Moving to WDW?

[Simba22]

My DBF and I are strongly considering moving to Florida....he really wants to try and get a job as a CM.....Since I can't ask the CM's on this board, does anyone know if WDW offers "on-resort" property to CM's? Civilization (ie, homes for sale) is literally an hour away in every direction and that would be a far commute for people who work there....Thanks for info!

 

[Seahunt]

I don't know for absolutely sure, but I think I've read that Disney offers dorm style housing for their college intern programs only - hopefully someone else will be able to post to answer this correctly - but I did want to make sure that you and your BF are aware of the extremely low wages for CMs? This is for the last Disney job fair from the local paper:

JOB FAIR
June 5 – 10, 2006
8am – 5pm
Walt Disney World® Casting Center
Across from the Downtown Disney® Marketplace
1515 Buena Vista Drive, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830. Located off I-4, exit 67
Now Hiring!
Full-time, part-time, and seasonal hourly positions
with starting pay rates of
$7.25 to $8.50 an Hour
Includes Lifeguards • Quick Service Restaurants • Housekeeping
Entertainment • Culinary • Front Desk/Concierge
Photographers • Airport Representatives
With more positions available...

(I think it mentioned something like an additional $.50 hour for character roles.)
********************
You might want to call the Jobline just to see what is available:
Call the Jobline at 407.828.1000, and press "1" for a list of open positions. You can also speak with a Casting Agent.

Seems like those wages would be be hard to live on!

 

[safetymom]

Nothing on property for CM's. There are lots of places to live around WDW. My neighborhood has many people that work for Disney and we are 12 miles from the parks.

The College program cm's live in very nice apartments near Downtown Disney. The money for rent comes out of your paycheck. My daughter did the CP and loved it.

 

[Simba22]

Thanks for the info...DBF is well aware that he may go back to making minimum wage...At this point we are still just considering it...It won't be for at least another year if we go at all, and I don't even know what work I will find down there....

safetymom - If you don't mind me asking, what city/town do live in or near so that I can check out what's available?

Thanks again for the info!

 

[safetymom]

I live in the Davenport area but Kissimmee, Clermont are other areas close to WDW. There is lots of areas that you could live close to parks.

 

[Simba22]

thanks I actually was looking at homes in Kissimmee but since I'm not familiar with the area I haven't checked Davenport or Clermont....thanks for the info!

 

[Cinderpals]

Gee, I wish!! I'd have to leave my DH to do it though. He can't stand the humidity


WDW/DH, WDW/DH,WDW/DH.... DH!!

 

[LuvOrlando]

I had no idea they pay so little, no wonder the CM's aren't as happy as they used to be. I guess its hard to be perky if you're boiling in a heavy costume for $9.00 an hour or dehydrating in the sun for $7.50. I'm guessing that these hourly wage jobs don't offer health benefits huh? With the prices WDW charges for admission and meals one would think they'd pay employees better. Disappointing to hear

 

[Sammie]

I had no idea they pay so little, no wonder the CM's aren't as happy as they used to be. I guess its hard to be perky if you're boiling in a heavy costume for $9.00 an hour or dehydrating in the sun for $7.50. I'm guessing that these hourly wage jobs don't offer health benefits huh? With the prices WDW charges for admission and meals one would think they'd pay employees better. Disappointing to hear

With a degree and experience Disney pays as well as any other large corporation. As to the hourly jobs they pay similiar to McDonald's, Walmart, etc. When you have 55,000 employees not everyone is going to make top dollar starting out. If they did prices would be even higher.

 

[mjgruber]

With a degree and experience Disney pays as well as any other large corporation. As to the hourly jobs they pay similiar to McDonald's, Walmart, etc. When you have 55,000 employees not everyone is going to make top dollar starting out. If they did prices would be even higher.

McDs and Walmart do not charge $75 to walk in....Nor are they selling Quality. They are selling fast and cheap....which means Disney's pay is out whack for the level of service that is expected... No coincidence that Customer Service has decreased.

 

[safetymom]

Nobody is forcing anyone to work for Disney. You know what the pay and benefits are before you apply.

Disney isn't the only one in Orlando that pays like this.

 

[Simba22]

or are they the only ones in the county that pay like that! Up here in CT we have a "theme park" that pays just about the same (minimum wage) and the cost of living is much higher here than it is in Florida. It is kinds of disappointing to learn that DBF's dream job will probably result in a pay cut since he doesn't have a college degree, but I explained to him the same thing...that they can't pay all of their employees $15 an hour....also, my thoughts are that you are working there because you WANT to, not because you have to....so money shouldn't be an object. I left the greatest job I ever had to "make more money" and now I'm miserable so...I'm not the type to tell my DBF that he can't work there because it won't be enough to support us. We will just have to save up longer so that we have a bigger "cushion" and since it is cheaper to live there than here, it probably won't be as bad as we are thinking it will be....

 

[LuvOrlando]

Maybe so, but when I drop Thousands for a week of family fun I'd prefer to think that the organization I'm paying is sharing the wealth. It might be that you and your boyfrind might be fine on those low wages but I'm sure that there are many, many single mothers on the payroll struggling to pay the bills. It's just not cool to me that WDW pays so low, not a judgement of you or your choices.

 

[BlindTyldak]

Maybe so, but when I drop Thousands for a week of family fun I'd prefer to think that the organization I'm paying is sharing the wealth. It might be that you and your boyfrind might be fine on those low wages but I'm sure that there are many, many single mothers on the payroll struggling to pay the bills. It's just not cool to me that WDW pays so low, not a judgement of you or your choices.

That's a lot more than I got paid when I worked entry level at a theme park. They're just not high-paying jobs.

 

[Thinktinknpixiedust]

My DH (at the time only my DBF) and I moved to Florida 10 years ago. We just up and did it! Now we are back in the cold North and miss "home" but we had to come back for a multitude of reasons... none of them included our inablility to make money down there. We both took serving jobs outside of WDW and I worked at the "World" very part time. Not only was I able to work where I loved, but free admission was truly the "perk" we were looking for. I literally worked one day a week for 6 hours. The real money came from our other jobs. In less than 3 years we went from living in a motel for a couple of months while looking for jobs and then saving, to an apartment, and then we purchased our house, as well as a new car. If your ambitious it is possible, and that is a time in both of our lives that we cherish to this day and know that we will go back "Home" when our duties here are done. True, when I started the corporate offices were really doing away with most of the full time staff and replacing them with several people like me. Then is when I felt the most tension. However, rest assured that if they are working there, it is because it is someplace that they love, as much as those of us that just "visit" now. True there are the exceptions, but for the most part a CM job at WDW is "NOT" their full time job. Wouldn't it be wonderful if a typical CM made more, however, like it or not it is a buisness. and how many other buisness's get you into WDW for free just for working a few hours a week?

My advice, go for it and have a wonderful time. You won't forget it ever!!

 

[msgrimm23]

im glad someone posted this my bf and i are planning on moving down to disney area i applied for a job in orlando nothing yet but we are hopeing. i love it down there and love disney and would work for them no matter what the pay. i am a disney freak and love it

 

[momof3littlelilos]

An opinion from the other side:
We relocated from the northeast, and I was a FT CM for a brief period of time.
I think it's important to realize that while you might take a job at WDW out of love, the company views you as an employee...the love isn't reciprocal. WDW will treat you like an employee and take advantage of you as much as possible.
There is high turnover because CM's are overworked and underpaid.
Working PT isn't an option for a lot of people - the "great benefits" (health, subsidized daycare) are for FT CM's, and if you get a FT position at WDW you agree to be available 24/7. I was regularly scheduled 15-20 hour days...making the daycare unusable to me as I was scheduled hours past the centers closing.
WDW does have a union, but compared to the restaraunt and hotel workers union back in Massachusetts, it is pretty weak.
Love is love...money is money...mixing the two can be messy. Beware!

 

[Thinktinknpixiedust]

Love is love...money is money...mixing the two can be messy. Beware!

I have to agree with you on that last point. My DBF at the time worked at TTC and wasn't affected the same way as I was. He watched people come and go, handled alot of money, changed and went home. I on the other hand worked in Fantasyland operating rides like Dumbo, Snow White and Mr. Toads. After seeing the fireworks so many times I stopped watching, Spectromagic music started to become "annoying" , and I saw Cindy in nothing but her bloomers and tiara smoking a cig and swearing like a sailor, lets just say the magic certainly started to fade... If I were to do it over again (and I most certainly would) I may have tried to request something not so close to the magic, like mousekeeping, etc. I guess it depends on what your expectations are when you walk in there. If you still have the mindset of a "tourist" then you will most definately be let down. For us our lives revolved around our other jobs which were good... I left the MK and visited after the shock wore off. for us there were sooooo many more oppurtunities there as opposed to here. Results will vary, but I believe going in with an open mind AND informed as much as possible will equal success.