Requesting Days Off....

[mattthemickeyman]

I'm sure this question has been posted several times but I can't ever seem to get a straight answer. Does Disney allow you to request days off and do they usually grant them? I've read some stories where they said yes but others where people said no they only give you 2 days off a week and nothing more. I am arriving June 4th for the CP but in September my only brother is getting married and I'm obviously suppose to be in the wedding. I live in Washington State so travel time is about 9 hours, usually about 6 hours worth of flying and a layover in between. So I'd probably need about 4 days off. 1 day to travel home, 1 day for rehearsal, 1 day for the wedding, and 1 day to travel back.

Is getting these days off something that will be pretty difficult or have others had success with getting extra days off?

 

[psherman42]

Yes, you can submit days off requests on The HUB but it really depends on whether it's approved or not. If you request them off far in advance, I think it's more likely that they'll get approved and what the park crowds are expected to be. September's not peak season so if you request the days you need off as soon as you get HUB access, they should get approved. If they don't, you can always try giving them away.

 

[keypooh90]

I'll second the PP's advice. I am a current college program participant and have requested several days off for various reasons. I've had cases where they accepted all days off, times where they gave me some of the days but not all, and days where I was waitlisted. You can always try a shift swap/give a way, or talk to your managers. That is what I did once and the scheduling manager gave me an ADO (additional day off).

 

[figmentfan6]

Your role will also affect your chances of getting a day off. What role have you been accepted into?

If it's a role where they don't have a lot of people to cover your days off or if it's a role with a bunch of full time folks (who will generally be granted days off over you), then it might be more difficult. Put in for the days off in the Hub the first day you get access and then mention it to a manager after a month or so. Also, start sucking up to your coworkers early and offer to take their shifts so that they'll be more willing to take yours if the need arises. Also, be aware that you will still be charged housing that week, so make sure you make enough to cover that.

 

[Caitlin1990]

Like everyone else has said, request the days off immediately upon being granted HUB access. If you're not given the days, or all the days, see if one of your coworkers can take your shift(s) for you, or see if someone will trade with you who ends up getting those days off. If worse comes to worse, you can always talk to your managers and explain the situation to them; they're authorized to give you extra days off. Most are helpful and accommodating. It'll all mostly just depend on your area. When I did my last program, it was always a toss up whether we'd be granted extra days off on the HUB because we worked in a full service restaurant and there were very few of us there to begin with, so we usually had to swap/take shifts for each other. It's a little easier if you have a role that has a lot of people.

 

[mattthemickeyman]

Thanks for responding everyone! I'll be doing Main Entrance Operations.. Not sure if I'll be in the parking lot or working the turnstiles! Hopefully I'll be doing the turnstiles!

 

[ZenSandwich]

I'm in the exact same boat. I arrive September 5th, and my Dad is getting married October 6th. I'm hoping a month is enough to request and get those days off. I'm working Custodial. Is it easy to give away those shifts?