Dead body found in employee parking lot

[Neverland]

I've opened Tower at Studios and closed Splash or Thunder many many times. 18 hour days are more common than you think, almost my entire summer was double back.

You're very lucky, then. I work three different attraction complexes too, and they will not let me schedule myself for more than 8 hours (only scheduling can give me more than 8), unless I picked up an extra shift online on EHH. They will never schedule you two shifts in one day for two areas, and, at least in my area, they won't let you take other people's shifts if it puts you over 8 hours for the day or 40 hours for the week. And if I'm trying to pick up a shift and it will cause them to pay me double back, I can forget it, even if it's under 8 hours for the day or 40 for the week. Overtime and double back are very hard to get in my area. I've worked there for a year and a half and only gotten double back once, due to a scheduling error. They love to give me exactly 8 hours between shifts, though; the bare minimum.

Disney CM's are too friendly to work down the street at Uni. Maybe if they brushed up on treating paying customers like numbers, and not guests, then possibly a CM could pull off a Uni job, but it would be a stretch.

Yeah, Uni TMs are a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand, there are the ones who obviously don't care and would rather be elsewhere, and then there are the ones who obviously also work/worked/would rather work at Disney, and think being a TM is the easiest thing in the world compared to being a CM.

I'm the most castmembery full-o-magic-and-pixie-dust Disney cast member you will ever meet, but I applied for a second job at Universal a few days ago. It's very common. At one of my rides, I have three coworkers who all work at the Wizarding World. Disney doesn't schedule me enough hours, so I did what I had to.

 

[Neverland]

Double post, ignore please.

 

[InLikeFlynn]

Anyway, I've heard elsewhere that this woman was indeed a CM, and was a character performer. Things could get very interesting if she was fur; that is a strenuous and uncomfortable job. Whenever I see my friends who do it after work, they're always sweaty and completely exhausted and breathing heavily. They're all in their early 20s and it almost scares me.

Are there actually people in their 50's working as character performers!?!? That seems very hard to believe since besides the Fairy Godmother, even the "old" characters (like the stepmother) seem to be played by young people.

 

[Neverland]

Are there actually people in their 50's working as character performers!?!? That seems very hard to believe since besides the Fairy Godmother, even the "old" characters (like the stepmother) seem to be played by young people.

Definitely. Most of them are in their 20s or so, but I've seen some who are the same age as my mom (mid 50s). With fur characters, the only requirements are to be of a specific height and able to display lots of movement. Age/looks mean nothing.

Although honestly, they should have all the performers go through health tests and physical exams before hiring them. Being a character is very demanding on your body, even for a physically fit 22 year old, and especially if it's a full-time job, 40 hours a week or so. If this woman was indeed a character, I'd say that her job might have had something to do with her death, even if only a tiny bit.

 

[theRIOT]

It's very possible to work two shifts in a row.

They won't schedule you that way, but they never stopped me from taking every available shift from every CP (who were guaranteed 40 hours) that wanted to give them to me. And on top of that you could go to the other parks and pick up extra shifts at parade audience control or go be a bellman at a resort.

It's super easy to work yourself to death trying to make a living on Disney's wages. It was a job, so I'm not complaining.

I worked 7 am to 3 pm at the TTC then headed over to DTD to work at the Virgin Megastore RIP from 4 until 1am.

All of that while living, yes that means in my Chevy S10, in the DTD parking lot next to the TDO building. Ah, it was magical.

I got some funny looks from the bike security guys when they asked what i was doing there.

Good thing I got an offer back home and took it! It could of been me in that parking lot.

 

[Mickey is King]

I have heard that disney doesn't exactly pay "top wages" for CM's, although I'm sure supervisors/manager's might do okay.

 

[Pioneer Hall]

I have heard that disney doesn't exactly pay "top wages" for CM's, although I'm sure supervisors/manager's might do okay.

It really depends on the area and what type of manager you are. Front line managers still don't make very much, and very often the overtime eligible CM's can outearn them. Only once you get into the higher management levels or the professional positions does the pay get better. Even then, the pay is less than comparable jobs with other companies in the area. Disney knows the demand for their positions, and has been able to compensate on their terms without issue.

 

[ectomaster]

I have heard that disney doesn't exactly pay "top wages" for CM's, although I'm sure supervisors/manager's might do okay.

they don't really, compared to many of the other jobs along similar lines out there CM's get rather low wages. I know of two personally that work ay leasy 6 days a week sometimes 7 just to make enough to pay bills.

 

[freediverdude]

There aren't CM's who live in their cars, are there? Please tell me that isn't happening. I don't know how I could feel good on my vacation if I knew the people serving me at Disney World were having to sleep in their cars because they couldn't afford a place to live.

 

[theRIOT]

Yes, freediver, it happens.

 

[metscool]

There aren't CM's who live in their cars, are there? Please tell me that isn't happening. I don't know how I could feel good on my vacation if I knew the people serving me at Disney World were having to sleep in their cars because they couldn't afford a place to live.

I had a friend that worked at both Universal and Disney. She lived in her car 5 days a week and the other two days she would go home in Tampa and this was in 2006/2007. Yeah even back then people were living in their cars

 

[jt04]

I had a friend that worked at both Universal and Disney. She lived in her car 5 days a week and the other two days she would go home in Tampa and this was in 2006/2007. Yeah even back then people were living in their cars

So what made your friend different from others? Obviously the vast majority of CM's do not choose to live in their cars. And probably even fewer are forced to. You are not implying the topic of this thread was living in a car are you?

 

[nace888]

I am a walkaround character at Chuck E. Cheese's, and some days I can get in the suit, do my thing, get out, and feel fine. Other days, I can get in the suit for only 20 minutes, get out, and be completely drained... There have been some days where I will be so exhausted by the end of the day, I won't leave until I've sat down and relaxed some...

If in fact she was a character, I personally think it's possible she over-worked herself, just by being a character...

I've heard WDW characters have AC as well as cooling packs, whereas I have none of these... Heat of the day plus heat of the suit and all of the action, it'll wear you out very quick. At least it does me anyways...

Even if you are not hot, you have to consider the amount of activity being done in the suit you have to wear... If you are a full suit wearer anyway. I personally think the princesses and such might be a little lucky, what with short sleeves and such...

 

[jt04]

I am a walkaround character at Chuck E. Cheese's, and some days I can get in the suit, do my thing, get out, and feel fine. Other days, I can get in the suit for only 20 minutes, get out, and be completely drained... There have been some days where I will be so exhausted by the end of the day, I won't leave until I've sat down and relaxed some...

If in fact she was a character, I personally think it's possible she over-worked herself, just by being a character...

I've heard WDW characters have AC as well as cooling packs, whereas I have none of these... Heat of the day plus heat of the suit and all of the action, it'll wear you out very quick. At least it does me anyways...

Even if you are not hot, you have to consider the amount of activity being done in the suit you have to wear... If you are a full suit wearer anyway. I personally think the princesses and such might be a little lucky, what with short sleeves and such...

Sounds like difficult work but I am sure you enjoy it or you wouldn't bother. I applaud you though. Hope you achieve your ambitions.

 

[nace888]

Sounds like difficult work but I am sure you enjoy it or you wouldn't bother. I applaud you though. Hope you achieve your ambitions.

It gets to be very difficult at times, for me anyway, but I LOVE my job nonetheless... I want to be a Monorail Pilot eventually though, it'd be nice.

 

[Pioneer Hall]

I am a walkaround character at Chuck E. Cheese's, and some days I can get in the suit, do my thing, get out, and feel fine. Other days, I can get in the suit for only 20 minutes, get out, and be completely drained... There have been some days where I will be so exhausted by the end of the day, I won't leave until I've sat down and relaxed some...

If in fact she was a character, I personally think it's possible she over-worked herself, just by being a character...

I've heard WDW characters have AC as well as cooling packs, whereas I have none of these... Heat of the day plus heat of the suit and all of the action, it'll wear you out very quick. At least it does me anyways...

Even if you are not hot, you have to consider the amount of activity being done in the suit you have to wear... If you are a full suit wearer anyway. I personally think the princesses and such might be a little lucky, what with short sleeves and such...

A/C is definitely not in those suits, and I am pretty sure there are no cooling packs. I am almost positive they have to deal with whatever the elements are at the time.

 

[nace888]

A/C is definitely not in those suits, and I am pretty sure there are no cooling packs. I am almost positive they have to deal with whatever the elements are at the time.

In that case, I know EXACTLY what they have to deal with. All the heat, plus so much movement to look active, it'll take a lot out of you.

 

[Master Yoda]

A/C is definitely not in those suits, and I am pretty sure there are no cooling packs. I am almost positive they have to deal with whatever the elements are at the time.

You are correct. The problem with the packs is once they thaw out, which takes a matter of minutes, they actually hold heat making the problem worse.

 

[britdaw]

It's super easy to work yourself to death trying to make a living on Disney's wages. It was a job, so I'm not complaining.

I worked 7 am to 3 pm at the TTC then headed over to DTD to work at the Virgin Megastore RIP from 4 until 1am.

All of that while living, yes that means in my Chevy S10, in the DTD parking lot next to the TDO building. Ah, it was magical.

I got some funny looks from the bike security guys when they asked what i was doing there.

Good thing I got an offer back home and took it! It could of been me in that parking lot.

WOW... that post had my jaw dropping. How long did you work that way? I'm really glad you ended up finding something else; that kind of schedule is too hard for anyone.

 

[COProgressFan]

You are correct. The problem with the packs is once they thaw out, which takes a matter of minutes, they actually hold heat making the problem worse.

Correct, from what I understand they have experimented with these in the past, and while the concept is great they just didn't really work that well and in some ways made the problem worse.