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Orlando Becoming East Coast Headquarters for Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products
- Thread starter The Visionary Soul
- Start date
trainplane3
Well-Known Member
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ULPO46
Well-Known Member
Disney Imagineering relocation shifts creative balance of power from California to Florida
Walt Disney Imagineering will be based at the new Lake Nona campus in Orlando, Florida near the Walt Disney World resort, according to a Disney Parks, Experiences and Products spokesperson.
www.ocregister.com
Interesting article...
Tha Realest
Well-Known Member
I get that people live for the sweet endorphine rush of Instagram and Twitter likes, but he seems like he's burning some bridges on the way out...
peter11435
Well-Known Member
Yep.
It is a good move for them to be based in cheaper COL FL compared to expensive CA. For WDI cast to have long-term projects in FL and away from their homes in CA means WDW has to provide them free board and lodging . With them now relocating to FL they can just go home at the end of their day. $120K per year salary goes further in FL compared to living with that salary in CA.View attachment 596721
Disney Imagineering relocation shifts creative balance of power from California to Florida
Walt Disney Imagineering will be based at the new Lake Nona campus in Orlando, Florida near the Walt Disney World resort, according to a Disney Parks, Experiences and Products spokesperson.
Interesting article...
JoeCamel
Well-Known Member
That is the question. Will they pay California wages in Florida?
I doubt it.....
I think posters on this topic were advising salaries would remain the same.
JoeCamel
Well-Known Member
But the new hires may not. I would expect a reset as they have turnover.
Pehaps, the newbies won't be making salaries of seasoned cast.
ULPO46
Well-Known Member
To clarify, I make 85k a year I've been with the company 12 years. Most of current imagineering is between 10-15 years with the company. No one is making upwards of 125k unless your in management overseeing projects. The move to Florida is a cut in salary for everyone which is why it has been such a hard sell to move. As for people like Kevin, it really is pathetic to state the things they are stating about the company on a public site or social media. It does get taken into consideration for future rehire. It's not something I would ever fathom, I have my issues with the company, but I rarely spew hate either in Disney forums or my personal social media, it's not professional. Maybe I am too much of my parents generation, but that's just how respectful I am to my employer. I'm not quite excited for everything to be located in Orlando, it was nice to have film studios close by for when projects get shifted or turned down it was easy to get side hustles in anything from consultations to fun with film production. I can diversify and my home state of Florida does have great options two-three-or an hours drive from Orlando, but all this upheaval is really hurting moral. I hate seeing good people have to leave, but that's just business.
I always tell kids I meet who had the same dreams as me that being an imagineer isn't what people like Tony Baxter or Joe Rhode made it for me on TV Specials to be. It's a lot of hard work, denials, deadlines, and kissing bottoms to keep your name from being on the cut list. It's easy to picture yourself behind a computer, sketchpad, or showcase in a meeting trying to sway over people, but it just doesn't work that way. Disney and Imagineering are great places to work, but events like these do effect the bottom line at times towards decision making to a CM or employees vision towards their future.
I always tell kids I meet who had the same dreams as me that being an imagineer isn't what people like Tony Baxter or Joe Rhode made it for me on TV Specials to be. It's a lot of hard work, denials, deadlines, and kissing bottoms to keep your name from being on the cut list. It's easy to picture yourself behind a computer, sketchpad, or showcase in a meeting trying to sway over people, but it just doesn't work that way. Disney and Imagineering are great places to work, but events like these do effect the bottom line at times towards decision making to a CM or employees vision towards their future.
Chairman Josh D touted the lower COL and no state income tax as benefits in living in Central FL. The COL of Orange County FL compared to Orange County CA is like night and day.
ULPO46
Well-Known Member
What I mean by cut in salary is an actual pay cut it has nothing to do with taxes. We all know all to well how high the cost of living is in Florida. Finding a decent home under 250k is hard if you want great schools and not be living in an old home rough neighborhood. It's the lime to lemons analogy which is annoying from the press releases. When my dad left Disney to work for another F500, he was sent to move from Florida to Connecticut. My dad was making with Disney at the time 100k so his new company at the time offered 125k but that was CT and anyone who knows cost of living in that region you must make 200k to even make a move like that feasible. So it's a hard sell for Imagineers especially when your salary will be deducted.
I will referring to low COL of FL compared to high COL CA. In Orange County CA $250k will get you maybe a 1 bedroom condo in a sketchy area . $250K will get you in Kissimmee or parts of Orlando a 3 bed/2 bath. Great schools in FL which hardly invests in education? That's wishful thinking.
ULPO46
Well-Known Member
While true a vast majority of Imagineers don't make that much in salary. As an Imagineer who has zero issue with moving I can tell you that why so many are not willing to move is due to the pay cut involved with moving, no-reimbursment of moving cost(easily can cost 10k to move across country), yes schools and homes can be an issue but with job security being an uncertainty, its really difficult to state the obvious. Once the current lineup of projects are complete there are no new projects to be developed in WDW or DLR in the states. With nothing major going on there's overhead of employees that will be let go once the EPCOT revamp is complete. Those who don't have a long list of abilities within imagineering don't want to relocate because however temporary their employment may be the cost involved just don't add up for them.
From my experience I don't mind Disney has moved me over the years and I am thankful for said oppurtunities. But I don't have a family of my own. I'm grateful I will be closer to my wife who works at EPCOT, but besides that I have no quarrels. I already have a home there that my wife owns so I can easily leave my bungalow in Sunland and move. Unless it affects you personally, you can't imagine what so many of my colleagues are thinking. Loosing salary is the biggest driving factor that many families are just deciding it's not worth while. This industry isn't one in which the Spouse is the only one who works. Both work, and if one moves across the country it affects relationships. It's complicated and is a massive deciding factor that has nothing to do with Disney like every other company restructures. It's more personal decision over Disney because no one is being forced to do this yet. The offices aren't open yet and there's still time to decide.
It is crazy that they are pushing the move but not paying the costs!
ImperfectPixie
Well-Known Member
The problem with the "standard" of never badmouthing a previous boss is that companies get away with worse and worse treatment of employees because they're never called out on it.
ULPO46
Well-Known Member
It's this very reason why even the most loyal of imagineers are thinking it's not worth the move and is a reminder of previous mass layoffs. Imagine within a year of arriving to Florida being told you are no longer needed/employed. Your wife, husband, or partner decide to quit their job to move to Florida for you and then you have that happen. It's one of those things that if personally you have never moved because of a job you just can't fathom. Its not just Disney so many companies do it. Maybe it's a way to cut cost to see who will stay or who will leave, but it's just not something someone does just because. I'm doing it because I'm young and don't mind the move as it doesn't affect me overall, but for others it's a quality of family life over career choice.
ULPO46
Well-Known Member
I know it all to well, believe me in private I've said things I often regret. But it just shows the true nature of lack of morale. Everyone touting Disney has a long list of kids wanting to be imagineers has to factor in the fact that Tech and Social Media help keep people in the know. When people see how Disney treats its CM's and Employees compared to Comcast or Merlin or Cedar ect... you begin to realize that there are better career paths out there, with just as much creativity and funding as Disney. It's hard as I wouldn't want to say Disney or bad mouth a boss if someday when things change and I want to work for them again, those words come back to haunt me.
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The move of cast from CA to FL with no relocation reimbursement is shocking. Perhaps if a number of CA refuse to move and resign then hire FL locals at a lower salary ?