Employment at Wdw???

[Todd L]

Hey Everybody!!

This question has probably been asked before But I wanted to ask...

What is it like to work for Disney??

I check the disney job site once in awhile.

I work as An I.t. Technician and do lots of telecommunications work and always thought when I retired Id relocate and The wife and I could get Jobs at Disney.

I would imagine that a Cast member working at a counter service would have a much different view of things then someone working in Corporate doing technical work.

Not bashing the food workers...hell, I work as a dishwasher for years and made great money while I was in School.

So what do you say??

 

[SulleyanBoo]

Hi!
I worked for Disney as a full time cast member in quick service food and beverage and I also did one term on the college program working for QSF&B as well.

As with every job, there are both great parts, and not so great parts to the job.

Before I start off, the #1 thing you must have to be a successful and happy cast member is passion about Disney and the work that you are providing for them. The job can be strenuous at times, so having that true passion will remind you why you are doing what you are doing.

The great things about working for Disney are as follows: the benefits which include free park admission for yourself all year long as well as a gate pass for 3 of your friends/family which will allow them free park admission for a few days out of the year. You also get discounts from many local vendors (the mall, papa johns, ect) The people that you meet ( you will meet so many amazing people from all over the country and the world..you will make life long friends ) The overall expereience (working for Disney is a new and exciting expereince every day..you are always dealing with different guest and situations and you can make so many magical memories for SO many people that they will never forget )

The only downside to working for them is that sometimes you can feel a little small as there are 65,000 cast members but for the most part I think they do an excellent job about helping you to stand out as your own cast member. If you do your job right, you will most likely get noticed. Food and beverage can be difficult at times. There is heavy lifting on occasion, a lot of fast pace, sweating, and hard work..sometimes very long days.

I would love to be working there right now. I would love a career with disney but expense and location (family is here ect) won't allow it. But, if you have a true passion for Walt, wdw, and The Disney Company I say go for it. They are an excellent company to work for!

Good luck!! If you have any other specific questions about working for wdw feel free to ask me!

 

[Figment2005]

I just recently was hired as a cast member, and I start work in early December. Initially the only downside is that the pay is lower than average, but since the company is oriented around seniority as long as you do your best moving up or getting raises shouldn't be too difficult. Now I will say that I am having to relocate in order to take my position, but financially I am prepared. As of right now I don't know much about the experience, but I understand the experience is what you make of it. If you go to work hating what you do, your experience isn't going to be good, but if you make the best of every situation and remember why you wanted to work there then things should be great.

 

[Todd L]

Hi!
I worked for Disney as a full time cast member in quick service food and beverage and I also did one term on the college program working for QSF&B as well.

As with every job, there are both great parts, and not so great parts to the job.

Before I start off, the #1 thing you must have to be a successful and happy cast member is passion about Disney and the work that you are providing for them. The job can be strenuous at times, so having that true passion will remind you why you are doing what you are doing.

The great things about working for Disney are as follows: the benefits which include free park admission for yourself all year long as well as a gate pass for 3 of your friends/family which will allow them free park admission for a few days out of the year. You also get discounts from many local vendors (the mall, papa johns, ect) The people that you meet ( you will meet so many amazing people from all over the country and the world..you will make life long friends ) The overall expereience (working for Disney is a new and exciting expereince every day..you are always dealing with different guest and situations and you can make so many magical memories for SO many people that they will never forget )

The only downside to working for them is that sometimes you can feel a little small as there are 65,000 cast members but for the most part I think they do an excellent job about helping you to stand out as your own cast member. If you do your job right, you will most likely get noticed. Food and beverage can be difficult at times. There is heavy lifting on occasion, a lot of fast pace, sweating, and hard work..sometimes very long days.

I would love to be working there right now. I would love a career with disney but expense and location (family is here ect) won't allow it. But, if you have a true passion for Walt, wdw, and The Disney Company I say go for it. They are an excellent company to work for!

Good luck!! If you have any other specific questions about working for wdw feel free to ask me!

Thank you for your insight!! I think it would be a second career after I cash in my pension so The money wont really be a big part of it for me...hopefully anyway!!

I just recently was hired as a cast member, and I start work in early December. Initially the only downside is that the pay is lower than average, but since the company is oriented around seniority as long as you do your best moving up or getting raises shouldn't be too difficult. Now I will say that I am having to relocate in order to take my position, but financially I am prepared. As of right now I don't know much about the experience, but I understand the experience is what you make of it. If you go to work hating what you do, your experience isn't going to be good, but if you make the best of every situation and remember why you wanted to work there then things should be great.

Thanks for your input and best wishes to you on your new adventure!!

 

[copcarguyp71]

My wife and I dream of becoming semi-retired someday and working for Disney. We are at the dawn of our forties so we have some time. I run my own business doing vehicle wiring and police/fire vehicle equipment sales and installation (hence copcarguy) and my wife works in management. I would love someday to be able to sell the business and take a lesser paying and less stressful job. I know snowbirds exist as employees in WDW but I will watch the postings here to see what current and past cast members say with much anticipation!

Thanks for starting this thread!

 

[Spikerdink]

I have seriously been thinking of chucking all the crap in my life and coming to Florida....the one thing that stops me is wondering if I could survive on the salary that Disney pays.... right now I have to guess I couldn't do it...but the temptation is there.

 

[donaldtoo]

My wife and I dream of becoming semi-retired someday and working for Disney. We are at the dawn of our forties so we have some time. I run my own business doing vehicle wiring and police/fire vehicle equipment sales and installation (hence copcarguy) and my wife works in management. I would love someday to be able to sell the business and take a lesser paying and less stressful job. I know snowbirds exist as employees in WDW but I will watch the postings here to see what current and past cast members say with much anticipation!

Thanks for starting this thread!

Same here.
I am currently a Lead Manager at our local Disney Store (along with another retail job, plus new - started about 6 mos. ago - contract work I do for an architectural firm I was layed off from - I worked for them for over 20 years - back in Jan. of '09, due to the economic downturn), so I know a little about what it's like to work for the Mouse.
My DW is also in retail management, although, unfortunately, not with Disney.
That is the plan for DW and myself. To someday move to Central Florida and "retire" as CM's at WDW.

 

[GeorgiaPinesRJB]

What about working for Reedy Creek? Just curious.

 

[copcarguyp71]

What about working for Reedy Creek? Just curious.

Interesting question. I wonder if any RC employees are on the forums and if the experience is much different than working for the parks i.e. salary, benefits, etc.

 

[aw14]

this is our retirement plan as well. We are in our mid 30's, but eventually leave Pa (when daughter is on her own) and retire. I have already told my wife that I plan to drive the boat around Epcot from country to country

Still have at least 20+ years, as I am a school administrator and the wife is an office manager at a legal firm

 

[copcarguyp71]

I was originally thinking some sort of technical behind the scenes thing for myself but was thinking last night it would be pretty cool to be one of the people who escorts the costumed characters around. You get to watch and enjoy the kids reactions without having to wear the awfully hot costume. Hmmmm, note to self...radically increase contributions to 401K.

 

[sgtmgd]

I do IT work for the Government and may at some point apply for a position with Disney. The pay wouldnt have to be what I make now provided the park/resort benefits were enough to compensate my Disney Love.

 

[SulleyanBoo]

Thank you for your insight!! I think it would be a second career after I cash in my pension so The money wont really be a big part of it for me...hopefully anyway!

Awesome! I wish you the very best of luck! Let us know if you all get something

 

[GeorgiaPinesRJB]

Interesting question. I wonder if any RC employees are on the forums and if the experience is much different than working for the parks i.e. salary, benefits, etc.

I'm curious too. I'm working on my Masters in Government Continuity (emergency and crisis management, essentially) and working for Reedy Creek would be interesting to me... Would mean I have to move back to Florida and leave my beloved Georgia... but that's a grenade I am willing to jump on haha

 

[Phonedave]

Hey Everybody!!

This question has probably been asked before But I wanted to ask...

What is it like to work for Disney??

I check the disney job site once in awhile.

I work as An I.t. Technician and do lots of telecommunications work and always thought when I retired Id relocate and The wife and I could get Jobs at Disney.

I would imagine that a Cast member working at a counter service would have a much different view of things then someone working in Corporate doing technical work.

Not bashing the food workers...hell, I work as a dishwasher for years and made great money while I was in School.

So what do you say??

I have never worked for Disney, but I also work in telecom. A while back (maybe 10 - 12 years ago) my then boss's wife worked for The Disney Store, so they would go to WDW quite often. He was down there on vacation and some guys were woring on some fiber and as he passed by he said something along the lines of "nice Fujukura ribbon splicer" or somthing like that. The one tech chansed him down, and asked him if he knew anything about fiber splicing. He said his boss was looking to hire anybody they could get. Just out of curiosity my boss asked what they were offering - it was nothing close to what he was making.

Of course that was back in the day when it took a trained person to spliced single fibers in the back of a truck outfitted with a clean work environment using a $50,000 splicer. Now everybody and their mother can splice fibers with a mass fusion unit while working off of a ladder raised to mid-span. I am sure WDW and it's contractors have plenty of fiber techs now.


-dave

 

[luv]

People at WDW usually make less than they would elsewhere...but that goes for most of Orlando.

Of all the people I know and/or have met that work for Disney, the most miserable, unhappy people seem to be the character attendants, lol. They never stop complaining about their jobs. They hate the kids. They hate the parents. They hate their jobs and Disney. I don't know if that job turns them that way or if it is the morale in that department or WHAT, lol, but those people are...by and large...not happy!!

 

[mbtohill]

DW and I just got back from a couple days at F&W and as we walk around we talked a lot about doing the "semi-retired" thing as Disney employees....in our early 40's so we have some time to make it happen. Love the idea of driving the boats around the Epcot-Boardwalk-Hollywood Studios loop.

 

[Todd L]

I have never worked for Disney, but I also work in telecom. A while back (maybe 10 - 12 years ago) my then boss's wife worked for The Disney Store, so they would go to WDW quite often. He was down there on vacation and some guys were woring on some fiber and as he passed by he said something along the lines of "nice Fujukura ribbon splicer" or somthing like that. The one tech chansed him down, and asked him if he knew anything about fiber splicing. He said his boss was looking to hire anybody they could get. Just out of curiosity my boss asked what they were offering - it was nothing close to what he was making.

Of course that was back in the day when it took a trained person to spliced single fibers in the back of a truck outfitted with a clean work environment using a $50,000 splicer. Now everybody and their mother can splice fibers with a mass fusion unit while working off of a ladder raised to mid-span. I am sure WDW and it's contractors have plenty of fiber techs now.


-dave

Dave My Cwa Brother!! Great to hear from another Tech. I was C splicer for a 7 years earlier in my Career at Bell !@#$%tic and have always looked at that time as the happiest point in my work life!!

I always felt like I actually accomplished something every day and To this Day I point out my work as I pass thru the areas I worked in.

Never did too much Fiber work but was lucky enough to spend some time with Very experienced splicers who were masters at their craft.

Id probably be happier working In the parks than to try and do telecomm. work at this point.

 

[Ray Karen Kaitie]

i wana drive the monorail

 

[draybook]

While I don't plan on working there yet, our plan is to move down there in the Spring of 2014. Most likely we'll be moving to the Tampa area, as the company I work for has a DC there and Lakeland.