Should CM's Get Better Discounts?

[DisneyJoe]

My son usually works Wednesday thru Sunday in a quick service location in the MK. On those days, he doesn't have time to do much else.

On his days off, he sometimes visits a park - but not always, I'm guessing it's about 50/50. He has been there 30 days and has yet to visit AK.

I don't see how that is unhealthy.

 

[zulemara]

I don't necessarily think we should get MORE discounts, but I'd be much happier if we could KEEP the discounts we currently get.

It used to be(2004) you got 20% on dining at all sit down restaurants no matter the seating time or time of year(except maybe xmas week, or A major holiday, I can't recall) Mind you, they automatically throw 18% gratuity on so you're really just getting the tip included, but whatever, it was still decent.

Now the top tier places(ca grill, Boma, etc) have such horrible restrictions, it's almost impossible to GET a discount. For instance, at CA Grill, you only get a discount Sun-Thurs and only if you are seated before like 7pm. I tried 1.5 months out to book a dinner at CA Grill and WANTED an early seating(I have seen Wishes a million times) but couldn't get a time slot. Therefore, got stuck with 9:35pm seating and no discount.

Likewise, Boma is the same way, although the other way around. If you want a discount, you have to be seated(not just have the reservation, but actually seated) after 8:30pm.

They have even gone so far as to require you to indicate you are a CM if booking a dining res over the phone. What that does is restricts the "available" dining times for you. They claim if you don't tell them and then show up and present your ID, they will not give you the discount. Luckily, I have yet to see that policy work(that's assuming you get a seated time which even qualifies for a discount to begin with)

I understand...we're the bottom of the barrel, gotta give priority to the full paying guests right? My issue with that is that I have to beg and quibble and work within all these restrictions while the table next to me eats FREE and orders the MOST EXPENSIVE items on a free DDP promotion. If it wasn't for that damn DDP, I'd actually be able to GET a reservation for at time slot where I can get my 20%

And the park admission, while great, has also been reduced quite a bit at least as far as main gates go. It used to be(again, 2004) they pre-published all blackout dates for the year. Now they do it on a rolling monthly basis. more dates than ever are being blocked for main gates. Every Saturday in Dec was blocked, President's Day weekend was blocked(talking MK), it's frustrating when you see the discounts scaled back while they claim "flat" attendance and an increased revenue of 10% over the previous year's quarter. I AM thankful that I can at least get myself in 365 days a year subject to phased closing. I wonder when they will take that way.

I am seasonal but I work part time hours. I am fortunate enough to have a job that pays me a lot more than Disney, so I work at Disney to keep Walt's dream alive and enjoy the perks(even as they become less and less). Having said that, there are people who suffer an awful lot of abuse from guests(or the job in general) and stay with the company for meager pay. The discounts were/are a nice offset to the pay at least. When you think about that fact that if I go to CA grill and drop 200 dollars, that's 22 hours of work at Disney, it makes ya think about overall compensation for what you pay in. These are the types of things that create the "I don't give a ________" attitude from CMs. Walt said take care of your cast and they will take care of your guests. That philosophy has been shifting over the years.

I'm not asking for more, would just like to keep what I have in the face of rising revenues and flat attendance.

 

[s8film40]

The discounts sound good, and a lot of people end up working there just to get them but in reality they're not that great. The admission for yourself is great as well as the merchandise and dining discount if you plan to use them. I have a hard time calling the main gate a benefit. It's great to have, but there are too many restrictions on it. You technically aren't allowed to just let someone in, you have to go with them the whole time, which if your working is impossible. So they end up putting most people in a position where they are doing something "wrong". Then on top of that you have to go and meet whoever you decide to let in. Generally your friends or family will want to get an early start (that's reasonable) so even though you worked till late at night you have to get up early the next morning to meet them just to use this "benefit". The problem is most people assume that these are great discounts but don't bother to do the math. If you get a job somewhere else you can easily find something for about $2 more an hour than Disney, which works out to more than $4,000 a year. You could easily buy some annual passes, pay a little more for dining and merchandise and maybe even have a little left over.

 

[flynnibus]

It's the ability to sign in GUESTS - not 'give admission to anyone you chose'

The constraint that you must be present isn't such a burden to write off the whole thing.

 

[s8film40]

It's the ability to sign in GUESTS - not 'give admission to anyone you chose'

The constraint that you must be present isn't such a burden to write off the whole thing.

Well I had one for many years and to be honest I was very happy the day it went away for me. I really did like being able to share the parks with friends and family, it was just too much work. Looking back I would have preferred to have moved onto a better paying job sooner and I could have just bought tickets for friends and family and would have had a better time enjoying their company on my schedule. To me if Disney wants to call this a "benefit" they need to set up the will call aspect of it for all the Main Gate passes, not just for the executives.

 

[Ralphlaw]

All of it still comes down to supply and demand. If CMs were hard to find, offer more, especially in wages. For most people, the perks are a nice add-on, which probably gives an uptick in morale, but they aren't the deciding factor for most people who work there. But if that's what it took to man the parks with happy CMs, offer more. Most who have posted on this thread would seem to agree. It's easy to say as a CM, "I deserve better" to which your employer would probably say, "Fine, if you feel that way, then quit, and see how green the grass is somewhere else."

Most people think they deserve better than they get, whatever group you're in. Find a college student who thinks tuition should be higher. Find a doctor who thinks his rates should be lower. Find a criminal who thinks sentences should be tougher. Burger flippers think minimum wage should be higher. But there's always another side: Tuition reflects the reality of educational value with long lists of hopeful freshmen who won't get in, the public and health insurance companies won't pay higher rates to doctors, the public wants tough criminal sentences, and employers and customers won't pay more for burgers or their respective flippers.

Many public employers are now getting a reality check with their pay and benefits, which have begun to outpace the private sector. They cry, "We deserve more" but the voters, for the most part, right now, vehemently disagree. Thus big time cuts.

On another note, I am a stockholder, and we don't get any perks of substance. There was a time when stockholders got big discounts, but the SEC and IRS probably considered that a taxable dividend. By by stockholder discounts. If I don't like it, duh, I'll sell my stock. Similarly, if you think the discounts should be higher, feel free to bring it up to the proper channels, but you probably should be willing to quit if it's that important to you. From Disney's viewpoint, they see full parks and hotels, merch flying off the shelves, and plenty of good applicants for the CM positions. Why give more?

Sorry if this comes off as harsh, but economic reality is rarely caring and subtle.

 

[fosse76]

The CM's at Disneyland get 20% off at every QSR.

As do Annual Passholders. WDW really doesn't treat their passholders or CMs with any type of respect or significance, which is rather counterproductive.

When I worked at Six Flags, the merchandise discount was 50%. We also received a limited number of tickets per season (based on the number of hours worked). My current moonlighting job on Broadway yields me a 50% discount on merchandise for my show and access to house seats at regular price (as opposed to the 400% mark-up, and I'm not exaggerating, that they charge the public for those seats) and occasionally comp seats fro friends and family to the show.

The point is these are perks. Necessary? No. But important to attract the best possible employees. It's also an incentive for employees to spend money on Company goods and services. They make more money from their own own work force and that's always a positive thing. Why give CMs free admission? Because they are more likely to come in and spend money. And do it frequently. It's also good word-of-mouth, and as I said above, will make it a more attractive place to work. A high turnover rate adds significantly to the cost of running the business. Perks like 50% off merchandise and 20% off of food purchases would not cause the company to lose money, but make money.

 

[Kobe!!]

All of it still comes down to supply and demand. If CMs were hard to find, offer more, especially in wages. For most people, the perks are a nice add-on, which probably gives an uptick in morale, but they aren't the deciding factor for most people who work there. But if that's what it took to man the parks with happy CMs, offer more. Most who have posted on this thread would seem to agree. It's easy to say as a CM, "I deserve better" to which your employer would probably say, "Fine, if you feel that way, then quit, and see how green the grass is somewhere else."

Most people think they deserve better than they get, whatever group you're in. Find a college student who thinks tuition should be higher. Find a doctor who thinks his rates should be lower. Find a criminal who thinks sentences should be tougher. Burger flippers think minimum wage should be higher. But there's always another side: Tuition reflects the reality of educational value with long lists of hopeful freshmen who won't get in, the public and health insurance companies won't pay higher rates to doctors, the public wants tough criminal sentences, and employers and customers won't pay more for burgers or their respective flippers.

Many public employers are now getting a reality check with their pay and benefits, which have begun to outpace the private sector. They cry, "We deserve more" but the voters, for the most part, right now, vehemently disagree. Thus big time cuts.

On another note, I am a stockholder, and we don't get any perks of substance. There was a time when stockholders got big discounts, but the SEC and IRS probably considered that a taxable dividend. By by stockholder discounts. If I don't like it, duh, I'll sell my stock. Similarly, if you think the discounts should be higher, feel free to bring it up to the proper channels, but you probably should be willing to quit if it's that important to you. From Disney's viewpoint, they see full parks and hotels, merch flying off the shelves, and plenty of good applicants for the CM positions. Why give more?

Sorry if this comes off as harsh, but economic reality is rarely caring and subtle.

Good post but I kind of lost you here.. you buy the stock to invest money in a company for you to make money, not for the discounts...

 

[Ralphlaw]

An investor buys stock for many reasons, a potential gain being the biggest. The thing for most of us is that we usually have a wide range of potential companies to buy. I buy Disney stock in part because I spend about $5,000 to $10,000 per year on vacations with Disney. By investing in the company, I get a miniscule part of that back. I would really buy Disney if, on top of my predicted gain, I also got some perks at the parks, that little extra makes the decision easy, setting it apart from buying Walmart, Coca-cola, GE, or dozens of other companies. Yeah, Disney is a quality company, investment-wise, but give me free dessert during my trips, and there I am sending money to buy shares.

Yeah, my last post rambled a bit, but the basic notion of supply & demand is lost on many people. If you have a good supply of good workers, basic laws of economics tell you that you need not pay them alot more. If workers are scarce, you have to pay them more. If, for example, they started paying CMs $1,500 a week, a flood of great people would invade Orlando. If they cut pay in half, (which is probably illegal because of minimum wage laws), CMs would quit in droves and only lousy people would man the parks. As it is, balance is maintained: Plenty of good CMs for the pay, but enough waiting at the door to keep prevailing wages low. And costs for the guests low enough to keep the parks full, but not so high that current guests find the trip unaffordable and parks are run at under-capacity.

I like the comparison with Broadway, but the obvious question is how hard it is to find good workers in New York. What competition is there for your kind of work? What are the prevailing wage rates in New York? Are the free seats always available, or just on "slow" nights? Will good Broadway workers stay away from a given show if the perks aren't available? How many shows close on Broadway within a few weeks? And don't forget, Broadway has strong labor unions that result in better pay and benefits for those lucky enough to get work.

Oh well, Economics 101 is over for now.

 

[flynnibus]

Good post but I kind of lost you here.. you by the stock to invest money in a company for you to make money, not for the discounts...

Or so you control the company...
or so you have a say in the company's business...
or so you benefit in a way as part owner in the company...

You think so one-dimensionally here. Stock isn't just about clicking on a button in e-trade as one of millions of shareholders of common stock.

 

[s8film40]

If buying stock got you free admission, nobody would buy tickets and Disney stock would do really well for a very short time before the company went under.

 

[Ralphlaw]

If buying stock got you free admission, nobody would buy tickets and Disney stock would do really well for a very short time before the company went under.

Excellent point. By the way, almost no single shareholders have any input whatsoever over corporate decisions. Most shares are owned by mutual funds, who generally rubber stamp the Board's decisions.

Indeed, it is the board and the CEO who have power, and power wielded well brings huge rewards. Eisner is a divisive legacy, but just consider what a wimpy CEO would have NOT done: No Disney's Hollywood Studios, No Animal Kingdom, No Cruise Line, No new on-site hotels, Probably no distribution deal with Pixar (which ultimately led to the current partnership), etc . . . Wimps make non-decisions that kill companies. Great spirits, like Steve Jobs, create miracles--and enemies.

But boy are we far afield of perks for CMs.

 

[JillC LI]

Yes. They also get a MainGate Pass (I think it's still called this) to get x-number of friends/family in during the year too

My son has always wanted to work in our local Disney store as soon as he is old enough to do so. Would he be eligible for these discounts and free park entries doing that, or are these perks reserved for those who actually work in the parks?

 

[wilkeliza]

My son has always wanted to work in our local Disney store as soon as he is old enough to do so. Would he be eligible for these discounts and free park entries doing that, or are these perks reserved for those who actually work in the parks?

Maingate is to my knowledge exclusive to park employees or the Disney store in the Orlando airport because it is still a park store.

Disney employees at the stores get tickets for themselves, I believe last time I checked two a year one in January and one in July. My friend works for Times Square Disney and has worked for the company for several years (something like 4 in CA and now 1 in NY). The store employees use to get better perks when Disney first owned and operated them and then they were sold to the Children's Place. When that happened the CMs lost all their perks. Disney bought the stores back very recently and although CMs got some perks back they were not nearly as good as they originally were. I do believe that employees can bank their tickets and use them later but if they leave the company or get fired they loose those tickets.

I am not even sure if store employees get discounts at the parks. When my friend went I believe he stayed off property. The fact he stayed off property has me imagining he did not get a hotel discount or anything like that.

 

[JillC LI]

Maingate is to my knowledge exclusive to park employees or the Disney store in the Orlando airport because it is still a park store.

Disney employees at the stores get tickets for themselves, I believe last time I checked two a year one in January and one in July. My friend works for Times Square Disney and has worked for the company for several years (something like 4 in CA and now 1 in NY). The store employees use to get better perks when Disney first owned and operated them and then they were sold to the Children's Place. When that happened the CMs lost all their perks. Disney bought the stores back very recently and although CMs got some perks back they were not nearly as good as they originally were. I do believe that employees can bank their tickets and use them later but if they leave the company or get fired they loose those tickets.

I am not even sure if store employees get discounts at the parks. When my friend went I believe he stayed off property. The fact he stayed off property has me imagining he did not get a hotel discount or anything like that.

That's too bad. Thanks for the reply.

 

[SulleyanBoo]

Don't CM's get into all the parks for free?

Yes. I did the college program in spring of 2011.

Our discounts were pretty good. You get into the park for free except for EMH. You get REALLY good discounts on hotels 20-50% as well as discounts on TS meals and 20% off merchandise. The only thing that I wish we would have got a larger discount on is quick service. But, hey I think the discounts were pretty good especially considering I was only a DCP "hourly CM"

 

[Kobe!!]

Yes. I did the college program in spring of 2011.

Our discounts were pretty good. You get into the park for free except for EMH. You get REALLY good discounts on hotels 20-50% as well as discounts on TS meals and 20% off merchandise. The only thing that I wish we would have got a larger discount on is quick service. But, hey I think the discounts were pretty good especially considering I was only a DCP "hourly CM"

Almost every CM is hourly... Very few are salary...

 

[flynnibus]

Almost every CM is hourly... Very few are salary...

Not true. Your definition of 'CM' is far too narrow.

Even within the 'hourly' people there is a big distinction between those that are FULL time vs other classifications that aren't targeted as many regular hours. And then there are the thousands of skilled positions that are salary.. and then you have the various levels of managers, etc.