I often see people asking on DISboards.com and other forms of media about moving to Orlando to start a career at Disney. I also see many people not thinking through certain aspects of moving to work at Disney. Here are a few of the often overlooked details.
1) Can you really afford it?
Anyone can work at Disney. Just like any other job you can work at without a degree or experience, it doesn’t pay great. A McDonald’s in my area advertised hiring at a starting pay of $9.50 per hour (spring 2015). Disney also hired at $9.50 per hour, though you can get slight increases for working in some locations. For example, I worked at a Magic Kingdom quick service and with that pay increase, it still only added up to $10.40 per hour.
So, Disney pays the typical rate for low-wage jobs in the area. A lot of folks I see talking about moving seem to be in a career that is a bit better off than entry-level at Disney.
You should also keep living expenses in mind. If you plan on living solo, you can expect to pay at least $1,100 a month for a one-bedroom apartment in Orlando. Other towns offer cheaper apartments, but the gas money you’ll have to budget in may negate the rent saved.
2) Can you handle the weather?
Can you deal with weather that the native Floridians are used to? High temps, massive rainstorms, humidity – and a lot of us still have a hard time with it. This is especially important since a lot of jobs at WDW are outdoors.
3) Working at Disney is a demanding job
It has a ton of amazing perks, but it’s also a lot of work. Are you able to handle the physical exhaustion from working 30 to 50 hours a week at Disney? Can you miss spending most holidays with your family? Can you work late one night to be back at work the next morning with hardly any sleep? Can you regularly work 12-14 hour shifts? Can you handle guests losing it over every little thing?
If you really think it through and are at a point where you think it’s doable and you can deal with all of the ups and downs, absolutely go for it.
Are you thinking of making the move to Orlando? Visit our sister site, Moving to Orlando, to learn more about how we can help you!
