News Disney offering its Walt Disney World Cast Members a complimentary one-night resort stay ahead of the 50th celebrations

[HarperRose]

Here's a free night in a hotel, but ope! Sorry, the parks are off-limits to you!

 

[thomas998]

In its last 10Q, Disney reported 2,644,000 available room nights for the 3 months ending January 2, 2021. About 90% of the rooms are at WDW, so about 2,380,000 rooms. Disney is offering rooms to Cast Members for 5 months, so there are about 3,900,000 available room nights.

Pre pandemic, WDW had a reported 77,000 employees. (Vero Beach and Hilton Head have relatively few employees.) Presumably, there are fewer at the moment.

This means that Disney is offering 1-2% of its inventory to Cast Members for free, a very nice gesture.

One also has to wonder if they are only offering on the worst days mid week.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Actually Disney does owe them something. If you work M_F "regular" hours it has been near impossible to get into the parks, which is advertised as a "huge" HR benefit.

Apparently they’re all blocked from parks for the month of May, so I hear.

 

[peter11435]

I know the fine print. I also know it is part of the benefit package they offer. Free admission for your self and 3 guests(silver passes), 12 comp tickets/year. It's a consideration when you are deciding on excepting their job offer and if its a benefit you can't use, you may go elsewhere. Disney is not the top of the payscale for competitive positions, so many are working at Disney for their culture(compared to other corporations) and the unique benefits they offer.

Even if you love Disney you may just go with the higher offer and become a pass holder.

If you know the fine print then you know it is always subject to block outs and other restrictions. Also your details are a bit off. The silver pass is only for long time employees. The standard blue pass is limited to only 16 admissions per year. And cast typically receive 4 comp tickets/year not 12. Which they have still been receiving and are allowed to utilize even when the main entrance pass is blocked.

 

[Disorbust]

If you know the fine print then you know it is always subject to block outs and other restrictions. Also your details are a bit off. The silver pass is only for long time employees. The standard blue pass is limited to only 16 admissions per year. And cast typically receive 4 comp tickets/year not 12. Which they have still been receiving and are allowed to utilize even when the main entrance pass is blocked.

Incorrect . Both my daughters received 3silver passes on day one. You are correct on the comp tickets but they have gotten extra prior to COVID. Entry level park positions get silver with time Not true with “higher “ level positions. One park may be blocked at high times but not all of them consistently. I get it’s COVID.

 

[peter11435]

Incorrect . Both my daughters received 3silver passes on day one. You are correct on the comp tickets but they have gotten extra prior to COVID. Entry level park positions get silver with time Not true with “higher “ level positions. One park may be blocked at high times but not all of them consistently. I get it’s COVID.

No, Entry level positions get the Main Entrance Blue pass which allows self admission and up to 16 days of guest entry... The silver pass is only for cast with 15+ years and some salaried leaders. Unless your daughters started as salaried leaders they did not receive a silver pass on day one, they received the blue pass.

 

[castlecake2.0]

No, Entry level positions get the Main Entrance Blue pass which allows self admission and up to 16 days of guest entry... The silver pass is only for cast with 15+ years and some salaried leaders. Unless your daughters started as salaried leaders they did not receive a silver pass on day one, they received the blue pass.

correct, and silver pass allows unlimited days of guest admissions for the number listed on the card

 

[Polkadotdress]

Incorrect . Both my daughters received 3silver passes on day one. You are correct on the comp tickets but they have gotten extra prior to COVID. Entry level park positions get silver with time Not true with “higher “ level positions. One park may be blocked at high times but not all of them consistently. I get it’s COVID.

Just a small detail, but those receiving the silver pass are only able to do so after their first 90 days is complete.

 

[WDWTrojan]

No, Entry level positions get the Main Entrance Blue pass which allows self admission and up to 16 days of guest entry... The silver pass is only for cast with 15+ years and some salaried leaders. Unless your daughters started as salaried leaders they did not receive a silver pass on day one, they received the blue pass.

I believe it's all statused salaried positions get silver passes, so this includes "leaders," in addition to tons of administrative roles (marketing, PR, etc).

Just a small detail, but those receiving the silver pass are only able to do so after their first 90 days is complete.

It may have changed but for many years hourly cast members who received a Main Entrance Pass got it after 90 days. Salaried employees who got a Silver Pass got it a short time after starting.

 

[Disorbust]

They are both salaried entry level, not leaders.

Their silver passes started on day one BECAUSE WE UISED THEM WHEN I MOVED HER IN!
Before this became an argument my point was in her offer letter these are the benefits as part of the offer . If you can’t use the benefits For an extended timeyou may go elsewhere.

 

[Disney Analyst]

I know everyone’s angry over this or something, but my friend who is a CM was able to get their free night at the Grand Floridian, and they are beyond excited.

 

[Zipadeelady]

I know everyone’s angry over this or something, but my friend who is a CM was able to get their free night at the Grand Floridian, and they are beyond excited.

Thank you for letting us know. I know a lot of people think it's not much but a night a Grand Floridian would be a dream.

 

[Basil of Baker Street]

It's comical the amount of people who bemoan Disney for anything they do.

 

[mergatroid]

I know everyone’s angry over this or something, but my friend who is a CM was able to get their free night at the Grand Floridian, and they are beyond excited.

That's great news. Most jobs don't offer perks like Disney does, especially lower paid jobs. For those who took the job solely for the perks, I suppose I can see them being a bit miffed it the rules to using those perks are changed somehow. For those who take the job to live, like your friend they probably look at this 'freebie' as something positive. I can sort of see both sides.

 

[Disney Analyst]

Thank you for letting us know. I know a lot of people think it's not much but a night a Grand Floridian would be a dream.

Should add, it seems it was random. Some CMs got Art of Animation or Caribbean Beach.

 

[CeciliaKy]

It’s my understanding that they got to request resorts, but didn’t necessarily get what they requested. I know someone who got GF but it wasn’t one that was requested.

 

[UNCgolf]

It's a nice gesture. Obviously making the offer is better than doing nothing.

But considering all Disney CMs already live there, and none of the Disney hotels are a luxury experience... I could see wanting to just sleep in your own bed, especially if you end up getting a free night somewhere like Art of Animation or Caribbean Beach.

 

[peter11435]

It’s my understanding that they got to request resorts, but didn’t necessarily get what they requested. I know someone who got GF but it wasn’t one that was requested.

Cast members were not given an option to request their resort.

 

[castlecake2.0]

there seems to be a lot of outrage on here from people that are not cast members and don’t really have any reason to be upset about a perk that has nothing to do with them. Let me enjoy my free night and instead of dumping all over it. It really isn’t the public’s business.