Friday, June 16, 2000
by Kevin Yee
During your Orientation at Disney
University, you sign what feels like hundreds of forms. Sign
this, initial that, ad infinitum. Soon enough, you stop paying such strict
attention to what you're signing, since after all you must sign this to
get the job and there's no choice, so why bother hurting your head with
all this useless info? So much for that promise to Dad to pay strict attention.
The University Leaders do their best to let you know what all these
things are. Some are what you'd expect: non-disclosure agreements, privacy
agreements, and such legal things. Mixed in are the more important things.
Want to be involved in the company's stock purchase plan? Sign here.
Not signing up was my single worst blunder. I figured: why bother giving
up some of my disposable income for some lousy Disney stock. Alas, from
1987 to 1996, at which point I quit Disney for good, the stock went straight
up more or less. Missed out on thousands of dollars, and all because I
had only about thirty seconds to think it over. I suppose there must have
been a way to sign up for it after the fact, but it's far more messy and
time-consuming and annoying for everyone involved. Those of you pondering
a job at Disney? Sign up for it.
Ditto the Company's Pension Plan. It works something like this: for
several years, they will take out some of your gross income away, up to
10% I think. After a while, they will match your contribution. After an
even longer time — something like five years — then they just put money
in your pension plan and stop withdrawing money from your check. Free
money! No risk! You get it back if you quit too soon, so to speak. I have
no idea why I didn't sign up for it. But this one is something you can
not sign up for later; you must decide when you first hire in.
Between the stock purchase plan and
the pension plan, two automatic deductions, I could have made tens of
thousands of dollars over the years. Bad mistake not to sign
up for them, and I can only hope to atone for it by urging all you potential
and future Cast Members to not make my mistake.
But I promised a discussion of perks and benefits. The more boring benefit
would be the health-care benefit, administered by a program called "Signature
Benefits." Basically, you choose what allotment of medical, dental, vision
coverage you want, and it's pretty fair. But this only applies to the
more "full-time" positions, and mostly people who are hired achieve only
part-time status. Let me explain.
There are several layers of hourly employees. Here is the list, from
highest status on downward: Regular Full Time (RFT, often called "A-Status"),
Regular Part Time (RPT, often called "B-Status"), Casual-Regular 25 (CR-25),
Casual Regular (CR, often called "C-Status"), and Casual-Temporary (CT).
Below is what each status means.
RFT — Guaranteed 40 hours a week, always
RPT — Guaranteed five days of work per week, and more hours than
any CR-25
CR-25 — Guaranteed twenty-five hours of work per week, or at least
more than any CR
CR — Works full-time during school holidays and summer, and all
weekends plus midweek evening private parties and Grad Nites, as needed.
CT — Works seasonal periods, whenever school is not in session.
Only those statused "Regular" or CR-25 receive health-care benefits.
Thus, a CR may work every weekend throughout the year, and five days a
week when not in school, but still be termed a "casual" employee and not
receive health benefits. All CMs must pay their respective union dues,
of course.
Side note: please do not email me about unions just now. That's planned
for later.
There are, as you might expect, relatively few RFTs. Disneyland just
cannot support 40-hour workweeks for that many people.
As I was saying, most people are hired in as CT or CR, often depending
on what time of year they get hired. If it's close to summer, it's a good
bet most people being hired will be hired as Casual Temporary. From there,
they are "turned" into higher statuses while during their tenure with
Disney, assuming they've proven themselves worthy.
Have I bored you all to tears yet?
Aha! Here we go. Perks.
The three of you who kept reading this far now get the good stuff as a
reward.
Perhaps the most notable is the discount. Any Disney company employee
gets a discount. The default discount is 20%, but managers or hourly CMs
with several years' experience (I think it takes five years) receive a
35% discount. The better discount is often called the "B" discount, which
is confusing, since being a statused "B" (remember? RPT!) has nothing
to do with receiving the B-discount. But older terminologies are hard
to get rid of. The B-discount, if you have it, is marked by a giant "B"
on the back of your ID card.
As a Disneyland Cast Member, you
can sign yourself into Disneyland when you're not working. It's unlimited!
If you're a CT, however, you cannot do it during school season; only during
summer.
No, you are not allowed to change out of your uniform into "street clothes"
and just stroll onstage from the lockers. Has something to do with some
sort of legal liability. You must go sign into Disneyland at the Main
Gate, and yes, you can get fired to sneaking onstage.
CMs can sign in Guests with this pass
If you're a CR or higher, you get a "Main Gate Pass," a magical little
card that enables you to "sign in" friends or family for free into Disneyland.
You get twelve such days where you can sign in people, and each occasion
can be you and up to three others. Here, indeed, is a benefit. Especially
for family members and close friends of Cast Members. Who needs an annual
pass when you've got that good CM friend that never uses all of her sign-in
slots anyway?
No, you may not use the pass twice on the same day and thus sign in
six people all at once.
Yes, you can get fired for mis-using the Main Gate Pass. CMs who have
extra slots realize that Guests may appreciate getting into Disneyland
for free. Free is fine. But if you charge them a modest fee — they win
because you cost less than the normal ticket and you win because it's
free money — well that breaks the rules. I know of several people who
have been fired for just this reason.
It used to be that when you turned CR, you had to wait several months
before getting your Main Gate Pass, kind of like passing through the probationary
period. That's been done away with now, and I think that's just good change.
Reward the CMs, they deserve it.
One nice thing about the Main Gate Pass is that it works in Florida,
and imagine my surprise when I discovered they do us the courtesy of not
stamping it. It's basically a "free" day of signing in; if I had twelve
slots before I still have twelve slots as I leave Florida from my vacation.
I guess they figure Californians don't visit the other coast (and vice
versa) often enough to make an issue out of it. Good for them. Reward
the CMs, they deserve it.
Salaried Cast Members (that's "managers"
to you and me) get a Silver Pass. It's also good for up to
three additional people at any one time, but theirs is much better because
there is no limit to how often it can be used during the year. Sigh. I
want one.
The Disneyland Credit Union
Like most employers, DL offers a credit union to its workers. In this
case, Partners Federal Credit Union, a name that refers to the Walt-Mickey
partnership. The name by far predates the Partners Statue at the Hub,
but that statue is now the official image for the credit union.
Next up: Cash Control (a.k.a., the true extent of
my geekdom)
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Are you a CM or a former CM? I would love to hear and share your stories! E-mail me! Stories and comments you submit become property of and may be published on this site; we normally don't publish last names of current CMs, but if you wish to remain anonymous altogether or do not want me to share your stories, please let me know when you e-mail me. — Shoshana NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in reader-contributed stories do not reflect those of Cast Place or MousePlanet. CM – Cast member; company lingo for “employee.” Empowerment Evolution – The 1995 attempt by newer park management to introduce modern accountability and market forces into the stodgy Disneyland methodology and power hierarchies. The name was meant to “empower” rank and file employees by removing layers of their management, though now there are more managers than ever. TPO – Theme Park Operations; the division of the Disneyland hierarchy that actually works in the theme park itself. TDA – Team Disney Anaheim; the name of the on-site administration building. Area manager – used to be responsible for an entire land, with all business divisions in the area reporting to him. Area supervisor – the immediate boss for location supervisors who divide up a department of intelligently grouped locations. The area supervisors in turn reported to the area manager. Nowadays all supervisors and area supervisors have been replaced by managers and assistant managers — the same idea, but smaller “business units" than a department; usually just one location in fact. RFT – “A” status; a full-time hourly employee. RPT – “B” status; an hourly employee five days a week but just not quite 40 hours usually. CR – “C” status; an hourly employee who works weekends year-round and five days a week during all school holiday periods (including summer and Christmas break). CT – a part-time hourly employee who works five days a week during all school holiday periods (including summer and Christmas break). No seniority, so shifts worked are usually quite short. Locate the employment center to fill out an application, and they will call you for an interview (dress nicely, just shy of an actual suit). Once there, follow these rules, in this order of importance: 1. Smile and be very friendly. They want outgoing people.
2. Do not let the group interview throw you off balance. They want outgoing people who can “perform” a little bit.
3. Do not worry about job (in)experience. They don't care. They want friendly people, not experienced and/or hardened people.
4. Do your best to convince them you already have a Disney attitude: you want to work with people, you're a team player, and you would consider this a dream job (however, don't overdo it on the crazy-Disney-fan side either). Strike a nice balance.
5. Did I mention the importance of a smile? 
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