what discounts/benefits for working in a Disney store?

[dj2]

SisIL said I should get a job at our local Disney store to save big bucks on a Disney cruise (or WDW vacation).

anyone know whether or not this is true, and if so, how long one would need to be employed? What kind of benefits do cast members receive?

thanks,
dj

 

[tink111]

A good friend of mine worked part-time at the Disney store for about 6 years through high school and college. Every year they would give her a day's pass to Disney. (The kind that never expires.) She didn't go to WDW while she was working but by the time she was finished she had 6 days worth of passes and saved a bundle on her honeymoon there. I think they also gave her a discount rate to buy her DH's passes for the trip. So... all that was for a part-time employee. Maybe you get even more if you're full time or a manager?? A thought to ponder... she said it was a great place to work!

 

[maleficent1959]

The one-day passes do expire but not usually for a couple years. You don't get more benefits if you are full-time -- if you can even get a full-time job there anymore -- unless you are the SM or ASM and even then it is just a better pass. The benefits are good but some are subject to limitation and/or availability.

You can do a search for threads about discounts. There have been many. You can also call TDS but the policy, at least in our store, was that you did not share that information until they were hired. You may not like the terms of employment or availability requirements. Keep in mind, too, that the stores are for sale and there are many questions about the continuation of CM benefits if they are sold to an outside vendor.

I worked there for five years from 1998-2003. It was a great place to work. At least then the benefits were good (don't know about now) and as a Florida resident that went all the time we saved a bundle. I don't know where you live, but if you don't go that often it may not be worth it. I've seen discount codes that bring room cost down to almost what we paid. There are many posters on this board who, through reward programs and budgeting and using mousesavers and all the other tips, have done it cheaper than CM discounts would get you.

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

I could have sworn I read in a post not too long ago that DS CM's no longer received free passes. Will try and see if I can find the thread.

 

[jiminy14]

TDS CM's no longer receive free admission to the parks by showing their IDs. They still receive four one day passes a year (two in October and two around July). The discount for additional passes for family members has drastically reduced over the past few years.
They receive discounts on rooms at the parks but it is limited to availability. You can get almost the same discount by purchasing an annual pass which usually offers more availability.
There are merchandise discounts available depending upon length of service. Dining discounts are only available at sit-down restaurants.
As another poster mentioned, you can save almost as much money by reading these boards and using the codes. It has also been mentioned that SMs and ASMs receive better benefits. They actually receive a pass that allows them and their families into the parks for free.
I used to be a DS CM but left when they changed their vacation policy. As it stands now, you cannot go on vacation for more than nine days in a row. You cannot take a vacation during the Christmas season (usually from late October until mid-January). Plus they require a lot of availability especially at night and on the weekends.

 

[maleficent1959]

Jiminy,

Some of the policies you mention were among the reasons I quit. Between all the company blackout dates from Fall 2002 to Spring 2003 you were just about guaranteed no time off. Video pre-sale periods were blacked out, inventory, holidays, planned sale periods, SM annual meetings etc. On top of that only two CMS could have time off at the same time, so after our SM, ASM and full-time lead requested all of their vacations it was pretty slim pickings.

What finally got me was when I requested a weekend off. The ASM approved it (SM was on yet another vacation), I paid for everything in advance and then SM got back and unapproved it less than a week before I was supposed to leave. I loved my job but it finally just got to be too much. I was supposed to be available almost all the time, was only getting scheduled for 4-8 hours a week (usually 4 but on-call for 8-16 more) because payroll was so limited and then that.

For those who are interested in working at TDS, the holiday blackout dates were extensive and enforced with no exception. If your child was performing in a school play too bad. You can't request the day off. Only medical reasons were granted time off.

By the end I just felt less and less valued by the company. I hope it has gotten better for the folks that are working there now.

 

[dj2]

thanks for your replies. i did try a search first, but i guess i didn't know which words to use to narrow the results down properly, since i got way too many hits that weren't on target.

anyone know if there is any benefit of working in a disney store as relates to taking a disney cruise?

thanks so much,
dj

 

[maleficent1959]

Originally posted by dj2
anyone know if there is any benefit of working in a disney store as relates to taking a disney cruise?

thanks so much,
dj

As I remember it was 15% off the current rate when I worked there. Occasionally there were better rates if you were willing to take your chances as a "space available" traveler -- kind of like flying stand by. If you traveled as space available you could get bumped from the cruise and you didn't get to pick your cabin category. I seem to remember there was a short window too, like the rates might become available only a month or so before the cruise went. And there were a few times they advertised really great deals back in 1999 when the cruise line was new, but I don't know if there are ever any specials like that anymore.

I also remember having to wait to make Palo and spa reservations until a certain time to ensure that the regular (i.e. full-paying) guests could make theirs. Usually that meant we missed those opportunities.

We've been on 7 or 8 Disney cruises. Twice in 1999 when they had the super cheap CM rates, once at the old CM rate before it switched to the 15% and the rest as Florida residents. They have some great rates in the fall and we were surprised to see that sometimes it was better to travel at the Florida rate than the CM rate. I haven't been since I quit but it is because I got pregnant and it just didn't work in.

If you have a Disney Visa you might want to check and see if that gets you anything. I know you get discounted resort rooms as a cardholder.

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

Using the Disney Visa is usually a $50 or $100 cabin credit depending on what promotion is going on. We have been very disappointed with the promos offered and are considering cancelling the card. The icing on the cake was reading on these boards that several cardholders were offered double rewards. I am one of those people that charges a lot, always pays the balance in full, and on time. We have never been offered double rewards on anything with this card and are upset that our good habits are working against us instead of for us.

 

[jiminy14]

If you are a WDW CM you can get great rates on the cruise. If you can travel with less than 30 days notice, you could get a cabin for $60/day for each person. There are other discounts if your travel dates aren't flexible but I thought that this was always the best offer.
As far as the DS goes, the cruise discount is not nearly as good. As Malificent posted, when it first sailed, CMs got good discounts. When I was working there, the discount was 25% off. Now I see that it has been lowered to 15%. I think this has happened because the cruise has become so popular that empty cabins are not a problem.