Do you love Disney so much that...

[DisneyFr33k]

you'd consider working there?

If so, and you could have any job there, what would it be?

Would you be afraid the magic would wear off and it would be just another job?

[ransam]

i think that's a great question. my buddy and i have discussed that.
My father loved music. grew up on it, and has been playing in bands his whole life....he tells me that he hates playing, it's a job now to him, and half the time he's just daydreaming, waiting go get off....but he still loves music, and loves listening to it, and if he hears a new artist that blows him away, that's all he talks about.
Working at Disney I think would be the same thing. if you're working, and taking tickets, or loading people on the monorail or something like that, i can see where it's a job and all you want to do is be done....however, i think we'd all still love disney and we'd still love spending time in the parks. having said that, we all have to have a job...so doing a job ad disney would be so much better t han doing a job somewhere else...

[bdm@pga]

great question! I have thought about this time and time again. I can attest to what the last poster said as I am a musician and a HS band director....yes its a job...but I still love making the music...however, I have asked several friends who had the same obsession I do and are now working for Disney....and they ALL have said...its like being a professional athlete....you come to work everyday and say..I get to do this! Of course they are in upper management...not shoveling horse manure form Main Street, but they still see the excitement and the thrill of Walts Dream.

[Pop Centurion]

I wouldn't mind being a photopass photographer.

[sassafras]

I've always told my sons that when I retire here, I will be one of the people at Disney who tell people to "Take your small child by the hand.....". That's how badly I want to work there!

[Turk82]

I want to work in Guest Relations!!! Maybe in MK, but I don't so much care where. I think it would be so much fun too help other people enjoy their vacations better, deal with special situations, and just share the magic (not to mention getting to mostly stay in the a/c!!)

[GrumpyFan]

I've thought about it and dreamed about it numerous times. However, I'm not sure exactly what I would want to do. I make a living as a Systems Analyst maintaining supply chain software. I don't know that I would want to stay in the IT field or not, if I did, I think it might be nice to work for the resorts and their IT group. I also do A/V technical support at church, which I really enjoy, but again, I'm not sure if I would want to do this at Disney. Some days I think it might just be nice to be a bus driver, but I'm sure that would get old fast too.

DW has tried to convince me to find a job in the Orlando area for years, but I've been resistant, because I'm afraid that living there would spoil the magic. I know several people who used to live in the area at some point, but have since moved on. They don't speak of Disney or their time there as "magical". But, I'm not sure if it's because they didn't get the magic in the first place, or they just burned out. A couple of years ago I ran into someone who had just moved from there and he didn't have a lot of nice things to say about the area. In his words, it's very expensive to live there, the schools and roads (other than toll) are not very good, and the job market doesn't pay as well as other major cities. His advice was it's a great place to visit, but not live, sort of like Vegas I guess.

[Goofeygal]

I have a friend that is a CM. and she says that it diffently does not take the magic away. It is like stated earlier WOW I GET TO DO THIS. I would love to work at Haunted Mansion.

[darthmacho]

I think that if anything becomes and actual job, that the luster would be worn off soon enough. Sure it would be nice to be in the MK every day, but if I had to spend the whole day cleaning toilets instead of riding Splash Mountain, I guess I'd lose the "magic" a little bit. Also, I'm not the most patient person, so customer service would be an issue..."Have a Mickey Day!"

[disneymom15]

My father is a good example, he's loved motorcycles his entire life. He started his motorcycle dealership 49 years ago. He still puts in a full days work (55 plus hours a week) and still loves it. He'll be 77 in July and still rides the big bikes. I don't think he'd want to be any place else.

[Stu29573]

i think that's a great question. my buddy and i have discussed that.
My father loved music. grew up on it, and has been playing in bands his whole life....he tells me that he hates playing, it's a job now to him, and half the time he's just daydreaming

Ha! I thought I was the only guy that did that! I can attest to the fact that when you're playing professionally, you can "nap" through a lot of the sets. That being said I still love to play, and I think it would be the same with Disney. Yeah, it would get to be fairly routine, but the essence of why you wanted to be there in the first place wouldn't change.

[2lilboys]

DH and I always say that when it is time to retire (in about 25 years), we are moving to Celebration and getting jobs at Disney. I would love any position where you have direct contact with children. Not just putting them on rides, but actually being able to spend time interacting and doing activities with them.

I think Disney would still be a special place, even if we worked there. I am sure working at Disney can be difficult at times, but it would be wonderful to work at a place where you are making dreams come true.

[Mickey's Pals]

I guess part of that would depend on what you like to do and what you were actually working on in the parks! As mentioned above, working in upper management, rather than scooping poop is very different!

I would love to be an Imagineer! Somehow I don't think being an imagineer would take the magic away, it would be like brewing the potion!

[SBETigg]

I wouldn't have a problem with working at WDW if I never had to leave, say I could live at a resort and then work on property. But if I had to go through the hassle of driving there and parking and going back to a place outside of Disney grounds-- that's where the magic would start to evaporate and it would begin to feel like work. If they let me live in a room at the Grand Floridian, I would be happy to do almost anything for them.

[TheRustyScupper]

1) There are all types that work at WDW
. . . a. those that remain fully enchanted with the magic
. . . b. those that have the edge taken off, but still like WDW
. . . c. those that take it as "just a job" and don't EVER do the parks
2) For most, then enjoy their job and the parks.
3) It isn't quite as magical, but still a lot of fun.

4) My personal guess it that most are in the "b" category.

[Mousemates]

One of the things that makes WDW such a magical place to me is that it is a place where I can go to get away from work. Its place where people go out of there way to make me smile, to please me, to make me happy, to meet my needs. I never have to clean while I'm there, I never have to be a certain place at a certain time while I'm there, and I can do what I want, when I want while I am there.

To me working there would completely change the whole dynamic of what WDw is all about. For as an employee I would likely be a on fairly tight schedule, would be expected to make grumpy people with unrealistic expectations happy, and would also lose my favorite vacation spot in the process....So unless my job is to be a "secret shopper/secret tourist" who is allowed to wander about and randomly purchase things and do what I want...then I think I'll pass on a job there.

[#1donaldfan]

...yes, I've thought of working there upon retirement..
....I'd like to escort the characters....
....I'm sure after working there the magic would dilute, some.....

[11290]

I'm currently trying to do that. I had a chance to move here for about 6 months. Since I'm semi-retired I was working as a security officer in Indiana and moved down here to Orlando last month.

Have had an initial interview with Disney for security, monorails (always said my ultimate retirement job was to drive the monorail because if you had an altzheimers moment, you couldn't get lost), and attractions.. So far no luck. Don't know if it was the grey hair (mine) at the interview or just that they are not hiring right now.

Going to go tomorrow (currently raining) and get a resident annual pass and start going to the parks and just enjoy the experience, as my wife won' be back down here until mid June.

Would really prefer to be working part time there to really be a part of it but it might not happen.

[Nascfan]

Yes, I would love to get a job working there part time after I retire. I'd love to do something with some sort of contact with the guests. I'd just like to make their experiences more magical the way so many CM's have for us over our past trips. I think helping to spread the magic would make it more magical for me.

[prttynpnk]

we do toy with the idea of finding jobs at the Celebration hospital then working Disney after we retire- we'd both love to be cruise skippers!