Who's really done it?!

[ksoehrlein]

I've often pondered this question as this is my dream someday to move south to Orlando. BUT I wonder if being so close to WDW or even working there would take away some of the "magic". I think I might have a hard time knowing those people are there on vacation and I'm not....

I worked there for a year and a half, right out of college. (Quite the opposite of retirement, but it's the only experience I have.) Even on my worst days, when I realized that everyone I was waiting on was on vacation and here I was, stuck at work, the magic never went away for me. I loved going to play at the parks on my days off.

12 years later, WDW is still my favorite place to vacation, and I still want to go back to work there after DH and I retire. I can't wait to be the "cool grandparents" -- what grandchild could resist a Nana and PopPop who take them to WDW whenever they visist? (Since DD turns 6 next month and DS just turned 3 yesterday, I hope to wait a LONG time before those theoretical grandkids arrive, however!)

 

[Feralpeg]

My sister and I both retired two years ago and moved to the Orlando area from Kansas City. My sister works full time at Days Of Christmas at DTD.

She works very hard. She normally goes to work at 4pm and gets off at midnight. She loves most of the guests, but there are those that make things very difficult. All in all, she enjoys it, but it is hard work for very little compensation.

 

[Belle1111]

I thought I was the only one planning this!

I told my dh this the other day- and how great it would be for our grandkids someday (my kids are only 11,9,7) and he thought I was joking....I'm not.

I'd love to work at Epcot or MK- where would you want to work?

 

[Karibeth19]

I have thought about this also. Have talked to several older CM's and they all love it. One I talked to worked with her husband at Test Track. They applied on a whim and have worked part time for several years, and love it. I have also thought of doing this.

I wonder if it's the same couple we met last May! We met them waiting on the boat from WS to the Boardwalk. They had moved to FL after retiring and both got jobs at Epcot, working at Test Track. They told us how happy they were, and what a great job it was for a retired person. They were actually there spending their day off at Epcot, which impressed us. It impressed my DH so much, that he decided that we are going to retire to FL and work at WDW too, which is fine with me!

 

[Simba22]

I would move today if I could...

You and me both! And what's this about retirement? I want to quit my job and move down there NOW! I'll go push the Churro cart around all day! LoL! My BF doesn't want to move down there though because of the "Hurricanes." I'm like well here in CT we get blizzards, hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, nor-easters, floods, earthquakes.....we're no better here than there and at least there we are in WDW!

I am really curious to know what the general population thinks of working for the Mouse...

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Disney and I are in hot negotiations to get me down there now. They're caving in. They were at $7 an hour 5 years ago and now they're at $8. And I haven't had to come off my demand of $100 grand a year yet.

If all goes well, I'll be down there by age 300.

 

[DISUNC]

Funny story about driving the monorail, we sat up front one time and my DH asked the driver what kind of training he had to have to dive the monorail. The guy said "5 days".

My husband says "Well surely you must have had some other experience with trains or buses or something" The diver says "No, no previous transportation or professional diving experience"

The guy didn't look a day over 20, so I kinda believe that he really didn't have any previous experience.

I did the same thing and asked the same questions.....The monorail drivers MUST here these same questions 100's of times a day!!!

 

[DISUNC]

Well, I leave tommorrow morning with my parents and a moving truck. (I fly back to the cold north on Tuesday). We went down to Florida in March and found them a place to live and my Mom interviewed at WDW. She has a job waiting for her at MGM Studios working in one of the stores when she gets back. It is a dream come true for her and my step-dad. I can let you guys know in a few months if they are still as excited as they are today.

Best of Luck to them!

 

[Simba's Mom]

This is going to sound really morbid but if something ever happened to DH before retirement, I would definitely consider retiring to Orlando to be near WDW. DH hates the heat and is not a big Disney fan so our plans are probably to retire to New Hampshire or Maine.

It doesn't sound morbid to me. I've planned the same thing. Come to think of it, now that I see you're from Massachusetts, that's where we're from. Are you my double?

 

[mommystieg]

DH and I tell everyone that we are moving to Florida when we retire to work at WDW I want to be the Fairy Godmother

 

[KatiebugsMom]

Well since you all are on the same page as me (retire and go work for the Mouse), I am jumping on the bandwagon. I tell everyone if I win Powerball or the PA lottery. I will be on the next plane out of Pittsburgh so fast and in Central Casting the next morning with resume in hand.

As for my dream job it would be working Haunted Mansion.... but who cares anything to just get me in my happy place....But on the serious side I work as customer service in a call center now so doing something like reservations or dining ADR's would be just as fun. Any ideas about these jobs?

 

[MichelleChell]

I tell people if I won the lottery I would want to drive the barges on the San Antonio Riverwalk for the tourist. Now I'm changing that to doorman at a Disney deluxe hotel. I would get up early for that.

Those people are always so nice! Even if you live in TX if you go there you have to take a ride.

 

[littleladykaty]

When I was at Disneyland in Pooh's Corner store there was ann older maintenence man there fixing a light...he had on a Mickey maintenence trading pin. I commented on how cute it was and he said that they made them only for the maintenence crew...when I responded with "How nice of them" his response was a derisive snort and "Nice? Yeah real nice...we had to pay $25 for them and we were REQUIRED to buy them!" He then shook his head, rolled his eyes and went back to work! I've heard from some that working for Disney can be VERY demanding and since there are SO MANY people out there who would work for Disney their attitude is "If you don't like the way we run things, then don't let the door knob hit ya in the tail on the way out!"

One of my sorority sisters was a character at Disneyland...she loved it, but she said a lot of the Magic is stripped away when you are behind the scenes!

good thread!!

 

[frannn]

DH knows how I feel about WDW, but he is immovable, and hates change. He would rather stay in NY and struggle, no matter how high the real estate taxes and everything else goes, than take our savings and put it to better use in a southern state (that just happens to be within driving distance to WDW). When I am older and more wrinkled (add me to the 30 more years before retirement group), I would love to be the "fun" CM at the HM, or even wiping down tables at the food court. Anything at WDW would work, as long as I get to see the little girls in their princess dresses, and the happy little boys with their Mickey glitter hair cuts, etc. Heck, I even considered trying to get a job in Disney Corporate, just to make enough $ to stay near the magic. DH is just too attached to his family and the blizzards, I guess. And I am just too attached to DH.....

 

[safetymom]

I moved from PA to Orlando. I don't work for the mouse but visit there almost weekly. It is 12 miles from my house to the parks.

One of the best decisions I ever made. I love it and no the magic hasn't worn off yet in the parks.

 

[YesYourMajesty]

Funny this should come up.

On our last trip my husband and I were hanging out in the rockers infront of the villa building at VWL. Along comes a man picking up trash, whom I can only assume worked under the job category of custodial. We were having a lovely chat with this man, until he started telling us about when he moved to Florida. He said he was forced to live in a trailer, got paid something to the effect of 8.00 per hour, etc, etc.

The reason we got on this topic was because he, my husband and myself were discussing the possibility of us moving to Florida. He tried his best to warn my husband not to work for Disney because of the 7-8 dollar per hour pay wage. Needless to say, my husband, if he took a job at Disney, would be more on the mid-executive level so I dont think he would need to worry about that level of pay, but...I just sat there stunned.

So he finished his story, handed us a bunch of Mickey Mouse stickers and went on his way. It was all very strange. He is the only person we have ever talked to that has had negative things to say about working for Disney.

 

[vacationwoman]

Disney and Florida in general have a very low pay scale.
The cost of living there is much less then it is here in Philly so they can get away with paying less.
If your used to earning good money don't expect to get paid the same in Florida for a comparable job. If your retired and have a good pension I guess you could afford to work for WDW just for the fun and to supplement your income a little.
I am in an executive position and have looked into moving/working in Fl. but the pay scale there for a position equal to what I have is a joke.

 

[k5thbeatle]

...Well...who has really done this? Good, bad? Not what you expected? More than you expected? Sorry/glad you did it?

Any and all opinions from those who have gone beyond talk and actually did this welcome!

So after reading the responses I guess the answer is nobody!

I would not do this unless I was retired and $ were NOT a concern, but alas, I guess this post was wasted in the wrong forum!

 

[3DisneyKids]

I, too, am in on this fantasy. I think about it all the time. And the best part is that I already tele-commute (work from home online...a "legit" job...not one the scam things out there), so I am totally portable. I could move to the Mouse and never miss a beat at work, keep my "above Florida" income, and indulge in WDW whenever I wanted to.

What is holding me back? Well, DH for one...he is NOT portable. Also, we just moved my parents to our town...so I can't say "Gee,I'm so glad that you up-rooted your lives to come live near us in Maine...now we are moving to Florida..."

So now I am trying to convince them that they should retire to FL like everyone else and this time WE would follow THEM! No luck so far...LOL

 

[deetman]

Yes, lots of retirees do it--worked with quite a few during the time I was there ('89-97).

I think it would be a GREAT thing for someone with a secure financial retirement.

Having lived the WDW CM life, from a Casual/Seasonal CM up to a Manager's position (Epcot GSM), and being married to an Entertainment/Character CM, it can be a struggle financially.

Disney is a relatively good organization to work for; very good benefits for "non-skilled" work; and at times WONDERFUL fun!!

It IS work, though, and there is a lot expected of you. It was tough for me to see older people there scraping for hours because they needed the money.

If it was something to do for the "extras", and not $$, I'd say GO FOR IT!!



Scott