Working for Disney is an awesome experience. And by 'awesome' I mean it definitively. Whether good or bad you take something away, you were part of one of most recognized companies in the world.
I'm a CM, corporate side, and I love what I do, I've worked my way up (from being a housekeeper at the All-Star) and consumed the kool-aid every step of the way. There are many who do as well, and many who don't. At the end of the day its a job, love it or hate it, it puts food on the table.
I actually agree with you on everything...except perhaps the last part.
disney has become a minimum wage meat factory in many ways because of their corporate/hiring practices. Minimum wage (wait sorry...10 cents over) is not a livable wage. And forcing people to try and get 16 hours a week OT by some means to meet responsibilities is not what a reasonable person could term "opportunity employment".
Now they do have their advantages...benefits being a big one for jobs that require no education or experience in 90% of the case. But lets face it...the truth is everyone should have health care in "advanced" society...this is a STOOPID error in us that can't seriously be debated.
and the park perks are nice...but again, employees in parks recycle some if not all of their pay back into the parks. They aren't forced to do it...but lets not kid that this isn't at least about 75% of the point.
Again...i i do agree that you can have a great experience there...a terrible one...or all ranges of the spectrum in between...
But there's a reason that some of the other travelodge operators in town look better these days...if not many. And why Disney will have major staffing issues for the conceivable future...and why they will go heavy into outsourcing ..which will probably be complained about every day on this board...as an example of "lack of quality"or "walt's vision"...crying for an employment utopia that probably never existed and has been moving the opposite direction for years.
Remember when the news about starbucks running the bakery was taken like shot to the face by many? Sheer panic by some...over really BAD baked goods. the reality is starbucks is consistently listed as one of the better companies to work for...disney not so much. they are compensated on a higher level than disney. quality is actually gonna rise. that is a function of labor...just the way HR, economics, and morale play out.
one final...again, I'm actually not disagreeing here...
did i see somebody say "at least its a job in this economy..."
yeah...they've been studying this for the last couple of years and though it seems common sense...theres a paradox at work. low wages and "at least you have a job" actually backfire on corporate america big time. production is slowed to ridiculous levels as the hours increase and the pay stays low or stagnant. basically you get what you pay for...counterintuitive, but if you think about it - what is the employers threat? "if you don't shape up...we'll replace you with someone who will be happy to work for...err...the minimum allowable by law. And they you'll have to get a job somewhere else working for...errr...the minimum amount allowable by law. Swap meat.
on a societal level...there is a growing, semi-silent "anger" in the populace based on labor, jobs, pay, and in the bigger scale economic opportunity. i see it festering and growing every day...as i'm sure many of us do. as the money gap continues to widen like the Cincinnati Bengals pass defense...so too does the quiet, mass frustration. This is going to continue as we "evolve" and eventually there will be a correction. chaos theory...unavoidable.