Disney IT work still out sourced?

[rotlex]

In reading through the reasons I would\would not move to Florida thread, I had been doing some searching, and figured this might be a good place to ask. I came across this site http://corporate.disney.go.com/careers/who_it.html

I was under the assumption that Disney out sourced most of it's IT work. Does anyone know if that has changed, or if my assumption was wrong to begin with? At this point, the stuff listed on the site is not of much interest to me, as I'm primarily a VMware ESX\Linux admin, as well as an MCSE, but wondering if this is something to keep checking in the future.

Thanks for any info!

 

[Stroller Boy]

Perhaps they are hiring PM's and Technical Lead types...then off-shoring development, infrastructure, and support? Seems to be the way of things these days....Oh, and the Business Analysis as a core competency as well...I'd be hard pressed to believe they sourced the whole enchilada

 

[rotlex]

Yeah, I'm sure they didn't outsource it all, but I would love to know if they have any regular IT guy type jobs. It might actually lean me further in the direction of looking for work in Orlando.

 

[Stroller Boy]

Yeah, I'm sure they didn't outsource it all, but I would love to know if they have any regular IT guy type jobs. It might actually lean me further in the direction of looking for work in Orlando.

Same here from the PM side of thing Although, I don't think I'd ever be able to talk my wife into it....would be too close to her brother whose down in Tampa. LOL

Wasn't Kevin and/or John part of the IT group? Perhaps they still have friends in low places that could give us the scoop!

 

[rotlex]

Same here from the PM side of thing Although, I don't think I'd ever be able to talk my wife into it....would be too close to her brother whose down in Tampa. LOL

Wasn't Kevin and/or John part of the IT group? Perhaps they still have friends in low places that could give us the scoop!

My biggest hurdle as well.....the wife. I see her point, as all of our family is up here, but heck, they can visit, LOL.

I believe that John worked for IT for Disney?, so yeah, maybe some inside input.

 

[cyberbox2]

Rotlex,

I can tell you for certain that Disney still outsources about 90% of their I.T. to third party vendors like IBM and ACS.

I know this because I to am a computer engineer that was looking to move to the Orlando/Tampa area. I had a great I.T. job with a local property managment company here in Richmond, Va. Well one day I was out at one of our properties working on a Dell P.C. and on my way out I passed the Richmond "Radio Disney" station.

Needless to say I was immideiately intrigued! Later that week I was on the www.disneycareers.com website and saw that the Richmond Radio Disney station was looking for an Account Executive to do radio sales for Disney.

So I contacted the station manager directly and went in for an interview. As as side note, I started my career in insurance sales so I leaned heavely on that in the interview. after an hour and a half of talking, we hit it off great and we were both excited at the possibilites of me coming onboard.

I made it clear to the station manager though, that my profession and last 10 years of experience has been in I.T. and I don't want to abandon that because I enjoy what I do. I stated that I would like to come onboard with Radio Disney in the (non-I.T.) account exec position and put in for a transfer to Disney I.T. in Orlando in 6 to 12 months. The station manager had no problem with that.

So on July 31st 2007 I left my (good paying) I.T. job and started working for The Mouse! My starting salary was 40k + commision (ouch) but I made the proper adjustments i.e. sacrafices, and pushed forward.

Even though this was a high pressure sales position and NOT I.T., I loved working for Disney and being considered a Cast Member

Over the holidays, around the last week in December of 07, an actual Disney I.T. staff member called me at my desk to ask me to update our internal software on my P.C. I took this opportunity to pick his brain and ask all of the questions that my station manager just didn't seem to know.

By the end of the phone call I had found out that Disney indeed outsources about 90% of their I.T. and that only a handfull of actual Disney employed I.T. staff reside in the Celebration area and they love their jobs and are not likely going anywhere anytime soon

Well this was a shocking blow to my Disney I.T. transfer plans. I plugged on though the next couple of months and even took a February trip to WDW as a Cast Member for the first time ever. Wow that felt like, well words can't describe that feeling. Being able to use my Siver Pass to get myself and my family into the parks, being able to use my ABC I.D. to get 20 to 40 % off of food and merch at any Disney location, man that just felt incredible

So we came back from our Cast Member experience and I was faced with a hard decision. Stay on as an account exec with Radio Disney here in Richmond and say goodbye to my I.T. carrer or leave R.D. and try to break back into the I.T. field after a 7 month hiatus?

It was at this point that I relunctantly gave my two week notice at R.D. (said goodbye to the coolest E-mail address I ever had, myname@disney.com)and started to look around in Orlando/Tampa for a good paying I.T. job.

I went as far as to stay with friends in Florida for two weeks so that I could meet with recruiters and potential employers. After nearly 2 months of prospecting and even staying in Florida, I came back home to Richmond with not one solid lead to go on. They just don't seem to pay as well in Florida as they do here and because of the bad job market in Florida, employers are taking the cream of the crop, I guess I'm not the 'cream' they were looking for

The lord never closes a door without opening a window and so I was able to land a nice I.T. job here in Richmond with a great smaller sized company with plenty of room to learn and grow.

While this is in no way a substitue for my Florida dream, someone on these boards said it best, "Hold onto the dream, just let go of the urgency"

It will happen for me one day, even if it's in retirement driving a boat (for the Disney parks) back and from the resorts to the parks meeting and greeting new faces so full of excitment and anticipation.

Of course I'm hoping that I won't have to wait THAT long.......

 

[rotlex]

Cyberybox2;Thanks for the very informative post!

I guess it's good and bad as I'm really not in the position to move "this year". However, I'm hopeful that changes can happen, and I have also considered employment in the IT field elsewhere in Florida. (Primarily Clearwater\Tampa area as I had lived there for a short time maybe 15 years ago). The problem, as you mention, and I have run into is that pay down there, in this field at least, does not seem to quite meet up with the Northeast, however, housing and such is getting close.

I'll be keeping my eyes out over the next few years, but, same as you, in a worst case scenario, I have informed my wife I would LOVE a retirement job with the mouse such as oh, I don't know, monorail driver, or heck, a greeter somewhere, hehe. I just hope I don't have to wait nearly 25 years to do that!

Thanks again.

 

[cyberbox2]

No problem, glad I could share my experience and help out a fellow Dis'er

When ever I would get an E-mail from Disney I.T. while I was at R.D. their signature block in the body of their E-mail would read "Making I.T. Special"

I just thought that was so cool and couldn't wait to get get that in my Sig block.

One day Mickey....One day....

 

[zulemara]

wow, I didn't even know that site existed! I am moving to Orlando in January 2009 with an associates in network administration and am looking to get an IT job in Orlando somewhere(preferably Disney)

When I was on the college program I had the chance to follow an IT guy around for a day. He was kinda crazy, but explained to me that they were outsourcing a lot of the IT department. I thought there weren't ANY IT jobs at Disney, so the fact that there are a couple gives me hope. At least I know what I need to learn to be considered!

 

[Stroller Boy]

Cyberbox2; what an experience! It's a tough leap to make when you are used to a certain level of funding coming in, that's for sure. Glad to see that you did it regardless.

Suppose I'd sort of be interested in a PM role there, but as with rotlex the local family thing can't be denied. Keep trying to pump up the fact that I've got relatives in Winter Park, but apparently that's not enough...that and I don't think we want to be down near her brother as mentioned previously! Nah, he's allright, just a little nutty

Not sure I could deal without the seasons here in New England though...

 

[toothdoc]

Not that I am an IT guy. Just a dentist. My dream would also be to work for Disney someday, but Disney does not hire dentist. However, I just scanned the disney careers website and there are several IT jobs available in Orlando. You all may want to take a look.

 

[pklein09]

Do you know if applying through the website actually generates any interviews? Do you need to know someone on the "inside" i.e. personal referral, to get noticed? DH has one application in for a PM. He started out in IT, but went the management route with an MBA. The job description fits him well and we got the email that it was received.

TIA!!

 

[cyberbox2]

For my position with Radio Disney, I did apply online but after a couple of weeks of not hearing anything, I found the number to the station and called to express interest and get an interview. The station manager never knew I even applied online.

Of course Radio Disney is under the Disney Media group and not Parks and Resorts so maybe online apps get routed better than with R.D.

 

[robind]

Cyberbox2,
Thanks for your story - I'm in IT as well, and live outside Richmond, but work as a consultant - traveling 100% of the time. I have so wanted to work for Disney as well, I remember finding out that they used the software package that I work for (I'm on the functional side) I was so excited, but then I heard they outsourced and was so bummed.
The dream may come true someday - I've actually come to the conclusion that my ultimate disney dream job would be as an event/ wedding planner, but I doubt the pay would be what I'm used to. I call my consulting career my golden handcuffs, but I love it and the pay and perks help 'pay' for my disney trips - so I can't complain.
Hope the weather is better where you are - I've heard it's been pretty bad.

 

[GoodHumor]

Greetings,

On the network side of the house, Disney did outsource most of the operational and support groups. The Strategy and Architecture groups remain in house.

I do not know what happened with the platform staff.

 

[Stroller Boy]

Greetings,

On the network side of the house, Disney did outsource most of the operational and support groups. The Strategy and Architecture groups remain in house.

I do not know what happened with the platform staff.

I think just about all companies did this (in regards to maintaining only strategy and architecture). We are almost completely there where I'm at. Painful, but the nature of the pedulum swing Looks like there are jobs in the PM space, but just not workable with the family situation.

Good to see I'm not the only IT dreamer on the boards. Hopefully one of these days my wife will get the "it's too cold up here, we should move south" bug. ;-)