Last updated 21 December 15 Fun in 2015.
The information I wrote in
previous years was correct when I wrote it. Currently the previous 4 quarters
are reviewed in Jan., Apr., Jul., and Oct. to verify every seasonal/casual
temporary (CT) employee has worked 150 hours. Therefore, I am trying to work at
least 40 hours every quarter. Walt Disney Worlds (D) web site is set up for
CTs to enter their availability is orientated toward working a week at a time,
but a day or two a week is best for
my schedule. My current availability is Sundays only and CTs are required to
update their availability quarterly in March, June, September, and December.
I work in Disneys Animal
Kingdom (DAK) Dinoland Boneyard. When I first applied
there were no CT openings in park operations (then called attractions), but I
requested it anyway. So it is still worth filling out an application you
never know what jobs will be available next week. Read my 2008 story to see how
my career started. http://wdw.disneycareers.com
is the web site to apply for D jobs. Review my comment on D employment at the
bottom of this page.
I started working at Disney
in 2008 and worked 14 days see how it all started - Dave in Disney 2008.
I worked 15 days in 2009 - Dave in Disney 2009.
I worked 24 days in 2010 - Dave in Disney 2010
I worked 21 days in 2011 and
started counting hours - Dave in
Disney 2011
I worked 27 days in 2012 - Dave in Disney 2012
I worked 27 days in 2013 - Dave in Disney 2013
I worked 26 days in 2014 Dave in Disney 2014
I worked 24 days in 2015
Total days worked in 7+ years 178.
I work at D for the fun of
it. It is really great fun helping people who are having fun, have fun. I have
received many 50% and 40% discounts on rooms, discounts of 35%-40% on
merchandise, 20%-40% discounts on meals, discounts on tours, have received
special considerations at reservation time, provided friends and family free
admission to D, and a million fun times. I should also point out that since I
am working away from home, all my expenses tolls, auto mileage, motel room,
meals (I take the meal per diem rate of $57/day), costume cleaning, etc. are
an employee income tax deduction. Since I also work for a major tax preparation
firm, I use every deduction I can find to help me and my income tax clients get
the largest legal refund.
I am only trained to work in
DAK Dinoland Boneyard which features a playground
area with 9 slides for kids and a dig site where kids can dig for dinosaur
bones. If I can continue to work at least 40 hours a quarter, I see no reason
to request training or work in other areas.
Week 01 12/28/14 - I was
not available for work this week D week numbers are based on pay day, the
Thursday following the end of the work week.
Week 02 01/04/15 I was
not available for work this week.
Jan 04, 2015 - Today and yesterday illustrate the reason I work at
D. My wife and I took the grandkids, in town from Kyoto where they live, and
spent both days in the Magic Kingdom. Using some of the cast member passes, we
did not have to purchase tickets. Additional we used the 20% discount on every
meal. The grandkids also had their hair cut at the main street barber shop.
Week 03 01/11/15 - I was
not available for work this week.
Week 04
01/18/15 Sun, Jan 18 10.00 hrs.
10.00hrs this qtr, 43.68hrs -1 qtr, 40.25hrs -2 qtr 62.25hrs
-3 qtr -- total 156.18 - hrs
last 4 quarters
Today was colder than normal
to start the day but warmed up to the 70s. It was so nice many local annual
pass holders came in to spend the day and it was really crowded in the
afternoon. Out of the 13 cast working in the Boneyard, 10 were new, college and
foreign students. I had the opportunity to talk to a lady and her family from
MN. She indicated her 16 year old daughter was really into everything Disney. I
suggested she apply for an internship at D when she went to college. Another
couple, retired educators from PA, was looking for a place to live in FL. I
suggested some place close to D so they could work here. All in all it was fun
shift.
Week 05 01/25/14 - I was
available for work this week but not scheduled.
Week 06
02/01/15 Sun, Feb 01 6.00 hrs.
16.00hrs this qtr, 43.68hrs -1 qtr, 40.25hrs -2 qtr 62.25hrs
-3 qtr -- total 162.18 - hrs
last 4 quarters
Rather a standard cool in the
morning and warm in the afternoon. I spent most of my time at the entrance/exit
position. A lot of guests were from Ohio today. One of the families was in town
visiting their grandparents for a week. They had not been to D for 14 years. D
scheduled me for some training today on correct arm, back, and wrist positions
for moving things. I do not do any of that in the Boneyard but they train all
cast members to prevent injury anyway. I went over to Cast Connections, a
discount store for cast members, to buy something my son requested. They carry
tons of older clothing, surplus equipment, and other merchandise.
Week 07 02/08/15 Sun, Feb 08 10.00 hrs. 26.00hrs this qtr, 43.68hrs -1 qtr, 40.25hrs -2
qtr 62.25hrs -3 qtr --
total 172.18 - hrs last 4 quarters
Another
cool/hot day at D. During the day
somehow one of the young guests caught her pants on something in the big slide.
After investigations, we found no problems but closed it until maintenance had
the opportunity to figure out the problem. Even with it closed a young guest
decided to go under the slide closed ropes and try to get the cover off to
enter the slide. I was able to prevent him from going down the slide. He was visiting
with the rest of the family 8 in total. They all had the same blue shirts on.
I ended up talking with the father later and indicated I had met his youngest
son. Dad said that sounded his youngest.
Week 08 02/15/15 Pending Ive been working at my other job about 70 hours a
week. Will update this sometime.
Week 09 02/22/15 Pending
Week 10 03/01/15 I was
not available for work this week.
Week 11 03/08/15 I was
not available for work this week.
Week 12 03/15/15 I was
not available for work this week.
Week 13 03/22/15 I was
not available for work this week.
Week 14 03/29/15 I was
not available for work this week.
Week 15 04/05/15 I was
not available for work this week.
Week 16 04/12/15 I was
not available for work this week.
Week 17
04/19/15 Sun, April 19 8.5 hrs.
8.5hrs this qtr, 49.00hrs -1 qtr, 43.68hrs -2 qtr 62.25hrs
-3 qtr -- total 142.68 - hrs
last 4 quarters
Today the big slide was not
available for use due to some required maintenance.
It starts on the third floor
and continues to the ground floor. The entrance was covered and there was a rope
with a Slide Closed banner hanging on the rope. I had several kids attempt to
go around me I was standing next to the hanging rope to use the slide. One
time when I was looking the other way, two kids went under the rope, removed
one corner of the cover, and went down the slide. I do not know why the slide
was not available, but sure glad the kids did not get hurt. The strange looking
black figure which is blocking the lower view of the slide is the head of a
triceratops dinosaur. This area of the Animal Kingdom is called Dinoland. It was a fine day and I was amazed at the number
of Canadian visitors we had.
Week 18
04/26/15 Sun, April 26 6.00 hrs.
14.5ohrs this qtr, 49.00hrs -1 qtr, 43.68hrs -2 qtr 62.25hrs
-3 qtr -- total 148.68 - hrs
last 4 quarters
Hot and rainy were the words
for today. The cast was just able to dry out the slides and open them when the
rains would come again. The slides are too slippery when wet. The rope ladders
were closed for the day since they take a couple of hours to dry out. There
was, like last week, a whole new group of employees since the next group of
college students were here. There is a lot of internal rotation within D. I
spend some time talking with a couple from Alabama. It seems they have annual
passes and come down to D monthly. I asked them how long it takes to drive to
D. They said they had an airplane and just fly in so it only takes 3 hours.
Week 19
05/03/15 Sun, May 3 9.45 hrs.
24.25hrs this qtr, 49.00hrs -1 qtr, 43.68hrs -2 qtr 62.25hrs
-3 qtr -- total 158.43 - hrs
last 4 quarters
At 8:45 when my 6 hours shift
I thought it would be a good idea to request a shift extension so I could get
more hours. I was asked to stay until 7pm. About 2:45pm, when my shift would
have ended, the request for shift extension did not seem like a good idea
anymore. It was hot and crowded today. I spent some time talking with the
director of the Laser Spine Institute of Pennsylvania who was there with his
family. The institute had 7 locations throughout the US. I also went by the new
Cast Connections, company store for cast members, and skyped my wife (at home)
to show here what was available.
Week 20 05/10/15 Sun, May 10 6.00 hrs.
30.25hrs this qtr, 49.00hrs -1 qtr, 43.68hrs -2 qtr 62.25hrs
-3 qtr -- total 164.43 - hrs
last 4 quarters
Today I started at 1:30pm. I
left home at 9:00am completely dressed for work with my wife. At D we went to
check in at Disneys All Star Movie Resort they were having a 60% off sale
for cast members so it cost me $61.59 for the night. At work it was hot- 93
degrees with little or no wind. I spent some time talking to guests from PA,
Jacksonville, Tampa, and England. It is interesting the number of times you
have to tell kids they need their shoes on before they finally put them on.
Kids lose those collector pins and generally they are on the ground with the
pin sticking up I only found one today. Better a pin in your shoe than in
your foot. The next morning on the way home, we went by Cast Connections, company
store for cast members, where they were selling a lot of winter clothes and
dolls from Frozen.
Week 21 05/17/15 Sun, May 17 8.00 hrs.
38.25hrs this qtr, 49.00hrs -1 qtr, 43.68hrs -2 qtr 62.25hrs
-3 qtr -- total 172.43 - hrs
last 4 quarters
This was a normal day at D.
Any day which has beautiful weather, causes an increase in the number of guests
who live in the area spending the afternoon at D. I did spend some time talking
to a Miami couple who moved from Venezuela last year. They feel the Venezuelan
economy is continuing to decline rapidly. A large number of Canadians were also
visiting today.
Week 22 05/24/15 I was
not available for work this week.
Week 23 05/31/15 I was
not available for work this week.
Week 24 06/07/15 I was
not available for work this week.
Week 25 06/14/15 I was
not available for work this week.
Week 26 06/21/15 I was
not available for work this week next week starts the third quarter for
counting hours to make my 40 hours per quarter.
Week 27 06/28/15 Sun, Jun 28 6.00 hours 6 hours this quarter.
I arrived Saturday evening
since I was starting work the next day at 8:45am. Since I was working 2 days, I
reserved 2 nights at Motel6. Motel6 gave me room 118. It turns out there was no AC in room 118 so
they gave me room 119. It turns out 119 had not bedding and the door did not
lock so they gave me room 144. Room 144 had a little mildew smell and I figured
out I could stand it. About 11pm I found out the mildew was coming from the
soaked carpet near the sink. In the morning I asked for another room, was told
144 was a down room, should not have been rented, and would get another room
when I got back after work. After work I returned and found my card did not
work for 144 so I went to the office. They fixed the card and gave me room 145
to move into. It seems 145 had no bedding so I was given room 102 which had a
new rug. Room 102 was fine, a little new rug smell, but fine. The rooms are
inexpensive and give me a senior citizen discount.
After all that fun, the day
at the Boneyard was less exciting. I did spend some time talking with a family
from Indiana whose oldest son wanted to work at D. I suggest he check out the
college intern program as soon as he was old enough. My guess is that about a
third of the cast members I work with are part of the college intern program. I
also talked with a lady from Delaware. Seems she had spent some time working at
Fort Drum in northern New York. A couple of my lieutenants went to support the
reserves at Fort Drum when I was a company commander at Ft. Dix, NJ.
Mon Jun 29 10 .00 hours 16 hours this
quarter.
When I check my next weeks
schedule on 6/21, I found I was working Sun 6/28 and Mon 6/29 was also
available. I immediately signed up to work Mon 6/29. Open shifts tend to go
fast. I started work at 9am and was assigned to a new position in front of a
walled off area where Rivers of Light, a new nighttime spectacular, is being
built. So my first hour was spent trading pins and providing guests with
answers to their questions. Position rotation moved me back into the Boneyard.
On Sun I had asked to be extended so I could work more than 6 hours and
received no reply. Today I received a call asking me to work two more hours (10
in total) I agreed. About noon the monsoons came and most of the Boneyard was
closed due to rain and lightning until about 3pm. About 5pm a guest, who spoke
little English, came by and as best as I could tell was looking for the train
in the ice a friend told him to ride. After much, limited, discussion, I
decided he was asking about the Yeti roller coaster which took a ride through
the Himalayas in Asia. As I reached my car at the end of my shift that same
guest showed up. We talked for a while and turns out he is from Saudi Arabia,
visiting the US for a month.
Week 28 07/05/15 - I was
available for work this week but not scheduled.
Jul 08, 2015 - My wife and I arraigned to meet an Army buddy I had
not seen in years and his wife at the Shades of Green (SOG) the D military
resort. We parked at SOG free and toured the resort. A bus and monorail ride
took us the Polynesian resort we toured and checked out the new bungalows D
just built out on Bay Lake. Another monorail ride and a bus took us to the
Animal Kingdom Lodge where there are giraffes, zebras, and other animals right
outside the resort. A bus ride and a second bus ride took us to the Wilderness
Lodge - http://www.wildernesslodgesite.com/.
This resort was inspired by turn-of-the-century National Park lodges. It has a
6 story lobby and features a spring which flows out of the lobby becoming
Silver Creek, flows over a water fall, through the swimming pool, and creates a
geyser before it enters Bay Lake. We had lunch in the Whispering Canyon Cafι
(where my family has eaten many Thanksgiving dinners) and cast members received
a 40% discount on the bill for the whole party. Another bus ride, a monorail
ride, and another bus ride took us back to SOG. It was an enjoyable visit.
Sat, Jul 11 6.00 hours 22 hours this
quarter.
I received a text from
another cast member who asked me to work her Sat and Sun Shift. I left home
early in the morning for an 11:45shift start time. It was a 97 degree day with
no wind. It was hot. I spent some time taking with a family from Dubai. They
indicated since it was 122 in Dubai, the temperature here seemed cool. The
husband works for a company who builds and repairs sea ports. Another couple
from Spain, indicated it was hotter here than in Spain. He works for a company
which supplies parts to elevator manufactures. He indicated he was Irish and it
never got this hot in Ireland.
Week 29 07/12/15 - Sun Jul 12 6.00 hours 28 hours this quarter.
This was the second day I
picked up from another cast member. It was 97 degrees with no wind again today.
However my shift ended at 01:30pm so I left. While in Orlando I heard D
advertising for employees on the radio, something Ive never heard before. Our
supervisor indicated in Mar16, DAK would start an evening show over the water
in the center of the park and start offering night time safaris in Africa. He
also said the Avatar themed attraction was scheduled to open in Mar17.
Week 30 07/19/15 I was
available for work this week but not scheduled.
Week 29 07/26/15 I was
available for work this week but not scheduled.
Week 30 08/02/15 I am not
available for work this week.
Aug 09, 2015 7 relatives
were in town and I was able to reserve 3 rooms for 2 nights at All Star Sports
for $61 per night/room. With my employee guest passes and an annual pass my
wife had, we were all able to spend a day at the Magic Kingdom and another day
at Hollywood studios. When you stay on site at D, the buses can take you
everywhere. No parking fees, no waiting for the tram and tram rides. The buses
drop you off near the entrance.
Week 31 08/09/15 I am not
available for work this week.
Week 32 08/16/15 I was
available for work this week but not scheduled.
Week 33 08/23/15 I was
available for work this week but not scheduled. . I was concerned I might make
40 hours this quarter; I started scheduling Saturday, in addition to Sunday as
available for work.
Week 34 08/30/15 I was
available for work this week but not scheduled.
Week 35 09/06/15 I was
available for work this week but not scheduled.
Week 36 09/13/15 I was
available for work this week but not scheduled.
Week 37 09/20/15 I was
available for work this week but not scheduled.
Week 38 09/27/15 I was
available for work this week but not scheduled. This is the start of the next
quarter for counting hours worked. I have enough hours for the last 4 quarters
but need to work about 60 hours this quarter to meet the requirement.
Week 39 10/04/15 I was
available for work this week both Sunday and Saturday but not scheduled.
Week 40 10/11/15 I was
available for work this week both Sunday and Saturday but not scheduled.
Week 41
10/18/15 Sun, Oct 18 6.00 hrs.
06.00 hrs this qtr,
28 hrs -1qtr, 38.25 hrs -2 qtr, 49.00 hrs -3 qtr, -- total 121.25 - hrs last 4
quarters
Last quarter I only worked 28
hours. I need to work more hours this quarter to meet my 150 hour yearly
requirement. One of the rides in Dinoland is being
updated and full time, part time, and collage program cast members were cross
trained in the Boneyard so there were a lot more cast members available. Like a
lot of Sundays, it was a good warm day and a lot of annual pass holders who
live locally came for the afternoon. At the end of the day I was at the top of
the highest slide. After closing the slide, I joined the other cast members to
cover the mammoth skeleton in the dig site.
Week 42
10/25/15 Sun, Oct 25 6.00 hrs.
12.00 hrs this qtr,
28 hrs -1qtr, 38.25 hrs -2 qtr, 49.00 hrs -3 qtr, -- total 127.25 - hrs last 4
quarters
Another cast member wanted
the day off and gave me this shift. It
was another great day at D. The crowds were small until the afternoon. One of
the guests from Atlanta said they have annual passes and visit D a couple of
times a month. I reminded every guest that this was the last year for the
Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights at Disney Hollywood Studios. That is
a great show.
Week 43
11/01/15 Sun, Nov 01 6.00 hrs.
18.00 hrs this qtr,
28 hrs -1qtr, 38.25 hrs -2 qtr, 49.00 hrs -3 qtr, -- total 133.25 - hrs last 4
quarters
It was a hot and very humid
at D. A lady from Baton Rouge explained how they picked up their young grandkids
not telling them they were flying to D. It was not until they entered the D
resort where they were staying that the kids realized where they were. A 10
year old explained why she was slowly walking behind here 5 year old sister. I
not young anymore and do not have the energy of a 5 year old. A lady from
North Carolina explained that her daughter was employed in the D college
program at the Magic Kingdom. The daughter liked working at D so much, she was
going to transfer to a full time position and finish her college degree at
Rollins College in Winter Park, FL. All in all D is a great place to work.
Sat, Nov 07 6.00 hrs. 24.00 hrs this qtr, 28 hrs -1qtr, 38.25 hrs -2 qtr, 49.00 hrs -3 qtr, -- total 139.25 - hrs last 4
quarters
It was a very hot and very
humid at D. I was asked pick up a shirt for my granddaughter. Sunday I went
over to Disney Hollywood Studios to the Disney Villain Store. They did not have
the shirt but suggested I go to the World of Disney store in Disney Springs
(formerly Downtown Disney). They have a large parking garage and on the upper
floors a display indicates the number of parking spaces on the floor and a
comparable display at the start of each row. The parking spaces have a sensor so
the displays are automatically updated real time. None of the stores in Disney
Springs had the shirt I needed. It is a great place to shop, but anywhere you
want to go is probably a mile walk away.
Nov 11, 2015 I was able
to provide tickets (one of my work benefits) for a Japanese exchange student
and her sponsor family who joined members of my family for a trip to EPCOT. One
of the highlights of the day was the Behind the Seeds tour in the Land. Cast
members talk about all the plants they are growing and the unique methods they
are using to grow them. It was also the annual Food and Wine festival in
EPCOT. A long but fun day was had by all.
Week 44
11/08/15 Sat, Nov 14 6.50 hrs.
30.50 hrs this qtr,
28 hrs -1qtr, 38.25 hrs -2 qtr, 49.00 hrs -3 qtr, -- total 145.75 - hrs last 4
quarters
It was a mild and very busy
day. Another cast member asked me to take his shift. The attendance at DAK was
more than 10% over the expected so DAK decided to close an hour later. I heard
the attendance at Disney Hollywood Studios (DHS) was so high the parking was
full and guests were parking at EPCOT and being bused over to DHS. This is the
last year for The
Osborne Family Lights at DHS.
Week 45
11/15/15 Sat, Nov 21 - 6.50 hrs. 37 hrs this qtr, 28 hrs -1qtr, 38.25 hrs -2 qtr, 49.00 hrs -3 qtr, -- total 152.25 - hrs last 4
quarters
Another cast member asked me
to work this shift and since I needed the hours, I took it. It was a normal
day. I talked with a family from Pittsburg for some time. I happen to listen to
a Pittsburg radio station KQV every other Wednesday evening for the Jim Lange
show. He is an expert in estate planning, taxes and IRAs.
Week 46 11/22/15 Sun, Nov 22 - 6.50 hrs. 43.50 hrs this qtr, 28 hrs -1qtr, 38.25 hrs -2 qtr, 49.00 hrs -3 qtr, -- total 158.75 - hrs last 4 quarters
This was another shift I
picked up. It was a cold day all the way down to the 70s. I spent some time
talking with several couples from Brazil. Seems when I was there 8 years ago,
the Real was 2 to the Dollar or worth about $.50 each. Now with the problems in
the government and low commodity prices, the Real is 4 to the Dollar or about
$.25. They said I should visit again since my dollars could buy so much more.
Sat, Nov 28 - 8.00 hrs. 51.50 hrs
this qtr, 28 hrs -1qtr,
38.25 hrs -2 qtr, 49.00 hrs -3 qtr, -- total 160.25 - hrs last 4 quarters
This was another shift I
picked up. I how have more than enough hours to meet my last 4 quarters. It was
a hot day in Orlando. Seems the temperatures are about 8 degrees above normal
in Orlando today. Since it was Thanksgiving weekend we were very busy and
stayed open until 8pm. I saw a group of
young kids with never defeated on their shirts and ask the family if they
were from South Carolina. They were and we talked for some time about their
week at D. Several years ago I met some members of the South Carolina National
Guard at Ft Stewart GA. One of the streamers on their flag announced they were
the Unsurrendered. I also spent some time talking
with a family from Browns Mills, NJ. Many years ago I lived a little over a
year in that area of NJ.
Week 47 11/29/15 I was available for work this week Sunday, Friday,
and Saturday but not scheduled. I was worried I might not work enough hours and
shift changes are required at least 3 weeks in advance. However, it looks like
I will have enough hours.
Week 48
12/06/15 6.00 hrs.
57.50 hrs this qtr,
28 hrs -1qtr, 38.25 hrs -2 qtr, 49.00 hrs -3 qtr, -- total 166.25 - hrs last 4
quarters
Today was a great weather day
and not very busy. I immediately asked for a shift extension figuring if I
would work more hours since I was already there I should. They were over
staffed no extension. The morning was not very busy, but by afternoon the
crowds picked up a little. It seems there was the Pop Warner National Cheer
& Dance Championships starting today at ESPN and many guests were here for
that event. I talked to a couple from Tampa about how much they missed the snow
when they previously lived in Buffalo not very much. They have annual passes
and bring their three daughters to WDW at least monthly. I also tried to
convince a nurse from North Carolina she should get a job at DWfor a week every quarter (enough to be a CT employee).
She said she reviews jobs available a D regularly.
Week 49 12/13/15 Sat, Dec 20 - 6.00 hrs. 63.50 hrs this qtr, 28 hrs -1qtr, 38.25 hrs -2 qtr, 49.00 hrs -3 qtr, -- total 172.25 - hrs last 4
quarters
This was a shift starting at
8:45. Since the Boneyard opens at 10:00 I was one of the two cast members who
checked everything so the Boneyard was ready to open. There are two 3 page
checklists to make sure everything is prepared. The checklist I used had me
going down all 9 slides.
It seems at D there are 3
types of cast members, full time, part time, and seasonal (also called casual
temporary (CT)). If you decide something like this would be fun for you, go to http://wdw.disneycareers.com and apply
for a seasonal position. You can also call the Walt Disney World Job line at
1-407-828-1000. As you go through the
application, please remember that Dave Flynn DAK 448044 is the cast member who
recruited you. Also, as you can read in my 2008 story, things change; seasonal
does not mean a season, 6 to 8 weeks is not always 6 to 8 weeks, full
availability does not mean 5 days, the hiring procedure this week is not the
same as last week, the jobs available this week are not the same as last week,
my hiring experience will not be the same as yours, etc. My job category is
Operations (was Attractions) and it took me months from the time I first went
to casting until a position opened up (Dave
in Disney 2008). I accepted the position before I knew what it was; again
read about my application process in my 2008 story. Also remember, Dave Flynn
DAK 448044 recruited you.