Would you want your daughter/son to be A Cast Member???

[Silly23]

Years ago I would have emphatically said YES!!!

These days Id have to think long and hard about giving my blessing to one of my kiddos in regards to being a CM.

While I have ambitions of being a CM during retirement, I have seen too much bad behavior and abuse of cast members and the over all system be rewarded.

Some years ago while at PO we over heard a guest bragging that he got a free trip due to his complaining during their last trip to DW. Upon checkout that same guest was throwing a fit of unprecedented proportions about his "bad" experience as we looked on in horror and disbelief, as the poor cast member was trying to defuse the chaotic scene unfolding infront of guest.

 

[Monykalyn]

DH and I were DCP back in the 90's, oldest has done 2 programs and really wants to do another after she graduates.
Yeah there are horrible people, and you aren't "really" a CM until at least one guest yells how your "ruined their vacation". Don't underestimate them though. Mine loved "pixie dusting" the nice ones, and just occasionally it happened the pixie dusted guest was near the rude one . But seriously-she worked hard to give extra to the super sweet guests-she even called her manager one time to get a little guy into Jedi training (who'd patiently showed up at every training hoping the extra standby slot hadn't been filled). The last show had an extra guest

I do wish Disney would go back to a bigger security presence in the parks, including much more undercover, to diffuse the situations and BAN those horrible guests.

 

[Alesia]

That's pretty much par for the course for most people in any kind of customer service job. The main difference is that Disney CMs make less money than most other customer service employees

 

[Silly23]

On our last trip in October at Y & B we met a lifeguard and he absolutely loved it and we chatted in depth about the perks and benefits that he had enjoyed about being a CM.

 

[lorenae]

Sure, why not? My son was sort of working temporary jobs for a while and then joined the Navy. My daughter was in banking and then decided to go back to school to become a nurse.

Whether they wanted to do those things or be a CM at Disney, it’s their lives and they can do what they want. I would never try to push them in another direction, as they might blame me for it for the rest of their lives.

 

[TwinkleKS]

Stuff happens at just about every job ... I waited tables back in college and can truthfully say I've been treated worse working in high power business offices than I ever was waiting tables. You can't protect your kids from everything ... and if a disgruntled Disney guest is the worse thing they experience in life - that's a good thing in my book.

 

[Heather07438]

You can't protect your kids from everything ... and if a disgruntled Disney guest is the worse thing they experience in life - that's a good thing in my book.

Yes, it's a great experience for CMs to learn skills on handling these matters professionally with effective communication, finding the appropriate balance between maintaining control and not over-reacting. CMs get to see many examples during their employment, which is very valuable and translates over to wherever life takes them.

 

[KenHutch]

My daughter is 19 and has started researching it and I support the idea. It will allow her to expand and meet other people. She is studying engineering right now and she needs to interact with more people from the "real world". All of my friends are either active duty or retired military and most of her friends are the children of these people and we are very different from other people.

 

[kimmar067]

....two weeks into my DS's DCP last January, I instinctively knew he wasn't coming back to New Jersey. He finished in July and was transferred to server at Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar at DS, while planning to transfer from Montclair State to UCF in January. While he's not raking in the money, he absolutely LOVES It!

 

[Heather07438]

....two weeks into my DS's DCP last January, I instinctively knew he wasn't coming back to New Jersey. He finished in July and was transferred to server at Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar at DS, while planning to transfer from Montclair State to UCF in January. While he's not raking in the money, he absolutely LOVES It!

Thanks for sharing, very interesting to hear about the path he chose. Sounds like an awesome experience for your son.

Our DS (only child) is a HS senior and Montclair State, William Paterson and UCF are all intriguing to him. Could 6 months of DCP make him Florida resident eligible for an in-state UCF transfer?

 

[kimmar067]

Thanks for sharing, very interesting to hear about the path he chose. Sounds like an awesome experience for your son.

Our DS (only child) is a HS senior and Montclair State, William Paterson and UCF are all intriguing to him. Could 6 months of DCP make him Florida resident eligible for an in-state UCF transfer?

...it's called the Aspire Program. If he successfully completes 6 months of active employment at WDW, he gets free tuition [or rather, 100% tuition paid for by WDW] to a participating college or university. UCF was just recently added. He is a computer science major, studying both in IT and Cyber Security - eventually would like to work at WDW in one of those fields.

 

[kimmar067]

...not going to lie though. Many a time while he was doing DCP, I had to hurry to the bank to deposit money into his account - he barely could make ends meet, between dorm tuition, NJ state taxes, his cell phone, car payment, and student loans....

 

[JessicaW1234]

...it's called the Aspire Program. If he successfully completes 6 months of active employment at WDW, he gets free tuition [or rather, 100% tuition paid for by WDW] to a participating college or university. UCF was just recently added. He is a computer science major, studying both in IT and Cyber Security - eventually would like to work at WDW in one of those fields.

What schools are participating in this?

 

[kimmar067]

Sidenote: it is extremely difficult to secure a server position at WDW. My DS has more than 9 years in the food service industry: host, server, barback, food prep, working at a banquet hall [he also worked 2 years at Grand Lux Cafe in Paramus, the 2nd highest revenue-producing restaurant in the US, behind the Las Vegas location, which gave him TONS of experience! ]. Some of the many WDW servers he has gotten to know make upwards of more than 6 figures in a 4-day work week....of course, that'd be for locations like Yachtsman, Flying Fish, The Wave, Cali Grill and the like.

 

[kimmar067]

What schools are participating in this?

...well, my DS is particularly interested in UCF, which was added last semester. Offhand, I don't really know what other institutions are involved. Let me see if I can direct you to the place where you can find out....you can try asking here:

https://www.disboards.com/threads/college-program-parents-thread.1800244/
...or here:

https://www.disboards.com/forums/the-college-board.90/

 

[Heather07438]

...it's called the Aspire Program.
...not going to lie though.

I really appreciate you sharing this. We're mulling over options together and it's helpful to see different ways to pursue education along with what to prepare for.

Good luck to your son! He's definitely on track

 

[kimmar067]

...Good luck to your son! He's definitely on track

Thanks! And yours as well....

 

[Heather07438]

Sidenote: it is extremely difficult to secure a server position at WDW. My DS has more than 9 years in the food service industry: host, server, barback, food prep, working at a banquet hall [he also worked 2 years at Grand Lux Cafe in Paramus, the 2nd highest revenue-producing restaurant in the US, behind the Las Vegas location, which gave him TONS of experience! ]. Some of the many WDW servers he has gotten to know make upwards of more than 6 figures in a 4-day work week....of course, that'd be for locations like Yachtsman, Flying Fish, The Wave, Cali Grill and the like.

Wow. Between IT, security and hospitality, looks like your son has much to offer at WDW with a very rounded set of useful skills to apply.

 

[kimmar067]

Wow. Between IT, security and hospitality, looks like your son has much to offer at WDW with a very rounded set of useful skills to apply.

....and he's very personable too....