Dream....squished flat...

HMGhost13

New Member
Original Poster
well, i just recently moved from Charlotte, NC to Winter Haven, FL. took it upon myself to apply to Disney world. attractions specifically. as did my mom and my sister. They got in, i didn't.

unfortunately for me, due to another birth defect of mine, my teeth are not all that strong and are not lasting very long for me...one of them is practically gone. well, that doesn't sit well with being out front and the best they could offer me was a dishwasher position. yeah, that's great. wanna insult me anymore? let's give the person with a PROSTHETIC LEG a dishwashing job. yep. makes sense. the only thing worse was the uncomfortable feeling of being WALKED out.
 

CSUFSteve

Active Member
Sorry to hear you didn't get the job you were hoping for. Obviously we can't know the real reasons, but I'd be really surprised if that's why you weren't hired. I can't speak for WDW, but we have a huge diversity of CM's. People in wheelchairs who work at ODV, parapalegics, and one of my managers had an artificial leg. All of these are people who were on-stage. Like I said, I can't say for sure, and don't know WDW's hiring practices, but I suspect there must have been some other reason, and maybe not even any reason that has anything to do with you personally. They might hve done the bulk of their hiring already for the summer season and so don't have as many requisitions to fill.

Anyway, you can always reapply at some point in the future. Don't let your dream of working at WDW die just because of a single incident! Perservere!!
 

HMGhost13

New Member
Original Poster
well, for now it's squished flat...i will eventually get my teeth repaired but that was the sole reason i couldn't do anything on stage. not like i can just go "oh yeah, they're fake see, here's my real ones" *sigh* oh well...
 

c133125

New Member
I really doubt they would not hire you just because of your teeth. I guess you really have not looked around at most of the cast members working there...a lot have extremely horrible teeth. I know of one who only has 2 or 3 teeth. I also know of one Maintenance guy who has an artificial leg as well.
 

wannab@dis

Well-Known Member
HMGhost13 said:
being WALKED out.

Why did they feel the need to "walk" you out? :veryconfu

Not everyone gets their first choice and you will not always get exactly what you want in life. You should have taken the job offered, worked hard, proven yourself and requested a transfer at a later time.
 

Darwin

New Member
Sorry to hear about that, not cool at all. But like some others said, don't give up. If you do, you accept your failure and that's that. If it is your dream to work there, like you said, then keep at it. You think Walt made his dreams come true over night? Heck no. He really had to work at it. On several occassions he almost went bankrupt. Mike Eisner save him cause he new the ropes. Keep at it and I know you'll get into Disney! Bet of luck to you, and remember that you have friends everywhere.:)
 

barnum42

New Member
The dishwasher may not be your dream job, but would it make it easier to get up the ladder from inside the door when they can see what a good worker you are?
 

HMGhost13

New Member
Original Poster
yeah but i can't be around water for very long. my prosthetic leg is all i have at the moment, too much water and i'd be without a job due tot he fact that i won't have a functioning leg anymore.

in the past, too much water on the leg has caused the hinge in it (if that's what you can call it) to rust and break. or the wood/fiberglass to splinter and break. so muc to the point that the leg is in two parts. dishwasher may not have been my dream job but it was one i couldn't take. and the fact that she wrote down "dental" on a sticky note on my application wasn't all to reassuring either. she basically told me i needed to have "the disney look" before i could work onstage. and basically, having gaps between your teeth or missing teeth is not acceptable.

what also turned me off was the fact i was going part-time and she said being new-hires even part time could mean being there til 3 AM. which i can't commit to since i'm going to and should be waiting tables. i can't work til 3 AM, get home by 4 and up again at 9 just to get to work by 10:40. not happening. i understand that it's a union based company and all, but that's a little harsh for part-timers.
 

DisneySaint

Well-Known Member
I wouldn't panic just yet. Not everyone hits the first ball thrown to them. I sure wasn't. First I wanted a WDW professional career and saw that wasn't going to happen, so I settled for applying for a professional internship and that didn't happen, so now I'm just praying to even get in the College Program at this point! I learned quick there's no other way up the ladder than putting your foot on the bottom rung.
It sounds to me like you are very bitter about this, but on that same token, I don't think ANYONE can pick up and move to Orlando and just assume they'd get a job. I don't fault Disney for requiring certain things - they are a private entity and can do what they wish. In all seriousness, though, I severely doubt they declined you because of your prosthetic leg considering the dozens of CM's in wheelchairs I saw last time. As far as teeth are concerned, I don't know. Teeth are not exactly something I'm paying attention to in my little interaction with CM's. Don't assume they didn't hire you because of something you believe is at fault. I would have asked them "Look, I really want to work here. What can I do to get the Disney look?"

I promise you Walt didn't succeed on his first tries at things; and he took a lot of risks like you did moving, but if you have a vision of something, it will come if you work hard enough for it. It just wasn't meant to be yet not neccessarily ever. :wave:
 

HMGhost13

New Member
Original Poster
oh i'm not bitter at all, just finding everything ironic.

most places i work ask about the leg first and foremost. but ehre it wasn't an issue untilt he only job i could be offered would be detramental to the leg. i do plan, however, to eventually get my teeth fixed/replaced seeing as i have absolutely no control over how they go and such and reapplying again but it won't be until years from now. it was just a great big let down is all.

and i understand about the private company and such, but i just think it's bad taste to offer someone a job they couldn't work due to their situation whatever it maybe, knowing full well they wouldn't be able to do it. and then on top of that, walking them out as if they're going to start some trouble. iw asn't fullywalked out but she walked me back to the main corridor which was still just as awkward.

don't get me wrong about anything, i love disneya nd still wish to work there i just think the way i was handled wasn't very well.
 

wannab@dis

Well-Known Member
HMGhost13 said:
she walked me back to the main corridor which was still just as awkward.

That's actually considered good manners to accompany a guest out to a main area instead of leaving them to fend for themselves and feeling lost. It appears to me that you are looking at everything in a negative fashion and looking for ways they 'wronged' you.

I'm truly sorry that you are unable to perform the job they offered, but I hope you will visit them again for another job. With the market in Orlando so tight, I would be surprised if you couldn't land a position with them as long as you are not adamant about the exact position you are willing to work.

Good luck! :wave:
 

HMGhost13

New Member
Original Poster
well, i can see the good manners and all it just felt awkward.

i'm not tryign to be negative it just didn't seem like what they did was very accomdating. it'll be something i won't give up though. i may go back 6 months from now and see if i can get one backstage that doesn't deal too much with water until i can get my teeth repaired and such.
 

barnum42

New Member
It's good that you have not given up. Maybe you could write to casting explaining your current situation and ask for their suggestions as to what roles they feel you are currently suitable for. Additionally, what advice can they give as to actions you can take in order to make a successful future application for an on-stage role.
 

DisneySaint

Well-Known Member
barnum42 said:
It's good that you have not given up. Maybe you could write to casting explaining your current situation and ask for their suggestions as to what roles they feel you are currently suitable for. Additionally, what advice can they give as to actions you can take in order to make a successful future application for an on-stage role.

Sounds like a good plan to me.
 

CSUFSteve

Active Member
barnum42 said:
It's good that you have not given up. Maybe you could write to casting explaining your current situation and ask for their suggestions as to what roles they feel you are currently suitable for. Additionally, what advice can they give as to actions you can take in order to make a successful future application for an on-stage role.

Yeah, this is a great idea.

As far as the hours and locations, yeah, that's the harsh reality of Disney that everyone has to get used to. Disney asks for your preferences on the application but they're essentially meaningless. Disney has slots in certain areas they need to fill and based on where the biggest need is where they fill. If they have multiple areas they need to fill, they will try to match your preference, but it's by no means a guarantee. At least here in CA, it's very much about filling Disney's needs. And hours, yup, if you're at the bottom of the totem pole, you'll get the crap hours. Then again, by the time I left after 9 years, I never had to worry about such things :) So you do sorta pay your dues after a while. Benefit: I can sleep at any hour of the day now, haha!
 

Darwin

New Member
I hope all goes well with getting your teeth fixed. I think I can empathize a bit because I have had a lot of work done myself because I have soft (softer than average) teeth like my dads. Most of his are caps now. I've had a couple, plus a couple root canals, tonz of fillings, 6 teeth pulled, one tooth implant (where they put a screw into my jawbone) and don't forget braces. I think the pool in my dentist's back yard was put there by me. :lol: All that done so far and I expect to live twice as long as I have so far so what more is left but to pull them all and implant them. Implants are a sweet deal but they cost a pretty penny. Make sure you have good insurance.[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
 

HMGhost13

New Member
Original Poster
well, for those who care lol, i just got hired as a host for Rainforest Cafe in Downtown Disney. so, should be interesting. good pay.
 

CSUFSteve

Active Member
HMGhost13 said:
well, for those who care lol, i just got hired as a host for Rainforest Cafe in Downtown Disney. so, should be interesting. good pay.

Hey, that's awesome - congrats! And server experience is always a plus with Disney and it'll make it easier to hire you with past experience. Serving can be pretty decent pay indeed at WDW. So, to quote Whoopi Goldberg in "Golden Dreams", "You keep those dreams alive!" Haha, cheesy I know, but you get the idea.
 

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