Calling anyone who has ever/or is currently working for Disney store/Disney

[Debs Hill]

OK, this is the dilemma and I need your help! I am currently working as a manager in the Probation Service.....and I do not enjoy it anymore...but it pays quite well and the holidays are good! I have applied to our local Disney Store for a position as part of the management team(3rd in command!), and if I were successful would consider it.....but at this grade would be half my current salary!

So, I need to hear the opinions of all of you that have ever worked for Disney......what is it like? Do they treat their staff well? What are the promotion opportunities, or opportunities to get involved in Disney away from the store itself? Please give me all the good and bad to help me make a good decision!!!

Many thanks!

 

[neo's white rabbit]

Can you afford to live on half your current salary?

 

[profdsny]

Deb, sent you a pm on this. Hope it helps.

 

[Debs Hill]

Could we afford it? Well, we would manage, but it would be a struggle. I think I would only be able to do it if I felt that it was a short term thing and that the long term prospects were good!
Looking forward to hearing all your opinions!

 

[SidB]

Originally posted by neo's white rabbit
Can you afford to live on half your current salary?

Life too short to worry about money. The pursuit of happiness etc.

 

[Fantasia Sam]

Well I say go for it Deb - I gave up a full-time permanent career last May. I'd had it with the dog-eat-dog and politics of the Human Resources profession after 13 years - everyone was really shocked when I said I was just giving it all up. I tried a 5 month HR contract Oct-Feb and it was still the same so I'm now also considering going into Retail. I've been lucky in that I sold my property and moved in with my boyfriend so that's been supporting me through my "finding myself" period I would love to work for the Disney Store and enquired last summer but they only had openings for Xmas season - which is when I was going to Florida so left it for then.

 

[kazzie]

Deb,

I'd say go for it too As the others have said,money isn't everything.It is possible to pull in a bit to adjust to there being less money coming in.If it doesn't work out I'm sure you can get back into that field again.It is better to regret what you have done than what you haven't.

I've had to give up work at the beginning of November as my youngest isn't at school at the moment,or for the forseeable future.We have missed my wages but as above have changed things a bit and it hasn't really affected us at all.Having said that that though I did work part-time and wasn't a major contributor the the household finances

All the best

 

[Mrs Dazzle]

I agree wholeheartedly with everyone's comments . . . got for it - satisfaction at work is so important.

Last August I got made redundant after 15 yrs in a senior public relations position for a rather large financial services organisation. Scarey monkies - yipes - what are we gonna do - all those things for months and months we'd worried about it. But we manage, I'm still being a happy home mum, but after this year's school summer hols I'm going to start looking around for that elusive "term time only" type of job - even working a few mornings a week down at Tesco's floats my boat at the moment, something just to nurture the old grey cells back again

I'm happy to put my "career" on hold for the next couple of years -DD is 10 now and I know when she's off to "big" school next year things will change at home and I can then return to PR if I want to (and I do love the profession).

My DHs motto is the same - "life's too short".

That's why we've just booked another return to Florida in October, who know's what will happen in the future?

 

[allie5]

Just a small word of caution.....I worked in retail management for a lot of years and in a lot of places, promotion is very much "if your face fits" rather than ability. Great if you hit it off with your area manager, not so great if you dont!! Plus, retail is A LOT of long, unsociable hours for not much money. Most of the Disney Stores in our area are in Mall that are open 7 days a week, and 6 of those are till 10pm. As junior management, you will get a lot of the rough shifts.

Sorry to be negative, but I wanted to point out retail is not an easy or lucrative career. I gave it up in the end and was much happier in a 9-5 office, 5 days a week with twice as much in my pay packet each month!! Granted, working at the DS would make life more bearable, but not sure retail would be my Dream Job!!

Good luck in whatever you decide.
Allie.