Working at WDW?

[Zipadeedoodah]

Okay, this question is for all of you CM (or past CM)...

I am seriously considering moving to Orlando from Chicago. I want to work at WDW so VERY badly. This may sound a little foolish..I don't know. I am a 23 year old male, living and working full time in Chicago. I work for a law firm, but I HATE the bitter cold temperatures, and I LOVE WDW. I love to entertain people (I used to perform disney songs for the kids I babysat)! I think it would be really great to be around families experiencing the magic every day..and making their trip more magical! I litterally can barely think of anything else during the day besides WDW...is it strange for a 23 year old to think like this? haha My girlfriend thinks that I would get tired of WDW after awhile if I worked there, and she says that I would get paid next to nothing, and would be unhappy.

Here are my questions..

Has anyone else been in this similar situation? Moved to work at WDW? Did you, or do you get tired of it? Does it take the magic of the place away?

How is it living in Orlando? Is it a nice city to live in?

Is it tough to get a job at WDW? How is the pay? Is there room for advancements within the company?

Any help would be MUCH appreciated! Thanks in advance!

:wave:

 

[mkt]

Originally posted by Zipadeedoodah
Did you, or do you get tired of it?

it's all about your attitude and work location. I wasn't tired of it, but I definitely enjoyed my days off more after a while.

Originally posted by Zipadeedoodah
Does it take the magic of the place away?

It creates a new kind of magic

Originally posted by Zipadeedoodah
How is it living in Orlando? Is it a nice city to live in?

it's a nice town... fairly safe, decent schools (Universities are good though), cheaper cost of living, no state income tax

Originally posted by Zipadeedoodah
Is it tough to get a job at WDW? How is the pay? Is there room for advancements within the company?

it's extremely easy to get hired at WDW. The pay is substandard for most non-executive positions (no joke.. a McDonalds burger flipper gets paid more than most entry level hourly CM's). But it's extremely Unionized, so raises are extremely predictable, as is overtime and whatnot. There is room for advancement, but since so many people are trying for each open position, it's hard to actually advance. Very few people that try for advancement actually make it.

 

[Zipadeedoodah]

Thanks for your input!

 

[se8472]

I never got tired of working there. I mean some CM will think that you are crazy coming to the parks on almost everyday you have off but I did. But as for the magic going anywhere I have to say no. Like mkt said, it creats a new kind of magic on a new level. A level that you really can't get when you are a guest.

Now I found Orlando to be a cool place to live. There are some nice homes and apartments right around WDW. Some so close you can watch wishes out your window.

And OMG its not even funny how easy it is to get a job at Disney. But like mtk said its hard to move up with so many people trying to move up with you. But if you are in the law field I would try and get a job dealing with the legal department at WDW. Granted you won't have as much interation with the guest as I did at Space but I would think you are getting paid more. But its not like your guest interation is like at 0 or anything.

I wish I had more info on the legal department at the MK. I remember a day when we had some power aid bottle fall on some guest and we shut down the mountain and had to wait for the legal department to come out and check everything to make sure that if the family wanted any money out of the company, we could say that it really wasn't our falt that the bottle fell on your daughters head because someone above you dropped it.

But yeah, working for the mouse rocks so much. You get so much more magic IMO. And it also lets your watch Spetro a Million times and never get board of it. And lets not forget about the discounts to almost everything in and around the resort.

 

[Zipadeedoodah]

Thanks for your help...I appreciate everyone's opinions on this!

 

[Djali999]

I very much like working at WDW. and I'm not sick of going there on my days off yet! you have to realize that unless you snag training in a lot of different areas you're gonna be working in pretty much the same land or area all the time.

and generally in the same 50 square feet for 3 hours or so. so we aren't exactly allowed to cavort around as we please.

advancement is, in theory, open, but again... it can get iffy.

if you really want to do it, then, well, do it. there's always a demand for those with a background in law wherever you are, so if you hate it then, well... you came for the weather.

 

[Zipadeedoodah]

Thanks for your input....I do work for a law firm, but I am not an attorney. I am in Records Management, so if I move to Orlando to work at WDW, I won't be working in the legal atmosphere most likely.

I am really enjoying listening to all of your opinions on this...keep em coming..Thank so much! You're a big help in my decision making!

:wave:

 

[Djali999]

Originally posted by Zipadeedoodah
Thanks for your input....I do work for a law firm, but I am not an attorney. I am in Records Management, so if I move to Orlando to work at WDW, I won't be working in the legal atmosphere most likely.

ah. well, you should know that the Orange County economy is kinda depressed right now. not as bad as where I moved away from (Conneticut), but you may have difficulty securing a job outside of Disney.

can anyone help this fellow out with how much the pay rate is for a full-time Cast Member? I'm seasonal and a student.

it's incredibly, stupidly easy to get a job at WDW. show up, grin, blather about how much you love the rodent and hold the door for the interviewer.

all I can say about the area is: there are lots of strip malls, we all drive like lunatics but it was 80 degrees today and sunny, and in Connecticut it was 30 degrees and cloudy. how was it in Chicago?

j/k.

cheers.

 

[Zipadeedoodah]

Hahaha...funny! It was 27 degrees here and snow flurries...expecting colder temperatures for the rest of the week....

BUT...in 18 days I have a trip to WDW planned! So, there is a BIT of light at the end of the tunnel... :lol:

What do you do at WDW? Maybe I can hunt you down when I'm there!

:wave:

 

[barnebd5]

I'm 17 and I'm a junior and when I graduate I can't wait to move down to WDW, I wanna get a job in ride operations or maybe I'll just be a character, and I don't care if it's bad pay or whatever, I love it down there so it won't matter to me. My mom always tells me you'll have a better life if you're doing what you love and I love Walt Disney World.

One of the things I've have always wanted to do is to run the attractions and do the little monolouges they do and I wanna be able to send the ride vehicles off.

Also,if I have to I'll be a character and make a little kid smile,:lol:

 

[ct00000]

Hi Zipadeedoodah,
I don't know much about working there either, but I did work there during the summer of 98. It was so much fun, and I miss it a lot. I'm considerig dropping everything and moving to Orlando too. I visit at least once a month and really love the city (especially Mall of Millenia)

I'm further in my career and life than you are (28 yo), but I say go for it. I'm in the planning stages of doing the same thing.
It's a scary move, but Disney has a strong power over a lot of people. Life is too short to work in a job that you don't enjoy or to constantly feel that you should be somewhere else.
Best of luck to all of us with this dream!

 

[Pixie Duster]

I basically agree with what is being posted here. I am a born and raised central Floridian. I love it here and I LOVE working at WDW. It gets tough, advancing is what I want to do, but it will be difficult. Some areas have a ton of cast members that love working there and other areas have a ton of cast members where it is just a job. So you have to maintain a positive perspective and NEVER forget what it's like to be a guest, that's why I go to the parks on my days off, that and it's fun as heck!

 

[cm1988]

Re: Re: Working at WDW?

Originally posted by mkt
it's all about your attitude and work location. I wasn't tired of it, but I definitely enjoyed my days off more after a while.



It creates a new kind of magic



it's a nice town... fairly safe, decent schools (Universities are good though), cheaper cost of living, no state income tax


it's extremely easy to get hired at WDW. The pay is substandard for most non-executive positions (no joke.. a McDonalds burger flipper gets paid more than most entry level hourly CM's). But it's extremely Unionized, so raises are extremely predictable, as is overtime and whatnot. There is room for advancement, but since so many people are trying for each open position, it's hard to actually advance. Very few people that try for advancement actually make it.

Ditto, MKT. Ditto, ditto, ditto

Would also suggest to anyone considering a move to WDW, do a budget, then come down for a little vacation sometime and take a day or two away from the parks. Based on your budget, look at a couple of apartment complexes (or rooms for rent, or trailers for rent). As an hourly c.m., you'll probably have to house-share in some way.

And as MKT said, the magic is "a new kind". That is, the kind you get from being the giver rather than the recipient. On the other hand, its a shared experience for both.

A friend was down here recently, staying at a WDW resort. She dropped a half gallon jug of milk fumbling with her keycard. A c.m. saw her and of course hurried over to mop up the spill and make sure everything was ok. Twenty minutes later, there's a knock on the door and the c.m. has returned with another jug of milk. After some insistent questioning, my friend learned that the c.m. had been leaving her shift... was on her own time, bought the milk with her own hourly wages, etc. The c.m. graciously wouldn't accept reimbursement.

As I'm sure you know, not all c.m. do these things... at least to that degree. I would suggest that those who enjoy doing them are in fact the happiest people. As long as they can afford it!

 

[ct00000]

Wow! What a great story. It's so refreshing to see people who TRULY love their jobs. Less $$, but greater job satisfaction.

Thanks for sharing that.
:wave:

 

[Beniz]

Don't wait. Do it now. I did exactly what you are thinking of doing. No matter what happens, you will never regret it. Do it while you're young.

I did move back to Denver however, to finish college, but in 3 months, I will be returning.

P.S. - I want an update on your progress!

 

[sheleski]

Thinking about working for WDW

Zipadeedoodah,
I am too toying with the idea of moving down to Florida and working for the Mouse. But my problem is that a simple hourly wage job would not help me support my family.

In order for me to relocate I would need a paid rate in the middle twenties to even think about it. I work in the IT (Information Technology) Area. My guess finding a job like that in WDW is almost impossible. :veryconfu

I wish you luck.

 

[Beniz]

I think you're wrong man. The Walt Disney World job listings is always bursting with IT jobs. Like this one:

http://jobsearch.disneycareers.newj...0:49&Logo=0&col=dltj&cy=&brd=3602&lid=&fn=&q=

and this one:

http://jobsearch.disneycareers.newj...3:01&Logo=0&col=dltj&cy=&brd=3602&lid=&fn=&q=

No more excuses. :animwink:

 

[mkt]

that doesn't mean they actually fill em

advice for getting a job with Disney if you're not in Orlando..

1- drop off a HARD copy of the resumé. If you can't, email a copy to a friend, and have them drop it off. These resumés get looked at before snail mail, fax, and email

2- get a referral card from a current CM. It doesn't matter what the CM does or who they are for the most part.

3- Disney actually lists positions they have no intention of filling. Why is this? To keep an active applicant database. Remember the 2001 Hiring Freeze? Disney still had plenty of jobs listed... that they never filled.