Questions for WDW CM's. Is working there all that it is believed to be?

[TheRustyScupper]

I have really enjoyed working at MK. I do wish that the management were better with their CM's though. They could stand some improvement there. There is one that I would call outstanding but the others are less approachable.

1) Alas, the management are mediocre to poor.
2) They do not do much management training.
3) I even had a meeting to discuss this.
4) They first claimed they did lots of training.
5) When I read off the true training, they admitted to hardly any real training.
6) I then read from "The Disney Way" training book. *
7) It has all gone by they wayside.
8) The rule is "don't let the bull hit the brass".
9) If you keep complaints at your level, you get advanced.

* I actually use this book in training my subordinate Plant Managers and their staff. I also employ the Disney Way Workbook.

[bleukarma]

How is everybody doing with their respective jobs at WDW? Any good stories lately?

Has anybody heard if Mousekeepers make decent tips? I would think that they did. When I go back to FL if I get an opportunity to work at WDW I am thinking of applying for Mousekeeping, just because they get the tips.

[tmosier]

What happened to this post?

I was enjoying keeping up on our CMs and miss reading their updates.

[CaptainJessicaSparrow]

We work?

LOL. Well, I've got a few I guess I can put up.

I started as a CA officially on Sunday. I had my first day of training at the Main Gate Complex. It was pretty awesome, I enjoyed the class. Can I just say - it is EXTREMELY hard to take anything seriously when your teacher is a stuffed bear? No, really...Winnie the Pooh was teaching my class. It couldn't stop laughing.

I got to see some Fairies in person. So there is hope they are coming soon....maybe. I also saw the promo photos of their costumes and the new ones for Mickey and Minnie on Halloween. Saw some new costume sketches.....that I was not thrilled about. In fact, they looked horrible but I won't go into any more detail than that. Found out where they hide all the old puppets from the Tapestry parades.

So for some Jungle stories, I had a girl from MAW who loved my boat so much the first time, that she wanted to ride again. We obviously let her and so she got two different versions since I substituted some jokes.

Yesterday, I had a little boy who was waiting in line. Another little boy from a different family had crossed the safety line and I asked him to move back because we have gators in the river and they might jump up and get him. Well, the first little boy started to scream and yell about sharks. Saying there were sharks and they were going to eat him and he was pretty adament about it. His mom looked at him and said "Honey, we're from Louisiana, we have gators in the backyard." Needless to say, the father took him away from the line and they didn't ride. The little boy swore up and down he saw one in the water too.....I saw him later that night after I was off at BTM and he was freaking out on that too. So I didn't feel bad.

Another Guest screamed on my boat when I got to the Ginger Snaps part.....and the Squeeze Play. It was funny because the entire boat started laughing both at her and with her.

[lockedoutlogic]

The positives:

1. Florida/ Orlando area is great to live in
2. You do get much more entertainment available to you than just about anywhere in the US outside of Mid town Manhattan and the Vegas strip
3. Disney is stable....and does allow advancement strictly based on job performance

The bads:

1. The entire Orlando area is beholden to travel....and therefore at the whim of the national economy and discretionary spending
2. You are surrounded by tourists at all times....24/365....that is sometimes not the greatest living scenario
3. People come to orlando and spend lots on vacations.....you don't get it. Wages are still very low and the need for low paying wages far outweighs the incentive to hire those at higher wages. basically...you can live on vacation....just don't expect to be able to go on any vacations.
4. With Disney....the advancement is ridiculously slow. The work is completely repetitive and mundane after a very short while. And in the end....you will either make a low wage/salary or be forced to spend your entire life with your nametag on to make anything more.
5. It is difficult to watch other people's special occasions day in and out - but work at a place that doesn't allow you to really get many of your own.

...just off the top of my head

[joanna71985]

I started as a CA officially on Sunday. I had my first day of training at the Main Gate Complex. It was pretty awesome, I enjoyed the class. Can I just say - it is EXTREMELY hard to take anything seriously when your teacher is a stuffed bear? No, really...Winnie the Pooh was teaching my class. It couldn't stop laughing.

That's awsome! Mine was Pluto.

[tmosier]

Thanks for the update!

I remember what summer in Florida feels like, and I'm sure the last thing CMs want to do when they get home is to post. Some of us live vicariously through CMs and enjoy whatever post scraps they toss our way!

[Hayden's Dad]

So for some Jungle stories, I had a girl from MAW who loved my boat so much the first time, that she wanted to ride again. We obviously let her and so she got two different versions since I substituted some jokes.

Some how that doesn't surprise me about you Jessica. Congratulations again on the CA position.

[doombuggy]

I was wondering about this, Jessica, and all the other CMs on here...
The little CM appreciation cards, do you like getting them? I ask because I gave one to a CM who looked frazzled, picking up towels by the WL pool, and she didn't seem too happy about it. I felt like I was an elitist, patting her on the head for cleaning up after all of us royalty. I felt so bad about it that I threw the rest of the cards away!
So, what do you CMs think of them? I mean, they are just little pieces of paper...

Thanks!

If you go a step further and write a letter about that CM, it goes on their record card. I have a few of those. It does look good on the RC, but even better is getting the letter from the guest. I had one from a little girl back in 2005, which I still have in my file drawer at home.

[doombuggy]

I am in Cincinnati for the summer but when I come back down to Florida (I have a house I am trying to sell in Brandon) I am seriously thinking of making the plunge and moving closer to WDW and working there. I think I would rather work outside of the parks though, because I am afraid of losing the magic. I would love to work for a resort.

I am trying to get into training at Kings Island up here and I asked them if I could work two positions and the lady said "no...I don't think so...that would be hard!" I thought to myself "you don't know me!" I have always been used to working two jobs. I am kind of a work-a-holic so 40 hours a week is little to me. My question is: can you work two positions at WDW? Or can you work FT at one position and pick up extra hours in another?

Thanks for the great thread! It's interesting reading about everyones behind the scenes experience as a WDW CM!

I find working two jobs a bit stressful. Since moving to FL, I work 7 days a week. I have a f/t job outside of disney, and since in order to be p/t ("CR") you need to give them 2 full days of availibility (minimum), that takes away my weekends. After 12 years (well, 12 years on 9/15), it gets tiresome.

I agree with you about working outside the parks. I work at DTD; I live about 34 miles away, but can usually get there in about 45-50 minutes. It doesn't take away from the magic, although I seldom go to the parks, since I work so much and now live a bit farther away. But I cut my milage per week down to about 180 from 350.

good luck to you!

[trackbarroness]

As you can probably guess by my signature. I work in the Magic Kingdom's T-land, and no the Magic hasn't been lost for me. In fact I find it has been inhanced by becoming a CM. In fact I just had my last day of cross training for the Buzz complex, and tomorrow will be tested on what I know. Maybe I'll get crossed trained over at Speedway, but will have to think about that. I'll post tomorrow either way.
Have a magical night

[bleukarma]

I find working two jobs a bit stressful. Since moving to FL, I work 7 days a week. I have a f/t job outside of disney, and since in order to be p/t ("CR") you need to give them 2 full days of availibility (minimum), that takes away my weekends. After 12 years (well, 12 years on 9/15), it gets tiresome.

I agree with you about working outside the parks. I work at DTD; I live about 34 miles away, but can usually get there in about 45-50 minutes. It doesn't take away from the magic, although I seldom go to the parks, since I work so much and now live a bit farther away. But I cut my milage per week down to about 180 from 350.

good luck to you!

I have worked 2 jobs for a long time and when I don't I get bored. I'm not one of those people that can just sit at home. I guess I have nervous energy or something. I figure I may as well be spending my time making money because otherwise I would be out somewhere spending it.

It's all up in the air right now. I get back to FL in 2 weeks. Right now I'm just going to transfer through JC Penney's (that started as my part time job and it turned into full time when I got laid off at the title company I worked at) and then look for another full time job from there. We may have someone interested in leasing our house from us, and if they do then I will be moving further east and (hopefully) work at Disney. But if I get "stuck" in my house in Brandon then I think I would spend more gas getting to Disney then what I would make. So...who knows what the future holds! Thanks for the well wishes!! I will keep you posted!