Tired of WDW?

[Michael C]

Hey everybody.

I have loved WDW since I first went 20 years ago. It seems that a good number of people who have gone to WDW to get jobs did so because they, too, had a great love for the place.

I am a young guidance counselor right now, and I'm looking to make a big change in the next few years, willing to trade a well paying job for one that will make me happy. After visiting WDW for my honeymoon this year, I actually find myself considering certain types of WDW jobs.

One thing that I keep wondering is, do those of you who love WDW sort of get sick of it after working there (or get discouraged by not liking your job), or does it make you like it even more?

I really appreciate your answers. Please, be honest.

 

[mkt]

there's enough choice in what to do there, that you could theoretically transfer every year to a new job (provided you meet transfer guidelines), so it's a wee bit hard to get annoyed with your location

however, if its the company as a whole, it's not too hard to get annoyed with it, so... yeah. there's a bit of a tradeoff

 

[cm1988]

Cost/benefit equation

Originally posted by Michael C
...looking to make a big change in the next few years, willing to trade a well paying job for one that will make me happy.... considering certain types of WDW jobs....I keep wondering...do those of you who love WDW sort of get sick of it after working there (or get discouraged...), or does it make you like it even more?...Please, be honest.

I made a similar move 14 years ago, for about the same reasons. What attracted me to WDW was the product (which we all know is happiness) and the fact (posters to this website would likely concur) that no one delivers it better.

I don't regret the decision, though I scratch my thinning scalp from time to time over it. Do I miss the beemer I'd probably be driving? The answer is always, heck no.

I wrote this, if you'd care to put it on a refrigerator magnet or embroider a tea cosy: As years pass, the wealth we acquire is not money, but memories.

It took about six months to start thinking of WDW as a workplace rather than a vacation place. I noticed one day that --- thinking of WDW --- I no longer first had the image of Cinderella's Castle or Spaceship Earth. Wardrobe and the cast cafeteria came to mind.

After a year, I found that more often than not, I'd run into a co-worker any day, at any park and often at resort locations as well. So in a sense, the entire property started to feel like a neighborhood... with lots of passers-through.

Can a person get discouraged? I got discouraged, maybe two days out of the first seven years. The rest of the time kept another slogan in mind "The traveller who misses the journey, misses about all he's going to get". (Wm. Least Heat Moon)

99.9% of the days, really enjoyed the journey. Still do. The question is: would you and your family agree? I think a lot of the answer depends on why you think working at WDW would make you happy. Is it a need to be part of "the magic"? If so, what is that magic, anyway? Personal opinion, it's just simple kindness and courtesy being practiced as a cultural norm. You might see it differently. Specifically, what do you hope to find?

If you're not 100% sure of the costs and the benefits, then bridge-burning could really hurt! Maybe hold off, or maybe plan a sabbatical... or just take a vacation (visit sunny Central Fla) to give it some more thought.

*** again scratches noggin ***

There was no internet in 1988, no wdwmagic.com where I might have asked the many cast members "what's it really like working there?" If I'd had access to the answers, and my curiosity had been satisfied, would I still be back at the old job today?

After some rambling here, I can conclude with a succinct "no", am not sick of it or discouraged!

Wishing you success (happiness!) wherever your career takes you.

 

[Michael C]

Re: Cost/benefit equation

As years pass, the wealth we acquire is not money, but memories.
The question is: would you and your family agree? I think a lot of the answer depends on why you think working at WDW would make you happy. Is it a need to be part of "the magic"? If so, what is that magic, anyway? Personal opinion, it's just simple kindness and courtesy being practiced as a cultural norm. You might see it differently. Specifically, what do you hope to find?


Wishing you success (happiness!) wherever your career takes you.

Thanks for your thoughts, CM1988, I have often had ideas similar to your "memories" statement. I think of myself as someone who invests in and collects memories.

I know myself well enough to know that just doing anything as a job at WDW would not really work for me. However, there are many things I would like to do.

If I could do anything I want, I'd be a WDW musician, like the guys at The Biergarten at Epcot. I am a folk musician (mostly Irish and New England stuff, but I can convert :lol: ), and doing that regularly instead of on the side would be a dream come true. It seems that it's easier to go down and work for the company in another capacity while proving your work ethic and character while waiting for an opportunity.

I have been trying to contact one of the guys from the band at The Biergarten, but with no luck yet. Hopefully, I'll get lucky and he can answer some of my questions about what they do.

Anyway, thanks again CM.

 

[TiggerDaddy]

I want to work there after every trip that I take. The money factor is always the killer though. Are all of the positions minimum wage?

 

[LRV3400]

Money and People

One of our most famous statments in my area is, "No smart person goes to work for WDW as a get rich quick scheme." No one works for the resort for the money. Almost any other job in the area pays a signifigant amount more.

So the real question is why do almost 60,000 people choose to work at the WDW Resort? I think most of us are addicted to great service and the ability to make people smile. The Disney company goes out of its way to make every guest feel special. Everyone is smiled to, greeted, offered assistance, and thanked for comming. This artificailly created atmosphere is not like anywhere else I know of.

Being a player in creating this aura of freindliness is great. I wouldn't trade it for the world.

 

[wannabeBelle]

Ive been thinking about this fact myself. I dont know if I could move to Florida as my home, family everything else but the Mouse is up here for me. I could so easily be a Disney vacation representative though!!! I can sell anyone on a trip to Disney and fill in all the blanks for dining, shows, all kinds of different stuff. I love helping people like that and to get paid for it too...DREAM JOB!!!! Any rumours of Disney opening a travel center in NYC Anywhere?? Belle

 

[Rora]

I too think about what it would be like to work there every time I visit. And I always come away from it thinking this way....Disney World is where I go to escape life and experience a little magic. A place that holds so many fond memories, and where I can be a kid again. If I worked there every day. Or, God forbid, I somehow became disillusioned with Disney where would I escape to find that magic?

 

[Maria]

Hey everybody.

I have loved WDW since I first went 20 years ago. It seems that a good number of people who have gone to WDW to get jobs did so because they, too, had a great love for the place.

I am a young guidance counselor right now, and I'm looking to make a big change in the next few years, willing to trade a well paying job for one that will make me happy. After visiting WDW for my honeymoon this year, I actually find myself considering certain types of WDW jobs.

One thing that I keep wondering is, do those of you who love WDW sort of get sick of it after working there (or get discouraged by not liking your job), or does it make you like it even more?

I really appreciate your answers. Please, be honest.

I worked there for more than a year, and I never ceased to be amazed with the company and how everything works, but as for the job, it was easy, and I wished I could do more stuff that would challenge my brains - that´s why I loved Guest Relations and handling guests's complains.

But, the payment was low and although it was fun, I don´t think I would trade it for another job better paid. The place is pretty, it´s fun, 'everyone' is happy, but... I still think I will like it better when I go back as a guest and after a while. You get used to seeing things, but you enjoy them more when you stop seeing them for a while.

Of course, that´s my opinion, and it´s worth what you paid for it (as Tramp says).

If you are working inside an office, not in the parks, getting well paid, I don´t see the difference with another job and the big plus would be having the free entrance to the parks. If you get something like that, I would say, go for it!

 

[Pixie Duster]

My job is quite honestly one of the most looked down upon roles in WDW, by both guest and cast. But that is because both guest and cast really have no clue what it is that Research actually does. Even with all the bad stuff I encountered purely because of my role, I love it. Now I must qualify this I have only been in this department 5 months, however my total time with the company is roughly two years.

The most important thing people need to know before taking a job at WDW is it is still a big business, part of a HUGE corporation. But the lovely thing is it is also a community. In my opinion if you are unhappy in anything in life including your job it is 80% your own fault, your mindset might need to be adjusted. In order to stay happy at WDW I use the 3 P's: Positivity, Patience, and Persistence.

 

[cloudboy]

Here's a slightly different view, from a third person perspective.

I have a friend who was always a Disney fan. He was determined that he would eventually work for Disney, even before graduation high school. After he graduated college, he (and another friend) moved down there to work for the park.

It's now been something like 10 years since he did this, and he still works down there. The first couple of years were great - he had a blast. As time went on, though, he came to just view it as a job. He has been there for some time, and though he has moved around a lot, he has not moved away from either immediate guest services or management.

His view now seems to be this - what he really wants from Disney, he could get on an anual pass. It also happens that most of the jobs in Florida are working for some tourist facility, and as that goes, Disney is a pretty good one to work for. He keeps saying he is going to look for something else, but ends up staying there beacuse it is better than the other options open to him in Florida.

So the moral is, if you are going down to work for Disney beacuse of the magic, there is a good chance that you are going to be over it within four or five days. If you are going to work for Disney beacuse you want to work with the guests and really want to do that kind of work, then Disney really is the best place to go.

Keep in mind, however, that your life is not going to revolve just around Disney. Ber sure you and your familly are going to enjoy living in central Florida - a lot of people do not, and that is what makes people most unhappy.

 

[nicholas]

I'm kinda in the same boat as others. It's always been a dream of mine to work in entertainment at the parks, but the thought of relocating myself and trying to survive on the pay has always kept me away. Add to that the fear of becoming disillusioned of it all. I know I could do seasonal and only work a few days out of the year, but I still haven't taken that opportunity and gone for it yet.

However, the new Wold of Disney store here in Manhattan has announced auditions next week for the characters, so I'm debating whether or not to go and try out. I would get the chance to do something in entertainment without having to relocate. Not sure yet what the pay would be, but I would ideally do it as a second job a few hours a week if they would allow that sort of schedule. And since I already have a full time job, if I absolutely hated it, I could leave and not feel like I was putting my well being in jeopardy. And having not relocated, I will not have given up all that much.

On the other hand, if I find I love it and realize that it's what I've been looking for all along, it will be much easier (I would assume) to transfer to something in the parks having had character/entertainment experience already.

I dunno. I'm still trying to figure out what I am going to do.

 

[DisneyJill]

I was determined since I was 14 that I was going to work for Disney--forever. I moved down in January and started my college program, what I thought would be my foot in the door to a great job. What followed was 5 months of really hard work during crazy hours with low pay. I left in May, discouraged b/c I had no money. While I probably couldn't be convinced to do the college program again (good people, good times though), I could probably be persuaded to work for Disney again. I miss it terribly every single day. I miss getting to watch Wishes whenever I wanted. I miss saying to my friends "Let's go to Epcot tomorrow" or "Oh, let's just run in and watch Illuminations." I miss getting to play Fantasia mini-golf and getting to eat at Chef Mickey's and PBJ milkshakes at 50's Prime Time. On the other hand, there's that old anticipation building for my next trip. When I lived there, I took for granted the opportunities I had. Now that I can't just drive to the MK to ride Space Mountain and get a Dole Whip, I am looking forward to getting to to again SO much that I can hardly stand it!!! I needed some of that anticipation to come back, when you work there day in and day out, you lose a little of it. At least I did. I never lost the magic--I still got chills when I walked down Main Street USA with the castle looming ahead. I still got teary when I saw Wishes. But some of the other things I took for granted. So, moral of my ramblings? Not sure, actually...I learned from my working there, I grew tremendously as a person, and I figured a lot about who I am. And I miss it, a lot, every day. So, if you love it, go for it. You'll never regret any decision you make with your heart.

 

[wannabeBelle]

I'm kinda in the same boat as others. It's always been a dream of mine to work in entertainment at the parks, but the thought of relocating myself and trying to survive on the pay has always kept me away. Add to that the fear of becoming disillusioned of it all. I know I could do seasonal and only work a few days out of the year, but I still haven't taken that opportunity and gone for it yet.

However, the new Wold of Disney store here in Manhattan has announced auditions next week for the characters, so I'm debating whether or not to go and try out. I would get the chance to do something in entertainment without having to relocate. Not sure yet what the pay would be, but I would ideally do it as a second job a few hours a week if they would allow that sort of schedule. And since I already have a full time job, if I absolutely hated it, I could leave and not feel like I was putting my well being in jeopardy. And having not relocated, I will not have given up all that much.

On the other hand, if I find I love it and realize that it's what I've been looking for all along, it will be much easier (I would assume) to transfer to something in the parks having had character/entertainment experience already.

I dunno. I'm still trying to figure out what I am going to do.

I say go for it Nicholas!!! What have you got to lose?? Belle

 

[Sir Hiss527]

I say go for it Nicholas!!! What have you got to lose?? Belle

I second that..since you want to do characters...

Characters has got to be the coolest job...

 

[Atta83]

I love my job here. And Disney does not ever get boring to me . I have visited about 5 times before working here.

 

[rokcandy]

I was determined since I was 14 that I was going to work for Disney--forever. I moved down in January and started my college program, what I thought would be my foot in the door to a great job. What followed was 5 months of really hard work during crazy hours with low pay. I left in May, discouraged b/c I had no money. While I probably couldn't be convinced to do the college program again (good people, good times though), I could probably be persuaded to work for Disney again. I miss it terribly every single day. I miss getting to watch Wishes whenever I wanted. I miss saying to my friends "Let's go to Epcot tomorrow" or "Oh, let's just run in and watch Illuminations." I miss getting to play Fantasia mini-golf and getting to eat at Chef Mickey's and PBJ milkshakes at 50's Prime Time. On the other hand, there's that old anticipation building for my next trip. When I lived there, I took for granted the opportunities I had. Now that I can't just drive to the MK to ride Space Mountain and get a Dole Whip, I am looking forward to getting to to again SO much that I can hardly stand it!!! I needed some of that anticipation to come back, when you work there day in and day out, you lose a little of it. At least I did. I never lost the magic--I still got chills when I walked down Main Street USA with the castle looming ahead. I still got teary when I saw Wishes. But some of the other things I took for granted. So, moral of my ramblings? Not sure, actually...I learned from my working there, I grew tremendously as a person, and I figured a lot about who I am. And I miss it, a lot, every day. So, if you love it, go for it. You'll never regret any decision you make with your heart.

DisneyJill pretty much summed up my feelings about this topic; however, I would do the CP one more time. Although the job wasn't so fun, I eventually got to a point where it didn't matter. It was work; work is work. What did matter were all the experiences I had. My coworkers would see me in the park before my shift. I would come in later, costumed, and those same coworkers would tease me for hanging around the place earlier. Like because I worked there, I shouldn't have found Epcot fun anymore. Truth is, the magic is still there for me, yet it's a slightly different kind of magic. It does depend on the person though; I guess I just love WDW too much to let a temporary job get to me. And I know that place so very well now that it's basically become my second home. I'm missing it way too much.

 

[bgraham34]

I tell ya, if Disney were to Put a park in NJ. I would quit my job and start working there. But because it is so hot in Orlando I would never think of it. Heat and me don't mix. Jersey does get hot but not as bad as Florida and we have a nice cool winter.

 

[Maria]

I'm kinda in the same boat as others. It's always been a dream of mine to work in entertainment at the parks, but the thought of relocating myself and trying to survive on the pay has always kept me away. Add to that the fear of becoming disillusioned of it all. I know I could do seasonal and only work a few days out of the year, but I still haven't taken that opportunity and gone for it yet.

However, the new Wold of Disney store here in Manhattan has announced auditions next week for the characters, so I'm debating whether or not to go and try out. I would get the chance to do something in entertainment without having to relocate. Not sure yet what the pay would be, but I would ideally do it as a second job a few hours a week if they would allow that sort of schedule. And since I already have a full time job, if I absolutely hated it, I could leave and not feel like I was putting my well being in jeopardy. And having not relocated, I will not have given up all that much.

On the other hand, if I find I love it and realize that it's what I've been looking for all along, it will be much easier (I would assume) to transfer to something in the parks having had character/entertainment experience already.

I dunno. I'm still trying to figure out what I am going to do.

My advice would be to audition in the Manhattan Disney Store for the characters and do it in your spare time. Only then you will see if being quiet while jumping and greeting people is really for you without losing your main source of income. It´s hard to find good, stablished jobs nowadays, so if you already have one, keep it!
Good luck and have fun!