DVC owner thinking of spending entire summer in Disney...need help

[rutgers1]

As two teachers, my wife and I have the summers off. We always talk about how we'd love to move to Florida and perhaps work at Disney. Well, I thought that perhaps we could spend a summer down there just for the fun of it and perhaps even work at Disney.

Here are my questions:
1) I always hear about people who work seasonally. Is it possible to get a job for only a month or two at Disney?
2) Are there any nice rental home communities nearby where I could get a house for the summer at a reasonable rate? (How much?)

 

[hakepb]

I'd first ask how much summer time have you spent at WDW, and can you manage the heat that long? You may want to try a 1 month rental only before you lock in a summer job..

 

[d-r]

Yeah, you will be an anti-snow bird.

last summer we spent I guess three weeks down here. As our kids get older (and especially you with being teachers) the summers start to make some sense.

The summers are a little more crowded, but not too bad.

We are staying 23 nights this coming May-June, not the whole summer but a long trip.

If it was the whole summer, I'd think about a few things. We'd have to balance the points of a one-bedroom with kitchen and washer and drier vs. a longer stay in a studio. I'd start to think about things like picnicing in the park and so on. I'd break it up with a few nights in vero. I'd get a pass for the water parks. Remember that there is a solid chance of a thunder storm every afternoon. I'd get in the habit of going to parks at opening and leaving in the afternoon when it is hotter/more crowded. I'd pack some sunscreen.

It is a better life to be a guest than to be a cast member.
But, as a CM you would have those passes and so on, and other perk

Check the web for disney employment, that would give you more info.

I don't think you are going to get a great job for one month or two months, but it is certainly possible to be a seasonal person.

I know there are people who spend the whole winter in campers at ft. wilderness and work as cm's during that season.

There are lot of houses and apts. for rent near disney world, with all the foreclosures and stuff. Look toward Clermont and Davenport on 27 at the end of 192 in the "four corners area" or "Cagun's crossing" area - the economy has left a lot of stucco empty.

 

[starbox]

We spend a month in a rented house in Vero. Personally, I would not want to live in Orlando for an extended period of time or work at Disney for minimum wage in June/July. It's a nice place to visit, but - you know.... I'd aim for a beach within 90 miles of Orlando. Lots of choices if you look to the coast. You can day trip to Orlando as you wish, and even use DVC for overnight getaways, but you'll also have a relaxed pace with cool ocean breezes in the evening, no urban sprawl and gridlock.

 

[ToddyLu]

I thought you could be seasonal, work 2 weeks a year and get some of the CM benefits. I like the idea of getting the rental house for a month and doing DVC on weekends while there. I wouldn't want to spend a year teaching and then work during my Summer. But that is me...and I don't know, WDW would be tempting....

 

[OhioDVC]

Two weeks ago I talked with a Disney security person and she said WDW laid off 3,000 employees over the last couple of months. Not sure if it is true, but WDW may not be hiring now.

The lay-offs mostly hit full time employees

 

[smidgy]

before all the layoffs hit this economy, I believe snowbirds (aka, retirees, etc) worked part time at disney,and in the summer months, when they went back north, college kids took those same jobs. (just the opposite of which you speak).

there is a nice manufactured home community in Kissimee. called Vista del lago. (off 192). (we hope to live there someday).
some people live there year round. others live there sometimes, and rent their place out other times. (esp. people from Great Britian). it is a combination between home owneres and sometimes vacationers. they have 3 pools, a couple lakes, snack ber. it's about a 10 minute drive from the "back door" to WDW (sherbeth road.).(near AK)
check it out. they have a web site. it's a gated community.

 

[MinnieGirl33]

I thought you could be seasonal, work 2 weeks a year and get some of the CM benefits.

Not certain about the current policy but once upon a time, if you were a new hire, you had to be able to offer full availability for a season (in order to fully train) before statusing as a "seasonal" CM. And "full availability" meant just that, if they were open, you had to be available to be scheduled.

The initital training "season" would typically be closer to 8-12 weeks and cover periods such as Christmas (technically lasts from 11/1 thru 1st week of Jan), Summer (post-Easter through Labor Day), Food & Wine (Sept through Late November), etc.

If you were able to re-status after completion of training, the amount of time you would be required to give per year would vary depending on area of service but would be in the 1-2 week range.

With the employment situation being what it is nowadays, I don't know if this is even still an option.

 

[majortom1981]

Eh my grandparents have a place in florida and i am not a big fan of being in florida for long periods.

Maybe it would be better to be a cast member at a Disney store by where you live?

I have friends that have done the college program (this was maybe 9 years ago) Most of them said they did not like working for disney.

 

[RobPickles]

As two teachers, my wife and I have the summers off. We always talk about how we'd love to move to Florida and perhaps work at Disney. Well, I thought that perhaps we could spend a summer down there just for the fun of it and perhaps even work at Disney.

Here are my questions:
1) I always hear about people who work seasonally. Is it possible to get a job for only a month or two at Disney?
2) Are there any nice rental home communities nearby where I could get a house for the summer at a reasonable rate? (How much?)

WOW! I swear you just read my wife and my minds! We are teachers too and we have been talking about the same thing for over 6 months now. However, I keep telling myself that I know it would not be the same as when you are on vacation.

When you go down there now, it is just that....vacation! You look forward to getting down there and experiencing the magic. If you lived there and had to work there, I guarantee it would be just like any other job and eventually you might grow to hate it. Your salary will be different of course because they pay crap in Florida and the tempature changes might be weird at first and maybe, eventually, you will adapt. Hurricanes...nuff said.

Consider all those things and then ask yourself if you really want to potentially lose the feeling you have now when you go to Disney. Hey...you never know....You may make the move and it turns out to be the best thing you ever did. I would hope that would be the case. As I said, I have given this a lot of thought, and in my current pessimistic state, I keep convincing myself NOT to do it.

Whatever you decide, good luck and I hope it works out!