Employment for retirees at WDW?

[GoingSince1990]

Granted this was from 15yrs ago now, but when I worked as a CP I met a couple that worked in a random shop at Hollywood Studios together as retirees. They retired, lived in an RV, Disney let them work the same shifts at the same store so they could carpool in etc. They really seemed to enjoy it.

I find that so sweet!

 

[Douglas Dubh]

Do you have to work full time for those 10 years or just have 10 years with the company?

I think some of it can be part time. I’ll try to confirm.

 

[FastPasser.]

I have a new goal in life! Retire earlier enough to work 10 more years at Disney and retire again.

Thank you!!

It is doable.

 

[FastPasser.]

Do you have to work full time for those 10 years or just have 10 years with the company?

It's 10 years with the company. I had more than that, I was part time.

 

[DeeCee735]

wish I could work from NY for Disney or DVC...in my retirement (soon! so soon!). Either that, or I'd like to be Ryan March

 

[Diznerd]

Can you work part time and still get the main gate passes and discounts? What is the minimum amount of hours one can work to get these benefits? I’m not concerned with health insurance. Also, if you work food and wine for example do you get the discounts all year?

 

[Douglas Dubh]

Can you work part time and still get the main gate passes and discounts? What is the minimum amount of hours one can work to get these benefits? I’m not concerned with health insurance. Also, if you work food and wine for example do you get the discounts all year?

Yes, part timers get passes and discounts. The minimum hours depends on the location. At some, you can give away all your shifts for the week easily. Others you can’t. I don’t believe there’s a minimum.

I don’t believe Disney has many seasonal cast members now. They let a lot go during the pandemic. Seasonal don’t get the benefits.

 

[71 Truck]

Can you work part time and still get the main gate passes and discounts? What is the minimum amount of hours one can work to get these benefits? I’m not concerned with health insurance. Also, if you work food and wine for example do you get the discounts all year?

Last time I worked for Disney back in 2018 I was part time. I had to give Disney three days of availability however the department I worked in might only schedule me to work one day of the three and only four to five hours.
I ended up leaving because I was actually looking to work three days a week. Their were cast members always giving their shifts away and I tried to pick up what I could however I was told at the time they had to be on my four days I did not give them for availability.

With all that said I had my company ID to get into the parks and my wife had my main gate pass. We also got all the discounts except for the cruise line. I was told you had to wait 90 days for those discounts and some others I might not have been aware of.

This was all several years ago and thing may have changed since then.

 

[tony67]

So one thing I noticed on my recent trip - it "seemed" like the older retired folks got the worst jobs for the most part.

So collecting trash, cleaning bathrooms, cleaning tables etc...
It may be more about the person and their skills than age, but that is what it looked like to me.

It might be just perception IDK.

 

[71 Truck]

So one thing I noticed on my recent trip - it "seemed" like the older retired folks got the worst jobs for the most part.

So collecting trash, cleaning bathrooms, cleaning tables etc...
It may be more about the person and their skills than age, but that is what it looked like to me.

It might be just perception IDK.

It may just be that people who have worked all their life in hi stress jobs or jobs with a lot of responsibility are looking for a job with none the above mentioned.
When I worked for Disney I worked with a retired Lawyer, a retired Fire Fighter, a Business Ph.D., a person that retired from the Navy, several retired school teachers and retired business owners. This was in a very low stress job.

When I originally went to work for Disney back in 1999 I left two very high stress jobs. I was also working at times six days a week 50 to 60 hours a week and sometimes even more. I was responsible as a division manager for a company at one job and an instructor at another.
I was always on call and would even call my office when I was on vacation to check on things.

Some people just want to go do a good job at work, have a little fun, get some benefits like discounts and park passes and at the end of the day just go home and not have to to be concerned about anything when they get home.

 

[tony67]

It may just be that people who have worked all their life in hi stress jobs or jobs with a lot of responsibility are looking for a job with none the above mentioned.
When I worked for Disney I worked with a retired Lawyer, a retired Fire Fighter, a Business Ph.D., a person that retired from the Navy, several retired school teachers and retired business owners. This was in a very low stress job.

When I originally went to work for Disney back in 1999 I left two very high stress jobs. I was also working at times six days a week 50 to 60 hours a week and sometimes even more. I was responsible as a division manager for a company at one job and an instructor at another.
I was always on call and would even call my office when I was on vacation to check on things.

Some people just want to go do a good job at work, have a little fun, get some benefits like discounts and park passes and at the end of the day just go home and not have to to be concerned about anything when they get home.

Totally agree...that is sort of the position I am actually in - I just want some simple job with no stress and decent health benefits. Don't even need the health benefits really since my state has a decent health care exchange. Yeah I could find another one of those stressful jobs and make a lot more money, but I don't see it as worthwhile anymore for many reasons.

That said - I really don't want to be cleaning bathrooms etc.. It seemed to me for the most part that is what the older folks were doing, unless they had been with the company for many years. I could be totally wrong, but that was the perception.

 

[71 Truck]

Totally agree...that is sort of the position I am actually in - I just want some simple job with no stress and decent health benefits. Don't even need the health benefits really since my state has a decent health care exchange. Yeah I could find another one of those stressful jobs and make a lot more money, but I don't see it as worthwhile anymore for many reasons.

That said - I really don't want to be cleaning bathrooms etc.. It seemed to me for the most part that is what the older folks were doing, unless they had been with the company for many years. I could be totally wrong, but that was the perception.

I am not sure how they assign jobs now. Back when I went to work for Disney, the second time, I had applied for one job but during the interview I was offered the choice of a few different jobs they had open at the time.
I am not sure if that is the case for people who apply now or you have to take the job you applied for. I do remember that after you accepted that job you had to work at that job for a certain period of time before you could transfer to another job.
Some of the people you saw may have just started and are waiting for something different to open up they can transfer to.

 

[Brian Noble]

I really don't want to be cleaning bathrooms etc.

You can always apply and decide not to accept what you are offered.

 

[dvczerfs]

I know someone who retired at 55 three years ago, moved to central Florida and started with the company two years ago.
He applied for a certain position, got the job after two interviews and started working part time and the only regret is he didn’t do it sooner in life. Part time you have to give them three days of availability, his are Monday Tuesday and Wednesday. You also give them your time of day you are available. Those are the shifts they give you. You are not forced to work at a job you don’t want, they don’t make you work days you don’t want or beat you with a baseball bat if you don’t move fast enough. lol.
Not every position is always available so you may have to wait or take something else and transfer after a year with the company. The only down side with pt is your not guaranteed hours. Some weeks you work three days some weeks one day some weeks none. BUT, you can pick up shifts in areas you are trained in or a shift in an untrained position.
If you want Monday off, either put in for the day off or give the shift away. There is always someone looking to give away or pick up.
College program runs completely different and you also have to remember, you are working for a major corporation, they have rules like any other corporation and they expect you to work and show up. It’s the greatest job the person I know has ever had. What a family!

 

[RivShore]

decent health benefits

Anyone know if part timers qualify for health benefits or how many hours are required to qualify?

 

[dvczerfs]

Anyone know if part timers qualify for health benefits or how many hours are required to qualify?

No, full time only. If they are in a union roll and join the union, you are entitled to a pension after the first year.
You also get your main entrance pass, significant other pass and three guess passes along with discounts.

 

[dvczerfs]

I am not sure how they assign jobs now. Back when I went to work for Disney, the second time, I had applied for one job but during the interview I was offered the choice of a few different jobs they had open at the time.
I am not sure if that is the case for people who apply now or you have to take the job you applied for. I do remember that after you accepted that job you had to work at that job for a certain period of time before you could transfer to another job.
Some of the people you saw may have just started and are waiting for something different to open up they can transfer to.

The only people who are assigned jobs are the college program cms. They apply for an internship with the company. They are placed in the roles that the company needs people. They have to work certain amount of hours a week to pay their room and board which is deducted from their pay. Any hours after that, is their pay. Almost like the real world. lol. Some have no problems with it, others can’t adjust. Some come and think you ride dumbo six days a week and work one and some come to party. Those people have a ruff time.

 

[dvczerfs]

I am not sure how they assign jobs now. Back when I went to work for Disney, the second time, I had applied for one job but during the interview I was offered the choice of a few different jobs they had open at the time.
I am not sure if that is the case for people who apply now or you have to take the job you applied for. I do remember that after you accepted that job you had to work at that job for a certain period of time before you could transfer to another job.
Some of the people you saw may have just started and are waiting for something different to open up they can transfer to.

I applied and was hired for monorail. Went through interviews etc and when it came time to start training I was wait listed. Could be five minutes, five days, five weeks. I asked what else do you have. I went to Skyliner. After a year I transferred out into sales.
Now whatever role you’re in, you can transfer out in six months into the same line of business. It’s one year if you want to change line of business. What’s nice is, if you transfer out and the job isn’t for you, within 30 days you can go back to where you were.
Custodial is a huge department with alot of training. I admire the heck out of those people. We had a code v one night at Skyliner, the girl in custodial was a cp, I let her know how much I appreciate what she does. She loved it! She said I work alone, I get to talk to guest and I get to ride the skyliner all day and see the sights from the air. I was turning green just thinking about it. lol.

 

[BrianL]

I applied and was hired for monorail. Went through interviews etc and when it came time to start training I was wait listed. Could be five minutes, five days, five weeks. I asked what else do you have. I went to Skyliner. After a year I transferred out into sales.
Now whatever role you’re in, you can transfer out in six months into the same line of business. It’s one year if you want to change line of business. What’s nice is, if you transfer out and the job isn’t for you, within 30 days you can go back to where you were.
Custodial is a huge department with alot of training. I admire the heck out of those people. We had a code v one night at Skyliner, the girl in custodial was a cp, I let her know how much I appreciate what she does. She loved it! She said I work alone, I get to talk to guest and I get to ride the skyliner all day and see the sights from the air. I was turning green just thinking about it. lol.

I always make it a point to thank custodial CM's specifically. That's a tough job! I remember one time at Disneyland I had gone into a restroom and the guy just finished cleaning the stall that I was going to immediately use. I told him, "Thank you," and he looked at me puzzled. I don't think people say it enough!

 

[dvczerfs]

I always make it a point to thank custodial CM's specifically. That's a tough job! I remember one time at Disneyland I had gone into a restroom and the guy just finished cleaning the stall that I was going to immediately use. I told him, "Thank you," and he looked at me puzzled. I don't think people say it enough!

What I was never aware of for fifty years of going to the parks, the amount of training that goes into most roles. What looks like a role that you show up, they tell you what the buttons are for and in an hour you’re good to go.
I was safety critical for a year, looks like you served your time too lol, constantly on your toes, you never know where, why or what’s going to happen. The little ones always scared me. They are quick. In most positions you cant even have a short conversation with anyone. That was the main reason I transferred. I like talking to people. Where are they from, what did they do today etc.
I’ve met people who lived three blocks away from me for thirty years and I never seen them before in my life and I meet them 1200 miles away.
I’ve worked with so many great people, CPs , ICPs, people of all ages from all over the world all with their own stories. Walking through a park with your family and you hear someone yelling your name. It’s a handful of CPs that work for you and they want to meet your family and say hello. Or they run up and tap you on the shoulder and give you a hug. When their family comes to visit they go out of their way to find you at work and introduce you to their parents. One mom had tears coming out of her eyes telling me what an impression I have on her son. He lost his dad a few years ago and I got him out of his shell. I had no idea I made such an impact on him.
It’s not an easy place to work. A lot of the CPs, ICPs never had a job before, some never been away from home before. It can be an intimidating place to work. A lot of people in a huge area. Some come in, chin is down, no eye contact and they talk so soft. My job is to start talking to them, getting them to lift their chin up, look someone in the eye, smile and speak with confidence. And when they start doing it and they start feeling it, you couldn’t knock the smile off my face with a shovel. A lot of fist bumps along the way, a lot of good jobs, a lot of praise.
People put down the younger generation and their work ethic. What I have found is they don’t know, nobody ever showed them what to do. When you're done doing your job, help someone else do theirs, team work, we will get it all done together, all high five after a loooooong day and all go home tired and smiling.
They do something wrong, show them the right way to do it, they don’t know. Putting them down or calling them names won’t get them or me anywhere.
Letting them know I’m here for them, you’re not alone and I have their back. There is no stupid questions.
It’s fun! It’s the most rewarding thing I have ever done in my life!!
Now, it’s not all pixie dust, it’s a major corporation with 70k employees on site, they have rules like any other corporation. Got to come to work on time and when scheduled.
Did it kill the Magic a little……….. yes. My daughter was a cp in 2013. She did her year and came home. I thought she would stay and see where it would go. When I asked her why, she said do you like to vacation where you work. Valid point. You look at things a little differently, a lot of the mystery and magic disappears. But, I see the boss, the guy with the two big round black ears just about everyday on his way to on stage and everyday I give him a high five and say Hi Mickey.
I wouldn’t give any of it up for the world!