Stupid Guest Tricks

glendalais wrote:Just to put in a good word of my own here.

QSR Foods isn't as bad as it's made out to seem sometimes. If you have a Front-of-House role, you get oodles and oodles of guest interaction (not to mention some great SG stories :D :) ; it's also certainly not as intense as Attractions. Also, I don't know about Florida, but here, Foods has some of the highest paid Operations roles (we generally make around $9.32-$10.00/hr, while Attractions/Stores/Main Entrance make $8.00-$9.00/hr)

I think WDW foods works a tad bit differently than DL's (we have division of labour among the FOH roles (Host, Cashier, and Busser are seperate roles), while they use CDS to rotate everyone around the various roles), but, if worse comes to worse, you could just try it and apply for a transfer later.

Thanks, I'll reconsider QSR. If nothing else opens up it'll be better than nothing. Part of the reason I'm hesitant about it is because I've seen these places when they're busy and the pace is VERY hectic, just to keep up with all the guests.

EDIT: And if I hate it I only have to put up with it for about 6 months then I can transfer to another role.

Shorty82 wrote:There are no full-time attractions positions open except the one at a water park according to my casting rep. I'm hoping something opens up this next week so I can get hired and start all of the things that have to be done before actually starting at my position (Traditions, background check, etc.). I want to get locked into a position ASAP and to start the actual hiring process on the 19th if at all possible.

Things will start opening up soon. It's still the first month of the CP semester, and a lot of those folks are going to wash out in the first 30 days (usually about 20% of them!). That will create open reqs for a good number of full timers.

I caution you about taking a role and thinking "I can always transfer". Six months can be FOREVER in a role you don't like. Plus, even when you are eligible to transfer it can take up to a year to go through... I say stick it out for a few weeks to see what opens up and apply for something you really WANT to do. QS involves A LOT of cleaning and prep work. They are usually there when I am to open, and sometimes earlier. Same for closing! They are hiring for seasonal attractions, so you could do that and transfer in 3 months (for some reason the probation period is shorter) to full-time, as long as you keep your record card clean. But it is truly up to you to decide.

Shorty82 wrote:Thanks, I'll reconsider QSR. If nothing else opens up it'll be better than nothing. Part of the reason I'm hesitant about it is because I've seen these places when they're busy and the pace is VERY hectic, just to keep up with all the guests.

EDIT: And if I hate it I only have to put up with it for about 6 months then I can transfer to another role.

Merchandise can also be pretty hectic keeping up with all of the guests. Once you get used to the pace it makes the day fly by to the point that you actually look forward to busy days because they go by so fast. Unless you think you really won't some specific part of the job, I would say to grab the QSR spot. Of course, like several people have said there will be more openings soon so if you really want something else it might be a good idea to wait for it, especially if you can get a transfer from your current employer. If you change your mind at some point about waiting QSR will always be there (there is a pretty much permanent announcement on the EHH exhorting people to pick up QSR shifts).

(Note: I came down here with a transfer from my job in Delaware and having no idea of ever working at WDW. After I got here I spent three weeks dragging my feet about going into the Orlando office and finishing the paperwork when I finally realized I never wanted to work for them again. That's how I became a Cast Member.)

One thing about unpopular jobs, is that if you like them yourself it gives you flexibility over people that want the popular jobs. Most people on Main Street East don't like the Confectionery and don't like nights. I only like working nights, but at first didn't like the Confectionery. But I ended up working exclusively in the Confectionery (I guess I must have been put into the scheduling slot of someone that had worked there and left) and by the time the schedule bid came up last November I actually didn't want to work anywhere else. I was nervous about the bid; since there were 51 CMs ahead of me on the seniority list and only 3 behind me I figured there was no way I would get what I wanted. I didn't have to worry, when it was my turn none of the night Confectionary lines had been taken and I had my choice of any two days off I wanted (I picked Monday & Tuesday because Mass Effect was coming out on Tuesday :D :) So by wanting what nobody else wanted, I had more choices than people with a lot more seniority than I had, many of whom had to sacrifice either where they wanted to work, what shift, or what days. So I guess what I'm saying is, if you think you can learn to like something, it can be advantageous to take it even if you might not like it at first.

On WDW salaries a few cents extra can mean a lot, so it wouldn't hurt to know the pay rates for the various jobs, especially since it's been pointed out that it can take a while to get transfer to a different one. You can find the union contract here. That contract covers Unite Here!, the Teamsters, UFCW, the TCU, and IATSE which means it covers just about anything you're likely to start out in. If you scroll to the end of the contract it will have the starting pay rates for all of the different jobs.

Speaking of unions, ours is not that great to say the least. In Florida, you don't have to join the union and they have to represent you whether you join or not. I joined for several reasons but mostly on principle. At the beginning of your Traditions class they will take everybody in a union job out of the class for a short meeting with some union representatives. When I went had traditions in August the union guy said a lot of things about why you should join the union (most of them true even if the union isn't that great) and then passed out cards to sign to join the union. But he never mentioned you don't have to join. Most of the people there didn't know that union membership is optional and the union guy just said "sign these cards" which definitely gave the impression that it wasn't optional. I've talked to people that started after me many of them basically had the same experience. If you don't want to join then, don't. You can always join later. (Having said that, the union would probably be a lot better if had the clout that would come with having a larger percentage of the CMs be members, so think about that to.)

-Harry

How did I miss this thread? CONGRATULAYSHUNS, SHORTY!!!!!! You will be working there when we come down in May. We will have to come see you! I cannot wait, so many CMs at WDW to meet and now Shorty, your dream has come true! That is so cool.

Someday, I will join you all on the Disney team, depending where they can put me. I want to use that Vet tech degree for something. Taking care of ANY of the animals on property would be great! Or using my radio/communications degree would be good as well.

Shorty82 wrote:No. He and his family are moving into a house in Windermere. The house is about 10 minutes from the entrance to the main MK cast lot. Just up 535 from the MK.

That is where we are looking at building a home. Windermere is NICE!

CMGUY89 wrote:Yeah, Future World West.
Thanks Shorty, you're the best.
Though I think FWE is needing a lot of CMs. You could get SSE! That's a pretty good attraction, except apparently if you get an intrusion you have to run up like 12 flights of stairs... but I digress. I've seen a TON of FWE shifts on the Extra Hours Hotline, so something tells me they are hurting. They are the jocks of Epcot, because they have Test Track, Mission: Space, and SSE.
Actually Epcot High School Works this way:
SSE-AV Dorks (communication, get it?)
Nemo-Cheerleaders
Land-Future Farmers of America
Soarin'-Jocks
Imagination!-Drama Dorks
Test Track-Auto Shop Grease Monkeys
Mission: Space-Science Fair Dorks
Universe of Energy-Stoners (look at the colors! is that a dinosaur?)
Outdoor Foods-Drug Dealers ;)
Guests-Special Ed! (jk) ;)

This is funny! LOL!

HRH Naughty Princess Susi :p:

(This is not meant to be offensive, STCU does a pretty good job)
In my personal experience I say steer clear of the union. They have to represent you whether you are a member or not. But it can save you like $7 a week. Personally I am not a big fan of the union because frankly they encourage mediocrity in some CMs. I know several CMs who should have been fired long ago, but they have so much seniority/union clout that they still work there with a chip on their shoulder. They also make life hell for seasonal/CT because apparently our work doesn't matter... Frankly I prefer to stay out of office politics and just do my job. I say don't join at first, you can always join later.

End Soapbox...

I was thinking of my options. How hard is it to transfer to full-time if you start as a part-timer? I'm thinking that if nothing else I'll start out part-time and try to become full-time after that. Also, say I'm assigned Main Street East Merchandise (just pulling places I've heard of out of my hat), can I pick up shifts on the EHH for Future World? I'd rather start out full-time but if there are only part-time positions open I'll start there. Better than nothing and I'll be working for the Mouse either way. I'll want to work more than that though so would need to pick up shifts somewhere.

Princess Susi wrote:That is where we are looking at building a home. Windermere is NICE!

It is a small world after all! :smallw:

I don't know much about Windermere except that looks nice from the air (gotta love Google Earth) and that it is very close to WDW.

Shorty82 wrote:I was thinking of my options. How hard is it to transfer to full-time if you start as a part-timer?

It's based on Seniority. There are only a certain number of FT roles, and they just go through the Applications and hand them out based on your hire date (or transfer date, if applicable).

If WDW-STCU is anything like the DL-Master Services Agreement, you can also transfer between LOBs when you go FT. For example, if a Merchandising CM applies for FT and is approved, but there aren't any Merchandising roles available, but many Attractions FT roles, they can transfer over to Attractions.

Shorty82 wrote:Also, say I'm assigned Main Street East Merchandise (just pulling places I've heard of out of my hat), can I pick up shifts on the EHH for Future World?

If I understand EHH correctly, I think you can. But if it's outside your LOB, they will only put you in roles that don't require much training (for QSR, Cashier; Attractions, Greeter, etc.)

HarryFromMarydelDE wrote:(I picked Monday & Tuesday because Mass Effect was coming out on Tuesday :D :)

(Just had to put this in. I love that game :D: , have played it several times over.

Anyway, back to your normally scheduled thread)

All your acronyms confuse me. STCU, LOBs.

In regards to working at other places, I mostly meant working in another Merchandise location if I get a Merchandise role.

STCU-Service Trades Council Union
The people who own your soul if you work WDW in just about any hourly role.
LOB-Line of Business
i.e. Merchandise, Attractions, Transportation, etc...

I checked the jobline yesterday for open roles and they are hiring a lot of seasonal roles right now. The problem with that is you have no bids, seniority, benefits (i.e. insurance, 401K, etc), or standard days off. But the good thing is you can transfer after three months as opposed to six for full-time. That would be beginning of June, if I am doing my math correctly...
Just another option if you are really desperate to get down there.

What do you WANT to do?

The EHH question brought up an interesting question of my own...
For attractions CMs. Is it possible to sign up for another attraction shift even if you don't have training? I hear about perm greeters all the time but I never see those shifts on EHH. I would love to greet at ToT or Mansion but they always ask if you have training...