On layoffs, very bad attendance, and Iger's legacy being one of disgrace

[UNCgolf]

Paying off loan debt faster? , go to a public university rather than private. Less loans to pay off. Feeling adventurous and want to serve your country? Go the ROTC route and free college. I worked through school, winter , summer break and didn't make excuses and put on my big boy pants. I'm glad I took investing classes in school and started early.

Even public universities are far more expensive than they used to be. 4 years at a good public university (as an in-state student; if you're out-of-state the costs often aren't really different than going private) can still easily cost you 60k+.

If you're going to graduate school, well, that's where things can really ramp up. You often don't have the time to work a side job even if you wanted to.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Can we officially rename this thread “life stories of people who have nothing better to do than post their life story on a Disney fan page and pretend their life is better than the average Disney CM?”

 

[Heppenheimer]

In saying that, there’s been a lot of pity posts about the frontline cast members and the feeling of “why don’t they just get their life together” / “working a carnival ride isn’t a job”. But maybe I can offer you this viewpoint...there’s a bell curve to success and motivation/drive of people. If everyone were as motivated and driven as most of us are on this forum, then the bell curve would just become skinnier, but it would still be bell curve. And there would still be an average and people on the lower quartiles.

Well, it is technically a job. But it isn't a profession, and therein lies the difference.

Which got me thinking... I'm guessing Disney employs a small army of skilled technicians and tradesmen to keep the rides running and/or fix/trouble-shoot breakdowns, and I imagine these guys make a fairly decent salary. Does experience as a front-line CM ever lead to learning these trades and coming back at a higher salary? I would think this could offer a way forward for the otherwise dead-end service jobs.

 

[larryz]

Can we officially rename this thread “life stories of people who have nothing better to do than post their life story on a Disney fan page and pretend their life is better than the average Disney CM?”

You forgot the car-buying advice.

 

[NelsonRD]

But being miserable and poor is? Ok... *rolleyes*

hey @mkt , @BigThunderMatt - sorry you were just the ones that make up the lower side of 'average' according to Nelson here... sorry you lost the lotto

Sorry NelsonRD - not all companies are great places to work. Employees need to learn to spot the tells and cut and run. Not just hope if they grind it out... somehow the tigger will change it's stripes.

I said nothing of staying content and miserable. I suggested that companies like Disney routinely post positions that can be applied for, that provides a path towards upward mobility that is better than quitting a job, and starting over, and over, and over, where you are not changing anything except your environment.

America is equal opportunity, not equal outcome.

How many rejection letters from Disney did Randy Pausch get? Taking your advice, he should have just quit right?

 

[tirian]

That's all right -- my 7 year old niece told one of the Ugly Sisters that she wasn't ugly, she was pretty, Should I speculate about her future sexual orientation? The cast member had to "break character" to give her a hug and say thank you...

I assume your daughter is a compassionate person. Some of the stepsisters are also friends with princesses; it’s all about the makeup.

 

[flynnibus]

Which got me thinking... I'm guessing Disney employs a small army of skilled technicians and tradesmen to keep the rides running and/or fix/trouble-shoot breakdowns, and I imagine these guys make a fairly decent salary. Does experience as a front-line CM ever lead to learning these trades and coming back at a higher salary? I would think this could offer a way forward for the otherwise dead-end service jobs.

You have skilled labor jobs - and often many of those are in trade unions. But then this is where the general 'FL wages suck' element comes in. You can be the greater plumber at Disney... but you're still gonna be compensated worse than alot of other places in the country. Decide if 'working for the rat' is worth that tradeoff.

The path you are talking about is some of the professional internships people try to get.. moving into the black shirt tech area is another one that seems to lure many CP age people.

But again.. its like "oh I work show lighting..." and they think its great - but they are still getting paid like crap compared to people working elsewhere.

Disney knows people still repeat the old "having Disney on your resume..." spiel... and take a tax for it.

 

[tirian]

How many rejection letters from Disney did Randy Pausch get? Taking your advice, he should have just quit right?

Considering they finally used him for awful, headache-inducing crap in DisneyQuest...yes.

They obviously didn’t know what to do with him, and he’s my number one example of how WDI doesn’t try to recruit the best and brightest anymore. It’s not Walt’s MAPO c.1960s.

 

[The_Jobu]

Can we officially rename this thread “life stories of people who have nothing better to do than post their life story on a Disney fan page and pretend their life is better than the average Disney CM?”

It all began one cold October night in 1983. I entered the world unceremoniously held upside down by a obstetrician in downtown Toronto. Little did I know that that slap on the was just the motivation I needed to make my voice heard in the world. The next day, I started my career...

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

But again.. its like "oh I work show lighting..." and they think its great - but they are still getting paid like crap compared to people working elsewhere.

And more than people elsewhere. Disney lighting pays a lot more than Branson and Pigeon Forge. But less than other areas.

Also... lighting at Disney is watching a smpte clock on MA. How exciting! (But getting paid to watch said clock is a pretty easy gig not going to argue that.)

 

[Florida Man]

And nice to see you again mkt. I have a join date of about a year after you. I remember reading your posts as a little kid.

 

[tirian]

So I want to put my two cents in here as well. The general sense I get from most of us is that we’re pretty successful, well-off, and can afford to go to Disney when we wish.

In saying that, there’s been a lot of pity posts about the frontline cast members and the feeling of “why don’t they just get their life together” / “working a carnival rise isn’t a job”. But maybe I can offer you this viewpoint...there’s a bell curve to success and motivation/drive of people. If everyone were as motivated and driven as most of us are on this forum, then the bell curve would just become skinnier, but it would still be bell curve. And there would still be an average and people on the lower quartiles.

My story goes that I was a ****-up. Partied way to much in college and failed classes. I was working dead end jobs, but a switched flipped in me when I was around 26 and I decided to get my **** together. I’m now 32 and pretty much everyday since then I’ve worked and grinded my butt off and I have a job that pays well and one that I like.

My frustration until recently was similar to CaptainAmerica’s. I would see people “wasting their lives” like I was. And knowing how easy it is to change, just that it requires a lot of hard work.

But reading through all these posts, you can’t force or change anyone to do anything. Seeing people perform below their potential frustrates me...it does. But in the end, it’s up to them to change. Just be happy that most of us seem to be on the upper end of the success bell curve.

Those hard knocks also make you sympathetic to others. Life is hard enough. It’s better to help people “learn to fish.”

 

[durangojim]

Those hard knocks also make you sympathetic to others. Life is hard enough. It’s better to help people “learn to fish.”

If you teach people to fish, they'll never want to work because they'll be off enjoying fishing so much.

 

[SoFloMagic]

...think??

Once they get past 40 pages in a week, all bets are off

 

[Lilofan]

If you teach people to fish, they'll never want to work because they'll be off enjoying fishing so much.

Hard work was when one cut the grass with a push mower. But hardly anyone knows what that is.

 

[bcoachable]

Oh yes.

For its first few years, this “News and Rumors” forum was essentially an online club for many insiders to trade gossip. Think of a local bar after work. Pheneix was one of those original members. Lee and Marni were others. Their track records were impeccable.

Iger had just become CEO and his original policy for WDW was “maintain, don’t build.” Disney refurbed Main Street USA and the HM but ignored almost everything else. You can imagine how negative the insider opinions were.

As the site became more popular and the forums gained more Pixie Dusters, the new members couldn’t handle the realistic conversations and labeled the insiders “Doom-and-Gloomers,” an issue that did exist on many Disney fan sites but was rarely a problem here. But it became tiresome to constantly battle, and many of the new members set themselves up as self-styled experts even though they were not insiders at all—just curiously defensive fans. Original insiders began to fade away.

We also had a few good years with a certain Spirit who left MiceChat and headed here; and even though his attitude was gruff, his Disney business knowledge was dead-on. But he frequently mixed political and personal opinions into his posts, and people joined the boards to tail him and constantly argue even when his Disney news was right.

Steve (Mr. WDWMagic himself) still knows what’s going on, but there are fewer insiders constantly posting. For one thing, many left the company. Others were afraid of revealing their sources when Lasseter cracked down on leaks during his brief stint at WDI. The Spirited discussions on here also attracted Disney Social Media employees who set up accounts specifically to argue and defend. And Lee, Pheneix, and others drifted off.

These are still the best WDW fan forums; and tbh, once a site grows like this, it can’t be the office water cooler for gossip. There are just too many people. Most of the modern news isn’t interesting anyway.

It’s good to see Pheneix again.

Really nice summary

 

[mkt]

There's so many colleges/universities in the US, I dont know how you guys keep track of it all! I got a contract for this school year, but I'll definitely keep this list for 2021, thanks!

The US is enormous. Here's a list of worthwhile institutions to work at within 2...ish hours of WDW (if you drive like me)

Public Universities:
University of Central Florida
University of Florida
University of South Florida
New College of Florida
Florida Polytechnic University
Florida Atlantic University

Public Colleges:
Valencia College
College of Central Florida
Daytona State College
Eastern Florida State College
Hillsborough Community College
Indian River State College
Lake-Sumter State College
Palm Beach State College
Pasco-Hernando State College
Polk State College
Santa Fe College
Seminole State College of Florida
South Florida State College
St. Johns River State College
St. Petersburg College
State College of Florida, Manatee–Sarasota

(a few of the better) Private Institutions:
Rollins College
Barry University
Bethune-Cookman University
Eckerd College
St Leo University
Stetson University
University of Tampa

 

[3-D]

Yes that's correct, it's ones with health insurance and why our rates keep going up.

Hey just get a better job with insurance that is paid for.

 

[brianstl]

I understand, but there becomes a point where if you change jobs too often, it begins to look bad.
Also, there is a difference between changing jobs as stepping stones, contracts change, maintaining and learning new skills, or a host of other professional reasons. I am arguing about quitting jobs routinely, taking a parallel job, and thinking somehow it will be different this time around.

People do not leave bad companies, they leave bad bosses.

Not sure if that is the case anymore. I have actually have heard people making hiring decisions imply that people who have stayed at the same job for four years lack the drive to advance they are looking for. It is an idiotic line of thought, but It is out there.

 

[3-D]

Frugality is certainly a virtue, but it’s also become a cult. It’s extremely common amongst my generation that grew up in the shadow of the 2008 crash and particularly in my line of work (accounting/finance). You’re correct, if someone is struggling, the first two things that they bring up are “takeout coffee” and “smartphones.” As though these are the cause of all social ills.

These people love Dave Ramsey, think all debt is bad, and aspire to live on shoestring budgets. Dislikes include new cars (never allowed), Starbucks, and the suburbs. Of course travel is still allowed since that’s not consumption... it’s an “experience that makes you cultured.” I mean, how could anyone ever be truly cultured until they can post a picture on Instagram of themselves holding up the Leaning Tower of Pisa with their bare hand? Well, forgo the iPhone and the coffee long enough, and you can be cultured too!

Again, I have no issues with frugality. The Greatest Generation was frugal. They didn’t shout it out loud, though - they just lived it. But Dave Ramsey (and his contemporaries), as well as social media, have changed the landscape. Now it’s all about shaming people for their bad decisions.

Except they wouldn’t have the iPhone to take a picture and post with.