This will make you jealous!!

[av8tor]

The family and I were at a Disney store today and I was discussing DVC with the store manager. See said she bought SSR for $65.65 per point. Because she is a CM she got 15% off the original SSR price of $89 and then another $10 for trading in the first year's points. ($89 x 85% = $75.65 - $10 = $65.65).

When we left the store I suggested to DW that she should apply for a job when we are ready to buy more points............I wonder how long you have to be a CM to qualify. DW is a school teacher currently staying home with our 2 young children.

 

[PamOKW]

It's really a wonderful deal the CMs are able to use. However, I think you may be too late to send your wife out to work at the Disney Store. Disney is currently in discussions to sell the stores and it's doubtful that the perks will be the same under new owners. I'm sure there must be some minimum employment time that needs to be met. Well, maybe if you get her out there tomorrow, she'll qualify before they switch ownership.

 

[Caskbill]

Yes it's nice that they can get the discount. But I don't know if it'd be worth it to work for Disney just for that reason. As far as I know most CM's in the retail end of the busines earn close to minimum wage, or maybe a couple of bucks more.

The manager would make more but I wouldn't suspect it's a very great salary at all, just like most managers in retail.

She saved 15% of the original price of $89/point. That's $13.35 per point. If she purchased 150 points, she saved $2000.

Working for Disney for a year, that amounts to $0.96 /hour. Or worth a little more if you consider taxes. If someone worked for 10 years and purchased, their perk amounts to $0.09/hour over the 10 years.

Now if you could work for a week and get that much off, ......

 

[bobbiwoz]

Thank you for putting it in perspective!

DH and I still plan to retire to the Orlando area. We've often met retirees who work at WDW and are very happy with the flexibility of working there. However, we better have our points in hand before we move.

Bobbi

 

[Dean]

And you can't take the points off the actual purchase price. You buy for X then RENT your points back to DVD. You could do the same on a resale.

 

[CarolMN]

I was seriously considering applying for a Disney Store position until I found out that they do not allow vacations between Thanksgiving and New Year's. No discount is worth giving up my early December trip!

 

[Peter Johnson]

DW worked for TDS for several years. Before she stopped, we did a 200 point addon at OKW. The discount was so good that it got the price per point down close to our original 1992 purchase price

Caskbill is right about the wages... very low. DW was in it for the benefits. Not only the 15% discount on the addon, but we also saved one AP per year (since she could get in free on her ID) and got 20% off just about everywhere on property. When we added all that into the equation, her "wages" were pretty good

CarolMN, when DW applied, she stipulated that we went to WDW in December, and if they wanted her they had to accept that. The manager okayed it, and we never had a problem, even with subsequent managers. The other CMs didn't mind either, since it was just more hours in their pockets.

 

[mrsdon]

I am a CM at a Disney store and while getting the discount off the points is nice, its a tedious job.
ANd its true. Usually thw whole month of Nov and Dec are blaacked out. Most of the time we cant vacation near Halloween either.
While I love bringing magic to the little ones, it does get tiring working all over the holidays.

 

[married@wdw]

We did this to buy at OKW when the price was $67/point. It was the best purchase we've ever made! I think it worked out to like $52/point.

 

[kathleena]

There is no minimum employment time - woo-hooooooo! I bought when I was just a casual (holiday help) and called on the first day of hire!

But, alas, the sale of TDS could change all that.

And yes, if you negotiate the time up front, most managers will make exceptions. Some won't!

 

[leslieh]

Dont forget the other perks, my dd worked the college program, we got a great price on the four day cruise, 1/2 price hotel rooms certain times of year, holidays 1/2 price dinner coupon book, etc. But with all of those discounts she would never do it again. We are looking to retire in the Orlando area, wouldnt mind a really pt time job with those benefits!

 

[Donna]

As mrsdon said (hi debbie), working at tds is a tedious job, requires training and many hours, or in some cases, hardly any hours. retail, in general, is mostly NO FUN, especially during holidays. as other posters said, most stores are not hiring cause they're in a state of limbo with the pending sale. It was nice while it lasted though, i added on a few times at $48 a pt., but i worked there 3 1/2 years.