disney cruise cast member salary

What It’s Like to Work on Disney Cruise Line

By: Author Kim

Posted on Published: June 23, 2020  - Last updated: October 5, 2023

The thought of sailing onboard the Disney Cruise Line is usually a stress-free image. Imagine long days basking in the sun, spa treatments, gourmet dinners and intriguing ports of call as a DCL guest. But what is it like to work on Disney Cruise Line ?

For crew members setting sail on the Disney Cruise Line, the days are filled with staff meetings, long hours on your feet and plenty of costume changes. I should know. I worked on the Disney Wonder cruise ship  back in 1999 as it was inaugurated. While you might think that a lot has changed in that time, apparently it hasn’t (I’ll tell you how I know that later on.)

Enjoy this behind the scenes look of what it’s really like working on a cruise ship and discover whether life on the open seas is really as exciting as it seems.

This series first appeared back in 2007 on AllEars.net when my friend Deb, the editor and founder of AllEars.net, asked me to share my experiences as a DCL crew member in her emails. 

All photos were taken in 1999. That’s why they look old and blurry! I had to take a picture of them in my scrapbook to share with you.

Table of Contents

How I Got a Job on the Disney Cruise Line

Working onboard a cruise ship had always been a dream of mine, much like many other travelers who take a relaxing, week-long cruise and then imagine how much fun it must be to work onboard a ship.  Luckily, my dream coincided with my employment with the Walt Disney Company while they were planning the inaugural cruise season of the Disney Wonder. 

Through my position with Disney’s On-Property Sales and Marketing Division, I was part of a team given the task to introduce the new Disney Wonder crew members, most of whom were from foreign countries and had never been to Walt Disney World, to the wonders of the Walt Disney World Resort Property.

While talking with the crew members for three days, I decided that I just had to get a job onboard the Disney Cruise Line. 

Wondering how to work on a cruise ship? Well, for me, it was having an introduction to the DCL staff from a crew member that I met on the three-day tour. But it wasn’t that simple. After a month of leaving voice mails and resumes with the Disney Cruise Line’s Human Resources Department, I was finally called in for an interview.

The interview was in a small office in Celebration, Florida. The office was crammed with all of the essentials that it takes to run a cruise line from the shore while all of the action takes place on the ocean. 

The questions were typical of any position where you’re in charge of entertaining guests….hypothetical “what-ifs” on how you would handle a power outage during a dance party, what to do with unruly guests, etc. 

I was warned of the rigors of working onboard a cruise line….the long hours and no days off during your six months on the ship.  I wanted to work onboard so badly by this point, though, that it would have taken a lot to dissuade me. 

When I got the call offering me a Cruise Staff position underneath the Cruise Director onboard the Disney Wonder, I was ecstatic.  I had only two weeks to prepare , though.  I had to quit my job at the Walt Disney World Resort because the Walt Disney Company is NOT the same as the Disney Cruise Line company. 

Turning in my cast member ID and giving up my Walt Disney Company seniority was hard, but the prospect of a new career with the Disney Cruise Line was exciting.

Preparing to Live on a Cruise Ship

I then had to move out of my apartment, pack all my belongings and drive to my parents home in North Carolina (during a hurricane evacuation, no less) where I would be leaving all of my possessions for the next six months.  As soon as I got home, I had to start packing once again.

If you have ever tried to pack for a one-week vacation using only two suitcases, imagine packing for six months using only two suitcases . 

Because of weight and space issues, crew members were restricted on how much luggage they could bring on the ship.  Every single item I packed had to face extreme scrutiny. 

After packing shoes, outerwear, personal clothing, and medicines and toiletries to last at least a month or two in case I couldn’t get off of the ship, I was only able to pack a couple photos and mementos to stave off homesickness for the next half a year. 

You quickly learn what is important and what is not when you’re essentially living out of two suitcases for six months.

I was flown back to Orlando to report for initial training at the Disney Cruise Line offices in Celebration, FL .  In a small room filled with people from all nationalities, we discussed contracts, pay scales, and received a hefty dose of Disney “pixie dust.” 

Working for Disney is Different on the Cruise Line

Right from the beginning, though, I stood out like a sore thumb. 

I was the only American in this group to be training for a Disney Cruise Line position.  In fact, once I got onboard, I found out I was one of only five Americans among the approximately 900 crew members , and three of the Americans were behind-the-scenes in Human Resources and never had guest contact. 

As long-time cruisers probably have realized, Americans aren’t common among ship’s crew members, mainly because the pay is so low . (If you’re not cool with making slightly above minimum wage, you might want to consider another type of employment.)

Citizens of other nations, though, can usually end up making a decent amount of money with currency exchanges, so foreign nationalities are common among cruise ship staff.

I was also different because I knew Disney. Almost no one in my training group had ever been to ANY Disney theme park. Much less the Walt Disney World Resort which is so close to the cruise terminal and is part of the cruise-land travel packages. 

Though everyone seemed to know Mickey Mouse, no one really understood the legacy of Walt Disney or the stellar customer service that Disney is known for. 

As a former cast member who could easily recite the seven principles of Guest Satisfaction, who relied on implementing Guest Satisfaction Surveys to address guest complaints and who recently interviewed for a position on the Disney Traditions training staff which “pixie dusts” new cast members, I was completely unprepared for fellow crew members to know so little about the legendary company they were working for.  It was a major blow to me, having been such a Disney nut while working for the company, and it would continue to play a role in my days onboard the Disney Cruise Line.

Disney Cruise Line Crew Member Training

After training at the Celebration offices, we were transported to Port Canaveral for additional days of training in one of the most important aspects of life at sea…fire safety. 

Though many cruisers might think that the ship capsizing on the water or falling overboard and drowning is their biggest danger, one of the most dangerous things that can happen at sea is a fire.  If a fire were to break out onboard a cruise ship, it could quickly spread throughout the entire ship, making evacuation very challenging, to say the least.  So crew members receive extensive training in fire prevention and safety, and continue to do so throughout their tenure onboard the ship.   We reported to duty at the fire training offices used by all of the cruise lines at Port Canaveral.  After hours of classroom training and instruction in the use of fire extinguishers, we were ready for the hands-on training. 

One by one, we were paired with a team of firemen and entered a room with a simulated fire.  We were shown how to spray the fire extinguisher, aiming the nozzle towards the base of the fire to quickly extinguish it.  It was one of the scariest moments of the training, yet it was also one of the highlights.  I don’t really remember anything from my classroom training, now many years ago, but the image of facing a fire and using the fire extinguisher will always be burned in my mind, so to speak, and that is the whole point of a crew member’s fire safety training.   On our last night on dry land, our training team gathered in the hotel bar and raised our glasses to the new adventure that awaited us the next day and for the next six months. 

We would still be training as a team, learning about the basics of working onboard the Disney Cruise Line, but now we would be onboard the Disney Wonder, which was dry docked in preparation for its inaugural press events.  Excitement filled the air as we wondered who our roommates would be, how tiny the crew cabins were and what our positions would be like.  Little did we know that the relaxed and carefree atmosphere that we were enjoying would soon change as soon as we stepped onboard the ship.

Becoming a Crew Member Onboard the Disney Cruise Line

After days of land-based training, my training team was brought by van to the Disney Cruise Line’s crew area.  We gathered our luggage and followed our Human Resources leader to the security gate, where we were cleared through and were soon walking across the cargo loading areas to the crew gangway which leads into the lower decks of the ship. 

For most of us, the anticipation was overwhelming.  Few people really know what life is like on the crew levels of a cruise ship, and we were about to experience it for the first time.

Boarding the ship from the crew entrance is definitely not the same as boarding through the guest entrance.  The gangway leads into a no-frills bay which is usually loud and bustling with crew members scurrying through the crew quarters, cargo being brought onboard, and plenty of security and immigration personnel overseeing your every move.

Our first stop was the Crew Office , a really tiny room on a lower deck of the ship where paychecks, room assignments and benefits are handled . 

Even though the Crew Office is a central part of every crew member’s life while onboard, the space was ridiculously small.  Three people maximum could fit in the space behind the counter, so bringing in an entire training team meant that we were standing in line in the hallway with our luggage, eagerly anticipating our room assignments, crew IDs, etc. 

On pay days, the Crew Office would invariably have long lines with crew members trying to cash checks or pay bills.  Crew members soon learned that if you needed to take care of financial problems or any other type of issue that the office handled, you’d need to go late in the night unless you wanted to waste a lot of time.  It was sort of like the DMV, only for a ship.

After much waiting, we were finally given our room assignments .  Crew members are typically roomed with someone in the same department.  Most rooms sleep two people. 

For instance, dining staff will be roomed together and housekeeping crew members would be roomed together, but chances are a dining crew member and someone from housekeeping would rarely, if never, be in the same room.  This is because of the odd work hours on the ship.  Typically, crew members working in the same department would have comparable working and sleeping hours, and would be spending the most time together. 

Who your roommate is depends on who has an empty space in their room at the beginning of your contract.  As crew member’s contracts end and begin over staggered times, there’s a continuous flow of empty rooms.

As a member of the Cruise Staff, I was part of the Programming Division.  Since our staff only had about eight members, we were combined with the Children’s Programming staff, which was considerably larger.  My room assignment was with Allison, a Canadian who worked in Children’s Programming.

What Are the Crew Rooms Like on a Cruise Ship?  

I thought for sure I took pictures of my room, but I can’t find them! Wish I could show you what it looked like!

The number one question that I’m always asked about working on the ship is “What were the rooms like?”  Let me tell you, the first time I opened the door to my crew room, it took my breath away (not in a good way, either!)  I don’t think it’s possible to imagine how tiny a crew room is without actually seeing it! 

Seriously, your mind can’t even fathom such things.

When I opened the door to my home-away-from home for the first time, the door swung into the room and immediately took up half of the interior space.  To my left was a wall that had two narrow desks, each with one shelf above with metal railings so your items wouldn’t fly off during rough waters. We had a television on one of the shelves, which broadcast the guest television channels as well as an additional movie channel for the crew.

Immediately in front of me were two bunk beds.  I don’t think they were even a normal-size twin bed, they were so small.  Thankfully, though, they each had a curtain that could be pulled the entire length of the bed so that you could sleep while your roommate had the lights on. 

Though we each had two closets, which would hold about eight hangers each, most of the storage was in and under the bed.  The headboard and footboard could be lifted up for some small storage and we each had a drawer under the lower bunk.  That’s it.

If all of this wasn’t depressing enough, I hadn’t even stepped inside the “bathroom” yet, which was being hidden by the opened room door. 

Crew bathrooms are very reminiscent of airline bathrooms, only with a really tiny shower in the corner.  The shower is in the shape of a triangle, and you can’t lift both arms up at once without hitting the shower curtain and having it cling to you.  The toilet and sink were crammed in there, too, with very little storage space.

The room was entirely too small for one person (more senior members of staff did get single rooms). Imagine putting two people in it at the same time – there was no room to even move around, since we had about nine square feet of open floor space. 

When my boyfriend sent me a bouquet of flowers on my birthday, the flowers ended up taking up so much room that we had pollen on our clothes for about a week, since the flower arrangement consumed about half of our useable walking area by the door. 

At Christmas, my family wanted to send me a small tabletop tree to decorate.  They just couldn’t comprehend that there was literally no surface space to set a tree on.

So, that was to be my living arrangements for the next six months.  I would soon learn that I was directly under the luggage loading area, too, which meant that every debarkation morning, the walls would literally start shaking as passenger’s luggage was being carted off the ship directly above my head about 5 a.m. 

Thankfully, my room was right next to the elevator because I never did learn to navigate my way through the maze of rooms that created the crew quarters.  Every single room looked the same, and countless times I got lost trying to find my way back from the laundry room.

Doing Laundry on a Cruise Ship and Being Assigned Costumes to Wear 

Doing laundry on the ship was a new experience, too.  Because of strange work hours, I would have to put in a load of laundry before heading off to host a dance party, and hope that no one was stealing my clothes as I was doing the twist and the hand jive in WaveBands. In between shows, I would run down to the crew area to put my clothes in the dryer, and then run back up to the guest area to socialize with the guests.

I didn’t have to do too much laundry, though, because all crew members are fitted for costumes as soon as they get onboard. You never have to wash your costumes, you just bring them down to costuming to exchange them for clean clothes, hopefully ones that are actually your size. The costuming area is hidden away among the lower decks, where the heat and steam from the industrial washers and dryers creates agonizingly miserable conditions for the crew members whose job it is to wash bedding, towels, costumes and linens all day.

Each crew member has a series of costume pieces, depending on their position. I was taken in the back of the costuming department and measured for a wide array of costumes that I would need during my varied job duties:

• Formal nautical outfit for standing in the embarkation greeting line
• Slacks and a blazer for standing behind the Guest Services counter
• Polo shirts and shorts, as well as pants, for walking along the deck and hosting deck parties
• Shirts and shorts to be worn on Castaway Cay, as well as a bathing suit
• Silk shirts and dressy pants for evening activities
• Outerwear jacket and belts that corresponded to each outfit. 

I also received two nametags, the defining moment when you know that you are truly a crew member . Sure, signing the contracts and getting a crew ID makes you feel like a crew member, but for me, it was official when I had the nametag that was to be worn at all times so that guests could identify me as part of the crew.

The last pieces of my costume were my favorites.  We hosted two themed dance parties on each sailing, a 1950s party and a 1970s party, so we had to have appropriate costumes. Those weren’t to be found in normal costuming, though. 

We got those from theater costuming .  It was so exciting to go behind the stage of the Walt Disney Theater to the costuming department, where racks upon racks of fanciful show costumes were hanging.

A seamstress that was dedicated to keeping up the costumes for the theater productions also fitted the Cruise Staff for our specialty costumes. Since the girl who I had replaced on Cruise Staff was the exact size that I was, I didn’t need to have a costume specifically made for me, but we went through the paces of measuring me to make sure that we had the perfect fit. I was assigned a green felt poodle skirt with a crinoline underlay, a cardigan sweater and gauzy scarf for the 1950s party, and a lime green pantsuit for the 1970s party.

Safety Training for My Disney Cruise Line Job 

After coming aboard as a new crew member, there is not much time for rest, and there won’t be until after your contract ends. It’s that simple. And NOT an exaggeration.

Safety training starts just hours after you board the ship, beginning with the assignment of a life jacket and your crew station during an emergency. While you will see some crew members positioned throughout the ship during each safety drill before embarking on your cruise, every crew member has a position to take somewhere in the ship should there be an actual emergency .

As part of the Cruise Staff, my position would have been in the Oceaneer Club, checking I.D.’s of children who were being picked up by their parents.

Safety training is taken extremely seriously among crew members onboard the Disney Cruise Line.  There are strict guidelines to follow, stringent protocols in place for every conceivable event, and at no time will a half-hearted attitude be tolerated . 

The safety training for all of the new crew members in my training class started with thick manuals of information that we read, discussed and were then tested on during numerous classes that took place in the crew lounge area below the guest decks. Medical emergencies, life boat drills, fire safety, etc. were thoroughly covered in every aspect.

Crew members can expect to frequently be retested on safety procedures at any time and you could possibly lose your job if you can’t pass a test on safety protocol. You can’t just study a safety booklet enough to pass a test and then forget the information, much like in high school or college, so all of the new crew members spent hours learning and memorizing safety procedures.   After classroom discussions, we had tours of the ship with the lead crew member in charge of Safety. Though you can spend hours reading manuals about the safety precautions that are installed in the ship, it only takes a minute or two of a demonstration to instill in you an appreciation and understanding of all that it takes to make a ship safe on the ocean.

We watched demonstrations of the water-tight doors that can be closed through various areas of the ship, listening as the doors lumbered loudly to seal off a corridor while bright strobe lights lit up the hallway and a deafening alarm pealed through the surrounding area.

We then took a tour of the ship’s bridge, where a large electronic chart of every square foot on the ship was mounted on the wall. A myriad of different colored mini lights represented sensors throughout the ship that were monitoring heat, electrical currents and water levels, constantly scouring the ship for any small problem that might occur. We inspected life boats and completed training in evacuation procedures. In a matter of a day or two, our new training class had become experts in safety at sea.   After the majority of safety training was completed, we were then allowed to report to our individual crew assignments for job-specific training, which would continue to be interspersed with safety training for the next week or two.  I reported to the Assistant Cruise Director who immediately started training me in my role as a member of the Cruise Staff.

Sea Sickness While Working on a Cruise Ship

Since the Cruise Staff department is relatively small, it’s necessary for new crew members to jump right in and quickly learn the ropes.  One of my first activities was helping to host the 50s dance party.  Though I might have looked the part while doing the Twist in my poodle skirt, guests probably didn’t realize that I was battling one of the worst cases of seasickness that I had ever encountered.   I have suffered from motion sickness my entire life, even getting sick on the mountainous roads of my hometown. I was so anxious to work onboard a cruise ship, though, that I didn’t want to admit that seasickness would be a problem for me. And I thought I’d get over it.

It turned out to become a HUGE problem that never ended. That first night while sailing, all I wanted to do was hang over the side of the deck and be sick, but as I soon found out, seasickness is not an excuse for missing work !

As I sat with my head between my knees in the cramped, darkened DJ booth at WaveBands, I soon wondered what I had gotten myself into. But, receiving no sympathy from my fellow crew members, I had to get out on the dance floor and try to keep my footing while the ship rocked and my stomach churned.    I assumed that I would eventually get accustomed to the motion of the ship and that my seasickness would become a thing of the past. That never happened. 

What did happen was that I frequently visited the crew member portion of the Infirmary and grabbed handfuls of packets of seasickness pills that were readily available in a handy bin right next to the aspirin.

There were many times when I had to get through a deck party or dance party or other event simply by sheer will, but I soon found out that one of the best remedies for seasickness was to simply stop thinking about it and go on with life. It worked just as well as the mountain of seasickness pills that I must have consumed during my time onboard.

Working with the Cruise Director 

Learning the ropes of hosting dance parties and deck parties was pretty simple. My job as a Cruise Staff crew member was simply making sure that people had a great time, whether it was dancing in the crowds during the Sail Away party or talking with guests before the Disney Theatre performances.

Other parts of my job required much more training. 

On embarkation days, the Cruise Staff manned the shore excursions desk, booking shore excursions and answering questions about what was available at our ports of call.

I had to become familiar with the most popular shore excursion destinations, so during the first two cruises I was able to take shore excursions along with guests so that I would be able to answer guest questions on future sailings.

On subsequent sailings, a member of the Cruise Staff was sometimes assigned to be onboard a shore excursion in case problems arose, so I frequently was able to enjoy a boat tour around Nassau or a trip to Atlantis.

Note: Disney Cruise Line has since changed the roles of the Cruise Staff. Now, there are separate crew members just for shore excursions and different crew members for entertainment. When we sailed on the Disney Fantasy during its inaugural year, I found this out by talking with crew members. I was a little jealous that they had less work to do than I did!   Another aspect of my job that required in-depth training was the family activities. We used microphones for most events, so there was training in the electrical systems for each venue, plus how to handle technical glitches with the microphone in case the Engineering Staff was unable to show up for each activity.

I had to receive training for the DJ stations at each venue, too, just in case I had to handle the sound as well as host an event. Learning the technical aspects of sound was a piece of cake compared to trying to operate a movie screen in Animator’s Palate, which I never really mastered.

Each activity that we hosted onboard had its own set of challenges.

For one event, guests made cars out of potatoes and assorted vegetables and raced against each other to compete for a prize. The activity sounds simple enough, but required much planning and execution.

I had to learn where the produce supply pantry was located below decks. This might not sound like a big deal, but I frequently got lost in the crew decks because everything looked the same and there were so many small alcoves and hidden doors.

Picking up pounds of potatoes, celery, carrots and the like wasn’t always easy, either, as you had to sign out the produce with kitchen managers who frequently weren’t aware of why we needed their produce, resulting in challenging conversations.

Then we had to transport the vegetables to guest areas, but not using guest elevators, which was strictly forbidden .

Once inside the lounge, we would then have to set up the supplies before finally arranging with the Entertainment department the arrival of Mickey Mouse at the end of the races.

What seems like a simple one-hour activity to guests could actually take two to three hours of prep time and scheduling , trying to get many different parts of the ship to cohesively work together, which isn’t always easy.

After the first few sailings, I was finally starting to get used to my new position. Hosting dance parties and teaching guests how to do the Electric Slide had become second nature to me. Preparing the Disney Theatre for each production was my nighttime ritual.

I was equally adept at exercising with Goofy on the sports deck as I was hosting the elegant Captain’s reception with everyone dressed in their finest. 

Hardest Part of Living on a Cruise Ship

While I was easily adapting to my new role in entertaining guests, I wasn’t adapting as easily to the living conditions of a cruise ship crew member.

Surprisingly, the hardest aspect of cruise ship life for me was the strange sensation of feeling like I was living in a foreign world, even though I spent so much time in Port Canaveral and on a Disney ship full of Americans.   As I mentioned before, I was one of only a handful of Americans to be working onboard the Disney Wonder. My immediate boss was also an American and had worked at the Walt Disney World Resort, too, so we had a great deal in common and I had someone that I could easily talk to.

Everyone else, though, was from a myriad of different nationalities. When you’re living and working with other people in a very close environment, cultural differences tend to become much more pronounced.   Though everyone on my team came from an English-speaking country, our phrases and vocabulary definitely weren’t the same. There were many, many times that our conversations seemed to need an interpreter, even though we were all speaking English.

I know I wasn’t the only one feeling this way, because many guests would come up to me and say “Oh, you’re from the United States!  I can actually understand what you’re saying!”

Of course, language was just one of our cultural differences. Throughout the ship, everyone had a different style of dress when they weren’t wearing their cruise line uniforms, different political views, different work habits and ethics, different ways of dealing with the opposite sex….everything seemed to be different.

It was as if I was living in a foreign country and dealing with culture shock, yet twice a week I would sail back to port in my home country and yet not feel like I was home at all.

What Crew Members Eat on the Disney Cruise Line

One of the biggest cultural differences of all was the food .

In the crew mess below decks, the cafeteria is a display of multicultural tastes. Never in my life had I seen broths served with every meal, yet apparently this is common in many countries, so there was always a large vat of some type of broth liquid available. Rice is also a mainstay, and there was plenty of it. 

There were more hot teas to chose from than I had ever been used to before. Yet for all of the nods towards other country’s culinary tastes, there was rarely a supply of “American” food, such as sandwiches, hamburgers, pastas, etc.

This might sound like a blessing in disguise, since American diets are traditionally too heavy with too many calories. Yet, when you’re working for 18 hours a day on your feet doing very physical activities, you need some substance to get you through the day and we were definitely NOT getting it.

The food situation became so bad that my boss, knowing my journalism background, asked me to write a letter to DCL management to increase the foods available and their quality.  The lack of edible food in the cafeteria was a situation affecting everyone.

Though there are plenty of places onboard the ship for guests to get a quick snack whenever they want, it was not like that for the crew. The Crew Mess was essentially your one-stop dining destination, and if you weren’t eating food there (especially when they were closed periodically throughout the day), then you had to rely on food you bought in port.

The problem with that, though, is that you actually needed time to get off the ship, get transportation to a store to buy food (which has to be prepackaged and not fresh fruits, vegetables, etc. because of Customs rules) and get back to the ship. With our work schedules, that didn’t happen too often. 

And if you remember my description of our crew rooms in a previous article, there was no room to store food even if you were able to purchase it.

Perhaps during a cruise you might have seen some crew members dressed in work clothes eating in guest areas.  As officers, you are allowed to do that, and as a member of the Cruise Staff, I was a very low ranking officer but still had that privilege.

However, my boss didn’t think it would look appropriate, so we weren’t even allowed to go to the snack bars, even though it should have been one of the perks of my job. 

With the lack of food that I was willing to eat and the heavy amount of physical activity every day, I was soon losing weight at a rapid pace. By the end of my time with the DCL, I was stick thin and my clothes just hung on me. I was already wearing the smallest size costume that was available, and even those quickly became too big, even the bathing suit.

It was a serious medical problem that guests would find hard to believe with the extravagance of food in the guest areas, yet the lack of food for the crew was a problem nonetheless.

When I was able to get off the ship, my only concern was finding a place to eat. To this day, I still consider a Subway sandwich that I bought in Nassau to be one of the top ten food highlights of my life .

Before you start questioning my taste, I also consider Artist Point and Victoria and Albert’s at Walt Disney World to be among the tops, too. But I had been so hungry for so long and just wanted something “American” that every single bite of that sandwich tasted like a little bit of heaven to me.

You might be wondering to yourself, why was it so hard to get off the ship to get food? After all, guests can come and go whenever you’re in port. Not crew members.

Getting Off a Cruise Ship as a Crew Member

When most people dream about getting a job on a cruise ship and sailing the world, they imagine working onboard a ship while still being able to enjoy the freedoms and little luxuries of being a guest. They think, “Wouldn’t it be nice to work as a waiter onboard, and get to explore Cozumel or Nassau during the day before heading to work for the rest of the night?”

Unfortunately, it does not work that way.

The most important difference between cruise line guests and crew members is the sheer frustration in just trying to disembark the ship.

It’s important to point out that this has nothing to do with the Disney Cruise Line itself. It’s just the nature of the industry and a myriad of Customs rules.

As a guest, you anxiously await the general disembarking announcement of each port day so that you can start walking down the gangway and begin exploring the port of call. Just because the ship is in a port of call, though, doesn’t mean that the crew members will be disembarking, too.

When we were in ports during the sailing, such as Nassau, the crew were allowed to get off the ship along with everyone else. However, you actually needed the time to do it .

Crew members’ schedules are highly erratic and rarely are you given an eight-hour time span in which to work, like most jobs on dry land. You might be scheduled for work for an hour, with an hour break, and then work again for a couple of hours with 30 minutes off.

My team’s daily schedules came in a tiny, pocket-sized Excel document. Each 24-hour day was sectioned off in 30-minute segments. I just about went blind trying to decipher which blocks of the column were shaded in for work and which were break times, because every single day we had a different schedule.

The entire Cruise Staff team religiously walked around with an Excel document folded up in their back pocket because we never knew for certain where we were supposed to be at any given time in any day.

The thought of working for an hour or two and then having a break for a while sounds good in theory, until you try to do it while living on a ship.

You know how it can take up to 15-20 minutes to walk from your stateroom just to get some lunch? It is the same problem for crew members. So a 30-minute or hour break is quickly eaten up with travel time just to get back to your room or the crew mess.

With a schedule like that, it’s nearly impossible to find the time to clear Customs getting off the ship, go somewhere, and then wait in line to get back onboard and report to duty on time in the appropriate costume.

Other than leading shore excursions, I rarely ever got off the ship in the Bahamas because it was physically impossible. And you rarely, if ever, get a day off … for six months straight.

Do You Get Any Time Off When Working on a Cruise Ship?

Though some crew members, such as the dining staff, had a more structured work schedule and were allowed half days off every now and then or large blocks of personal time, the Cruise Staff never had that luxury.

With only six to eight people on staff at any time, we all worked around the clock. Typical days would start at 8 a.m. and not end until well after midnight, especially if you were hosting a deck party or acting as DJ for a club.

We actually had staff meetings at 2 a.m. , the only time when one of us wasn’t working, so even if your work day ended at 10 p.m., you couldn’t really get much sleep because you had to be in a meeting at 2 a.m.

We also had staff meetings while we were docked in Port Canaveral, the only time that we really had the opportunity to run errands, get a haircut or go to Wal-Mart. Though some other crew members had the luxury of being able to go into town all day while in our home port, the Cruise Staff always had to be back on the ship well before lunchtime, because we were all expected to be a part of the receiving line for newly embarking guests, as well as manning the Excursion Desk.

Though the Cruise Staff’s schedules made it extremely difficult to find time to get off the ship in Port Canaveral, the Customs officials made it a crazy guessing game for all of the crew members. Any time we were in Port Canaveral, crew members could not just walk off the ship like the guests. We had to wait for “windows.” These “windows” were pockets of time that Customs would allow crew members to disembark.

The “windows” were never at the same time, might only occur every one to two hours, and there was never a specified amount of time that the “window” was open.

So, early every Thursday and Sunday (well before 7 a.m.), all of the crew members would start gathering anxiously in the elevator waiting area near the Infirmary, just outside of the crew disembarking point. Crew members were sitting on the floor, lying on the steps or standing up in a crowd of bodies who were desperately trying to get off the ship.

No one knew when Customs would start scanning the first crew member ID and allowing you to get off the ship. When the process did start happening, there would be a rush of people pushing their way forward and trying to get through the security line, because sometimes Customs allowed the disembarking phase to last for 30-45 minutes, while sometimes they mysteriously closed it off after 15 minutes, possibly not to reopen for another three hours.

The “windows” situation was a source of high stress and exasperation for every crew member on board. You were never guaranteed the ability to get off of the ship to go buy some toothpaste or get a new pair of sneakers. It wasn’t just for crew members working onboard the ship, though.

Even DCL shore-side staff who came to the ship while it was in port to take care of some business would often become trapped onboard because of the “windows.” The “windows” were finally discontinued in 2007, much to the enjoyment of every DCL crew member. Next time you sail, ask a crew member who has been around for more than a year about the crew “windows.” You’re sure to get some good horror stories.

Though there were many challenges in trying to disembark the Disney Wonder as a crew member, there were many reasons to stay onboard.

Crew Life Onboard a Cruise Ship

Just like cruise line guests are excited and eager to enjoy the deck parties, cocktail evenings and other occasions to have fun and celebrate, the crew members are anxious for events of their own. While it is fun to work a party as a crew member, you’re still expected to serve the guests and be professional.

Let’s face it, crew members need time to themselves when they’re not serving the fruity frozen drink of the day, dancing the electric slide or wearing the requisite shorts with a hem two inches above your knee caps.

That’s where the crew pool comes in.

Some guests are aware of the Disney Cruise Line crew member pool which is located at the bow of the ship. You might have seen it from the guest decks and wondered, “How do I get to that pool? There’s hardly anyone there!” or you might have heard about it during DCL trivia contests.

The crew pool is literally one of the few places where crew members can just hang out and be themselves, without fear of acting improperly in front of guests.

During the day, crew members can work on their tan, take a swim, or just socialize in the open air and sunshine. At night, the crew pool transforms itself into party central. This is where the crew members gather to have drinks, talk about their day and socialize. It’s essentially just like any bar you’d go to after a long day of work or during a night out on the town. Crew parties last until the wee hours of the night, and sometimes they actually have a theme, like a costume night.

When it was raining or the winds were just too rough, crew parties were held inside. There was one common crew area, beside the crew mess, where many crew activities took place. It was generally just a meeting room, filled with seats and booths. This is where we had crew training during our orientation onboard the ship.

However, at night, crew members gather here to watch movies, have impromptu parties and generally just gather with friends. Since crew rooms are so small and there are few places available anywhere on the ship where crew members can congregate outside of guest contact, these were essentially the places to be seen.

Occasionally, crew members were allowed to “take over” guest areas. The Cruise Staff and Children’s Programming Department routinely had parties in the area that used to be the ESPN Club the night before members of our staff left the ship at the end of their contract. Since this occurred quite frequently, we could easily have gatherings in the Club late in the evening on the nights before disembarkation when guests were busy packing their suitcases and weren’t staying in the clubs too late.

We were also fortunate to be able to take over the Spa late one night. We weren’t able to enjoy spa services, but we could utilize the steam showers and saunas. At that point, a full size shower was definitely a luxury experience .

Crew members could go to the spa for discounted services or haircuts, but it still wasn’t cheap. For hair cuts and personal grooming supplies , most crew members tried to get to Wal-Mart, Walgreens or the mall when we were in our home port.

Thankfully, there is a transportation service just for crew members that allowed us to get into the city and run our errands without needing to hire a taxi. The crew buses service all cruise lines, and are essentially shuttle buses that have scheduled pick up times at the most popular spots that crew members frequent. Without the crew shuttles, it would have been much more difficult to get into town since very few crew members have cars.

Time in port is also when crew members try to get in contact with their family. Since most crew members are not from the U.S., it’s a challenge for them to find and use international calling cards on the public pay phones that are banked outside of the crew disembarkation point.

Have you ever noticed the lines of crew members standing around pay phones at ports of call? This is the only time that we were able to really talk to our families, and the nuances of trying to use international calling cards are extremely frustrating. Remember, we have very little time off the ship so being patient and trying to figure out the phones while the time clock is ticking is extremely annoying.

I was reduced to tears more than once just trying to get a phone call to go through to my family in the U.S. from a pay phone in the Bahamas or Mexico. In fact, there’s a pay phone in Cozumel that took quite a “beating” during my frustration in trying to make an international phone call. (I never did succeed.)

Of course, if you have a cell phone you can use it while in port… in theory.

Do cell phones work on cruise ships? Not really, in my experience. And that’s even on a sailing in 2019 that I had problem using my phone while in port for debarkation.

Though I had a cell phone back then, it wouldn’t pick up reception on most parts of the ship while in port. I walked the decks endlessly trying to get a signal.

Though reception was a bit better while we were sailing out of port, I was usually working during that time and couldn’t make any calls. So, in order to stay in touch with my family and hear their voices, I either had to take a crew shuttle into town so I could get phone reception and call them around 7 or 8 a.m. (thankfully my family was in the same time zone that I was), or use the static-filled public phones in ports of call while other crew members were standing in line behind me anxiously awaiting their turn on the phone.

Getting Mail and Phone Calls on a Cruise Ship

When I was a crew member, the Internet was not available on the Disney Wonder, so times have changed, thankfully for the better. (However, I heard in the videos posted below that paying for the privilege of internet as a crew member eats up half of your salary, which isn’t too much to begin with.)

One of the only public places for crew members to check their email was at an Internet cafe somewhere on Nassau. I never did visit the cafe, because I never had time. Remember, it’s really difficult for some crew members to have enough free time to do any errands off of the ship. Since we stayed late in port at Nassau, many crew members would head to the cafe at one or two in the morning.

For the international crew members, email was the cheapest and easiest way to keep in touch with their friends and family. However, all of the cruise lines that docked in port had crew members who were all competing for the computer terminals at the Internet cafe. Just because you had the time and the money for a taxi to travel there, it didn’t necessarily mean you were going to be able to check your email.

If you weren’t using a pay phone, cell phone or email, your communication with the rest of the outside world relied on your postal mail… if you got it.

Since we were living on a ship, mail only came twice a week while we were in port. Our mail was sent to a stateside address, then delivered to the heads of each department on the ship. For instance, all of the Cruise Staff personal mail was delivered to our boss, who then had to hand it out individually.

So it’s not like you’re ordering supplies on Amazon.com and getting them in a couple days.

For me, mail was mainly cards and letters from my family and boyfriend, but some crew members relied on the mail to receive credit card bills and other important financial matters.

If there was a delay in the mail, it could really mean trouble, especially since the outgoing mail had to wait until you came back in port several days later and then had to pass through the chain of command once again.

Mail delivery was one of the highlights of my week, since it was one of the few ways I could keep in touch with my family. If they sent pictures, I would immediately tape them to the walls of my bunk bed. I kept every single card and letter. I was ecstatic when I would get a small gift in the mail. The mail system was my lifeline to the life that I was used to back on dry land.

Having Guests Visit You Onboard the Cruise Ship

Luckily for me, I had friends and family in the area who wanted to drive to Port Canaveral to see me, so I was really able to stay in touch with people. But it’s not like a crew member can just walk off of a ship to see someone that has popped in to say hi.

Because of the previously mentioned crew “windows,” it was really hard for anyone to come see you on the cruise ship. That made seeing my boyfriend, who would drive an hour each weekend to the port to see me for just a few brief hours, really difficult. Because if I missed a crew window, I wouldn’t see him again for a week.

In fact, one weekend the crew “windows” were never opened and we were not allowed to leave the ship. My boyfriend was waiting on the dock to see me, and my cell phone had no reception in port. Even the onboard satellite phones that cost about $8 a minute weren’t working because we were in port, so there was no way to let him know that I wasn’t going to be allowed off of the ship.

Frustrating isn’t even the word to describe what it feels like when you can’t see friends or family who are so close, yet so far, in the bureaucratic red tape of sailing in international waters.

Another time, my aunt and family surprised me by driving to the port to see me, not realizing the legalities that were involved with me getting off of the ship. They were in the boarding terminal and somehow got a message through to my boss on the ship that they were there. I was ecstatic, but I couldn’t leave the ship.

Thankfully, my boss was able to somehow pull some strings and get the appropriate paperwork together for me to simply step off of the gangway into the boarding terminal so that I could see my family. By that time, though, so much time had passed doing the paperwork that it was a very brief reunion.

To get around all of the red tape and spend some quality time with me, my boyfriend surprised me on Thanksgiving by booking a stay on the Thanksgiving sailing. The entire lobby heard me scream when I saw him walk off of the gangway into the main lobby of the ship.

While I was so happy that I would be able to spend time with him, once again the intricate laws of the cruise line would limit our time.

Just to be able to have dinner in Palo’s, I had to request special written permission from one of the heads of the dining department to be in the restaurant, because I was a crew member. My schedule for the sailing had already been made, so there was no way to get a few extra hours off.

During my limited time off, I just really wanted to relax and enjoy a decent meal so we ordered room service from his stateroom. The room service waiter recognized me and nearly refused to serve us the food because I was a crew member, even though it was ordered by a paying DCL guest.

While it was clearly obvious that I was forbidden to be in guest areas to socialize when I wasn’t on the clock, it was also forbidden for any guests to enter the crew quarters, so the complexities of trying to find a time and place to visit a personal acquaintance were quite frustrating.

Cruise Line Crew Member Contracts

Crew members are signed to a contract of a specific length, usually six to nine months. At the end of the contract, you can choose to extend the contract with no time off, or sign up again for another contract with a set amount of time off in between, typically six weeks.

You are paid a base wage with cash compensation for each week of your contract. Then money is accrued per week to be paid as a cash bonus when your contract is up.

Included in your monetary compensation will be non-cash compensation such as food and rooming. So you won’t be charged for that, but they consider the value of that as part of your compensation package.

With a crazy work schedule and little sleep, I decided not to renew my contract. Though I will always look back at my time with Disney Cruise Line with fond memories, and I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat, I knew that signing up for another half of a year onboard the ship was just not for me .

Leaving the ship is a bittersweet time. You’re excited to get on dry land for more than several hours at a time. It’s exhilarating to return to a bedroom or a house with a normal size bathroom and closets and bed. It’s a comfort to realize that you don’t have to battle daily with seasickness anymore.

But there’s also what you leave behind.

The crew members onboard cruise ships become a tight-knit family… after all, you live and work with these people every day, all day, with little or no contact with your actual family. When saying goodbye, it’s a very real possibility that you’ll never see your fellow crew members again.

Everyone comes from around the world, so it’s not as easy as returning to a city and being in the same geographical area as old friends.

And there’s no guarantee that when you come back to the ship, if you renewed your contract, that your friends would still be onboard. Contracts end and begin at staggered times, people get transferred to other ships, etc.

How Guests Impact Crew Member’s Lives

And then there are the guests. Some guests really can make your day or your entire week, and it’s kind of sad to think that you’ll be leaving those experiences behind.

On one cruise, I was talking with a family who knew where I lived (a remarkable occurrence since I was living in a tiny town at the time). After commenting that I didn’t get many opportunities to talk with my family, they got my mom’s email address and emailed her to tell her that I was doing OK and they had just visited with me on the ship. That one simple act still remains with me today. It was something so simple, so easy, yet meant so much to me.

I started a conversation with another guest at a pin-trading event onboard. I was commenting how Chip and Dale were my favorite characters and I hadn’t gotten the opportunity to buy a Chip and Dale pin on land, since they weren’t available onboard the DCL. Surprisingly, the woman bought a Chip and Dale pin when she got back to Orlando and mailed it to me on the ship.

Once again, such a simple act, yet it meant so much to me.

Would I Work on the Disney Cruise Line Again?

Those are the things that I remember most about my time onboard the Disney Wonder. Yes, the crazy work hours and unusual living conditions are always in the back of my mind, but I focus more on the unique opportunities that I was fortunate enough to experience, the places that I traveled, and the people from around the world that I met.

I remember the exciting energy that was present on the ship each and every time we set sail. Every sailing was a new and different experience that was entirely shaped by the people who chose to set sail with us on that specific voyage.

Some sailings were more boisterous than others, some were more subdued, yet each took on a different feel depending on who checked in on embarkation day.

After I first left Disney Cruise Line, I felt a lot of nostalgia. There were a lot of crew members on the shows and commercials who I used to work with, and seeing them on television doing a role that I used to do brings back a lot of memories. I missed my extended family. I missed the allure of sailing.

But over time, I realized that I am too old and know too much to do that life again. The amount of work that you are asked to do, and the personal freedoms you give up, are too great for the small amount of money that you make. (And, yeah, it’s small! My contract actually stated that I had a 70-hour work week. Though I feel like I worked more.)

Sailing as a crew member onboard a cruise ship isn’t a permanent vacation. Neither is travel writing or full-time RVing. People like to look in at your life from the outside and assume it’s all fun. Without knowing the crazy amount of work it takes to get there.

I thought that crew member life would have gotten better in the two decades since I was a Disney Cruise Line crew member. I was shocked to find out it really hasn’t.

During one late night binge-watching on YouTube, I found the Gianna Alexis channel . And it was very disturbing to hear that not much has changed while living on a cruise ship, even 20 years later.

P.S. 20 years ago there was NO WAY that I would have been allowed to take video or photos or document my life on DCL the way that YouTubers can now. 

Here’s some of her videos that you’ll want to listen to in order to know what life is like onboard the Disney Cruise Line now:

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Thursday 8th of December 2022

I just came back from my first Disney cruise, and for some reason I was dying to know what it’s like to work there. Your article answered everything I was curious about and more. Thank you for sharing! I’ll definitely have a greater appreciation for all that the staff do next time I go on board again!

Sandra, so glad you enjoyed the cruise! Yes, there's so much more that goes on behind the scenes!

Monday 18th of July 2022

This is such an honest and insightful post, thank you for writing it! I have just graduated as a teacher and have been looking at applying to the youth Activities department role on board!

Sophie, Thank you! The Youth Activities Department is a great place! If you apply, good luck!!! Enjoy every moment.

• Disney Cruise Line

What is the pay structure of the employees on the Disney cruise?

By JaneHughes , March 8, 2010 in Disney Cruise Line

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We have just returned from a Royal Carribean cruise and a few of the staff advised that the majority of their compensation came from tips. Does anyone know if this is the same situation on a Disney cruise?

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Our server in the last cruise explained to us that their income is based on the tips just like any other cruise. Being under Bahamas contract, they keep every cent which means that they don't pay any tax at all. Our server also stated that there will be times when they do not receive any tip at all. Many guests do not show up for breakfast and suddenly disappear without leaving them any tip.

I have to believe it is similar to my experience working as a server in a major chain restaurant a few years back.

You get a very small base pay (2.50/hr) and your income is based mostly on a tip. Granted they do also get other perks, probably, free food, board, and great tax laws

I think a great thing is the pre-paid gratuities...on the Disney cruise we took last month we did this. I guess however you still must put the little stub in the envelope and give that to your server or room attendant...they in turn must have to give this to "someone" to get their pay.

We felt the service was worth way more than what we had for the pre-paid tips and added more $'s in each envelope. They all work so hard and truly gave the best service of any line I've sailed on (including Regent).

It depends on the area they are assigned/contracted for.From what I understand, its alot like the parks and college program.

Tip oriented areas such as wait staff, and room stewards, generally get a fairly low base pay, and the balance is made up in tips.As posted above.

Areas such as guest relations,or entertainment get a higher base pay since they do not have a tip oportunity.Other areas that you dont ever see such as laundry personel or cooks would be in the same group.

I think, though I cant swear to it off hand, that Disney may take a certain amount back, for room and board.Much like the college program.They also pay for things like alcohol onboard, and things from a crew only store.

I think some of the recommended tips are ridiculously high. For instance, the stateroom attendant gets $28 per person, so for my family of four that is $112, or $16/day to make a bed and put clean towels and an origami towel animal on the bed. In the best hotels, I tip housekeeping $5/day and they are putting clean sheets on the bed as well. How many rooms does each attendant service? Same with the wait staff...they told me they generally service about 16 people per seating, so 32 total, times $28=$896 a week. Some may tip less, but some also tip more. If that is tax free and they get free room and board, that's a pretty decent salary for a job that doesn't require a college degree.

They work harder than a hotel houskeeper. At a hotel, they'll do your room once per day. On a ship, it's usually twice plus the towel animals, turndown and the frequent guest requests. Knowing people that have worked in both jobs, I know that ship guests use their room a lot more than hotel guests and thus create more work for the staff.

I guess we were the exception then. We spent very little time in our room; we were only there to sleep and get ready for dinner. They came in once to clean up (I don't think they change the sheets daily like they do in a hotel) in the afternoon and a second time to turn down the bed and put the animal in the room. We also cleaned up after ourselves everyday. Maybe we are not the typical guests.

keishashadow

I think some of the recommended tips are ridiculously high. For instance, the stateroom attendant gets $28 per person, so for my family of four that is $112, or $16/day to make a bed and put clean towels and an origami towel animal on the bed. In the best hotels, I tip housekeeping $5/day and they are putting clean sheets on the bed as well. How many rooms does each attendant service? Same with the wait staff...they told me they generally service about 16 people per seating, so 32 total, times $28=$896 a week . Some may tip less, but some also tip more. If that is tax free and they get free room and board, that's a pretty decent salary for a job that doesn't require a college degree.

only if every cabins tips the suggested gratuity. Im sure there are many who stiff them:(.

fyi, the stewards (and all employees) pay for their own transport to/from employment on the ship and have families back 'home' to support including medical, food & housing, etc. They do far more than make the beds in the cabins, your bathroom is cleaned everyday. fyi, many of the stewards employ assistants (those who work in other capacities about the ship & are moonlighting) to help them get all the work they are expected to complete done.

One more thing, the way I understand it these people work cruises back to back with little time off. Is that correct? Sorry your cruise on the Magic was not better. We have only been on 1 cruise on the Magic, last year, and it was incredible.:)

cruise newbie127

Furthermore, the wait staff not only serve guests at dinner, they work the other venues for lunch and breakfast as well - such as the BBQ on Castaway Cay, and the "fast food" places. Your tips pay them for that as well.

Majesty Fan

Husband used to work for RCI as a waiter. Yes they make about $50 per month w/o tips. They aslo have to pay for thier laundry room cleaning fee, internet, etc. Some people tip the suggested amt some do not and some do not tip at all. There is no off days off. The wait staff may get a breakfast or lunch off but never a day. They work 6 mo contract and pay for thier ticket. The wait staff tips are not pooled but the CS not so sure as on the Magic we had 2 people.

• 2 years later...

mattypatty03

A housekeeper in a hotel also makes at least minimum wage. Stateroom

Attendants do not.

A housekeeper in a hotel also makes at least minimum wage. Stateroom Attendants do not.

So you had to bring up a thread from 3 years ago to make this comment?

So you had to bring up a thread from 3 years ago to make this comment?   :)

I'm betting MattyPatty was doing a search for something, this thread came up, and he/she didn't realize it was a REALLY OLD thread upon replying.

JoJoluv2cruz

Not sure what the purpose of this thread is??? No one is being made to work these cruise ships. I'm sure the work is hard and the hours are long, but the employees choose to do it. Many of them are young and do it for the excitement before moving on to other careers and others are making much more money then they could ever make in their home country. It's nice to be concerned for their well being but please stop with the guilt trips. :mad:

What I was told was thet they get their money/tips even without the ticket stub. There are records of what was charged to the room for their tip.

I get what you are saying. I used to feel badly for the staff. But when you come across some that have been with DCL for many cruises, I figured if it was that bad they wouldn't renew their contract. They do work very hard though.

I think a great thing is the pre-paid gratuities...on the Disney cruise we took last month we did this. I guess however you still must put the little stub in the envelope and give that to your server or room attendant...they in turn must have to give this to "someone" to get their pay.   We felt the service was worth way more than what we had for the pre-paid tips and added more $'s in each envelope. They all work so hard and truly gave the best service of any line I've sailed on (including Regent).

If you are sailing concierge they take care of it all for you. You only need to fill out the amounts on the sheet and sign the bottom.

We didn't tip extra on our three day as we only ate in the MDR once for dinner and twice for lunch, never for breakfast. We did tip the servers in Palo and Remy as well as the sommelier in both and room service.

Tonka's Skipper

]There is alot of work behind the scenes they do as well, not to mention bring and taking away your lugage.

Honestly these CM's, all of them work hard, long hours, to give us tha excellent cruise and deserve every penny they get.:D

If you can effort a cruise,you should not be complaining!:confused:

This comes up on every cruise line's forum.

Here's the long and short of it. Consider the auto tip part of the fare. If the employees were compensated the same amount as salary, they would have to pay more fees and taxes on it PLUS it would be factored into the cruise fare.

Round numbers:

If employees make $5 per day plus $10 in tips, they earn $15 per day. That means Disney pays 1000 crew $5000 per day for a 3000 passenger ship plus $30000 from the passengers.

If Disney just paid them $15 per day, Disney would pay the full $35000, divided up among 3000 passengers, with a markup to handle taxes and admin, your price per cruise would be about $14 per day higher, MORE than you pay with auto-tip.

It depends on the area they are assigned/contracted for.From what I understand, its alot like the parks and college program.   Tip oriented areas such as wait staff, and room stewards, generally get a fairly low base pay, and the balance is made up in tips.As posted above. Areas such as guest relations,or entertainment get a higher base pay since they do not have a tip oportunity.Other areas that you dont ever see such as laundry personel or cooks would be in the same group.   I think, though I cant swear to it off hand, that Disney may take a certain amount back, for room and board.Much like the college program.They also pay for things like alcohol onboard, and things from a crew only store.

On the ship there is no money taken for room and board. Uniforms are provided and cleaned for free. On some lines, all personal laundry is also cleaned for free, others either provide discounted laundry service or a self-serve room for crew. Most lines provide healthcare while on the ship for free, officers and higher level hotel staff (reception, etc.) entertainment, and certain technical services (I/T, A/V, etc.)get health insurance as if they were working for any land based organization.

Items of a personal nature such as Internet, alcohol, toiletries, etc. can be purchased through the crew store which usually has no or minimal mark up.

It all varies by ship and cruise line. Some are pretty notorious for treating their crew like dirt, others are known for taking great care of them. DCL is in the middle.

only if every cabins tips the suggested gratuity. Im sure there are many who stiff them:(.   fyi, the stewards (and all employees) pay for their own transport to/from employment on the ship and have families back 'home' to support including medical, food & housing, etc. They do far more than make the beds in the cabins, your bathroom is cleaned everyday. fyi, many of the stewards employ assistants (those who work in other capacities about the ship & are moonlighting) to help them get all the work they are expected to complete done.

Re: travel costs for the staff.........a number of DCL staff have told us they pay 50% towards their travel home costs :)

Re: travel costs for the staff.........a number of DCL staff have told us they pay 50% towards their travel home costs

DCL pays for CMs to get all the way home when their contract ends. Some other cruiselines only pay to nearest airport. And others, not even that much.

Entertainers are on a totally different pay situation than the rest of the boat. My cousin is an Equity performer currently playing Ensign Benson on the Wonder. Her contract is for 9 months (1 month was for rehersals in Toranto- where she had her own 1 bedroom apartment overlooking CN Tower) Disney has paid for all her airfare (from NYC to Toronto, Toronto to LA, and from Miami to whereever she decided to go in May). She lives in a room alone with a porthole. She doesn't pay for any room/board/or laundry. (she does pay for internet access). She started making $900 a week, but now she is up to $1200- plus some bonuses for sticking out the contract for certain times (a bonus after the first 6 weeks, etc).

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A Complete Guide To Disney Cast Member Discounts

Working in the  Most Magical Place on Earth means Cast Members get to make magic for Disney guests all day!

And sometimes, they can get to experience some magic themselves (and by “magic,” we mean discounts).

Cast Members work HARD all day long, and sometimes those days are super LONG, so we’re glad they get to have a little extra magic in their lives because it wouldn’t be Disney without them!

Here is a full list of everywhere you can get a Cast Member Discount at Disney World.

For the most up-to-date information, check your Cast Member Hub log-in on discount offers and availability. Discounts may be subject to block-out dates, limitations, and may vary in discount amount. To qualify for discounts, you must be a current, active, or retired Cast Member. Cast Members will need to show their Walt Disney World Cast or Operating Participant ID when they’re checking out to take advantage of any applicable discounts. When in doubt, be sure to ask if a CM discount is available upon checkout.

Merchandise Store Discounts

• Usually 20% off at Disney-owned/operated stores
• All Magic Kingdom shops (only 10% at Sunglasses shop)
• All stores at EPCOT (discount varies by store, but a majority follow the 20% cast discount, including any shops that serve food, such as Karamell Kuche in Germany)
• All stores at Animal Kingdom
• All stores in Hollywood Studios
• ShopDisney app or website
• Cast Connections on Walt Disney World Property
• Shops and kiosks at Disney Springs and Downtown Disney offer discounts ranging from 10%-35% off.

Resort Discounts

• Up to 50% off for Cast Members. You (the Cast Member) have to be staying in the room in order to get 50% off.
• Up to 40% off for friends and family. You don’t have to stay in the room in order to get the discount.
• Up to 50% off at Aulani in Hawaii

Dining Discounts

Save anywhere between 10-20% at most Disney World  and Disneyland restaurants, including Disney Springs and Downtown Disney.

Park Ticket Discounts

Cast Members can get discounted park tickets for your guests from any Company D location. This is a perfect option for anyone who doesn’t have (or want to use) any guest passes.

• 10% off any Disney World tickets from Company D
• Discounted tickets for Sea World and Busch Gardens only at Company D

Tours & Recreation

• Wild Africa Trek at Animal Kingdom: 50% off tickets for cast members after 11:30 am (regular price is $189). Must be booked in advance.
• Backstage Magic Tour: 35% off for cast members (regular price is $249)
• Disney’s Keys to the Kingdom Tour: 50% off for cast members (regular price is $79)
• Magic Behind Our Steam Trains Tour: 50% off for cast members (regular price is $55)
• Dolphins in Depth: 50% off for cast members on Tuesday-Thursday (regular price is $199)
• EPCOT Dive Quest: 50% off from Tuesday to Saturday if you’re dive certified (regular price is $175)
• EPCOT Seas Aqua Tour: 50% off from Tuesday to Saturday (regard price is $140)
• Behind the Seeds at EPCOT: Free. Must sign up at their desk by Soarin 20 minutes prior.
• Backstage Safari at Animal Kingdom: 50% off (regular price is $72)
• Fishing: 15% off the regular price of the 2 hour excursion for the Guided Bass Fishing Excursions and Bass Nitro Fishing Excursions at select Disney World marinas.
• Mini Golf: 50% off you and your 3 guests for all four courses at Winter Summerland and Fantasia Gardens. (block out dates apply)
• Jellyrolls: 50% off cover change (Mon-Fri) and free entry Sundays
• Wyland Galleries of Florida – 10-15% off jewelry and 20-35% off fine art
• Spa treatments; Get 15% off the non-discounted price of select 50 minutes or longer spa or salon service for you and up to the number of persons in your package (hand and foot treatments excluded; age restrictions apply).

Fort Wilderness Recreation Rental Discounts

• Up to 50% off Standard Bike rentals
• Up to 50% off the Wilderness Back Trail Adventure
• Up to 50% off Canoe Rentals
• Up to 50% off Horseback Trail Rides
• Up to 50% off Kayak Rentals

Disney Cruise Line

Cast Members may receive reduced rates on select Disney Cruise Line voyages. Rates vary per sailing, and they only apply for select dates, but stateroom rates can be as low as $80 a night per person on 7-night Caribbean sailings. Just check on the Hub for more accurate pricing, and sailing information, and to book your cruise using your discount.

Adventures by Disney

Cast Members and their friends and family get discounts for almost all tours by Adventures by Disney. Block-out dates do apply. Check the Hub for more details.

Miscellaneous Discounts

• Best Friends Pet Care – 20% off boarding, 10% off grooming
• Car Care Center – 10% off the price of all services and tires for sale
• Ricoh Business Centers – 25% off merchandise and business center

Special Occasions

• Fairytale Weddings: special discount of up to 50% for your wedding. Must be booked years in advanced. Block-out dates may apply.
• Disney Honeymoon Registry: compliments registry setup and planning for couples planning a Disney honeymoon.
• Disney Floral and Gifts: 10% off for cast.

Always be sure to check your Cast Member account hub for the latest updates on these and other discounts you may qualify for. This is just a summary of the discounts available in the Disney Parks. There are other corporate discounts that Cast Members may also take advantage of to help make their lives a little easier.

We are so grateful for the magic and energy the Cast Members bring to the parks and to every Disney experience and glad Disney provides them discounts to help make a little magic for them!

For more Disney Park news and information, keep up with AllEars, and be sure to subscribe to our FREE newsletter !

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Where is your favorite place to use your Cast Member discount? Let us know in the comments below!

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12 Disney Cast Member Perks & Benefits Beyond Pay That Set Working For Disney Parks Apart

Photo Credit: Disney Parks Blog.

For many people who decide to work at the Disney theme parks, they choose to do so because they want to create magical moments for guests from all around the world every day. These Disney Cast Member Perks and benefits help to set working for Disney apart.

Maybe they had a great experience with a Cast Member when they were younger that inspired them, or maybe they’ve never been to the parks at all but have always dreamed of working for Mickey Mouse. Whatever the reason is that people decide to work at the Disney parks, they receive some pretty awesome benefits in addition to the opportunities to help make memories for guests. Keep reading to find out 10 perks that Disney Cast Members get!

In this article:

Free Theme Park Entry is Top Cast Member Perk

Photo Credit: Disney Dose.

By far the most substantial special perk that Disney Cast Members get is free entry into the theme parks. Whether they are working directly in one of the parks or they’re at one of the resort hotels or Disney-owned shops in Downtown Disney or Disney Springs, they receive a pass that will allow them to enter any of the Walt Disney World or Disneyland theme parks for free.

Cast Member park entry passes, called “Main Gates,” are subject to blackout dates just like certain levels of tickets or annual passes are. Depending on what the occasion is (a major holiday, a new attraction/park area opening, or a special event), Cast Members may be blocked from some or all the parks so that paying guests can enter instead.

Cast Members are able to connect their Main Gate passes with their My Disney Experience app, which makes it easier if they are planning a trip ahead of time. However, one of the best benefits of these passes is that if Cast Members find themselves with a few hours of free time and are not blocked out, they can quickly head over to a park and grab a snack, ride a few attractions, or even just sit on a bench and people watch.

Tuition Support For a Wide Range of Universities is a Cast Member Benefit

While access to the Disney theme parks is a great perk, this next one is substantial and has changed the lives of thousands of Disney Cast Members. More than any other item on this list, this benefit is a powerful one for Cast Members to transform their situations.

Eligible full-time and hourly Disney Cast Members also get access to the “Disney Aspire” program which pays 100% of tuition upfront. This perk allows Cast Members to continue with their education dreams while working for Disney. The company supports tuition for Cast Members at a variety of university programs in person and online.

In fact, 1 in 4 applicants to Disney jobs now cite this university program as one of the key Disney perks that inspired them to apply for the Disney position. Over 2,800 Disney Aspire students and graduates have been promoted into leadership positions across The Walt Disney Company.

Exclusive Giveaways

Throughout the year, Cast Members are given the perk of submitting their names into giveaways that are offered for exclusive prizes and experiences. These contests change every couple of months, and they provide a wide variety of offerings that most people will never have the opportunity to enjoy. Depending on what the prize is, the giveaways can be won by one person or several people.

In the past, Cast Members have won complimentary stays in concierge-level rooms at deluxe resorts, backstage tours of attractions in the theme parks, early previews of brand-new Disney movies, and even a night in the Cinderella Castle Suite at Disney World. Sometimes, Cast Members are even able to bring along a guest or two of their choosing to participate in the experience with them, which makes this perk even sweeter!

Theme Park Passes for Family and Friends

Another perk that Disney Cast Members get is the ability to bring family and friends into the theme parks for free. These “Guest Passes” work differently than the Main Gate passes, because while Cast Members have an unlimited amount of entry opportunities to use for themselves, they are limited in the number of times they can bring a guest in for free.

The Cast Member Guest Passes can only be used if the Cast Member enters the park with their guests at the beginning of the day. The Cast Member remaining with their guests throughout the duration of their day is important, because if the guests act inappropriately or cause any trouble, it reflects directly back onto the Cast Member. This is also why most Cast Members will only allow people that they know and trust to use their Guest Passes.

Discounts at Restaurants is Favorite Disney Cast Member Perk

In addition to free park entry, Cast Members are also given a lot of different discounts on various Disney experiences. One of the most lucrative is the restaurant discounts, since there are so many fantastic places to eat at the theme parks and resorts. There are some stipulations to this discount, since not every restaurant offers a discount all the time.

For some restaurants, the dining discount can only be used during a certain mealtime, like at breakfast or lunch. Some restaurants only offer a discount at slower times of the year to ensure they are bringing in as much revenue as possible during the busy seasons. Whether the discount can be used or not really depends on the price, popularity, and capacity of the restaurant at any given time.

Generally, Cast Members receive a discount at the Quick Service Restaurants all throughout the year. Some of the Table Service Restaurants that are not busy often, like those at the resorts, offer a discount all year round as well. And sometimes, even the specialty restaurants—like the Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue, for example—provide Cast Members with a large discount.

Sneak Previews of New Theme Park Experiences

While it doesn’t happen all the time, one extra special perk Cast Members are given is the chance to try out new park areas, attractions, and restaurants before they are opened to the public. The primary reason for doing this is so Cast Members are able to answer questions about and advise guests on the new offerings available, but it’s a great experience for those who are able to participate.

If a new attraction is opening at one of the parks (like TRON Lightcycle/Run, for example), Cast Members are able to sign up for a specific date and time to test out the ride and are permitted to enter the park for that purpose, even if it’s a day that their Main Gate passes are blocked out. When a brand-new land is opening, like Pandora – The World of Avatar or Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Cast Members are able to spend several hours in the area riding the new attractions, eating at the restaurants, and checking out the merchandise.

Merchandise Discounts

For Cast Members who enjoy collecting Disney items, the merchandise discount is one of the best perks available. Just like the restaurant discounts, the amount of savings Cast Members receive depends on the time of year, the items they’re buying, and the store they’re purchasing them at. During the holiday season, Cast Members typically receive double the discount they’re offered the rest of the year, so that’s the time when most will stock up on theme park souvenirs they’ve had their eyes on.

Cast Members also have the unique benefit of shopping at Cast Connection, where excess merchandise that is being retired is stored. The price on these items is usually already lower than it was in the parks, and then Cast Members also get an additional discount added using their Disney ID card. There is an area of the store that houses items that are not sellable due to slight damage or wear, and those can be up to 75% off the original price. There are even sometimes retired Cast Member costumes and resort furniture pieces up for grabs!

Discounted Resort Stays

Although Cast Members generally live close to the Disney theme parks, there are still times when it is beneficial to stay onsite, whether for a staycation, an early morning event, or spending time with out-of-towners. In these instances, having a resort discount to take advantage of is ideal, and Cast Members definitely make the most of this offer.

Like the restaurant discounts, this perk depends largely on the time of year and what is happening at the theme parks. While the offer is always available, it’s not always an option at every resort. It’s much more challenging for Cast Members to find a discounted room during spring break season and the winter holidays, and when large events are happening at ESPN Wide World of Sports, it’s almost impossible to book a room at any of the Disney World value resorts.

There are almost always discounted rooms available at the deluxe villa resorts and some of the larger, less popular options, like Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground. The newer resorts don’t often have any openings, and if they do, it’s usually for the rooms that accommodate more people, like the family suites. Cast Members never know what they’re going to be able to find, but it’s still a great perk nevertheless.

Specialty Activity Discounts

Outside of all the Disney theme park vacation basics like a resort room, food, and souvenirs, Cast Members also receive discounts on specialty offerings from time to time. These activities can range from Disney Cruise Line trips and Adventures by Disney excursions around the world to VIP tours and packages within the theme parks and resorts.

In the past, some of the tours that have been available to Cast Members at a lower cost included the Wild Africa Trek at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the Behind the Seeds Tour in The Land Pavilion at Epcot, and the Keys to the Kingdom tour at Magic Kingdom. The cruises and excursions that have been previously offered have traveled all over the world, from the tropical Caribbean Islands to snowy Scandinavia. All in all, Cast Members are able to enjoy once-in-a-lifetime experiences at a much lower cost.

Did you know that Adventures by Disney has a once-in-a-lifetime experience that guests can participate in too? Check out the itinerary for a $115k private jet trip to every Disney Park around the world .

Exclusive Cast Member Events

In addition to the contests and sneak peek opportunities that are offered, there are often other special activities that take place that any Cast Member can sign up to participate in. Sometimes these are larger experiences that can accommodate a lot of people, and others are only available to much smaller groups, so Cast Members need to keep an eye out for when these events are posted so they can get their name on the list.

These activities span a lot of different areas of the theme parks and resorts. In the past, events offered have included sunrise yoga in front of Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom, Cast Member 5k runs, scavenger hunts throughout the parks, and backstage tours of attractions and shows like Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster and Fantasmic! Plus, for the more competitive activities, Cast Members sometimes receive specialty prizes that cannot be purchased anywhere else.

Holiday Coupon Booklets

During the winter holiday season, Cast Members receive the gift of a coupon booklet to celebrate the conclusion of another great year. These booklets contain a mixture of free and discounted experiences, and they can only be used for a limited amount of time, usually between November and February.

The booklet typically includes several coupons for free snacks like popcorn, churros, or Mickey pretzels. It also usually has a few major discount coupons that can be used at most of the Table Service Restaurants, a free pass for mini golf at Fantasia Gardens or Winter Summerland, and an extra complimentary ticket that Cast Members can use to bring a family member or friend into the theme parks.

Service Anniversary Celebrations

The Cast Members who have dedicated 10 or more years of their lives to the Disney theme parks and resorts receive an extra perk: Service Anniversary Celebrations. These parties are offered once a year for Cast Members who are celebrating a milestone anniversary working for the Walt Disney Company. This begins at the 10-year mark and then every five years afterward they are invited again.

For these special events, one of the theme parks closes to the general public a few hours earlier than normal, and only those invited to the party and their plus ones are allowed to enter. There are delicious food and beverage options available, unique character meet and greets, and some of the most popular attractions remain open for the attendees to enjoy. This really is a wonderful way for Disney to recognize the hard work and dedication their Cast Members put in every day to make magical moments for guests!

If you're a Cast Member, what's your favorite perk of the role? And if you're not a Cast Member, which of these perks sounds most exciting? Tell us in the comments! See all the top Disney Cast Member discounts for employees.

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Disney World & Cast Members Reach Pay Agreement!

Wage negotiations between Walt Disney World management and unions representing ~45,000 Cast Members are over, as the two sides have finally reached an agreement! This shares the latest news on the compromise, how pay will increase in the next several years, and offer commentary about this great development. ( Updated March 23, 2023 .)

The Service Trades Council Union (STCU) representing Cast Members announced on March 23, 2023 that they have reached a tentative agreement with Walt Disney World to bring hourly Cast Member pay to $18 per hour by December 2023 and over $20 by Fall 2026, plus back pay.

There were several sticking points for the union in negotiations, which was asking for $18 per hour and a path to $20, as well as back pay. While both sides have compromised from their initial positions, the union has essentially secured the trifecta for Cast Members. The union is thus recommending that its members ratify the new contract, with a vote that will take place on March 29, 2023 (and is expected to succeed).

Upon ratification of the proposed agreement, Cast Members will be paid a minimum wage of $17 per hour, with that amount increasing to $18 by December. Back pay of an $1 extra per hour worked since October 1, 2022 will also be awarded to Cast Members hired on or before that date. Looking forward to 2024 and beyond, pay will increase a total of $2.50 for the remaining duration of the contract; that will bring the new minimum to no less than $20.50 by October 2026.

According to the STCU: “For Cast Members that are making the minimum currently, this contract provides over 36% general wage increases over the life of the agreement.” All Cast Members will also receive raises between $5.50 and $8.60 over the term of this new agreement, with the first $3 in raises occurring this year.

Union leaders said that the following roles would receive wage increases of higher amounts:

• Union Housekeepers: increase from $17 to $20 immediately, ending at $24 in October 2026
• Union Dishwashers: increase from $15 to $18 immediately, ending at $22 in October 2026
• Cook 2 (Union Prep Cook): increase from $16.40 to $20 immediately, ending at $24 in October 2026
• Cook 1 (Union Line Cook): increase from $19 to $23.10 immediately, ending at $27.10 in October 2026
• Union Chef Assistant: increase from $20 to $24.60 immediately, ending at $28.60 in October 2026
• Union Bus Drivers: increase from $18 to $20.50 immediately, ending at $24.50 in October 2026

The agreement will also include eight weeks of paid Child Bonding Leave, which is a benefit that does not exist in the current contract, and increases to many hourly premiums, according to STCU.

In confirming that an agreement had been reached between the company and STCU, Walt Disney World Resort President Jeff Vahle said that “Our Cast Members are central to Walt Disney World’s enduring magic, which is why we are pleased to have reached this tentative agreement.”

“Disney is proud to offer an industry-leading employment package that includes comprehensive benefits and affordable medical coverage, in addition to 100 percent paid tuition for higher education for hourly employees through the Disney Aspire program,” Vahle continued. “With the support of the unions, we anticipate Cast Members will approve this new agreement.”

Upon ratification, the agreement will put Walt Disney World on par with Universal Orlando in offering $17 per hour. By the end of this year when wages increase to $18 per hour, Walt Disney World will become the highest-paying large-scale tourism employer in Orlando for entry level positions.

In terms of quick commentary, this is fantastic news–and comes as somewhat of a surprise. The two sides had been at a stalemate previously, with union Cast Members holding their “Rally for a Raise” one week ago to increase public awareness of their plight. That seemingly succeeded, as an agreement was reached in short order after that and comes pretty close to giving Cast Members what they had originally sought.

As for winners and losers…there are none of the latter here, only the former. Cast Members win because they will soon be earning higher wages. Walt Disney World wins immediately by putting this ugly dispute in the rearview mirror and garnering positive headlines for once. Longer-term, the company wins by becoming a better employer that should have greater success in the highly-competitive local labor market; by paying higher wages, Disney will be able to attract and retain talented and passionate employees.

Guests win for those same reasons. The Cast Members who truly make the magic will see a morale boost and will be more likely to stick with Walt Disney World for the long-term, with the positive consequences of that directly flowing to the guest experience. Anyone who wants to contend otherwise and claim that this will be bad for guests due to price increases or whatever is, flatly, wrong.

What follows is how this saga has played out to date, plus our original commentary, preserved here for posterity…

This sharp turn of events comes after the prior proposal was overwhelmingly rejected by Cast Members; 96% of union members voted against Walt Disney World’s “best and final offer.” That would have amounted to an immediate $1 raise to the hourly starting wage, which would put the minimum starting wage at $16 per hour. From there, hourly pay would’ve gradually increased to $20 per hour over the next 5 years.

Cast Members represented by local unions have been pushing for an immediate increase to $18 per hour, with a future path to raise wages to $20 per hour. With Walt Disney World’s refusal to budge from its prior best offer–and unwilling to offer a middle ground compromise–negotiations ended and did not resume late last week as planned. Instead, the unions indicated that they will begin a public pressure campaign “to bring light to the plight of Cast Members struggling to survive the devastating increase in the cost of living.”

Notably and perplexingly, Walt Disney World’s refusal to offer “even one cent” to its prior best and final offer came only days after Universal Orlando Resort announced to Team Members that they are raising starting wages to $17 per hour effective June 4, 2023.

In addition, Universal Orlando announced that many Team Members will receive a pay increase based on the new rates and their time with the company. According to Universal, wages are just one improvement being made to improve Team Member satisfaction. That theme park operator has also elevated its 401K match and tuition reimbursement programs, added compassion leave, doubled parental leave, enhanced family planning benefits, launched a new recognition program, and changed Team Member comp ticket availability.

Universal also purports to be elevating the work environment, and to that end, has begun upgrading break areas, back of house restrooms, and have plans for Team Member dining improvements. Universal contends that its work culture seeks to create a path forward that supports Team Members, giving them an opportunity to grow while fostering a real sense of purpose and belonging.

Senator Bernie Sanders added his voice to the pay dispute between Walt Disney World and Cast Members, sharing a statement of support on social media. “If Disney can afford to give a $20 million golden parachute last year to a CEO who did a lousy job, it can afford to pay Disney World Cast Members who are struggling to pay the rent & groceries a minimum wage of at least $18/hour. I say to Disney: Pay your workers a living wage,” wrote Sanders .

This isn’t the first time that Sanders weighed in on Cast Member pay. During the last major standoff back in 2018, Sanders made national headlines for attending a Cast Member town hall in Anaheim. Following that meeting with Disney workers, Sanders and Senator Elizabeth Warren sent a  letter  cosigned by 20 of their colleagues to Disney CEO Bob Iger urging the company to agree to a fair contract.

It goes without saying that Sanders is a polarizing politician. We’re not reporting on his social media post because of his substantive point, but rather, because of his public profile and popularity. Whether you love or hate him is irrelevant–what’s undeniable is that he has a large audience. As a result, it’s likely that Sanders will bring attention to this standoff, and elevate the coverage beyond Disney fan sites and the local Orlando media.

After a year of negative headlines and unforced errors, it’s mind boggling to me that Walt Disney World would risk more unfavorable reporting hitting the mainstream media. At an absolute minimum, Universal’s announcement of the $17 wage should’ve resulted in Disney offering that exact same amount.

The new baseline is $17 per hour, and it is highly unlikely  that these negotiations will now end in an amount lower than that. So why not at least propose that, instead of refusing to add a ‘single cent’ to the prior offer? The company cannot control how the union reacts to such an offer, but there’s little compelling reason to refuse to budge from the prior offer. Perhaps the parties could even reach an agreement at $17 and prevent future ugliness.

Universal is too large of an employer–and direct competitor–in the exact same labor market, and they’ve set the new standard. It is an inevitability that Walt Disney World is going to follow suit, and could potentially save themselves pain in the process. The last thing they need is even more unfavorable media attention.

Against this backdrop, there’s a lot to discuss when it comes to commentary about the stalemate between Disney and the unions. One thing I hope  we don’t have to debate is wages in relation to guest pricing. Back in past union wage negotiation posts , this was always the core commentary, as some Walt Disney World fans opposed wage increases under the (mistaken) assumption that higher wages equaled higher ticket and hotel prices.

The last few years should have disabused anyone of that notion, and demonstrated that Disney raises prices based on what the market will bear–and even when cutting its own costs. It has very little to do with input costs. (Or is someone going to claim that Disney went from free FastPass to paid Lightning Lanes because the exact same thing somehow costs the company more to operate?) Disney has been able to increase margins thanks to demand and consumer tolerance for higher prices; those same margins can go the other direction, too.

Treatment of Cast Members, staffing shortages, and tangentially-related topics have been a topic of discussion for a while, and also one that has recently popped up in the comments section here a few times. Suffice to say, I have a lot of thoughts about the current union negotiations with Walt Disney World.

The first is one of surprise that Walt Disney World has not proactively and voluntarily raised wages prior to this. I’m downright dumbfounded that the present standoff has been allowed to drag on. When it started, I assumed this would be quickly resolved given everything the company has said, and realities of the labor market. At the very latest, I figured Universal’s pay increase would put an end to it. I’m shocked and disappointed that the situation has gotten this bad.

As to why Disney should be offering higher wages to Cast Members, let’s go back to the beginning. If you’ve read even a few posts here over the last two years, you’ve likely heard us blame the absence of X or Y on staffing shortages. This does not just negatively impact the guest experience, but also, Disney’s bottom line.

While improving tremendously, staffing shortages remain a key impediment to fully normal operations at Walt Disney World. The company has had tremendous difficulty filling certain key roles, and turnover is incredibly high–even as Disney hires aggressively, it has been losing employees almost as quickly as it can onboard them.

As a result of this, Disney has left money on the table–because it has literally been unable to fill tables at restaurants, offer a full slate of upcharge offerings, etc. Staffing shortages have resulted in capacity constraints as a mitigation measure, which means fewer people at the parks due to attendance-limiting park reservations being fully booked at certain times.

That might be too much of an abstraction–concrete examples are how long it took to bring back Minnie Vans, Victoria & Albert’s, non-seasonal After Hours events, or EPCOT Food & Wine Festival paid seminars. All of those directly generate revenue and took longer than expected to return. (Or still aren’t fully back.)

Walt Disney World could have remedied many of the staffing shortages by voluntarily raising wages a year or two ago. Actually, they could have addressed this five years ago when it first started becoming an issue. While exacerbated by the pandemic, we were discussing staffing shortages back in May 2018 when writing about that year’s standoff between Disney and the unions , predicting that the “writing is on the wall for higher wages. At some point, increasing wages will be a strict necessity to attract more workers in the next few years.”

Instead, they offered hiring bonuses. My assumption was (and is) that there were a variety of underlying motivations for this. First, a hiring bonus is a one-time payment, whereas higher wages are a long-lasting and recurring expense. Second, it’s not as straightforward as simply raising wages for specific positions; with unions involved, contracts need to be negotiated and it’s unlikely those groups would have agreed to targeted increases for certain roles, but not others.

Finally, it’s possible that the company was ‘waiting out’ the hot labor market, assuming service industry employees would lose leverage and wage growth would slow or reverse. That has not happened. Even as layoffs are starting to hit white collar workers, there are still nearly 2 open jobs for every unemployed worker.

That discrepancy is even more skewed in some markets and sectors, with Central Florida hospitality and leisure likely being one of them. That’s precisely  why  Universal Orlando is raising wages. It’s not simply a matter of corporate generosity–it’s being competitive in the scorching labor market.

Just looking at this objectively, it’s difficult to understand Walt Disney World’s strategy, if they have one at all. Up until now, it sure seems like they’ve been waiting the last two years for a looming downturn, and have missed out on potential revenue as a result. That might seem like a dubious assertion given Disney’s earnings calls touting impressive profits for the parks, but there’s nothing to say they couldn’t have been even better.

Business has been booming as a result of pent-up demand and per guest spending is up thanks to reduced discounting, Lightning Lanes, etc. Nevertheless, bringing back Minnie Vans, After Hours, and other paid events would have generated further profits. In short, Disney missed out on even better earnings performance by being miserly.

So what’s the strategy now? Bet on a recession or assume economic downturn is on the horizon? Figure that’ll cool down both the red-hot labor market and demand for travel? Hope that the College Program and International Programs can be further scaled up to provide cheaper and less competitive labor?

Maybe some or all of that will work out in Disney’s “favor,” but it’s a bold strategy and one that has not been vindicated over the course of the last couple years. It’s also one that ignores all of the expansion in Central Florida–new hotels, area attractions, Epic Universe, etc–to assume that the labor market is going to get weaker, somehow. Even if there’s an economic downturn late this year or early next, it’s hard to imagine that “solves” the labor shortage given growth in the region.

Beyond that, it’s difficult to see why Disney is dragging its feet and letting this become a public spectacle. The Walt Disney Company has made the importance of Cast Members central to its image. High-level leaders at Walt Disney World and the corporate level make gratitude for Cast Members part of their persona. When it comes to the importance of their employees, they really talk a good game.

Naturally, this is true of Bob Iger and Josh D’Amaro, who are smooth operators and savvy public speakers. But it was the case even with Bob Chapek! The man who notoriously and infamously didn’t “get” Disney even understand how important it was to publicly praise Cast Members.

During one of his last public interviews when asked about the Reedy Creek controversy, Chapek pivoted and offered this: “the lesson, and what we always should’ve known, is that Disney is all about the Cast.” He noted that people might remember the castle and churros, but the reason people have magical memories that last a lifetime is the guest-cast interactions. He called Cast Members the “secret sauce” and the key to a great guest experience at Walt Disney World.

Chapek also said that “around 99%” of the positive guest feedback he received when running Parks & Resorts was about Cast Members. He was “reminded” about the sentiment of Cast Members and the importance of them feeling valued and as if they could relate to the company. “You have to make sure the Cast is at the center of everything you do,” Chapek concluded. For once, Chapek got something right with that sentiment.  Even a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while! 

It’s not just quotes from executives. Walt Disney World dedicates much of its online presence to promoting its public image as an employer. Positive treatment of and opportunities for Cast Members are highlighted, as is how important they are to the parks and guest experience. Among many other things, the Walt Disney World Ambassadors have their own dedicated social media accounts and there’s a whole Cast Life subtopic on the Disney Parks Blog.

Posts like this border on propaganda, using words like “lucky,” “incredible,” “gift,” and “doesn’t even feel like work” to describe being a Cast Member. Disney is a savvy company and purposefully covers Cast Members in this manner–it’s good for recruitment and also for the all-too-common guest misperception that being a Cast Member is a dream job.

To its credit, I guess, Disney is great at manicuring its image. Heck, they even managed to turn a decision made due to realities about the labor market into a statement about inclusivity . Much of the content produced now revolves around employees–and that also includes television ads in the Orlando and Anaheim/Los Angeles local markets.

The problem isn’t necessarily this sentiment–it’s very much correct. Highlighting Cast Members and their importance to the guest experience is absolutely the right thing to do. The problem is that all of this rings hollow when paired with how Disney actually  treats Cast Members, as underscored by this standoff. Words are meaningless if you don’t walk the talk.

Cast Members breathe life into Walt Disney World, and they have long been the defining element of the guest experience. I think someone once said: “You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.”

We have been fortunate to have wonderful Cast Member interactions and encounters over the years, and I absolutely want more passionate Cast Members who are proud of the work they do, the company they do it for, and strive to make magical moments for guests. We all win if Cast Members are treated well and feel valued.

Then there’s the human (or humane) side of it. The living situation of many Cast Members is well-documented at this point. There have been countless exposes on homelessness and motel life along Florida’s Highway 192 corridor. This impoverished working class has been an  open secret  in Orlando for years and was even depicted in  The Florida Project , an excellent and heart-wrenching film that is only nominally fictional. (That’s the one of the best and most heartbreaking movies imaginable, and should be required watching for all Disney fans.)

There’s a reason that  affordable housing is coming to Walt Disney World and the company is committed to helping make it happen. It’s actively impacting Cast Members, and Disney’s ability to find workers.   Shelter inflation is skyrocketing , with rising rents outpacing even the housing market. Florida has become the least-affordable state when cost of living is measured against typical household incomes. Orlando ranks second-worst in the country when it comes to the affordable housing shortage.

Personally, I think that Cast Member compensation should be competitive and, if anything, above market . Walt Disney World should be trying to attract the top talent in Central Florida. Increasing wages means Walt Disney World can attract and retain friendly and helpful Cast Members who will in turn improve the quality of the guest experience–in other words, making your vacation magical .

Over the last 3 years, we’ve heard an increasing number of reader complaints about Cast Members not being as friendly or as “magical” as they used to be. Three components of this are Disney demonstrating it didn’t really care about Cast Members during the closure and in the early stages of the phased reopening, pandemic-era rule enforcement taking a tremendous toll, and a rise in entitlement among guests that the company created. (Few things are more destructive to service than the mantra: “the customer is always right.” It’s demonstrably false and empowers the worst types of people to exploit things. It’s a complete garbage saying.)

So many people we know who worked at Walt Disney World in 2019 are gone, including “lifers” who I never would’ve expected to leave. Some were furloughed and called back, but opted against returning because of the way they were treated and taken for granted. Others got burned out from being “babysitters” for the year after reopening. Some simply found other jobs elsewhere that offered better pay or were otherwise less stressful. Every single one of them misses “making magic” but is happy with their decision to leave.

In talking to them, there’s a running theme in how Walt Disney World has handled Cast Members:  arrogance . Arrogance in assuming furloughed Cast Members would be happy and  thankful  to return after months of radio silence. Arrogance in assuming “magic” is the ultimate trump card that makes Walt Disney World an unparalleled workplace. Arrogance in just fundamentally failing to appreciate the current realities of the labor market, and that it’s not 2016 anymore.

Let’s set those ( very big! ) variables aside and simply try to look at this from an objective, dispassioned perspective and again bring this back to competitiveness. The on-the-ground reality is that the Central Florida labor market has gotten tighter and Walt Disney World has not made much of an effort to compete in it. Yeah, there are Cast Members who are passionate about their jobs and proud to carry on Walt’s legacy. Some Cast Members are willing to accept less than they’re worth to work for Disney.

But for most, money talks. Employment is entirely transactional, and while companies can skew BS about being a family, legacy, and so forth, nothing shows you’re valued in that “relationship” like commensurate compensation. The converse is also true: nothing says that you’re not valued like being paid below market wages.

Universal will soon be paying its frontline employees $17 per hour, whereas Disney won’t offer a cent more than $16. We’ve dedicated a lot of words arguing why Walt Disney World should pay higher wages, but that’s really the bottom line.

Ultimately, that’s where we stand on this breakdown between Walt Disney World and the unions, and the company’s reluctance to pay higher wages to Cast Members. It’s disappointing that Walt Disney World didn’t proactively and voluntarily raise wages a year or two ago, and it’s downright heartbreaking that they’re continuing to fight over Cast Member pay.

This barely touched upon the soaring cost of living and shelter in and around Orlando, when in fact, our entire commentary could have centered around that. Instead, we only touched upon it in part because that’s its own huge can of worms; it’s also a (sadly) controversial and ideologically contentious issue, and one involving externalities that Disney cannot single-handedly address. Unfortunately, there is no outcome here that resolves Orlando’s cost of living or housing crisis.

However, it’s also because it’s not even necessary to address any of that. Walt Disney World should pay higher wages to be competitive with Universal Orlando. Attracting and retaining passionate and talented Cast Members should be a top priority, as should treating them in a way that makes them feel valued and wanting to make magical memories that will last a lifetime.

As a guest, you should  selfishly  want all of that. Your vacation is better if Cast Members are treated better by Walt Disney World–there’s a straight line between how they are treated and how guests are treated. In our opinion, paying Cast Members higher wages is also the right thing to do for myriad reasons, and means the company actually walking their talk. Words mean very little; it’s actions that matter to me.

Personally, I feel a little better about paying astronomical prices when I know that a company is doing the right thing and treating its employees well. Central Florida’s increasing cost of living and housing alone should’ve prompted Disney to offer higher wages to its frontline workers. But we don’t even have to get to those major and more contentious points to have a winning argument for paying and treating Cast Members better. If you are a Cast Member reading this, thank you for all you’ve done and good luck in your fight–a fight that shouldn’t even need to be fought–for higher wages. We hope you know that the vast majority of fans actually appreciate you in precisely the way that your company claims to care.

Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews . To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!

Your Thoughts

Any thoughts to add about Cast Member wages at Walt Disney World? Disappointed that Universal is now “beating” Walt Disney World when it comes to employee treatment and wages? How do you feel about Disney’s handling of Cast Members, and what the company says versus what it does? Would you feel better about paying Disney’s premium prices if it meant the company was treating its employees better? Agree or disagree with any of our commentary? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!

Written by Tom Bricker

disney cast are not treated the way you think they are and the union doesnt help if your not a paying union member. a cast member was fired due to theft for eating a sandwich that was giving to her by culinary. when asked a coordinator if it was ok to have the sandwich the coordinator says yes instead of calling a manager and asking them. the cast member didnt eat allday due to not having money for lunch. so when asked by culinary members if she wanted to try a sandwhich she gets fired for not asking a manager or chef first. her employee record was clean and even had good comments from guest on her record card.

Its not the same world we grew up in or even entered our careers into the cost of living has gone up steeply for our young people and there is a huge gap from zoomer to boomer in quality of life. Zoomers have a very low quality of life only because of where they fall in in 80 year economic cycle beyond their control . Disney hopefully will get on the right track as the general public was disgusted to see the high admission prices and that cast members live in their cars as well.

Excellent article. 16 year part time CM here, that was furloughed, then called back a few months later. I declined because I was over it at that point and sick of working 2 jobs. The perception and the reality of being a Disney CM are 2 very different things. They throw a few perks at you but the pay (for non-tipped CMs) and benefits aren’t that great, not to mention how they treat you. Fortunately for me, it wasn’t my primary career.

To all who believe that Disney cares about you and their cast members perhaps you should ask the thousands of cast members that just got laid off to pay for this lie. Their lives have been disrupted so that Bob and the other top people can make their huge profits.

Disney only cares about money. Not guests and for sure NOT cast members.

Maybe Tom should try to tell the whole story and not the pixy dust version for once.

There have been zero layoffs to date in 2023 among frontline Cast Members–the ones at issue in this article. The Parks Chairman has indicated that layoffs are unlikely among frontline Cast Members. To that point, Walt Disney World is still understaffed and is holding weekly jobs fairs. So future layoffs among these Cast Members appear exceedingly unlikely.

The layoffs you’re referencing will most occur among white collar employees, particularly those in the Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution (DMED) unit and associated with streaming, which continues to lose roughly $1 billion per quarter. We’ve covered all of that in numerous posts.

Nice try Tom. Try reading WDW News Today from March 21, 2023 by Justin Topa to see the truth. Watch for what Justin referred to as bloody April. Guess more CM layoffs are coming to boost Disney profits.

This makes me so happy! I’m definitely going to send Disney a comment about the positive impact this has on me as a guest.

Having witnessed rude visitors and their treatment of Cast Members on multiple occasions, this is so long overdue!

One thing in this commentary I disagree with is that wages will not impact pricing: they certainly have in the past and will in the future. Disney is not going to accept a reduction to their post covid robust US theme park margins.

Ticket prices may not increase as this is now an Iger sensitive talking point but food, beverages and merchandise most certainly will. Still, this is the right thing to do for hard working WDW CM’s.

Disney has raised prices when wages have gone up; you are correct. But they’ve also increased prices when wages have remained static. It’s correlation, not causation.

Disney’s pricing is determined by what the market will bear. If Disney could just increase unilaterally margins without consequence…why wouldn’t they already have done so? No ‘excuse’ necessary.

You could make an argument that theme park operators setting a new floor on entry level wages has a ripple effect in the Central Florida market that lifts all wages, thereby increasing locals’ disposable income and giving Disney more latitude to increase prices on items locals and CMs purchase: food & beverage, merchandise. That’s probably a stretch, though, as those demos aren’t the core consumer of those things.

Tom, I agree that park admissions prices are set based on what the market will bear, but food and beverage prices do reflect wage sensitivity I would argue. Not end of the world though, we just skip the beer carts and restaurants we frequently visited in the past, as locals we don’t feel we’re missing that much. We did notice the recent two dollar beer price increase at Epcot and 2oz size reduction at the Mexico margarita cart etc etc (certainly going up again with this agreement) and endless restaurant price increases. Politicians always pontificate that corporations can just take less profits and pay a living wage but the reality is this is always passed on to the consumer. No corporation will ever accept less profit.

I agree with you to the extent that politicians pontificate and posture, saying things that they know aren’t true for the sake of scoring points.

But the idea that corporations have a dial that they turn from “less greedy” to “more greedy” (seemingly an assumption made by politicians making claims of gouging or windfall profits) cuts both ways. Companies are always out to maximize profits and increase margins. The free market is efficient, and companies always do so to the extent that consumers will bear it.

With that said, I do not question your assertion that companies try to find ‘clever’ ways to maintain margins without disrupting demand. Your examples are good ones, but also, things that are more viable in the short term, and when consumer spending is strong.

Does pay for those in the Disney College Program increase at all? I believe it was $14 per hour.

My guess is no as they are not union workers. However, they did raise their rent at Flamingo, so giving them a raise as well would be a good gesture.

Yes. They won’t make as much as union full time of part time cast but their wages will also raise to align with how they are now. Happens every union contract.

Kudos to Disney for doing the right thing. Cast members should not be living in poverty, and thinking of them having to make such sacrifices to work at the parks significantly hampers the magic. I’ll enjoy my next visit much more, and resent the exorbitant price increases much less, knowing that the cast is being treated decently.

Wooooo! Go CMs! This makes me extra pumped for my trip in May. Hoping spirits are high.

My son and his friend will be moving to Orlando in June because his friend has been hired as a CP employee. My son graduated with a degree in game development and can work remotely, his friend who also has a college degree disliked his post college job in special effects. They are currently in Brooklyn. He wants to have a position where he can interact with people and loves Disney so is giving it a go. His hope is that it evolves into a permanent job with Disney. He has been offered only $14/hour as a CP cast member. Half of his previous salary. This has markedly challenged where they can find affordable, non-sketchy housing. Their dollars will definitely stretch better in Orlando but it is still limiting their options.

Is there a reason his friend didn’t apply for a full time position since he is out of school? As a FT CM, he can choose his job, be insured, and start earning seniority. Plus full time employees start at a higher hourly rate than CP’s. Especially since he won’t be living in CP housing, that’s one of the main benefits of doing the CP.

Hey Cynthia,

Interesting to read your post here & hope things work out well for your son. Your story also helps prove my point on this blog topic that Disney can easily find college educated people ready, willing & able to work at WDW for $14/ hour because they want to.

I am certain Disney will remind the STCU of this at the next meeting on March 23rd.

It’s no secret that New Englanders know how great Florida is. During COVID 2020, almost every DVC member escaped New England & summered with us !!!

And with the pending recession upon us, I am also predicting that it’s okay to be poor…..as long as you love your job & have a great place to work.

Love, Hender

I would love to say they should keep fighting for higher wages however I can’t. Most of the jobs the service trade council represents are entry level positions not requiring previous training or experience. When you increase wages to entry level jobs it affects the local economy and drives up the cost of living. Who benefits? The unions cause the percentage paid in union dues will equal more money. Taxes cause you are making more. Mean while those that thought an increase in wage meant better living are greeted with higher rent and higher cost of living. I think service trade council should except the $1 hr increase. That’s a good raise for an entry level position. But they should fight for things that will help their quality of life and income in other ways. Like no shifts less than 8 hours. Some hourly cast get schedule smaller shifts or split shifts. With the cost of living near work being extremely high most cast have to live further away making hour long drives to work. Make that drive worth it. Caps on insurance premiums is another worthy cause to fight. But fighting for a higher wage they will not win. A win is a loss. They will have to give something up. Such as aspire program. Which drives many to work for the mouse to begin with. Do I believe Disney doesn’t pay a living wage for entry positions… not sure. I see too many cast members sipping down $8 Starbucks drinks with fresh manicures to hear the I don’t make enough money stories. No. You don’t make what you would like to make. And if you would like to make more live within your means and invest in your future. Use the aspire program to get training necessary to achieve a better career. But you can’t expect any employer to turn your job into a well paying career just because you don’t want to take the steps necessary (even if they are paying for it) or because you love your job you don’t want to leave it. That’s all.

Respectfully, while I agree with some of your points and disagree with others, adding a comment like the one about nails or Starbucks distracts from the real discussion. I would encourage folks to rethink “low hanging fruit” comments about low wage earners and “frivolous” expenses. People with limited means want and deserve to treat themselves just like anyone else. Frankly, they often deserve it more because of the nature of their jobs. Even if one disagrees, there is still the unknown. Perhaps someone was treated to nails by a friend or family member. Perhaps they redeem iBotta or Swagbucks for their Starbucks. An outsider has no way of knowing and shouldn’t judge or jump to conclusions. Some of your other points are important, and I would agree. If things like guaranteed hours and health coverage aren’t included or viewed as important areas of negotiation, they should be. As for wages driving up rent, that gets more complicated. Bottom line though, is that it seems obvious to match their largest competitor, and anything less makes zero sense and sets them up for a continuous operating struggle, at best, and a PR struggle, at worst.

Well, it has been 5 years – 5 months & 5 days — And the STCU has accomplished …………….

Prediction: it will be another 5 months until the Service Trades Council Union accepts the WDW “best and final” offer.

Hopefully I am proven wrong, but overall I can tell no one really cares.

It’s not like Abigail Disney is lighting up Twitter to help out Florida “red state” Cast Members.

Maybe in June when Pride month is back in fashion – more news will develop; until then …………………….

It’s nice that we can always rely on Bernie to stand up for workers, and I think it’s fair to say that regardless of political leanings, most Disney fans support Cast Members and want them to be compensated well — if only for selfish reasons, since it hugely improves the guest experience!

Hopefully more politicians will do the same to increase the pressure on Disney. (Ideally some from both parties, since you do have some right-wing economic populists that have popped up in recent years.)

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Here's how much everyone gets paid at Disney parks

• Most US Disney parks " cast members " work at the "Happiest Place on Earth" for hourly wages.
• We turned to Glassdoor to take a look at what these employees at Walt Disney World and Disneyland say they make.
• A recent improvement for some of the conglomerate's workers includes a union victory in Florida to increase hourly pay to a $15 minimum wage.
• Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories.

At the "Happiest Place on Earth," some employee wages are about to change .

We turned to Glassdoor to take a look at what workers at Walt Disney World in Florida , and Disneyland in Anaheim , say they make. Known as "cast members," these Disney park roles range from line cooks to character performers. Other hourly positions include technical jobs, such as stage technicians and electricians to ensure attractions run smoothly.

Read more : 15 insider facts about working at Walt Disney World only cast members know

We listed job titles with at least 10 salary reports on Glassdoor to ensure the average salaries were based on decent sample sizes. We also looked at the available jobs on Disney's Glassdoor page , as many of the jobs also noted salary estimates for those open roles. 

The New York Times reported that, through their unions, workers at Walt Disney World reached a deal last year to increase the park's minimum wage to $15 by 2021 . The current state minimum wage for Florida is just $8.46 , while California's is higher at $12 per hour as of January.

Because these latest increases were implemented very recently, some positions' salary averages we found may not reflect the new minimums just yet, as the self-reported data we looked at spans the past few years.

Amidst these recent improvements, Disney heiress Abigal Disney remains active in challenging the nation's current wealth disparity , including her continued criticism of current Disney CEO Bob Iger's massive salary . In an attempt to combat disproportionate wages, Disney is one of 17 other ultra-wealthy individuals to sign a letter begging for a wealth tax . According to previous reporting from Business Insider's Shana Lebowitz , Iger earns a CEO pay of over $36 million while the median pay of his employees is around $46,000. 

Keep reading for a look at what US Disney park employees make. Positions are listed in order of hourly pay; the few roles where only an annual salary was available are noted at the end.

Attractions cast members earn an average of $10 an hour.

All hourly team positions at Disney Parks are referred to as "cast members." These positions range from ride attendants to food court cashiers. 

Glassdoor average base salary : $10 per hour

Hourly interns say they earn around $10 to $11 per hour working at the parks through the Disney College Program.

The five-month to seven-month program allows college students to work at the parks while completing coursework. 

Glassdoor average base salary : $10 to $11 per hour

Housekeepers say they earn an average of $10 per hour.

Housekeepers are responsible for maintaining guest rooms in each of the parks' hotels.

Custodial staff members also say they earn around $10 per hour.

Custodians in the parks help keep the properties clean, from inside venues to outside streets.

Merchandisers say they earn around $10 per hour.

Disney merchandisers are charged with managing and developing quarterly strategies to drive profits at the parks. An active listing on Glassdoor estimates the position pays between $8 to $11 per hour.

PhotoPass Photographers say they earn between $10 per hour and $12 per hour.

PhotoPass photographers take photos of visitors at various locations throughout the parks. Disney characters are usually added to the photos during editing; for example, "The Lion King" characters are added to photos taken in Disney's Animal Kingdom.

Glassdoor average base salary : $10 to $12 per hour

Cooks at the park restaurants say they earn anywhere from $11 to $20 per hour during their shifts.

Cooks — including line cooks — work at each of the Disney Parks restaurants. Active listings on Glassdoor advertise open positions for both a full-time lead cook with a starting rate of $20.35 per hour and a chef's assistant . The latter listing notes that while chef assistants receive a starting rate of $17 per hour, they will be eligible for the new starting rate of $18.00 per hour effective this September.

Glassdoor average base salary : $11 to $20 per hour

Bussers at Disney Parks restaurants say they earn around $11 per hour.

Bussers assist with table clean-up while guests dine at Disney Parks restaurants, sometimes visiting with their favorite characters .

Glassdoor average base salary : $11 per hour

Concierges at the resort say they earn around $11 to $12 an hour.

Concierges work at each of the on-site Disney hotels, including the Animal Kingdom Lodge and the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa at Walt Disney World. Front desk agents — responsible for checking guests in and out — also earn around the same hourly wage.

Glassdoor average base salary : $11 to $12 per hour

Perhaps the best-known cast members, the infamous Disney character performers say they earn an average of $11 per hour.

Disney character performers visit with guests and attend special events such as parades and live shows. Interested workers must audition and meet certain requirements, such as height, for desired characters.

A Glassdoor listing for a Disney Parks cosmetologist position notes a starting pay rate of $12 to $14 per hour.

A current open position for a cosmetologist at Disneyland notes a starting pay rate of $12 to $14.05 per hour. Among a long list of duties, the position is responsible for styling wigs for Disney princess character performers, applying theatrical makeup, and sometimes instructing entertainers on proper application to achieve their costume looks.

Glassdoor estimate (average base salary unavailable) : $11 to $20 per hour

Bus drivers say they earn between $13 and $14 an hour on average.

Bus drivers are responsible for transporting visitors to and from hotel locations and other attractions, often across different theme parks.

Glassdoor average base salary : $13 per hour

Glassdoor salaries also listed technicians, who say they make around $15 to $16 per hour.

Technicians at Disney Parks ensure that stages, attractions, and other venue productions run smoothly; a few reports from stage technicians specifically noted hourly salaries around $30.

Glassdoor average base salary : $15 to $16 per hour

Maintenance workers including plumbers and electricians make just over $25 per hour.

Current Glassdoor listings for a plumber and an electrician at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim offer starting pay rates above $25 per hour. The full-time industrial maintenance plumber job starts at $27.50 per hour and the electrician position starts at $26.69 per hour.

Glassdoor estimate (average base salary unavailable) : $17 to $34 per hour

Lifeguards say they earn around $25,000 annually.

There are a variety of locations in the parks that require lifeguards, including Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon at Walt Disney World in Florida.

Glassdoor average base salary : $24,101 per year

Guest experience managers say they earn around $45,000 per year for an annual salary.

Guest experience managers, also known as guest service managers, are charged with visitor satisfaction. Glassdoor listed these positions in both the retail and restaurant sectors.

Glassdoor average base salary : $42,387 to $49,490 per year

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Disney Cruise Vacations, Inc. Salary

How much does disney cruise vacations, inc. pay beta, disney cruise vacations, inc. overview, for employer.

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View salary at Disney Cruise Vacations, Inc. by Job Title BETA

The estimate average salary for Disney Cruise Vacations, Inc. employees is around $37 per hour. The highest earners in the top 75th percentile are paid over $42. Individual salaries will vary depending on the job, department, and location, as well as the employee’s level of education, certifications, and additional skills.

Disney Cruise Vacations, Inc. Job Openings and Hourly Range

What are some typical titles and locations for Disney Cruise Vacations, Inc. jobs?

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Disney Cruise Vacations, Inc. Locations and Average Hourly Wages

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I Was a Disney World Cast Member. These Are the 3 Places NOBODY Wants to Work.

By Kayleigh Henniger Leave a Comment

Being a Disney World Cast Member isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Not many Cast Members will tell ya that, but I will!

We’re here to talk about Cast Member roles!

The hours are long, the weather is HOT, and people can have some not-so-magical attitudes . I used to work at the Haunted Mansion in Magic Kingdom , and although most of my friends were my fellow maids, I did have a few friends in other roles. Well, friends talk, and you find out the BEST roles to have at Disney World , and you find out the WORST roles to have at Disney World. The consensus among Cast Members might surprise you!

Now, I truly believe that there is value and magic to be made in every single role at Disney World. The parks and hotels  truly  would not be what they are without every single person who works there. However, there are a few jobs that a lot of folks go into the experience NOT wanting. Like, they’re vehemently opposed to these jobs. Let’s talk about it!

Quick Service Food Locations

When it comes to quick service food locations, a lot of folks don’t like the work because it’s like working at a fast food joint. You’re handling and distributing raw and prepackaged foods, working in an extremely fast-paced and often HOT environment, and dealing with hungry folks all day.

Mobile Order window at Woody’s Lunch Box

Plus, you do rotate throughout your shifts to positions that require you to keep the dining room clean and clean up after folks. Other times, you might be handling transactions at checkout. While a LOT of folks enjoy their quick service jobs, most of my friends didn’t! And that’s okay!

Click here to check out our favorite THEME PARK seafood fast food spot

ESPN Wide World of Sports is located on Disney World property and hosts a wide variety of events throughout the year, from  runDisney to cheer and dance competitions. A shift at ESPN during these times can include selling merchandise, handing out packets and information, distributing race bibs, and even just…standing there.

ESPN Wide World of Sports

The worst part about this job is during the off-season when nothing is happening, though. The Cast Members either just stand around, help stock, or they’re deployed to other locations — which is often stroller parking at the parks.

Anywhere in Magic Kingdom

While Magic Kingdom is my favorite park to visit, I will admit that I had a few qualms with working there. For one, it’s always very busy. Another, it’s often open later than a lot of the parks. This usually wasn’t an issue, but on the nights that I worked extended evening hours, it wasn’t unusual for me to work from 7PM to 2AM. And then, after I drove home and got ready for bed, I was in bed at like 3:15AM.

Me at the Haunted Mansion

It wasn’t bad, but I won’t say that the weird schedule didn’t annoy me at times. I also know that a lot of pals of mine didn’t enjoy the many, many, many children that were running around the park. Personally, I love kiddos, and this was one of the many highlights of my job. However, it’s not for everybody.

Click here for some Magic Kingdom SECRETS

Well…is it what you expected? While I know several people who worked in all of these (and even worked in Magic Kingdom myself) and enjoyed their jobs, they do have the potential to be not-so-magical. But, the good news is that if you keep an open mind and focus on the tiny ways you can make magic and sunshine happen during every shift, your experience has the potential to be phenomenal. I just know it!

We’ll be sure to keep you updated with more Disney news, so make sure to follow along so that you’re always in the loop.

Looking for more Cast Member takes? Click here! 

Join the dfb newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox click here to subscribe, we know disney. you can, too..

Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.

Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!

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What’s your dream job at Disney World? Let us know in the comments! 

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• Cast Members / Disneyland Resort

NEWS: Disneyland Resort’s Cast Members Will Receive an Increase in Pay

by Cassie Agundes · October 26, 2023

Disney has been involved in many legal disputes recently. 

There’s the Disney vs. DeSantis battle , the Magic Key Holder lawsuit that was settled outside of court, and the ongoing legal dispute between Disney and its Cast Members at the Disneyland Resort. Fortunately, the Cast Member dispute has officially come to a close due to the California Supreme Court’s recent ruling–take a look. 

Cast Members vs. Disney

Cast Members have been in a lengthy legal battle with Disney, regarding their pay. According to Daily Mail , Sarah Grossman-Swenson, an attorney representing the Cast Members, shared that thousands of Cast Members have not been paid a living wage for almost 5 years.

Cast Members at Disneyland

Disney argued that they should not be required to obey Anaheim’s minimum wage law provided in 2018, requiring companies to pay their workers at least $15 per hour–if they’re receiving favorable tax conditions. This applied to Disney, however; the company asked officials to “shred the agreement” due to a disagreement over the location of a new hotel and the requirement to increase wages. 

Photo: Disney

Disney then argued that by dissolving the agreement, the company would no longer have to increase Cast Members’ pay. This led to the 2019 class-action lawsuit filed by Cast Members, challenging Disney’s refusal to increase wages. 

California Supreme Court Ruling

That brings us to present day, where the California Supreme Court has officially rejected Disney’s argument that the 2018 Anaheim minimum wage law does not apply to them. The ruling requires Disney to pay Cast Members at least $19.40 an hour. The amount of Cast Members affected by this ruling is unknown, but Jessica Good, a spokesperson for the Disneyland Resort, shared that they will comply with the requirements.

We’ll keep you updated with the latest in Disney news, so stay tuned to MickeyBlog.com.

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Disney Cast Life

Tips for Beginning a Disney Career

by Ashley Jones , Communications Manager, Walt Disney World Resort

With the May 3 deadline for applying to work at Walt Disney World through the  Fall 2024 Disney College Program  quickly approaching, we thought it’d be a perfect time to share a few secrets of success from seven of the thousands of Disney executives and leaders who have their dream careers after starting as interns.

Disney Programs like the Disney College Program have led cast members to career opportunities throughout all areas of Disney, from theme parks to entertainment to sports and beyond, and it could be the start of your dream career, too!

Debbie Hart,  Vice President, Food & Beverage and Merchandise Lines of Business, Walt Disney World

Years at Disney:  33

First role:  Merchandise Hostess in Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom Park

Favorite part of her internship: “I have so many favorites, including:

• Meeting people and making friends from all over the world – literally!
• Learning guest service and  delivering hospitality that is above and beyond .
• Embracing the power of our Disney brand and ensuring we deliver magical and memorable experiences.
• Having FUN and discovering that work can be joyful  when you are able to do what you LOVE!”

Why she loves working at Disney:  “It really is the Disney Difference. There are so many benefits to being a cast member, including career opportunities, cast discounts, wellness offerings and of course the lifelong friendships we make along the way.”

Advice to future interns:  “Enjoy every moment. Adventure is in front of you and Disney is full of opportunity,  you are the author of your Disney story  – your story can be more than you ever dreamed. Dream BIG!”

Audrey Hauser,  Controls Software Development Principal, Walt Disney Imagineering

Years at Disney:  7

First role:  Fairy Godmother in Training at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique

Favorite part of her internships:  “I learned how our frontline operations work, which helps me now when I’m developing software for new attractions. I also had access to intern programs that broadened my network and introduced me to areas of engineering within Disney that I never would’ve known about.”

Why she loves working at Disney:  “I’ve always been interested in technology and engineering as well as art, and  at Disney I can do both . Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway was the first big new attraction that I worked on; I’d always dreamed of working with our Audio-Animatronics figures, and helping bring Mickey’s first ride to life was a dream come true.”

Advice to future interns:  “Once you have your foot in the door, you’ll have so many opportunities to network and learn about other roles.  Reach out to people, because nine times out of ten, they’re going to be willing to talk to you .”

Ketan Sardeshmukh,  Director, Transportation Operations, Walt Disney World

Years at Disney:  18

First role:  Industrial Engineering Intern

Favorite part of his internship:  “I spent so much time getting to know others and learning how important this company is to so many people. Living in the program housing felt a lot like dorm life, too, which I loved.”

Why he loves working at Disney:  “I love being on teams and working together to figure out how we can solve problems — we get to do that all the time and that’s why I’ve stayed here for over 20 years.”

Advice to future interns:  “Understand what a good job is and try your best to do it.  If I had just gone through the motions instead of fully embracing the thing I was being asked to do and everything around me, I don’t think I would’ve learned the things that I was supposed to learn.”

Ronke Olatunji, Senior Manager, Groups Events and Services, Disney Cruise Line

Years at Disney:  20

First role:  Front Desk Hostess at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge

Favorite part of her internship:  “I love the College Program! It gave me a career I didn’t even know was possible and experiences I didn’t know I could have. I’ve had a lot of only-at-Disney moments. I even took classes and earned my ‘ducktorate’.”

Why she loves working at Disney:  “I get to show up in a space with people that want to be around me and each other.  Disney has allowed me to just be my true self, and I’m appreciated for it.”

Advice to future interns:  “I learned very quickly to not put any limitations on yourself, because you don’t know what you don’t know. The great thing about our organization is  if you are inquisitive and you ask questions, people will help you. ”

Punam Dayabhai-Jairambhai,  Director, Premium Services, Walt Disney World

Years with Disney:  25

First role:  Merchandise and Outdoor Vending Hostess in the United Kingdom Pavilion at EPCOT

Favorite part of her internship:  “Living and working together with people from all over the world! I can honestly say those connections will last you a lifetime. You create deep-rooted friendships. And on your days off,  you get to experience the theme parks yourself , and then you get to tell people about that. You’re learning about the product and having fun at the same time.”

Why she loves working at Disney:  “I’ve been able to raise my hand for things. This is an amazing company where you can learn to do different things and not be boxed into one specific type of role. You just have to  put in the effort and show the curiosity and courage to say ‘I want to learn and do more.’ ”

Advice to future interns:  “Learn as much as you can. Grow. Embrace every experience and build those great relationships. The brand you start creating for yourself now will follow you wherever you go, whether you stay with this company or go elsewhere.”

Sarah Riles,  Vice President, Magic Kingdom Park

Years at Disney:  25

Favorite part of her internship:  “When I came to Disney to do my internship, I didn’t know anyone, I had never been to Orlando and I had never been to Disney, so I felt completely overwhelmed. Thankfully, I quickly realized what an incredible opportunity I had and loved it so much I made the decision to extend my internship. I met so many people who I’m still friends with today and best of all, I realized I could do what I love for a company that I love.”

Why she loves working at Disney:  “Disney is a big company with endless opportunities. It’s a company with  a welcoming culture that allows you to find your passion, gain new experiences and meet inspiring people along the way .”

Advice for future interns:  “You all bring a fresh perspective, excitement for learning and a passion for our brand. No matter what role you are in,  you’ll learn how to serve others, solve problems, be a leader amongst your peers and provide the best guest service . Work hard, have fun, and make memories and connections. No matter whether you continue to work here or go on to do other things, the lessons you learn will influence you far beyond today.”

John Dent,  Director, Worldwide Auditing Publications and Projects, Worldwide Safety Assurance

Years with Disney:  34

First role:  Attractions Host in Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom Park

Favorite part of his internship:  “I still say that my Disney internship was probably one of the best jobs I’ve ever had. It may seem simple, but it involved teamwork, managing success and failure, problem solving and learning the business.  One of the big rewards for me was exposure to our senior leadership and the lessons they took time to share.  They were approachable and genuine and understood the business … and now I’m proud to be the one that passes on those lessons to future leaders.”

Why he loves working at Disney:  “The people I meet and the passion we all have are the differentiator. The connections you make through the College Program and within Disney can lead to a lot of other places. The company has grown so much over the past 34 years, and  there are hundreds of paths you can take advantage of. ”

Advice to future interns:  “The Disney College Program is a great catalyst to figure out what you really want. Don’t hold back. Take full advantage of the time you’re given and realize that the company is equally — if not more — interested in seeing you succeed.”

Topics: Disney Cast Life

Hi! My name is Kayla and I completely agree with Brad in the above comment about how to get your foot in the door if you are already in your career and can’t do an internship anymore. I graduated in the fall of 2022 and have been networking via LinkedIn and checking the Disney careers site daily to find opportunities. I am in the marketing/advertising field and because I graduated in 2022, and 24 years old, I am early in my career. I have a little over a year of marketing experience but am not sure what the correct path is to try to get my foot in the door for an entry level position with Disney. I have gotten on zoom with multiple senior/department heads and they have told me that I’m doing the right things by networking, but I have also applied for almost 30 jobs on the Disney careers website and always get denied. I’m not sure what to do differently and would just love some guidance!

To whom it May concern, Good morning, I’m a big Disney fan. I lived in Quebec for 54 years and now I live in British Columbia, Canada’ and I’ve been visiting you for at least a dozen times. I am at the stage of putting into practice the motto “if you can dream it, you can do it” and realizing My biggest dream of working for you this summer. I am 55 years old and I am a teacher. I’m getting older, I told myself that it’s time that I dared to live my dream. As I am on summer leave, I am available to work 6 to 7 weeks. I wish I was in the parks. I speak French and that is an asset because many Quebecers will visit you in the summer and we have difficulty with their English. I’m doing well in English. I can sell popcorn, cashier in stores, usher for shows or restaurants, be at the entrance to households or parks… I am not looking for a specific job. I am open and I adapt very well. For me this magical experience is very important. If it is not possible to work for you, I am available to volunteer. Please forward my message to the correct department and follow up on my request. Good to you! « If you can dream it, you can do it! » Quote of Walter Disney

Great piece! I wish I could redo my college program experience with the wisdom I have now! Content idea for you: How about a piece on how mid-career professionals can get their foot in the door? And another piece on people wanting a late-career opportunity or second-career opportunity?

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