Last updated 19Apr18 Fun in 2017.
Walt Disney World (D) work
requirements for seasonal/casual temporary (CT) employee are 150 hours per
year. You also have to work at least every 6 months to retain your proficiency.
Therefore, I am trying to work at least 40 hours every quarter. Ds 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 Dave in Disney 2015
I worked 24 days in 2016 Dave in Disney 2016 I was too
busy at year end to update my blog.
I worked 22 days in 2017 Dave in Disney 2017 I was too
busy at year end to update my blog.
I have worked 22 days in 2017
224 work days total in 9+ years.
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.
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 11 03/05/17 - Sun. March 05 6.0 hours total for 2017 6.0 hours Generally I am only
available on Sundays but since I had not been selected to work earlier this
year, I expanded my availability to 3 days this week. I had the opportunity to
do the opening checklist today which included going down all 9 slides The
Boneyard looks so quiet when I arrived in the morning at 8:30.
However, it was a beautiful
day and as soon as the Boneyard opened, Donald greeted the guests and the fun
started.
Wed. March 08
6.0 hours total for 2017 12.0 hours
Sat. March 11 6.0 hours total for 2017 18.0 hours
Week 12 03/12/17 - Sun. March 12 6.0 hours total for 2017 24.0 hours
Fri. March
17 6.0 hours total for 2017 30,0 hours
Sat. March 18 6.0 hours total for 2017 36.0 hours
Week 18 04/23/17 - Sun. April 23 10.75 hours total for 2017 46.75 hours
Mon. April
24 9.75 hours total for 2017 56.50 hours
Week 19 04/30/17 - Sun. April 30 6.0 hours total for 2017 62.50 hours I spent some time talking with a family from
Montreal. When I tried to speak to the children, the parents told me they do
not speak English. I have spent time in Japan where almost everyone tries to
speak English with you. Jim Rogers, an investor I follow, moved from New York
to Singapore so his two English speaking children could learn to speak Mandarin
which he feels is the language of the future. I have some family in Japan
the kids speak English at home and Japanese all other times. I just do not understand
why you would not have your kids learn a second language.
Mon. May 01
6.0 hours total for 2017 68.50 hours
D treated the DAK cast members to
a Pongu in the Satull
Canteen, also known as lunch in the new Pandora restaurant. Pandora is an
amazing looking place. We did not have the opportunity to take either of the
rides, but the lunch was fine. It seems to me the Satull
Canteen is a little small for the number of guests they expect.
Week 21 05/14/17 - Mon. May 15 6.0 hours total for 2017 74.50 hours I was able to pick up a shift from another
cast member who did not want it. The cast members in Dinoland
have set up a Face Book group to facilitate the shifts exchanges. Five of the
shifts I have worked this year were scheduled by D and the other shifts were
pickups from fellow cast members who had a conflict.
Week 23 05/28/17 - Fri. June 02 6.0 hours total for 2017 80.50 hours Pandora - World of Avatar at Animal Kingdom
in Walt Disney World opened last Saturday 27May17. I was able to pick up a
shift to work from 5:30pm to 11:30pm. When I first started WDW the Animal
Kingdom (DAK) was never open after dark which made it a lot nicer than working
until early the next day which happens at other WDW parks. However with the new
hours with Pandora and Rivers of Light, DAK is now open from 8:00am to 11:00pm.
In addition with Extra Magic Hours (EMH) extra hours the park is open for
guests staying at WDW resorts parts of DAK are open until 1:00am. Lucky for
the cast at the Boneyard, it is not one of the many attractions open for EMH.
Today the heavy rains started about 7pm and we closed the slides and rope
ladders. They are just too slippery in the rain. Then about 9pm the rains quit
and we dried out the slides and opened them again. A guest with his family said
it was just like home except a lot warmer. They are from England. One of my
fellow cast members, noticing my name tag said I lived in Jupiter, said she had
two good friends from Jupiter who worked in different areas. Later she said she
talked to one of these friends and who said her parents home was the most
decorated Christmas house in Jupiter. In an area in Jupiter called Jupiter
Village there is a house my family has visited many time to view the
decorations. It is probably the most decorated house in the county.
Sat. June 03
6.0 hours total for 2017 86.50 hours
Due to the numbers of guests
expected for Pandora, the DAK cast parking lot was reserved for guest parking
and cast member parking was moved to the Magic Kingdom parking lot. Buses were
used to transport cast members over to DAK and then back at the end of the
shift. I had picked up another shift to work starting at 5:45pm and ending at
11:45pm. The heavy rains started today at about 7pm and like yesterday we
closed all the slides and rope ladders. However the rains did not stop until
after closing so the slides were never reopened. Like yesterday, even with rain
coats, we all got relatively soaked. I spend some time talking with a couple
and their two kids from Hawaii under a roof which kept us a little dryer. He is
a civil engineer in Oahu. They were staying in the Animal Kingdom Lodge, had
been married for about 17 years, and were married in the Hale Koa Hotel which
is located in an Armed Forces Recreation Center on Waikiki Beach my family
has stayed there, it is a great hotel. I suggested they check out the Shades of
Green the Armed Forces Recreation Center located at WDW. Later I spent some
time talking with a couple from Tampa, whose two kids insisted in playing in
the rain at the Boneyard dig site and were absolutely soaked. They were at DAK
for the day and were driving home later that night. He works as fire dancer and
I suggest the Polynesian Village Resort in WDW may have that kind of
entertainment.
Week 28 07/02/17 - Sun. July 02 6.0 hours total for 2017 92.50 hours I noticed I had some overdue training. So I
emailed my boss asking for a day of work to take the training and she fixed it
up. It was an extremely hot day. While working I noticed an extremely white guy
and talked to him about sunscreen to avoid sunburn. I found out he was from
Ireland where the sun does not shine but he said he had used plenty of
sunscreen. I spent some time talking with a guy wearing a Navy hat and thanked
him for his service to our country. He spent 3 years on active duty, 3 years in
the reserves, and attended college on the GI bill. He was at the dig site with
his grandson. We talked about things to do and working at D. Later I found out
I should have recognized him as our Florida governor.
Week 30 07/16/17 - Sun. July 16 6.0 hours total for 2017 98.50 hours
Week 43 10/15/17 - Fri. October 20 6.0 hours total for 2017 104.50 hours I have not been scheduled for some time and
was concerned about getting 150 hours this year. Using the Facebook group for Dinoland employees I was able to pick up a Boneyard shift
from a fellow cast member who was scheduled but could work today.
- Sat. October 21 6.0 hours total for 2017 110.50 hours I was able to pick up another Boneyard
shift. I spent some time talking to two physical fitness instructors from
Louisville. They were with a group of family from Louisville. Later I had a
discussion with a couple from Indianapolis. They said they had known each other
since childhood since they live next door. Their daughter who received her
Masters degree from Indiana University was being recognized as one of the outstanding
school counselors in Indiana. There were also quite few guests from Ireland,
Great Britain, South Carolina, and almost any city near WDW.
Week 45 10/29/17 - Sat. November 04 6.0 hours total for 2017 116.50 hours I was able to pick up a shift from another
cast member who had a scheduling conflict. A couple of cast members developed a
Facebook group which makes shift trades easier. Today was the most crowded day
at the Boneyard that I remember. D had a couple of small and children marathons
today and in the morning about 5 AM the big marathon was scheduled. As I was
leaving I received a Facebook messenger text as I as leaving asking me if I
could pick up a shift the next day. I asked for the shift and said if it was on
my scheduled in the morning I would take it.
Week 46 11/05/17 - Sun. November 05 6.0 hours total for 2017 122.50 hours This shift was on
my schedule based on my avaiability. The 150 hours
per year work requirement is still a concern. I have another ~28 to go. It was
a rather hot day at the Boneyard today. I commented to one of the coordinators
(first level supervisors) that I would appreciate a little temperature
decrease. Within half an hour, a minor rain shower cooled the temperature by
about 5 degrees. Management really works to make our job easier. One of the
cast members was able to get a shift change for Wednesday. She was planning to
go to casting to try out for a position as an Ewok in
the coming Star Wars universe. I hope she gets the position. The requirements
were for a height of 4 to 5 feet and a fun animated personality.
- Sat. November 11 8.00 hours total for 2017 130.50 hours I was able to pick up a shift on Facebook
from another cast member who had a scheduling conflict. It was a rather crowded
day with a little rain in the late afternoon. A new position has been added to
the rotation called land greater. While at that position I had a discussion
with a young lady working on her degree in history from South Florida University
in Tampa. She is in ROTC, plans to serve the country
upon graduation in the Army as a military intelligence officer, and I strongly
encouraged her to pursue her goals. It was extremely gratifying to meet a
college student working to serve our country, especially on Veterans Day.
Week 47 11/12/17 - Sun. November 12 6.0 hours total for 2017 136.50 hours Based on my online availability, D assigned
me this shift. The crowds are amazing on nice days like today. While in the
Boneyard dig site position, I spent some time talking with a couple from
Brazil. He is a LATAM airline pilot who flies international routes. I spent a
couple of weeks in Brazil about 10 years ago when the exchange ratio for the
Brazilian Real was 2 Real to the US dollar. The Real has declined or the dollar
increased so now it takes 3.3 Real to buy a dollar.
- Sat. November 18 6.0 hours total for 2017 142.50 hours This was another shift
I picked up on Facebook from another cast member. It was not too crowded but it
started to rain about 3pm so we had to close the slides.
Week 48 11/19/17 - Sun. November 19 6.25 total for 2017 148.75 hours Based on my online availability, D assigned
me this shift. During a slow period with very few people in the dig site, I
spent some time talking with a grandfather here with his grandson. He had a hat
on which said NAVY so we talked about the military, his education on the GI
bill, and interesting places at D. I found out later that I had been talking
with the governor of Florida.
-Mon. November 20 6.0 hours total for 2017 154.75 hours Since availability has to be scheduled 3
weeks as soon as I saw this shift on the schedule, I cancelled my availability
for the rest of the year. Met a guest who works in Hanoi who was spending a
week it D. This is the first time I have worked 3 days in a row at D that I
remember.
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.