest, which is almost immoral. There is nothing, I repeat nothing that one person, one individual can do that is worth the millions that they are getting paid. No one is that good. Boards of Directors are that bad though! There is a reason for minimum wage and that is to easily identify the starting positions of any company. Pay them what their worth... well, that's what's happening. Until they become self motivated, and do things above entry level behavior they are really only worth what they get paid. That goes for every business in the world. They have no worth until they have proven their worth.
If you have ever heard uttered... When they pay me more I will do my job better, it just about sums it up. The cart gets put before the horse constantly in this society. Sadly, it doesn't work that way and we end up with disgruntled people upset because a company refuses to recognize an ability that they haven't shown yet. Why? Because they don't get paid enough. It is indeed a hard lesson to learn.
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CaptainShortty
Well-Known Member
As a Cast Member I take a lot of offense to this statement. Unless you are a Cast Member I don't think you can accurately make this statement. Although some jobs at WDW don't take a lot of technical talent to perform their role it certainly doesn't mean that it doesn't take a lot of skill. Never judge a person unless you've walked a mile in their shoes and know what it takes.
R2D2 1982
Member
New hires get paid 9.00 an hour and we are getting a 50 cent raise next month
R2D2 1982
Member
As a CM I agree
As a CM do you agree that being empowered in to make your own decisions makes the job more enjoyable and has more value than money in some cases? Disney gives their employees a lot of freedom and my guess is that is a benefit of the job?
I think this topic is toxic.
DManRightHere
Well-Known Member
There are so many things to consider when it comes to wage. For one is a lot of people want to work at Disney (so Disney does not need to pay as competitively).
NelsonRD
Well-Known Member
Why is it always demonizing the amount of money people make when they work in industry, however, for some reason I never read complaints about the entertainment industry, or sports? Yeah, sometimes there is some backlash about an athlete making millions, or an actor making 1M per episode. However, there are just as many people in those industries that make millions, and provide something of way less entertainment value than Disney. Just turn on the TV on any channel for an example of what I am talking about. Where is the, these guys are making too much money, or wage gap in actors, or equality in sports salary, or bad acting outrage, in the news weekly, why are they immune to this?
And this wage gap everybody is so concerned about, it starts in school. We keep demonizing success and the rich as evil, greedy people - and that is just wrong. When I was in school, there was never any push for us to be CEOs, or executives, or entrepreneurs. When I was a kid, it was go to school, get a job, and you can have you 2.5 kids, colonial house with a white picket fence, and minivan. Some dream of more than that. You want to reduce this gap, it starts with giving people the dreams and tools on how to succeed to make more money, not criminalizing the ones who have found a way to do it. I have worked with many 'rich' people, and they are very open about giving advice on how to make money, and very generous. It not a secret.
Worth, as you put it, is what somebody is willing to pay. If somebody sees value in what a person can offer, and pay them millions for that service, good for them. I can make the same argument about home values, or anything else that is 'more than it should be'.
A wealthy guy I know bought his daughter a used beetle convertible to drive to high school. How nice right? Nope, she was ridiculed when she took it to school as 'look what rich daddy bought for her'. A proud father couldn't even give his daughter a small gift and be happy about it. That is wrong.
I understand there is hardship, we all deal with it, but its not the fault of somebody that makes more money.
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Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
There is a huge difference between a person gaining wealth because of their talents and what they return, individually, to that income. A CEO of a company the size of Disney is a run by committee type of setup. Almost no big time CEO does it alone. They are no more worth the huge salaries then I am. They are worth significant compensation for their ability to hold the rudder in a steady, directed manner, but, they wouldn't go anywhere without the people operating the oars.
It not that they get paid a lot, it's because of the obscenities of the amounts that are ridiculous. Take Mr. Iger, for example, he is making, probably more in 6 months then Walt did in his lifetime. (adjusted for inflation) What did he create, what foundation did he build? None, he is riding the coattails of a man that has been dead for 50 years. Some great accomplishment. That is what I would consider shameful wealth. He didn't earn it, somebody else did and now he's just standing around catching the spoils of that luck.
Anyone that went out and actually took chances, innovated, created and put his reputation on the line to create his or her wealth, deserve it. I doubt that any of them are embarrassed to buy their daughter a new automobile. However, if they base their net value on what "goodies" they can give to their children, then their running a little insecure themselves. That VW didn't hurt the little princess, in fact, it might have helped her gain a little reality perspective.
betty rose
Well-Known Member
I agree, dealing with the public, alone...can be very tiring and stressful. It takes patience and skill to handle people, with their varied problems, from accidents, anger issues, heat related emergencies and so on.