retiring and part time work at WDW

[chrisd596]

Any one with experience working part time at WDW. Seems like a lot of fun! What is your experiences.


thanks

 

[disny4ever]

I keep sayning 1 of these days I will work at WDW. I've even narrowed down my job choices.

Now all I have to do is win the lotto so I can afford to retire !!
Oh well............guess I will keep dreaming.....................

 

[DisneyHumbug]

That is my dream, too! As soon as the last one graduates college, hopefully 2008!

 

[Peddler]

I have been saying since or first trip down in 1981 that I wanted to retire and drive a boat there. My time is getting close!!!

 

[Dreamfinder2]

Seriously, I have every intention of selling my mother's old house and buying another in the WDW "Metro" area (Clermont? Kissimmee? St. Cloud?) in the next year, using it as upper echelon rental property. Then, come retirement, sell our personal house, move to Disney, and be a greeter on Main Street. I think Art at the Yatch/Beach Club has the definitive job.

WDW Casting, consider yourselves being put on notice.

 

[DeeP]

I have owned a home in FL for 19 yrs and I spend a lot of time in FL, someday in the not too far off future I will reverse my pattern and spend the majority of the yr in FL and the remainder of the yr in my other home at the NJ shore.

I have every intention of selling my mother's old house and buying another in the WDW "Metro" area (Clermont? Kissimmee? St. Cloud?) in the next year, using it as upper echelon rental property.

If you want to use the house as an upper echelon rental property I would steer clear of the Kissimmee area. Upper echelon and Kissimmee do not usually go hand in hand. It is a good location for solely a rental house due to it's close location to WDW but you also have to think about whether you would want to live there once you retire.

 

[Dreamfinder2]

So ... for any of y'all out there who know the area well, if you could live near Disney, where would it be?

Besides Celebration, of course.

 

[Otimon]

I am already doing just what you want to do. Love every minute of it!

Best wishes and hope your dreams come true.

 

[chrisd596]

Otiman,

What is your experience working at Epcot. How often do you work? What are your hours? How long have you worked there?
How is it working for Disney?

Give me a glimpse into what my future would be like working at Epcot. I am a teacher (27 years) and thought it would be great to continue working with kids while they are on vacation!

Thanks
chris

 

[jimmytammy]

DW and I have talked about this. I am self-employed so retirement can come when I want it to, I guess(not necessarily the money part, I dont forsee ever totally quitting work).

I am a bldg. contractor/carpenter so I would like a job in that field at WDW. Or I would like a job as Goofy! Or I could be a greeter on Main Street as Dreamfinder2 said. My personality would allow for that. People ask me if Im ever sad or get mad because I typically wear a smile all the time.

Its cool to hear Otiman say that they enjoy their retirement job at Epcot

 

[GeorgeG]

I like the idea of driving one of the boats.

 

[dtuleya]

Originally posted by disny4ever
I keep sayning 1 of these days I will work at WDW. I've even narrowed down my job choices.

Fill us in, what are they?

 

[mickeyc]

This is a very interesting thread. During my past couple of trips to WDW I met a number of people who retired to the Orlando area and are working at WDW.

I met a person who retired from Connecticut and was working part time doing landscaping at the Disney Golf Course. He said he wished he had retired five years sooner. He said he liked the Orlando area--less hectic than the northeast.

My son was in the college program last year and despite all my previous trips to WDW I never paid too much attention to CM. From my observation and discussion I have come to realize that Disney runs a signficant amount of labor from the colleges and retirees. Most have indicated they enjoy the work and good benefits since the hourly wage is low. There is a core group of full time employees. Disney is constantly training new employees. Anyway this is very interesting and hope to hear from future retirees who aspire to work at WDW. Enjoy!!

 

[Penny2]

This is my dream, too!! I WANT to work as a part time wedding coordinator (I've been a corporate meeting planner for 15 years) or conceierge. I think it would be so great to help make special Disney Days for people.

I did the behind the scenes tour once in August and saw some of the characters behind the scenes and I can tell you....NO WAY! Too hot, although, I'm short enough to be Mickey or Minne!

My luck, I'd end up being the pooper scooper or a maid! IMHO - HOUSEWORK CAUSES WORTS!

 

[katerkat]

I was in the college program, working part time for Disney over the summer four years ago. It was a lot of fun!

My favorite high school teacher retired and works for Disney six months of the year. He and his wife work crowd control for Fantasmic and LOVE it.

My dad really wants to retire down there, but Mom won't let him...yet!

 

[DocRafiki]

katerkat-- where did you work?

It might be fun being one of those people at conservation station who brings the animals out and teaches kids about them... or the person standing in front of the hospital windows explaining what's going on. I had a friend who drove the safari trucks and LOVED it. I don't know if I'd be able to handle the heat in my old age, though.

I've heard parade crowd control can be pretty barbaric-- people can be pretty nasty in those crowds.

Penny2-- I've talked to more than one custodian who thinks they have the best job at WDW. They get to move around to different areas rather than staying in one spot. They also get more guest contact than most CMs; they spend a lot of time answering questions and taking pictures for people. They're just as much greeters as they are custodians. And some of them get to wear skates! Of course, then there's the heat factor.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Landscaping on a golf course? That would be DH's dream job! Does anyone know specifically how you get a part time job there? Do you get a job through the internet, then move to Florida, or do you have to move there, then wait for a job to come up? And what about those jobs for only 6 months out of the year? How do you get one of those?

 

[dennis99ss]

I think I'll drive a bus, but, be one of the happy drivers, and not the, "get on sit down shut up" ones.

 

[katerkat]

katerkat-- where did you work?

I was a lifeguard at Blizzard Beach. I loved it - we had water to cool off in, the most revealing costumes and the best water park, of course!
I hated the responsibilty - I was a lifeguard for four years before that, but always in a simple pool. Water parks are far more dangerous! If I could choose something, I wouldn't do something that had so many lives depending on me.
The hours were good, and while fairly unflexible, they worked for me. (2-9 pm, usually.) I could sleep in and play all night! It was hard to pick up overtime - of the four times I got overtime, once was at Wide World of Sports and once was crowd control at Fantsmic. I hated Fantasmic crowd control - I think that's why Fantasmic is still my least favorite show. But it might have been because I wasn't used to it - my teacher LOVED the crowds and directing people.
The best jobs - I'd say attractions, then custodial, based on my friends' experiences.

 

[Silky]

WDW looks like fun, but I doubt that they could pay me what I'm worth. I'm single and independent but with a high maintenance lifestyle