Pay for Characters at Disney

[Chereya]

On another note--cast members have access to much less costly beverages and foods in the CM area.

Also--characters--they only "work" for 4 hours---they are on shift for 8--but must have paid rest time/cooling off periods. Not to knock the work---but they are in costume for half their shift---not the entire shift.

My cousin was a character and LOVED it as did a sorority sister who had a scrap book full of Mickey pictures from her working days there .

These are wage jobs--the money is sunk into the parks and into profits of course. People will work the jobs--so there isn't much incentive to be paying them royally. Also--one must AUDITION for the character parts--it isn't just apply for a job as Mickey Mouse and then getting it via interview. And there are plenty lining up for it.

I don't find it a travesty as becoming a costumed character is purely a choice decision and there are plenty of applicants who are willing to do it.

I got a little miffed reading your post because I have been in those shoes and I feel that you're making light of the job. It is a very hard job to do. The breaks are EARNED. The costumes are heavy and HOT, even in the winter time. Part of the "downtime" is spent undressing, drinking water, potty, trying to cool off, reading the CM bulletin board (daily requirement to keep up with news), and then re-dressing. So your phrasing that the characters only "work" for half of their shift was insulting.

The food and drinks sold to CM in the employee areas of the park, while not the outrageous prices sold IN the parks, are still "going rate" for eating out. You easily spend $6-7+ for lunch. Bottled water is still $1.25, bottled fruit juice is $1.60. You can bring food of course which is much cheaper but not all CM's will have easy access to a refrigerator to stash a home lunch either. For a 30 min lunch break, you might have to walk 5 mins to the punch out clock, walk another 5-10 mins to the cafeteria, stand in line to order your food, stand in line to pay for your food and then find an open seat to eat. You're lucky if you have 15 minutes to eat before having to trek back to the time clock. Not to mention that the cost of living in Orlando is not cheap. Most characters are/were single and NEED roommates to be able to afford it. Trust me, they take the job not for the pay or because they absolutely LOVE working at Disney for peanuts - they do it to get their foot in the door and possibly get a union job doing actual Acting/Singing/Dancing or to further their hoped for entertainment career.

Yes, you do have to audition for the job. This is to test your physical coordination, ability to move like a "character" using body language only, ability to dance (for parades & shows), etc. Yes, people are lined up for the Audition - they are lined up for ANY Disney job. Disney does a good job of hyping as they are experts in marketing. Until you have done the job, you just don't know what it's like and might think it's pretty easy since all you have to do is play with kids and rest for half the time. All characters have to start off this way at the same low wage - face or costumed. I'm pretty sure all characters MUST start off costumed unless there is a big shortage of a type of face character, ie Mulan. There is heavy competition to move out of the costume into a face character role. After all, you get to have a much more personal interaction with the kids.

I'm not saying I didn't enjoy working there, it had it's fun moments and nothing beats making a magical memory for all kinds of people. The experience was one that I will never regret but it kind of killed the magic to be an employee. I had the privledge of going in any time free of charge but I hardly ever did because I didn't feel like hanging out where I "work".

Chereya

 

[Feralpeg]

Chereya, I believe and sympathize with you. My sister is a CM in a shop at DTD. She is told when she can take her break by the computer system. Sometimes she goes for long periods without a break. Then, she will take a break and be told to take another one a few minutes later! Crazy. Everything they do is dictated to them by the computer system. She used to go to McDonalds for her break. She doesn't anymore. She found that by the time she made her way through the crowd to get to the breakroom behind McDonalds, it was time to go back. To make it worse, many people would stop her to ask questions because she was in uniform. This took up much of her break. She now hangs out in the back room of her shop for her break.

CMs at DTD are only allowed to eat at McDonalds. There is a CM breakroom in the back. They get a slight discount, but it is still more expensive than what I used to pay for a meal at McDonalds in Missouri. My sister now takes her lunch with her.

After seeing what CMs really do, I have the greatest respect for them.

 

[DeLaMer]

On another note--cast members have access to much less costly beverages and foods in the CM area.

Not always in convenient locations, and not much less costly

Also--characters--they only "work" for 4 hours---they are on shift for 8--but must have paid rest time/cooling off periods. Not to knock the work---but they are in costume for half their shift---not the entire shift.

Have you ever seen the breakrooms? And if a costume is a praticularly difficult one, most of it stays on between sets

These are wage jobs--the money is sunk into the parks and into profits of course. People will work the jobs--so there isn't much incentive to be paying them royally. Also--one must AUDITION for the character parts--it isn't just apply for a job as Mickey Mouse and then getting it via interview. And there are plenty lining up for it.

I don't find it a travesty as becoming a costumed character is purely a choice decision and there are plenty of applicants who are willing to do it.

The willingness will go down as the cost of living in Orlando continues to rise dramatically. You mention the DISers who are doing fine in an apartment on Disney salaries. I'm happy for them. I hope their apartment doesn't go condo. Options are VERY quickly being limited in Central Florida

Now--about the low cost of those who clean up after all the guests--that I do take exception with after cleaning up after guests at the Vero Beach Resort for the summer and being treated lower than dirt by mousekeeping management (was treated very nicely by the lobby staff though--they actually appreciated my work). I worked with many people who this was the best they had in life for a job. That is a true travesty! Especially when a guests causes the bathrooms to flood. YUCK!!!!

So when a child vomits on a character, or a punk sends a Chipmunk to the hospital because he thought it would be fun to see Chip get beat up, do those cast members deserve a higher wage because they are cleaning up after guests?

It takes a lot of cast members to keep the magic alive for the guest. The truth is, everyone deserves to make a living wage doing something they love, and not a lot of people can do that at WDW.

 

[UrsulasMyHero]

Thank you Chereya, there are too many people who don't understand that while they only see costumed characters for 30 minutes and think that that's far too minimal, the people in the suits are suffering in the sweltering suits. The heads are hot, not well ventilated, and are hard to see out of. That Half Hour they get Off, is spent trying to combat heat stroke and cooling off.

 

[Simba's Mom]

I got a little miffed reading your post because I have been in those shoes and I feel that you're making light of the job. It is a very hard job to do. The breaks are EARNED. The costumes are heavy and HOT, even in the winter time. Part of the "downtime" is spent undressing, drinking water, potty, trying to cool off, reading the CM bulletin board (daily requirement to keep up with news), and then re-dressing. So your phrasing that the characters only "work" for half of their shift was insulting.

The food and drinks sold to CM in the employee areas of the park, while not the outrageous prices sold IN the parks, are still "going rate" for eating out. You easily spend $6-7+ for lunch. Bottled water is still $1.25, bottled fruit juice is $1.60. You can bring food of course which is much cheaper but not all CM's will have easy access to a refrigerator to stash a home lunch either. For a 30 min lunch break, you might have to walk 5 mins to the punch out clock, walk another 5-10 mins to the cafeteria, stand in line to order your food, stand in line to pay for your food and then find an open seat to eat. You're lucky if you have 15 minutes to eat before having to trek back to the time clock. Not to mention that the cost of living in Orlando is not cheap. Most characters are/were single and NEED roommates to be able to afford it. Trust me, they take the job not for the pay or because they absolutely LOVE working at Disney for peanuts - they do it to get their foot in the door and possibly get a union job doing actual Acting/Singing/Dancing or to further their hoped for entertainment career.

Yes, you do have to audition for the job. This is to test your physical coordination, ability to move like a "character" using body language only, ability to dance (for parades & shows), etc. Yes, people are lined up for the Audition - they are lined up for ANY Disney job. Disney does a good job of hyping as they are experts in marketing. Until you have done the job, you just don't know what it's like and might think it's pretty easy since all you have to do is play with kids and rest for half the time. All characters have to start off this way at the same low wage - face or costumed. I'm pretty sure all characters MUST start off costumed unless there is a big shortage of a type of face character, ie Mulan. There is heavy competition to move out of the costume into a face character role. After all, you get to have a much more personal interaction with the kids.

I'm not saying I didn't enjoy working there, it had it's fun moments and nothing beats making a magical memory for all kinds of people. The experience was one that I will never regret but it kind of killed the magic to be an employee. I had the privledge of going in any time free of charge but I hardly ever did because I didn't feel like hanging out where I "work".

Chereya

I agree with you completely. DS was on a musical internship and got to spend 1 hour as Eeyore. His first comment, "Whatever they get paid, it's not enough!" Those costumes are so hot and yet every character he's ever seen does such a great job always staying in character every moment with the kids (Well, almost all the characters). What really bothers me about the pay is that I recently met a man who does crowd control for Fantasmic. He was telling me how fun it is, his biggest problem is that occassionally he'd encounter a rude guest. Yet he got paid the same, and got the same perks as the characters. Somehow that doesn't seem right-being a character is so much more stressful, you're on every second, and the talent the characters have-I can't begin to tell you how impressed I am. The comparison of pay doesn't seem right.

 

[ilovepcot]

I have a cousin that has worked for WDW since it opened. His position has run the full gamut over that time period....from lowly tram driver to a management (earned a master's degree) position and he still continues to tell horror stories of working there. Disney can get away with sooo much as long as people line up with pixie dust in their eyes saying, "I'll do ANYTHING to be near the mouse!" Disney KNOWS this and laughs all the way to the bank!

 

[Pop Daddy]

they sure got a racket going on

 

[Aimeedyan]

I have a cousin that has worked for WDW since it opened. His position has run the full gamut over that time period....from lowly tram driver to a management (earned a master's degree) position and he still continues to tell horror stories of working there. Disney can get away with sooo much as long as people line up with pixie dust in their eyes saying, "I'll do ANYTHING to be near the mouse!" Disney KNOWS this and laughs all the way to the bank!

 

[drakethib]

My cousin is a CP @ WDW.

She told me her wage and I was in shock. The Mouse is a tightwad !!!!!!

She had to apply to be a CP and I think she told me she has has 2 or 3 roomates in a "Disney" apartment.

She is using WDW as a resume builder and I for one think it will help her when she graduates college and pursues a career.

 

[drakethib]

I'm curious to know what you all expect them to be paid?

I dpn't know what people expect them to get paid, but I think it is safe to say The Mouse should be able to pay more then Ronald or The King is paying.

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

I heard that the price for admission is going up quite a bit but I do not know exactly how much. I bet that the wages do not go up to match this. Further more think of all the things they have either closed or changed and tell me they cannot pay these people more money.

 

[worm761]

part of the reason for the price increase is because minimum wage in florida was voted over a $1 more an hour. the first phase started in may and the second increase is effective in the next couple of months. i don't know what min. wage is everywhere else but here in florida right now it is 6.15/hour. without the next increase. everything is getting more expensive around here.