WDW employees

[wdwforus]

I have asked one person before about his job but he didnt reply and I dont blame him. I am still very curious though. Could anybody on here who is a CM please give me some insight on what its like being a CM? I might be looking for a job down there someday and have always been curious. Are they as bad as a majority of corporate America is? Does it take away anything from your enjoyment of the parks? Anything would be great but if you dont want to post or think that you will get in to trouble if you do I totally understand. Thanks in advance.

 

[FLcastmember]

If you are looking for $$$....bad idea

If you are looking for advencement/promotion/corperate ladder stuff.....it just like any other company out there....who you know....butt kissing kinda stuff

If you are looking for fun....IMHO, nothing out there like it, I have more fun working then being in the park as a guest.

No, it doesnt take away from the magic for me, it cmakes more of it. Watching FitS or Spectro never gets old to me.

Fellow CM's are great, because everyone is like you in that you love Disney and meet the not as high as they use to be standards.

You get to meat people from all over the world, and depending what your job is, you could up to 50,000 diferent people in one day. how can anything else compare.

Two words......MAINGATE PASS!!!!!!!!! worth about $2000 in park tics

BUT some days its just a job. Rides break down. It rains. Its HOT!!! Its Crowded. Guest can be down right mean and personal. The pay is very low. Hours can be hard to get in the off season/recessions.

BUT I WOULD DO ANYTHING ELSE!!!!!!

hope this helps

 

[FLcastmember]

Anyone out there that has Specific or general Questions, PLEASE fell free to Private messege me with them. I would be glad to share anything that I know about anything to do with working at, or Disney in general.

 

[TURKEY]

Originally posted by FLcastmember


BUT I WOULD DO ANYTHING ELSE!!!!!!

hope this helps

You would or wouldn't??

 

[Katherine]

I'm always up for some insite on the employee life.

What's being in a parade like? This is what I would love to do! Along with maybe doing something like Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue some kind of performance that I can interact with kids and adults and I can get that spark back.

 

[mkepcotmgmak]

ok, its as simple as this...
If you are a Disney FANATIC - get ready for the REAL disney WORLD... the REAL world is that everything is not ALWAYS perfect, but let me tell you this, your JOB/ROLE is to make the guests stay perfect, magical, and something they will never forget! many cms forget this. this is the main reason I love to work for the mouse.
here are some MAJOR Pros and Percs of the job:

1. YOU create MAGIC for so many people/families
1. You are the reason that little girl is gonna have a great day becuase you called her Snow White and asked her where the seven dwarfs are, (since she is in costume)
3. You are an actor/actress portraying a VERY magical role, no matter what it is.
4. you have just about unlimited access to four theme parks many people yearn to see once in their lifetime.
5. you can go in the utiladors
6. You can tell YOUR kids and grandkids that you had lunch with Cinderella, rode Space Mountain with Goofy, and Mickey Mouse was your boss.
there are SO many rewarding reasons to work for the Big Cheese. these are just my all time favs.



The neg. side:
the pay is not all that great - but advancing is not as tough as you would think... if you are going there to make millions, then you shouldn't go, you should go becuase of reasons 1-6 above.
It can get very hot, and it rains everyday at 3, but hey, you could get a great tan, and cool off in the middle of it... (ha ha) there are certain factors that are hard to deal with, like seeing "backstage" but you get used to it, and when you go onstage, you seem to be in a different world where all that backstage stuff doesn't even seem like the same place...

I am currently back home in TX and will go back to WDW after summer school in August. I CAN'T WAIT - at the job i work at now, (a party supply store) a little girl was shopping for Cinderella party supplies with her mom. I told the little girl that I used to work with Cinderella and so on... she was SO excited, but the MOM WAS ALMOST GIDDY-- she started asking so many questions like, do they still have the nightime electrical parade, blah blah blah, and I through on my best Disney smile and had a blast chatting with them!

i don't know how you are, but it is a GREAT place to work, especially if you are a people person! hope this helps a little! i would love to answer anymore questions, just email me or send me a p.m.... BEST OF LUCK - also, when you go into the casting building, notice the doorknobs, and also, pay close attention to the doors leading into the theater...

 

[Irrawaddy Erik]

Ditto what FL said......
Like my bumber sticker says "Follow me to the best job in the WORLD" and it is that. It is one of the few jobs that you get to make magic everyday.

 

[freaklarm]

You have to love this place and understand its why is there to work with them. I have to admit is the best place I've work at.

 

[Nansafan]

I have never worked there but my cousin did the college program in 1998. He loved it and still does. He goes every year to visit.

 

[FLcastmember]

Originally posted by turkey leg boy
You would or wouldn't??

wouldnt, my bad

 

[DisneyCP2000]

I totally agree with what everyone's said. Being a cast member has it highs and lows. When I was a convention guide all I'd do is stand around for 5 hours watching a rope. Not very interesting. What really makes the job fun is talking and answering guests questions. Finding out where there from, how many times the've been to WDW and all kinds of other cool stuff. Helping others have the times of thier lives and exceeding thier expectations is what it's all about. I've graduated from the CP in Jan 2001 and I'm still in love with the company. I hope to get back down there soon...hoping for May *crosses fingers*!

 

[wdwforus]

I was wondering what they offer for benefits? How many hours do you have to work to be considered full-time? 401k? Health? Pension?

 

[jimmybop]

i just have to add that if ya cant get to florida, see if your local disney store will take you on part-time its a nice way to get you foot in the door if someday you would like to work in florida (also it could get you a better chance at getting accepted for the college program). its not the same as being in florida, but if you cant get there it the closest thing to it

if ya have any questions about TDS or the College program or Blizzard beach or All-star sports resort :hammer: feel free to ask me (the e-mail link in my profile would work the best because some times i disapear for a few weeks at a time):animwink:

 

[cm1988]

Benefits (unofficial info)

Originally posted by wdwforus
I was wondering what they offer for benefits? How many hours do you have to work to be considered full-time? 401k? Health? Pension?

Ok, I'm not an H.R.-type, but will take a shot at answering this one.

Full Time is minimum 20 hours (I think), but most people statused FT work at least 30... probably 35 is the norm now. In busy seasons, 40 hours are common and overtime is easy to find (though may be 4-hour shifts with unpaid wait time between them!)

Benefits for FT are great, though like every other company, not as great as in years past since medical costs have skyrocketed. HMO/PPO options are available, plus dental, vision, long term disability and more. Most of this is unavailable to part time (CR) and seasonal (CT)... which many roles are.

At least CR and FT (maybe CT too) get occasional park passes, and of course theme park admission for yourself. Also a pass good for your family members (or up to 3 guests if they're touring the parks with you).

Only Salaried can opt in to 401k (and sweat over the stock market!) though Disney stock purchase is available to all. Also, there are both hourly and salaried pension plans where you are vested after 5 years.

So that's the benefits, as I understand them, anyway. As others are saying here, maybe the best 'benefit' is being part of the show, enjoying the magic with so many guests day after day. After a few years, an added benefit is seeing people you used to work with... just running into them here and there, after you both have moved from role to role around property. Especially neat when you are just visiting a park or resort, and suddenly there's somebody you know.

 

[wdwforus]

So how many people do you think WDW Orlando employs?

 

[cm1988]

Mickey's team

Originally posted by wdwforus
So how many people do you think WDW Orlando employs?

About 50,000. Varies a lot seasonally.

 

[mkt]

i'm going to be the voice of dissent...

if I had known what I was getting myself into before I was hired at WDW, i would've never have done it... but now that I have, there's no going back. I'm very happy there, but it definitely changed me..

i'm too tired to elaborate right now.. check back in 24 hrs