Is this really how much they get paid?

TLS

TLS

Member
Doesn't seem like a lot of money for a job that not everyone can do.

Heck, they START @ $10/hr at my local Wawa.

Whats the wage progression of a cast member and are you unionized?
 
SanFrancisco

SanFrancisco

Member
That sounds like a really low wage to me. I assumed they were being paid loads more because ultimately they have to be "on" in a way that really carries a lot of responsibility. I mean minimum wage where I live is almost $10 / hour and that's for ANY job in the city.
 
Z

ZambeziZelda

Member
Yeah, but minimum wage here in Florida is ridiculously low- I believe it's $6.79. Front line attractions CMs have a starting wage of $7.25. $11.25 sounds pretty good when you look at it like that, imo.

Also, you have to realize that people WANT to be these characters. At $11.25, they still have tons of people trying for these roles. Why raise the pay when they can get more than enough people as is?
 
The Mom

The Mom

Moderator
Premium Member
I hate to say it, but my daughter isn't getting much more than that, she has NO benefits, and lives in a major, expensive, city. (DC) A job in retail was only starting at $10.25, with benefits, but lousy hours.

She has, unfortunately, chosen a profession that will probably never pay very well. And she accepted this low paying job because of the tremendous networking opportunites, the chance to learn specific skills, and the flexibility allowed.

The same can be said for performers. For every "star" there are 99 others just scraping by, so $11.25 with benefits, and working within your profession (rather than as a waitress or other "night" job so you can make auditions) might not seem so bad.
 
WDWKat26

WDWKat26

New Member
That is correct. It's called a "Premium" and you can make up to an extra $2 for being friends with a Face Character. If I was one, I would have been making like $13 an hour. Most people who start in Entertainment now are making close to $8.50 an hour.
 
Wilt Dasney

Wilt Dasney

Well-Known Member
SanFrancisco said:
That sounds like a really low wage to me. I assumed they were being paid loads more because ultimately they have to be "on" in a way that really carries a lot of responsibility. I mean minimum wage where I live is almost $10 / hour and that's for ANY job in the city.
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A closer comparison to your area would probably be DL, where I know CM's make more money than at WDW because of the higher cost of living. Florida's not exactly a cheap place to live, but it doesn't compare to San Francisco or Los Angeles, from what I understand.
 
SanFrancisco

SanFrancisco

Member
This all makes much more sense having read your posts. I guess I just respect these characters so much that by comparing their wage to our cost of living, it seemed low. But perhaps in Florida it's quite better.

I'm a working character actor and filmmaker in SF and these days have to make a certain amount of money to be able to live comfortably, enjoy restaurants here, and be able to take my annual trip to WDW.

But I've been doing this for over thirteen years and struggled quite a bit while getting started. I'm guessing that the experience of being a "face" character is an invaluable lesson in performance and the fact that they get benefits and a comfortable living wage is a great thing.

I get it now. :wave:
 
Dreamstuff

Dreamstuff

New Member
SanFrancisco said:
This all makes much more sense having read your posts. I guess I just respect these characters so much that by comparing their wage to our cost of living, it seemed low. But perhaps in Florida it's quite better.

I'm a working character actor and filmmaker in SF and these days have to make a certain amount of money to be able to live comfortably, enjoy restaurants here, and be able to take my annual trip to WDW.

But I've been doing this for over thirteen years and struggled quite a bit while getting started. I'm guessing that the experience of being a "face" character is an invaluable lesson in performance and the fact that they get benefits and a comfortable living wage is a great thing.

I get it now. :wave:
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Plus we have to factor in that maybe these people don't mind the low pay so much if their doing something they enjoy!:lol:
 
ImaYoyo

ImaYoyo

Active Member
And don't forget the benefits. Two of my former co-workers left for slightly higher paying jobs at Lockheed Martin and at EA Tiberon, but when it came down to the amount they now have to pay for insurance compared to what they used to pay in my department, they're bringing home less money now. I'm not quite sure what frontline cast members pay for insurance, but wow, my weeklies are LOOOOOOOOOOOW compared to any other company I've worked for.

And then of course lots of other benefits like on-site childcare (some people get it FREE), discounts on EVERYTHING from GM vehicles, to flying on LUfthansa or Delta, to discounts at EVERY restaurant imaginable. Heck, I was visiting family in Ohio and we went out to Carabbas (I think that's how it's spelled) and I asked if Disney Cast Members got a discount. The server left and came back and said "wow, you sure do, I had no idea"...
 
P

progroupie

Member
It's such a shame how little Disney pays performers. I know it's a dream job for many but that's no excuse. Entertainment has one of the highest turnover rates in the company, and Disney has a high turnover rate to start with.
 
mkt

mkt

When a paradise is lost go straight to Disney™
Premium Member
ImaYoyo said:
And don't forget the benefits. Two of my former co-workers left for slightly higher paying jobs at Lockheed Martin and at EA Tiberon, but when it came down to the amount they now have to pay for insurance compared to what they used to pay in my department, they're bringing home less money now. I'm not quite sure what frontline cast members pay for insurance, but wow, my weeklies are LOOOOOOOOOOOW compared to any other company I've worked for.

And then of course lots of other benefits like on-site childcare (some people get it FREE), discounts on EVERYTHING from GM vehicles, to flying on LUfthansa or Delta, to discounts at EVERY restaurant imaginable. Heck, I was visiting family in Ohio and we went out to Carabbas (I think that's how it's spelled) and I asked if Disney Cast Members got a discount. The server left and came back and said "wow, you sure do, I had no idea"...
Click to expand...

Benefits and discounts don't pay the bills.

Income pays the bills.
 
The Mom

The Mom

Moderator
Premium Member
mkt said:
Benefits and discounts don't pay the bills.

Income pays the bills.
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I agree, Rob, but was just remarking that jobs in the Arts, in general, are low paying, especially for young workers. My daughter is able to get by because I still pay for her medical expenses, including insurance. These benefits don't seem that important....until you need to pay for them out of pocket. (such as full cost childcare or hospital bills) I also pay for airfare back/forth to visit. ;)

I have a friend who is still slipping his 30+ actor son money from time to time when he's between jobs.
 
mkt

mkt

When a paradise is lost go straight to Disney™
Premium Member
WDWKat26 said:
And that's part of the reason why I am not in entertainment anymore.
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That's part of the reason that if I ever return to TWDC, it won't be in Anaheim or within the Reedy Creek Improvement District.
 

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