From: ssquier@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Sean Alan Squier)
Subject: Re: Working at Walt Disney World
Organization: Indiana University
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 06:54:36 GMT

In article <1992Nov16.045251.2371@news.unomaha.edu> torsten@cwis.unomaha.edu (Torsten Wesley Adair) writes:
>WDW has a college program for people who would like to work there.
>Rick Nealy (sp?) and Doug Wilkie (sp?) visited UNO earlier this month
>to recruit.  They are visiting 150 campuses, and have employed students 
>from 300 schools.
>	They plan on employing 1200 students and 1000 cultural representatives
>(world showcase).
>
>General Info:
>	$5.60/hour	at least thirty hours a week

Unless this is a brand new raise, try $5.30/hour.  That's what I got.

>  	Four months at WDW	January-May, May-August, August-January
        ^^^^

It's 3 months in the summer, more specifically, 2 months and 29 days
to avoid that mandatory 3 month raise!  Again, that was my personal
experience, so maybe someone else went longer. (May 20 - Aug 18)


>	Housing is provided 	$77 a person a week (four people)
>				$65 a person a week (six people)

This has increased...It was $59/$69 when I was there, and it was
GROSSLY overpriced then too!  I got an apartment the following summer
CLOSER to MGM (my workplace) for $185/month (that's $60 cheaper),
includng everything.  Must go along with the 'pay raise' :-).

>		Rent is paid as a payroll deduction.
>	You pay to get there.
>	Two days off a week, but not during the weekends.
>

This is not true!  2 days off/week but they are not guaranteed to be
back-to-back or on the weekends.  A college programmer may have Monday
and Thursday off, or luckily, Saturday Sunday, etc...  This MAY have
changed but I doubt it.


>	Doug Wilkie is an alumnus.  He said that many people do not save much 
>money while working at WDW.  If you don't do anything but work, you can save
>about $2000.  If you are a normal human being, however, you'd better get a 
>round trip ticket in advance.

$2000!!???!!?  Yeah, maybe, if you don't eat.  A good standard would be
about $100/week after rent and food, maybe, which adds to around
$400/month or $1200...I came back with about 10 bucks


>
>
>The Jobs:
>
>Attractions Host/Hostess
>	Basically a people person.  Greet guests, give spiels, run the rides,
>protect the guests, and keep things looking and running nicely.
>
>Culinary Assistant
>	Food preperation.  Some education may be required.
>
>Custodial Host/Hostess
>	Custodial work.  However, since the custodians know the park so well,
>and are so visible, they are the ones who are asked where everything is.
>
>Fast Foods Host/Hostess
>	Basically, running a small one-person resturaunt.

This position is new.  I was Fast Foods at Pinocchio's Village Haus my
first summer, and there was no separate job for carts etc..  We were
just rotated from job to job (kitchen, counter, cash register, pretzel
wagon, etc...)...But only in Fantasyland.

>
>Food & Beverage Host/Hostess
>	Full-service resturaunt work AND fast-food work.
>
>Hospitality Host/Hostess
>	Limited to students majoring in the hospitality field.  Helping
>guest at one of the resort hotels or campground.
>
>Housekeeping Host/Hostess
>	Limited to students majoring in the hospitality field.  Keeping the 
>rooms clean and well stocked.
>
>Lifeguard Host/Hostess
>	Lifeguard certification required.  Possibility of working other areas
>during bad weather.

They will certify you through an intensive 2 week training session.
If you don't pass you will be given another job, but not sent home.
(I had 3 years lifeguard experiance and was certified and asked to be a
lifeguard and I got Fast Foods...go figure!)

>
>Merchandise Host/Hostess
>	Working the gift shops.
>
>Recreation Host/Hostess
>	Some responsibilites: ticket sales, towel rentals, and custodial
>
>Tickets Host/Hostess
>	Running the ticket booths.
>
>Transportation Host/Hostess
>	Driving and loading monorails, and ferry boats
>
>Wardrobe Host/Hostess
>	Responsibilities: issuing costumes to cast members, checking garments,
>and some light laundry.
>
>
>The Talk:
> 
>Two videos were shown.  The first was a general introduction to the history of
>WDW.  The second discussed the various areas of employment at WDW, and gave an 
>overview of the College Program.  
>
>WDW would like college recognition and preferably college credit.  I assume
>that WDW would qualify as an internship.
>	Second semester freshlings to first semester seniors are welcome.
>	No graduating seniors.
>
>There is no senority, which means that the college workers will work a variety 
>of shifts and get mostly weekdays off.
>
>The student housing looked like a typical apartment complex, except that this
>one is in WDW.
>

It's a typical FLORIDA complex...2 pools (International & American),
Racquetball, basketball, tennis, volleyball, 2 jacuzzis, and a weight
room.  And it's at WDW, big deal, that means NO guests after 2:00 a.m.
admitted, plus a host of other 'peace-keeping' rules.

>During the Summer, WDW is looking for people in five areas of study:
>	Business, Communication, Recreation, Hospitality, and Theatre/Drama.
>
>For the Summer, they interview 7 - 8000 people, and about 25 - 2800 during the 
>Fall and Winter.
>
>
>GROOMING:

[deleted]

>
>MY IMPRESSIONS:
>
>	A very demanding place to work.
>	I define it as going to college, except you are taking thirty hours
>of class a week, and getting paid for it.
>	If this fit my major, I would apply, but it doesn't.

I'm a computer science major. And you know, I couldn't MAKE it apply
if I tried, but yet I went back again in '92 and I'm going back for
X-mas and Easter and summer again and...well, by then I'll be perm I
hope!   I define it more as 3 month spring break or college WITHOUT
classes.  You may work 30 hours/week, but where's the homework??  They
don't even require a seminar project anymore (which sucked by the
way). =-)


>How to get in?  Write to the Walt Disney World College Program.
>
>I paraphrased the handouts (WDW 36524 and WDW 41445).
>
>Any Ducktorates or Mouster Degree holders out there who like to comment?

I guess you could call this a comment. =)  And I have a Ducktorate in
Studio Production.

>
>Torsten at Omaha




Sean Squier
(Future CEO - The Walt Disney Company)
ssquier@silver.ucs.indiana.edu

^^^^  who else!