What is it like?

[knights87]

I am really considering working at Disney World, either as a Security Guard or a Life Guard, just wondering what it is like working for Disney. I have been hearing mixed reviews. Some people say they love it but then there are others who say it is terrible. What do y'all think of working there?

 

[mkt]

I loved it, but the pay was awful, the treatment from my superior was varied (ranged from good to awful), and the benefits, while many, didn't make up for the subpar pay.

In short YMMV

 

[Journey_On]

I enjoy working for Disney because....I am a huge Disney person! So many people around the world know of the Walt Disney Company, and it is really neat that you get to work for such a well-known, successful company.

It's so cool to interact with the guests and be a part of making their vacation a memorable experience. The smiles, hugs, and comments are worth it.

 

[jiminy.cricket]

It depends on where you work. Front line is pretty demanding and negativity from others (guests, managers, CMs) might get to you after a while. There are definitely fun sides to the jobs, though, depending on what they are, and you do get to help make others' days magical. I think it's a good place to work temporarily while you're still young and you're around other young people from all over the world. Some people retire and work there part time. I think working there part time or seasonally would be ideal for me. The pay is not that great (although supposedly the benefits are not bad) and things tend to get a little disorganized sometimes. You might want to try it out to see if you like it, but here's a word of caution: while I don't regret the experience, it did take away some of the magic for me or at least forced me to grow up a bit. My magic level went back up a year or two after but it's not what it used to be. Just go into it looking at it as a job and try to emotionally/mentally separate that from the guest experience. It's not going to be a blissful frolic in the park and you might see people's ugly sides (as well as their good sides, but the bad tends to dominate the good experiences). I enjoyed being able to visit the parks anytime, though, some people I met (both CMs and guests that I talked with for a brief period), and a sense of being part of the magic.