CAUTION! Very Important! Must Read Now!

Hi everyone,
This is a very important post that needs to be read before deciding on changing your life to work at Disney. I know first hand that Disney is not as good as it may seem at first glance. I recently did a month of the International College Program as a lifeguard and was thoroughly dissapointed. I felt misled and indirectly lied to. We were shown a magical presentation about how 'truly wonderful' and 'life changing' working at Disney would be. They made it sound like a absolute dream come true and we felt like the luckiest people alive to be given this opportunity. However, the reality of Disney and Disney world is quite to the contrary. My personal experience was this...
- Disney was unwelcoming
- My roomate was temperamental and unfriendly
- My training was tough and unpleasant
- The wage is totally EXPLOITATIVE
- I had to spend 2 hours travelling to work every day which was a waste of time
- If you don't have a car it is pretty much impossible to get around as the public transport system is appalling in Orlando. For example it took me 2 hours one way to the Florida mall.
- I hated Disneyworld itself as to me it was the worst of consumerism. A total waste of valuable resources for temporary and forgettable thrills. The parks aren't even that fun - very quickly looses its appeal
- You don't have many days off
- The rent is too high for what you get
- Very expensive to get there (lots of hidden expenses)- visa fees, recruitment agency fees, airplane ticket, passport, plane ticket to get visa, admin fee, police clearance fee, and many other costs involved. Comes to thousands of dollars
- Hard to coordinate work schedules with friends so that you have same time off

Don't get me wrong, some people love working for Disney, and good for them. But at the same time, many many people hate working for Disney and are totally disillusioned. Personally I thought it was a rubbish program that I wouldn't recommend to anyone. And it really is a case of luck. Working for Disney is about taking a chance, a gamble. You might get a good job, and live with amazing housemates, and have a terrific manager, and not have to work all the time, and you may have a car so you can get around. But on the other hand, if luck isn't on your side, you may really hate it. Take Disney's entire marketing strategy with a pinch of salt, and remember that your menial disney job makes you dispensable and insignificant, and Disney, being the ridiculously massive and profit maximising corporation that it is, doesn't really care about you.

Might I also add that this forum is also misleading as the people that write on here are usually the people who love Disney. As I said before, a lot of people love the experience, and a lot of people hate the experience. Yet this forum really only represents the people that love it and that's a problem. Anyway, I hope this is helpful to some. I know I will probably get a lot of abuse from Disney lovers, but so be it. Someone needs to advise people to consider working for Disney very very carefully, and don't be misled by Disney. I wish I had read this post before I decided to waste my time and money pursuing my 'International Disney Opportunity'. BTW I self terminated after a month and had to leave the country within 24 hours - one of the stupid visa conditions.

 

Hey Jules.

Im sorry you had such a rough time. I guess the program just wasnt for ya. I have a heard a few people who have also had a tough experience with the disney programs. I think everyone should go into them with the expectation that its not going to be easy, and it will be a lot of hard work. Being a major disney enthusiast, the lowish wages dont really matter to me, because I think its a great oppertunity to grow and be independent and make tons of friends. Sure you might not get along with everyone, but thats life . I beleive more people come away from the disney experience with very positive outlooks, and wishing they could go back, then comming away wisihing never to go back. So I guess its all on how you look at things. Personally I would do ANYTHING to get into the program.. Disney has seemed to consume me throughout my years  ;D. But anyways, I suppose these disney programs arnt for everyone, but if you are truley dedicated to what you do, and especially Disney!! I think this is a great experience..

(hahah gosh im talking like ive already done the program, and I havent even gotta a phone interview yet!)  :

 

Jules,

I hope you don't take this post personally. I realise the program isn't for everyone and that's fine. This is not intended to be a 'Disney lover' abusing you, I just think that, especially given the title that you've given to this post, it is vital for balance....

I too was an International College Program Lifeguard (at Disney's Blizzard Beach), fairly recently (summer 2005), and so I think I'm in a good position to comment on much of what you said.

I thought the process was fairly well structured. We were met at the airport by friendly staff from the College & International Programs Office, and we had lots of information on everything that was happening.

I didn't get on particuarly well with many of my roommates. But it didn't ruin my program; I spent very little time in my room - there is so much more to be doing! There are many more people around to get along with.

I partially agree. I am involved as a Trainer/Assesor for the RLSS UK National Pool Lifeguard Qualification, so I do have some experience with lifeguard training. The Ellis & Associates program is, in my opinion, unnecessarily challenging in that you are expected to learn about five days worth of information in three days. However, if you fail first time, you get a second chance. Tough, yes - but not particuarly unpressured.

Disney and Ellis do make lifeguarding there pressured: but it has to be. The economic consequences in the US for anything preventable going wrong for a major company are tremendous. So too are the human costs of bad lifeguarding. In an environment as challenging as some of the Disney Water Parks and Resort pool, lifeguards have to be the best.

The wage paid to CPs and ICPs is low. It is not a wage one can live one long-term, but it was something I was willing to put up with for three months. I also found that prices are lower in the US than the UK - I don't know how much this is true with regard to Australian currency; I could live on $6.50 an hour in the US, whereas I could not have done in the UK.

I think the most important thing is that this is something every participant is told about at the presentation.

I also want to point out that Cultural Representatives are paid more than ICPs, and that any work over 8/10 hours a day/40 hours a week is paid at 1.5 time.

I, too, spent about an hour travelling each way, but it didn't seem too big a deal; I've been used to that sort of journey at home, which is perhaps why. Transport is something Disney have had issues with - but they take steps to improve it. Just after I left, Dynamic coaches were replaced with a new firm, American Coach, because of performance issues.

Out of interest, Jules, where was it that you were working?

Yes, public transport in Orlando, as with much of the US, is ridiculous - but this is certainly not Disney's fault! Florida Mall is a long way. But Orlando Premium Outlets, which is great, is fairly close - i.e. walkable from the Commons and Chatham Square, and a ten minute journey from Vista Way (by getting a bus to the Commons).

It's very difficult, yes. Again, flexibility to work whenever needed was somethng that we were told at the presentation was required.

It's inevitable, really, that the people who come back to these forums after the program are those who have loved it. Are we sometimes a little keen? Possibly. But this forum is a valuable resource for so many people. And I'd hate for people to put off utilising it. It made my life easier - indeed, it was from this site that I discovered that Disney were readvertising for dates that I could make, so without it, I wouldn't have been!

This is a condition imposed by the US Department of State; it was pointed out on a number of occassions at the initial presentation.

It's subjective - there's little I can say except wholeheartedly disagree, and that doesn't serve much point!. Some people have anti-consumerism views and I people with such views are not going to like Walt Disney World.

I also think saying it's a waste of valuable resources is going much too far, though: it's difficult to disagree with the proposition that Walt Disney World has had a fantastic economic effect on the central Florida area, employing approaching 70,000 people. Before it was there, there was swampland. Nothing more.

I also disagree that the parks provide forgettable thrills; I have many memories of Walt Disney World, from my time their this summer and on previous family holidays, that will last a lifetime. So do many other peoples - if memories weren't so great, the Resort would not have so many repeat visitors.

For some people, Walt Disney World is a magical place; for others it is not. If you fall into the latter category, I accept that you are unlikely to enjoy the program. But I think that the marketing makes this fairly clear. If you go because you want to work abroad, you may be disappointed. If you go because you want to work *here*, you won't.

This again is subjective; all I shall say is that in return for your rent, you get a a fully furnished apartment, with a fully-equipped kitchen, in a secure compound.

It is expensive: I agree that the International College Program is not going to be a money making experience. I made a significant loss, but to me, it was worth it for the experience I had....I also could probably have significantly mitigated my loss by saving some of my money rather than buying merchandise, and by eating in the parks less.

People on the Cultural Representative Program, which most members here will be, are are there longer and have more time to earn the money back.

This is very role dependent.

In the middle of the summer, when the water parks were open for long hours, I worked 4 12-hour days - then had 3 full days off, which was wonderful. I had a decent amount of hours, but a lot of time to enjoy the parks. Other people did not have such great hours. You could be working 48 hours, but over five or six days (sixth days were fairly rare, and anyone working a sixth day is paid overtime for the entirety of it). I had friends you had hours like this, and they managed to utilise the time they had before or after work on the other days to do things.

I disagree. For most people, working for Disney is not about luck, it's about what you make it. Some people, sadly, will be unluckly. But for the majority of people, the program has fantastic potential. Anyone who wants to see what this potential can lead to should look at http://www.thefairground.com/smf/index.php?topic=2521.0 in alumni discussion.

Dispensable? Yes. Disney can replace you, and that's why they are willing to terminate people for minor incidents. But insignificant? I beg to differ. A good Cast Member can make the difference to a family; they can change a family's holiday from a disaster to a delight. Good Cast Members are what makes the experience at Walt Disney World so different.

===

Do I know other people with a similar view to Jules? Yes. There were a number of people who didn't enjoy their experience. Why? I think, with respect, a lot of people weren't expecting to have to work hard. You do. To create the guest experience that Disney desire, cast members have to work very hard. But I found the work very rewarding. It may sound cliched, but magical moments really do happen, and creating them is a wonderful feeling.

I am sorry you didn't have a good exprience, and it is good for people to hear both positions.

So to conclude what has turned out to be a much longer post than I intended (congratulations to anyone who has reached this point!), I want to go back to my experience: to me the program was an absolute dream come true and I continue to feel like one of the luckiest person alive to have had the opportunity. If  the International College Program wasn't limited to once-only, I would have been applying to return this year. Indeed, I am going back on holiday.

To me, and many others, the program really was a case of 'living the dream'. So if you think it is for you, go for it!

Andy

 

me i' don't worry formy future work in french pavillion, I know that i'll have busy days, and i don't care coz it's the only possibility to have the great advantage of working in USA!!!


I'm happy!!! I love consumerisme, I love buy buy and buy!!

I think before going to usa and of course in a american enterprise we must know this so i'm sorry for u girl but that's the american idea of the working!

 

Yah, ditto Max. I love consumerism!
Just because you had a crappy ass time doesnt mean we are all going to.

I would never recommend anyone to go if they dont already have a love for Disney because theyre just wasting their time, as it seems you did.
Sucks you lost those months, maybe you'll research what you're getting into a little better next time you desire a change in life.

 

Working for Disney is not something you get into lightly.  You have to have a real want to work for them, be a 'Disney Lover', and be willing to do all it takes to get and keep the job. 

I've wanted to work for  Disney since I was 11, and so did not apply on a whim.  I've worked for years gaining knowledge and experience with Disney, put up a very big fight with my University when they told me Disney wasnt offering any positions.  Now look where I am!

Yes some people may have bad experiences, but you have to remember that nobody is perfect, and so you can't expect Disney to be.  Yes, it may be perfect if you go on holiday, but just remember its the Cast Members doing all they can to ensure it's an experience you can never forget.  As for:

I really don't believe that's true.  Disney holds many memories for me, and I'll never forget each experience I had there

 

i will never forget anything of my trips to disney, i remember each one with a special value, and a big part of that is because the people who work there. but work for disney is not a easy job, u need to work hard and thats why disney is where it is, not just for work a few hours, it a constant work, but u need really be a disney lover to work there, because isnt easy, and theres so much people who love the experience and others who not ofcourse, sorry u had a bad time but im sure they will be some good time right?? not everything can be that bad!!!!

XOXO

:-* :-* :-* Ely :-* :-* :-*

 

Hmmmm.... interesting.

I was in Food and Beverage Canada 2001- 2002.

I had what would be called a "good" experience because I went in with very little expectation.

Well... Jules... you came ALL THE WAY FROM AUSTRAILA!!!   That might explain some of your dissatisfaction with travelling the distance to the US and the expenses involved.  It also depends on the lifestyle you've become accustomed to at home.  If you haven't lived in a stituation where you have to be accomodating, compromising, and co-operative with other people... especially strangers from other countries and cultures... I can see how your experience at Disney could be challenging and disillusioning.

ANYONE can have a bad experience if they expect TOO much from it.  For example, money.  You don't go and work for Disney, especially the WDWIP at Epcot, for money.  You are paid the minimum... and that's how Disney is SOOOOOO damn rich!!!  And I expected that.  I did get some money in tips by working food service... but I didn't bring home big bucks!

I went for the experience.  The climate... oh gawd that glorious climate.... , meeting SOOO many people from SOOO many different places! (that's not mentioning the beautiful, young men!  Disney does not hire unattractive people...)  And of course... the partying. 

I did enjoy the parks... despite the kitch.... I loved Animal Kingdom.  You take it as it is: fantasy.  A dream vacation created by Disney to part people from their money.  Plus, once you've seen the little man behind the curtain working the levers... the great and powerful wizard of oz... yeah... isn't so great... but WHO CARES????   It's for fun.  Did you forget to try and have FUN???

I also had room mate issues.... any mature, reasonable adult can work through those with the help of the housing dept. folks. 

Man.... Jules.... lighten up.  Don't piss on everyone's parade.  You only gave it a month?  It's too bad that you didn't give yourself time to adjust to the culture shock and new living environment... you may have missed a good 11 months of fun, friends, and maddness!

Good luck to everyone who's applying to the program... myself included (I'm going for another try).
YOU make the experience.... and no one else.

Charlene Canada F&B Alumni 2001-2002

 

Hey all i have nothing but love for disney i love it so much , im glad you posted what ypu did and i just have a worry about my roomates im fairly an independant and privite person and everything would be perfect if we were able to choose if we wanted roomates. and the cost also plays a factor . i just absolutly love disney and i really have to thimk about it and weigh the good and the bad and think carefully of what im about to embark on .
talk to you later
dawn-loree

 

People we are all different! thats why im going! (28th march i fly!) It's somthing i need to do to prove that i can make it! I'm going not knowing wots going to happen but im willing to give it a go and try my damn hardest. I want an adventure and i know im gonna gert it know matter wot, bad or good! Jules, At least you tried it however you need to stay positive in situations like you experiencesd at Disney! Trust me i worked 5 years at Friday's!!! You have to stay positive you have bad and good days wotever company and country thats life! I'm gonna stay strong and try the hardest i can give! Jules, just stay strong you gona meet a lot worse than Disney in your life i know coz i will ! TA guys c u in less than 2 months! Jessie xx

 

WOW!!! Jules

Let me begin by saying that the letter you wrote is 100% right. I had a contract for Disney beginning Sept 13th 05. I also self terminated myself as I hated it. I loved the life out there and I had GREAT roomates, but the reality of working for Disney isnt as great as it seems.

I had many bad situations when I was at Disney that made me have a strong hate for the company. The video in which they show is made out to show that it is the most "magical" place to work, and ITS not. I spent 1000's of dollers to get out there and lost all of it. I wrote Disney's VP a letter and recieved a bear and daytimer to show that they cared. You know to be honest that didnt help my feelings.

It is VERY hard to get around if you dont have a car. Rent is OVER priced and there is many more details I could get into. Again take Jules letter as a eye open. You know someone else wrote something about Disney on here and I read it before I left, and commented to the individuals negative post. But you know I should have taken that in and accepted what he said as all of what was said was correct.

Jules---E-mail me personally if you can, I would like to chat with you alittle more.

Jordana

 

Disney doesn't pay low wages so they can "get rich".........they employ 55,000 Cast Members in Florida alone!
Everything is pretty clearly told to you at the interview/presentation and on the website.
You were told right from the beginning that the pay is low, and what the rent is, and how many days you will be working, and OBVIOUSLY it will be a world of consumerism!
As for your room mate, that's too bad, but that really has nothing to do with the overall program. Personalities can clash anywhere you go, and Disney shouldn't be blamed for that.
Disney, espcially as a park-time ICP participant, if just a temp job, so of course training will be hard work and fast...sucks for you that you went into it with such a unrealistic image of what it was going to be like in your mind.
Best of luck to you in your future jobs.

 

And Tessa manages to say in 100 words what took me a 1000...hehe...

Tessa, I agree with everything you say!

 

I agree with tessa if you have a love for disney then you are more likley to make the best of it i love disney and even if somehting goes wrong i am going to try and turn it into a positive.I am sorry that you had a bad time over there but like you said it goes both ways i just know that i will make every effoprt to be the best CM i can after all thats all disney wants if your working hard and it will show then the chances are you will get along with everyone .You say you didnt expect it to be so hard but what did you expect?Loads of time to spend laying around ?Sorry its just i am soooooooo looking forward to going now !!!!!

 

I totally agree with Tessa and Rhiannon!

disney is not for everyone but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for most people so when we have the chance we are going to make the most out of it. Everyone is in the same boat with being homesick and stuff.

 

I agree with you heather but so wish i was coming out with you lot never mind you lot will just have the pleasure of my throw in

 

as a follow alumni myself I think all of you should just read what Jules wrote and try to accept that some people may not have a good experience at Disney. I know it may be hard for you as you are in the 'bubble' right now and trust me Ive been there. Alumnis are here to give you advices and answers to your questions and you are usually very happy and grateful that they do. But as soon as some people write they had a bad experience you just reject everything they say.

I dont think its about having an unrealistic image of the whole experience its about being disappointed. We all know what the program is about but it may be different once you are out there. I wouldnt be surprised to see how many of you are going to come home after a few months.

Everyone has a different experience and everyone is entitled their opinion. Disney is about DIVERSITY (hahaha) so please people just try to listen to all the different opinions before you get out there !!! Good luck to all of you and hopefully you will meet great people like I did !!!!   

Sophie 

 

Much has been said about this topic, so all I have to say is;

Welcome to the real world!

The United States is very different to Europe when it comes to wages, labor rights, etc etc. Canada as well. Its nothing like what you're used to simply because of the way the country is run. I don't want to make any political statement here, just take this into consideration.
Myself, being from Norway, am lucky to live in a great country with some of the highest wages and many benefits, as enforced by law. Norwegians who are not used to work really hard (which means most Norwegians) get a huge shock when starting to work for Disney. I'm not trying to bring down the rep of all of us, but its true! Then again, I guess there's a lot of slacking off all over the World Showcase. People are just not used to American working conditions. And its hard work people, get over it! Yes, there are a lot of bad things in this huge corporation (as there are in many big corporations and smaller ones), but there are a lot of good things too!

First of all, there's no place better than Disney to learn what Customer Service is and what should be expected from you in that area of work. Disney are the best in that field and everybody knows it. Yeah, you might get an a-hole guest sometimes, but that's something you get in a service-job, no matter where you are.
Second, Disney gets you a "ticket" into the United States. It can be very hard to get a work Visa for this country and you might never get one again in your entire life. Disney could've used Americans for the World Showcase, but they didn't, though it would have been much cheaper. They treasure quality, that's why they bring us in. Appreciate it!

I could write so much more, but as so much already has been written, I'll say one last thing about the rent... we get:
Free transport to and from work, grocery stores, nightclubs, parks, hotels.
Housing, including furniture, fully equipped kitchen, vacuumer, electricity, water (yeah, in the States you actually have to pay for the amount of water you use, in Norway you don't), internet, cable tv.
Security with all the advantages and disadvantages, although the advantages make up for the disadvantages....
A pool and other recreational facilities and equipment.
Price Management... they rock IMO, I never hafta call a plumber.
Free parking.
Pest control, lawn mowing, etc etc.
With all this we never actually have to worry about anything like electricity bills, clogged toilets, maintenance of outside areas, our own safety... I say this is worth much more than we pay!

And if you hate Disney so much, why do you spend all your time writing that long topic? When I hate something I certainly don't spend my time obsessing over it. Like "Oh my GOD I hate George Bush sooo much I'm gonna spend all my time writing a book about it." No, I just laugh at the Letterman jokes and spend the rest of the day doing the things I like to do.

 

Don't worry, I'm not rejecting how Jules felt and her advice....I'm just saying that I *hopefully* know what to expcet, hard HARD work, long LONG hours, and low LOW pay. With my job here I feel pretty prepared for that kind of work, but you never know what will happen.
I've been really careful to keep myself prepared for not enjoying the job and what not, just so I don't have to "eat" my words.
I'm not foolish enough to say "I love Disney! and I will LOVE this job, 100%!" because I don't know for sure that will happen.
I'm just keeping my mindset open.

 

Well,
As a current cast member, I can say that things aren't as they told m they would be. I 150% agree with Julez on this one. The only good part about being down here is not having to work for two days, and getting to party every other night. I have some days where I'm extatic to be working for DIsney, as I am just as big a DIsney lover, if not bigger, than any of you. But, in all honesty, after seeing the way that Disney treats its cast members, I doubt I will ever come back here. We work our asses off every day, for our managers to take the credit, when they don't even know whats going on half the time. One manager will tell you one thing, then you will get a repremend from another manager for doing it. If Disney expects to cut corners on their cast members, they should at least have their salary staff on the same page. I have seen people get fired for simply doing what one of their managers told them to do. I myslf have had a few things to said to me, and last week I was on the verge of leaving. But, we are a big family here, and you can rely on your fellow cast members to get through anything. For me, now, the only reason I am staying, is because of my friends. I personally couldn't care less to be working for Disney anymore.

Chase