The Spirit Takes the Fifth ...

[Funmeister]

Always attack the point and not the person. See, a little editing, a little less verbose, more polite, and not near as bellicose. You also make a stronger point by not appearing to be going Krakatoa.

I agree...but there is a history.

 

[Goofyernmost]

They are trapped. 15 years ago many top WDW execs did not have a degree. I think you would be shocked to know there was a time where people actually moved up the ladder at Disney. No more. There is no more "moving up." Young kids are trapped through the college program and get caught up in the fun.

Please explainin your solution on how to get young adults out of the trap of low Disney wages sharing an apartment with three or four roommates. Compare the salary of a GSM ($28k to $33k) and the price of living in Central Florida. Most have to get a second job just to make ends meet AFTER working overtime at Disney.

NOW...go ahead and change the topic and twist words as you usually do to make a point that no longer matters like yourself.

You could be correct, and your righteousness is noted, however, no one is a prisoner at Disney. It isn't a barbed wire concentration camp. People can leave and try and start a new life anytime they want to. All they have to do is make the effort. Don't give me that crap about being trapped. One is only as trapped as they allow themselves to be. If you can't make a living in Central Florida...go someplace else. Even homeless people can get to different locations. NO ONE IS TRAPPED. Escaping may be difficult but it is not impossible.

Also 15 years ago, (actually a bit longer then that) people could advance in almost any company you care to name without a college degree, but that situation no longer exists. Is it a foolish waste of talented and potentially great people, sure is but that is the world we currently live it.

 

[Funmeister]

You could be correct, and your righteousness is noted, however, no one is a prisoner at Disney. It isn't a barbed wire concentration camp. People can leave and try and start a new life anytime they want to. All they have to do is make the effort. Don't give me that crap about being trapped. One is only as trapped as they allow themselves to be. If you can't make a living in Central Florida...go someplace else. Even homeless people can get to different locations. NO ONE IS TRAPPED. Escaping may be difficult but it is not impossible.

Also 15 years ago, (actually a bit longer then that) people could advance in almost any company you care to name without a college degree, but that situation no longer exists. Is it a foolish waste of talented and potentially great people, sure is but that is the world we currently live it.

GO look at what Disney is selling to these kids in shallow promises. Leave anytime they want? You are really out of touch with reality. Go try working 60+ hours a week on a DIsney wage. You can never save up enough money to break the cycle to get out. Everyone does not have the luxury of getting a bailout from mom and dad.

Answer this question: HAVE YOU WORKED FOR DISNEY? YES or NO

 

[Cesar R M]

This is exactly where I'm at in my life. I can't afford to leave despite working full time and over time. It's hard to keep ones head above the water as of late and the cost of living keeps rising.

Living paycheck to paycheck is becoming a luxury for people.

I don't understand how theme parks numbers are as good as they are with so many people on the verge of drowning. Surely everyone can't be using just credit cards. Or are they?

try saving money for months or years.

that's how I did when I was in college and in the years I worked with a pitiful 800 USD a MONTH salary.

 

[Funmeister]

try saving money for months or years.

that's how I did when I was in college and in the years I worked with a pitiful 800 USD a MONTH salary.

How would you save any money literally living paycheck to paycheck as many Cast Members do? Just curious.

 

[alissafalco]

Getting back to WDW, I'm bummed about the news of no Star Wars until NG sees a profit. I just don't see how NG is going to bring in any substantial profit? What am I missing?

 

[GoofGoof]

Are you insane? GO look at what Disney is selling to these kids in shallow promises. Leave anytime they want? You are really out of touch with reality. Go try working 60+ hours a week on a DIsney wage. You can never save up enough money to break the cycle to get out. Everyone does not have the luxury of getting a bailout from mom and dad.

Answer this question: HAVE YOU WORKED FOR DISNEY? YES or NO

What are they promising these people? I have never worked for Disney and have no knowledge of the inner workings of the college program. Just curious.

If the WDW wages are just north of minimum wage couldn't they just leave and work at Walmart or McDonalds or any other chain store? A guy I work with's wife is an assistant manager at Walmart. She doesn't have a degree, but started as a cashier and worked her way up. She is making over 3 times minimum wage. She works a lot of hours, but who doesn't these days.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Are you insane? GO look at what Disney is selling to these kids in shallow promises. Leave anytime they want? You are really out of touch with reality. Go try working 60+ hours a week on a DIsney wage. You can never save up enough money to break the cycle to get out. Everyone does not have the luxury of getting a bailout from mom and dad.

Answer this question: HAVE YOU WORKED FOR DISNEY? YES or NO

OK, then the decision to work there was a huge mistake. No, I have never worked for Disney and I wouldn't have because, they didn't pay enough. There is nothing you can say that will make me feel that their feet are nailed to the floor. If they cannot get out because they are not skilled in anything else, well being on the outside wouldn't help much anyway. Using Disney as a temporary stepping stone is not a bad thing, but, the days of field promotion are gone forever. If one does not know that then they are not paying attention.

Since you insist on making this a personal discussion. I worked many 60 hour weeks in my lifetime. Disney is a company like any other. There is nothing unique about the corporate structure. It doesn't promise a magical day for everyone that works there. It gives them a job that they have the freedom to leave at any time. The discussion about college loans if they exist, isn't a good one either because there are many programs in place that will either defer repayment or in some cases over time forgive it. That is fact, not my opinion. And if they are content to be a minimum wage CM and they have a degree, then they are not thinking or being realistic about how this all works.

You apparently have an issue with me. Let me be the first to let you know that I don't care what others think about me, I will express my opinion and will not be bullied into not having one. I am not always correct, but, I have a pretty good idea about how the world (both Disney and the real one) works. Sometimes one just has to take a chance to make anything happen. Life has no guarantees.

 

[Soarin' Over Pgh]

try saving money for months or years.

that's how I did when I was in college and in the years I worked with a pitiful 800 USD a MONTH salary.

I know it's a well intended comment but that's easier said than done when you have rent, utilities, transportation costs, student loans, food, etc. there's simply no more wiggle room for a large group of people.

A job at disney seems like a " fun" job, not a profitable job. It's a midlife crisis job, or a pre- real world job for hopeful teenagers who haven't been hardened and damaged by the realities of being an independent adult. Maybe a job at disney would be good for a young house wife who is married to someone who brings home a killer paycheck and she's bored. I don't know, I've never worked for the company. I have worked retail, before adulthood. Wouldn't be able to survive on that now.

 

[Soarin' Over Pgh]

Disney is only one piece to a huge problem of over working and under paying staff and not caring what it's doing to them mentally physically or financially.

Didn't mcdonalds recently tell their employees to return Christmas gifts and consider a second part time job in order to save money this winter? Is no one bothered by this?

 

[Funmeister]

What are they promising these people? I have never worked for Disney and have no knowledge of the inner workings of the college program. Just curious.

If the WDW wages are just north of minimum wage couldn't they just leave and work at Walmart or McDonalds or any other chain store? A guy I work with's wife is an assistant manager at Walmart. She doesn't have a degree, but started as a cashier and worked her way up. She is making over 3 times minimum wage. She works a lot of hours, but who doesn't these days.

Sure they could go work at the places you mentioned. They do not move from all over the country to work for Wal Mart or Target or Publix. They move for Disney. Most cases they do not have a financial ssafety net incase they want to move home. They spend theier money to get stsrted in life to try to make it work. In many cases it does not work and they are stuck working paycheck to paycheck. Then they have to get a second or third job to make ends meet and it is a cycle they cannot break. How do you suggest they get out?

 

[GoofGoof]

Disney is only one piece to a huge problem of over working and under paying staff and not caring what it's doing to them mentally physically or financially.

Didn't mcdonalds recently tell their employees to return Christmas gifts and consider a second part time job in order to save money this winter? Is no one bothered by this?

Honestly, if you work at McDonalds for just above minimum wage that is probably sound advice. Getting a part time job will help make ends meet and not spending above your means is a good way to avoid racking up unnecessary debt. The idea of gift giving is supposed to be "it's the thought that counts". Racking up credit card debt on gifts or vacations is a bad financial decision. It seems harsh for a corporation to suggest this to its employees, but in a lot of cases people don't have anyone in their lives to offer this kind of advice.

 

[jakeman]

Please. They strongly imply you'll be doing work in your field--like the intern credits on your transcript suggest. Instead, I meet music majors who do janitorial work and econ majors working the ticket gates 12 hours a day. It's pure and simple a way to get cheap labor.

Really? I must have missed the pharmaceutical development box on my safari application all those years ago, because I knew full well that doing the CP was nothing but a fun distraction with nomore than a remote ancillary benefit to any career progression that I was pursuing.

They never implied I would be doing anything remotely near my field of study, nor my wife's. It was intern credits if your college accepted them. That was it.

 

[GoofGoof]

Sure they could go work at the places you mentioned. They do not move from all over the country to work for Wal Mart or Target or Publix. They move for Disney. Most cases they do not have a financial ssafety net incase they want to move home. They spend theier money to get stsrted in life to try to make it work. In many cases it does not work and they are stuck working paycheck to paycheck. Then they have to get a second or third job to make ends meet and it is a cycle they cannot break. How do you suggest they get out?

... one way is by working at the places I mentioned instead. If your dream is to work for Disney then do it, but understand that it comes with a less than desirable salary level. There are pros and cons with any job. Money is just 1 aspect.

What would it take to get the employees up to an acceptable standard of living? A 50% pay increase? 100%? How much are the park tickets going to be then? $200 a day?

 

[Cesar R M]

How would you save any money literally living paycheck to paycheck as many Cast Members do? Just curious.

I think you didn't even read what I said. because I do not think 800 USD a month on the best days is an amazing paycheck... As I worked my off PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK (as junior IT engineer and a COOK in a for tourist restaurant at an amazing rate of 800 A MONTH during the best days).
I still could save what I could from time to time and travel to the US. (once It took me full 12 months of savings just to get enough money for the trip)
While its hard, its not impossible.

OK, then the decision to work there was a huge mistake. No, I have never worked for Disney and I wouldn't have because, they didn't pay enough. There is nothing you can say that will make me feel that their feet are nailed to the floor. If they cannot get out because they are not skilled in anything else, well being on the outside wouldn't help much anyway. Using Disney as a temporary stepping stone is not a bad thing, but, the days of field promotion are gone forever. If one does not know that then they are not paying attention.

Since you insist on making this a personal discussion. I worked many 60 hour weeks in my lifetime. Disney is a company like any other. There is nothing unique about the corporate structure. It doesn't promise a magical day for everyone that works there. It gives them a job that they have the freedom to leave at any time. The discussion about college loans if they exist, isn't a good one either because there are many programs in place that will either defer repayment or in some cases over time forgive it. That is fact, not my opinion. And if they are content to be a minimum wage CM and they have a degree, then they are not thinking or being realistic about how this all works.

You apparently have an issue with me. Let me be the first to let you know that I don't care what others think about me, I will express my opinion and will not be bullied into not having one. I am not always correct, but, I have a pretty good idea about how the world (both Disney and the real one) works. Sometimes one just has to take a chance to make anything happen. Life has no guarantees.

I think the issue with disney and many megacorporations is.. they refuse to raise wages despite rising costs (aka inflation), their rates do not follow the natural levels of inflation (this happens in Mexico a lot.. and people wonder why there are people working up to 3 jobs AT SAME TIME just to live)
This reached ridiculous levels when the secretary of work (a very rich man protected by friends and alliances in high levels) claimed any family of 5 could live happily with less than 1200 USD a month)

They have a sort of middle trap where its extremely hard to go up the ladder, as they hoag most of the jobs by using temp employers or "college".
despite the staggering earnings of a corp like disney, I find it interesting how they refuse to help their own workers.

Honestly, if you work at McDonalds for just above minimum wage that is probably sound advice. Getting a part time job will help make ends meet and not spending above your means is a good way to avoid racking up unnecessary debt. The idea of gift giving is supposed to be "it's the thought that counts". Racking up credit card debt on gifts or vacations is a bad financial decision. It seems harsh for a corporation to suggest this to its employees, but in a lot of cases people don't have anyone in their lives to offer this kind of advice.

I think the best advice is WORK SMARTER not HARDER.
corporate loves to pull the BS of "you should work harder to get a promotion". Which is 99% of the time.. a big frigging LIE; as they will expect you to blast your socks, working that hard forever, and you will never receive a penny of extra payment.. all while the managers boast how they raised their group productivity bhile bowing to their overlord corporate masters for a raise for themselves at the cost of the employee's physical and mental health.

Pretty sure if the whole globalization wasnt there, the jobs would still have the same value as before, but then.. we couldn't get so many electronic cheap stuff.

... one way is by working at the places I mentioned instead. If your dream is to work for Disney then do it, but understand that it comes with a less than desirable salary level. There are pros and cons with any job. Money is just 1 aspect.

What would it take to get the employees up to an acceptable standard of living? A 50% pay increase? 100%? How much are the park tickets going to be then? $200 a day?

Imho, unless we know how much pure profit are those 100$ tickets, I do not think we will ever know what the whole thing is.
Corps will use whatever excuse to squeeze as much and will try to get away with any technique to squeeze!
Top management only wants to please their wallets and their investors.
They never care about the "peasant worker". (and people wonder why there are unions.. and why corps hate unions)

I'm pretty sure if disney could, they could try to squeeze 200$ in the tickets a pop if people were still buying them... even if 90% of that is pure profit and didn't really required an increase in the first place!

 

[jakeman]

Sure they could go work at the places you mentioned. They do not move from all over the country to work for Wal Mart or Target or Publix. They move for Disney. Most cases they do not have a financial ssafety net incase they want to move home. They spend theier money to get stsrted in life to try to make it work. In many cases it does not work and they are stuck working paycheck to paycheck. Then they have to get a second or third job to make ends meet and it is a cycle they cannot break. How do you suggest they get out?

Look at what you wrote. People are moving across the country with no financial safety net to go work at a theme park. How is that ever a good idea?

How to get out of the cycle, you asked? Well based on what you wrote, don't ever enter the cycle to begin with. Look at the financial options and make an adult decision. Don't rush off to work at a place full time for the rest of your life based on a dream.

There needs to be a little less dream chasing and a little bit more big boy pant wearing around here.

 

[Funmeister]

... one way is by working at the places I mentioned instead. If your dream is to work for Disney then do it, but understand that it comes with a less than desirable salary level. There are pros and cons with any job. Money is just 1 aspect.

What would it take to get the employees up to an acceptable standard of living? A 50% pay increase? 100%? How much are the park tickets going to be then? $200 a day?

Go to a presentation or online presentation for the college program and tell me where they hint that you do not make money. SUre they tell you how much you will make minus housing but the rest of the presentation is inflated a bit to show how great it is and that you CAN make it on the wages you make. Oh yeah..they also tell you you are guaranteed a certain number of hours. THis is true to a point but its not 40 hours!

 

[Funmeister]

Look at what you wrote. People are moving across the country with no financial safety net to go work at a theme park. How is that ever a good idea?

How to get out of the cycle, you asked? Well based on what you wrote, don't ever enter the cycle to begin with. Look at the financial options and make an adult decision. Don't rush off to work at a place full time for the rest of your life based on a dream.

There needs to be a little less dream chasing and a little bit more big boy pant wearing around here.

It is a good idea because of the picture that the college program paints for them. Part of the problem is that you guys are comparing it to a normal job versus the promises of the college program by Disney. It is not the same thing.

I am NOT talking about people saying..hey..lets move to Florida and work for Disney. I am talking about the college program.

 

[Funmeister]

I think you didn't even read what I said. because I do not think 800 USD a month on the best days is an amazing paycheck... As I worked my off PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK (as junior IT engineer and a COOK in a for tourist restaurant at an amazing rate of 800 A MONTH during the best days).
I still could save what I could from time to time and travel to the US. (once It took me full 12 months of savings just to get enough money for the trip)
While its hard, its not impossible.



I think the issue with disney and many megacorporations is.. they refuse to raise wages despite rising costs (aka inflation), their rates do not follow the natural levels of inflation (this happens in Mexico a lot.. and people wonder why there are people working up to 3 jobs AT SAME TIME just to live)

They have a sort of middle trap where its extremely hard to go up the ladder, as they hoag most of the jobs by using temp employers or "college".
despite the staggering earnings of a corp like disney, I find it interesting how they refuse to help their own workers.



I think the best advice is WORK SMARTER not HARDER.
corporate loves to pull the BS of "you should work harder to get a promotion". Which is 99% of the time.. a big frigging LIE; as they will expect you to blast your socks, working that hard forever, and you will never receive a penny of extra payment.. all while the managers boast how they raised their group productivity bhile bowing to their overlord corporate masters for a raise for themselves at the cost of the employee's physical and mental health.

Pretty sure if the whole globalization wasnt there, the jobs would still have the same value as before, but then.. we couldn't get so many electronic cheap stuff.




Imho, unless we know how much pure profit are those 100$ tickets, I do not think we will ever know what the whole thing is.
Corps will use whatever excuse to squeeze as much and will try to get away with any technique to squeeze!
Top management only wants to please their wallets and their investors.
They never care about the "peasant worker". (and people wonder why there are unions.. and why corps hate unions)

I'm pretty sure if disney could, they could try to squeeze 200$ in the tickets a pop if people were still buying them... even if 90% of that is pure profit and didn't really required an increase in the first place!

So you are saying your personal experience is a good representation of what most go through while working on the Disney College Program? What year did you work on the program?

 

[Cesar R M]

So you are saying your personal experience is a good representation of what most go through while working on the Disney College Program? What year did you work on the program?

please stop trying to skew what I write.



I just mentioned my personal experience.. and how I worked under somewhat similar conditions in what you call a "third world country". Studying, working 2 jobs.. and having to pay the bills. (to resume, I studied, I worked and I paid bills, and still saved a few USD from time to time, even cents or tips helped savings)

Of course... having a safety net in parents help too; but not many have that luxury.

Also, I have no idea why you're taking this way too personally as you're sounding more and more acidic towards everyone and skewing stuff (almost like you only read what you WANT to read)