Management?

[stphnbogert]

Before I ask my question this isn't going to turn into an arguement thread. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and should be left at that.

I'm currently in school for my Bachelors in Business and Hospitality. I'm also reading a lot of books about The Walt Disney Company, Walt Disney himself, Eisner, the Disney Parks and Resorts and other materials. My goal when I get out of school is to work in upper management at Disney.

I know the outlook on management isn't a good one. I'm curious about numerous things.

1. What are your views on the management? (And please support your views with explanations and examples)
2. What could management do to make it better?
3. What can I expect when I get a job there? (if I do)
4. When did the management start to go downhill and is there a light at the end of the tunnel with management improving?

And please do not argue about one's opinions.

 

[Monty]

The following is based on what I've heard, not personal experience at Disney.

Generally, Disney Management has "come up through the ranks", so expect to start out as a CM. If you're a go-getter and impress your Managers, you'll move up. It's rare to see Management hired in from school. Mostly senior Managers with significant external experience are hired in at higher levels [think DEO, CFO... etc.], lower and middle Management are internal promotion. They want Managers who know the business.

If you're prepared to start in a comparatively low-paying position and work your tail off, you can become Disney Management.

I don't necessarily think Management has gone downhill as much as Senior Management has changed focus or vision. Whether that is good or bad I'll leave to others. In the past, the organization believed in investing in the parks to draw customers. Now, investment is curtailed because external factors are impacting customers' ability to come, so there was a drop in return on investment. Shareholders have an expectation of return, so Management has to decide how much investment is necessary to keep people coming while keeping shareholders happy. I couldn't say if they've struck that balance or not. Obviously some here think they've royally messed it up and others think they did OK.

 

[mkt]

1 & 2 - Number crunchers who work better when they remain hands off and use common sense more often than they do. Source: 5 years with the mouse as a CM and many more as a guest and shareholders.

3 - Entry level hourly. Without experience, Disney could care less about your degree.

4 - The Pressler years

 

[marni1971]

Pretty much what mkt says, but I`ll add that 4) when Frank Wells died it is popularly thought Eisner began his personal ego-trip.

 

[radiohost]

If you want to potentially make $60,000 + at some point in your career....get your MBA

Upper Management such as the VP of Magic Kingdom, Epcot ect. ect. all have masters degrees.


(I have done two disney internships, as have my wife, brother and sister. I still am connected to my managers at WDW, so trust me, from there advice, a MBA is the way to go!)

 

[Alektronic]

3 - Entry level hourly. Without experience, Disney could care less about your degree.

This I agree with. There are many people who start with Disney and have a degree and think they should be automatically hired into middle management. So as long as you are willing to start at the bottom and work your way up, then you may have a chance.

 

[stphnbogert]

Thanks. It really wouldn't matter what position they start me off with. I'm just going to be excited to be part of everything Disney. I want to climb the corporate ladder and make myself known in the workplace (in a good way of course) lol.

 

[radiohost]

Be careful though....Not everything is all magic.

Some of my friends who are still down there, WERE LUCKY to get 15 hours of work a week down there this past fall.....And these folks are full timers...

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

I would say if you learn management from a book you will only learn what processes are popular during the length of your course and the trend /vogue is definitely cyclical.

People skills arent learned in college/University and even process managers have to understand how processes are impacted by the human element.
I would also point out that it is increasingly popular in bigger corporations for managers to be no more than process monitors as they are bound by SLAs and objectives and the ever present P&L spreadsheet, leaving little room for genuine entrepreneurial management. If your objective is to make wedge great, but after a few years it may be less of a draw.

Just an observation.

 

[cowanfamily]

I would say if you learn management from a book you will only learn what processes are popular during the length of your course and the trend /vogue is definitely cyclical.

People skills arent learned in college/University and even process managers have to understand how processes are impacted by the human element.
I would also point out that it is increasingly popular in bigger corporations for managers to be no more than process monitors as they are bound by SLAs and objectives and the ever present P&L spreadsheet, leaving little room for genuine entrepreneurial management. If your objective is to make wedge great, but after a few years it may be less of a draw.

Just an observation.

good point! classrom education is great, but it doesn't teach people skills.

 

[stphnbogert]

Thats why I'm also majoring in Hospitality. I'm a very big people person and know how to keep a smile on my face at all times. I do realize the classrooms can only teach me so much so thats why I'm reading up on my Disney history. I do realize that everything might not be all magical but I intend to make it the best job ever. lol.

 

[Yensid40]

Thats why I'm also majoring in Hospitality. I'm a very big people person and know how to keep a smile on my face at all times. I do realize the classrooms can only teach me so much so thats why I'm reading up on my Disney history. I do realize that everything might not be all magical but I intend to make it the best job ever. lol.

Again, majoring in Hospitality doesn't give you the people skills. Now if your program has classes that act more as work experience that is a different story. I have friends that majored in Hospitality "back in the day" and they were required to work at restaurants and hotels during their working towards the degree.

If there is one thing that I learned during my studies it is that there is a big difference between writing a paper on X topic and then going into the field to implement X plan.

Radiohost - I have friends that stayed in FL after our programs a number of years ago. This Fall was tough for them as well. There were weeks that went by when she did not have any hours at all. She survived though because she embodies the Disney experience, cast member, psyche, whatever you want to call it.

OP - Good luck with your work towards your degree. Hopefully you will do great things with your degree and work your way through Disney Management and make great changes.

 

[stphnbogert]

Again, majoring in Hospitality doesn't give you the people skills.

OP - Good luck with your work towards your degree. Hopefully you will do great things with your degree and work your way through Disney Management and make great changes.

Yeah I understand it won't give me people skills but its definitely going to help going into Disney with it. I'm a very big people person when I work. I was that nice cashier at McDonalds who gave you a refund or a free fry when the manager wasn't looking. Haha. (I know not to do that now) lol.

Thanks for your words of encouragement. I do hope that I make some great changes at Disney and if I do work at Disney I'll be sure to still post in this great forum. If I do make some changes at Disney I'm hoping you all will love them.

 

[loveofamouse]

3 - Entry level hourly. Without experience, Disney could care less about your degree.

Agreed. You'll have to start your way at the bottom and go up which will further your managing skills as you'll understand what those under you are dealing with. Nothing's worse than a manager who's never lifted a finger.

 

[David Roberts]

I'm also majoring in Hospitality Management with the hopes of working for Disney but to the OP I'm not sure it's realistic to expect to be able to get into the corporate level with a Hospitality degree. Although you could go great places with the Hospitality industry to be in the corporate end of Disney I think it would involve more of a business background while Hospitality would be more Hotel/Restaurant/Theme Park mgmt.. Anyway good luck with your schooling and hope everything works out.

 

[mkt]

Thats why I'm also majoring in Hospitality. I'm a very big people person and know how to keep a smile on my face at all times. I do realize the classrooms can only teach me so much so thats why I'm reading up on my Disney history. I do realize that everything might not be all magical but I intend to make it the best job ever. lol.

I have a degree in hospitality, from the same school. It doesn't mean a thing. You still have to work your way up, and you will not learn to deal with people in a classroom: you learn that in the field.

 

[stphnbogert]

I do realize I have to work my way up to the level I want to work at. I just stated that I want to be working at upper management level. I know that I won't get hired in the position that I want but the degrees will help me get to that point.

 

[wizards8507]

I do realize I have to work my way up to the level I want to work at. I just stated that I want to be working at upper management level. I know that I won't get hired in the position that I want but the degrees will help me get to that point.

I wouldn't let these people get you down. I can't speak directly to management positions, but I'm a senior in college and I just got hired by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts and I'm certainly not an hourly cast member. Not to be too specific, but my starting salary will be between $55,000-$65,000 in the Financial Reporting group. Again, things may be different in Management/Operations, but there are certainly professional, salaried positions out there.

 

[mkt]

I wouldn't let these people get you down. I can't speak directly to management positions, but I'm a senior in college and I just got hired by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts and I'm certainly not an hourly cast member. Not to be too specific, but my starting salary will be between $55,000-$65,000 in the Financial Reporting group. Again, things may be different in Management/Operations, but there are certainly professional, salaried positions out there.

Congrats!

What's your degree in?

 

[wizards8507]

Congrats!

What's your degree in?

Accounting, though the position is technically classified as "Finance."