Salary at Walt Disney World

Hey everyone...

I have done the program in 2000. Maybe I can help you to clear up some things. The 70$ Assesment Fee is paid at the Commons for registration. I dont really know why, but it was paid

The first few days you will be going through a lot of pain with signing papers and getting information. You will spend some time at Disney University and they will clean the insurance questions and all the questions with you....it is a little brainwash, so be specially aware these days. They make you sign a milllion things and sometimes you dont even know what you sign and out of the blue you pay more every month!!!!!

BE AWARE of the Union..... What they did with us was, they sat the whole arrival group into a room and played a heartbreaking video about the UNION. Some typical Disney heartbreaking stuff. In front of you are some information about the Union. They play the movie and tell you to sign the paper. I said, I wont sign that right now, as I dont know what it is all about, but I would love to take the information home and look at it and maybe sign it later, as it wasnt mentioned in my documents. They told me, I CAN NOT TAKE THE INFORMATION HOME IF I DONT SIGN UP RIGHT NOW. So I said, I wont sign up....

In the end that saved me 8$ a week for the darn Union, which wont help you anyways. If Disney wants to fire you and send you back... they will and they can... no Union will help you in a fight against it. Disney is a big empire and if they dont want you anymore, you have to go.... So be aware of that fact when the heartbreaking UNION show comes on

I paid the lowest health insurance as well. I paid about 4$ for my general health and about 2$ for my dental plan. So that was 6$ a week. Dont know how high it will be, might be more expensive now. So see for yourself. I took the dental plan as well and it was great, as in my last month, I had a wisdom teeth surgery: all four teeth taken with the doctor putting me completely to sleep and I only paid 150$ extra. Your insurance doesnt cost all the costs. Even in 2000 we already had to pay some money to see a doctor. You pay something like 10-15 $ when you step into a docs office.

Rent was deducted from the paycheck, as well as tax. But the tax isnt too high. All year long, I paid about 1000 $ tax. In the end I did my taxforms right and got even 580$ back. If you fill out your forms correct in the end, you will get money back as a foreigner. So its not too bad, compared what kinda tax you pay in your own country.

As a Server you make some good money. There are some tricks to that as well though: I got about 2.50 $ an hour plus tip. Keep in mind, that tip is mostly cash, if they pay cash. You dont have to tell the Government, that you made 200$ on a good night. THen you dont pay tax either

You will only get the tips that are added from a credit card payment on your next paycheck, which makes you pay tax for it I hated everytime someone was paying by credit card leaving a tip on the bill, not in cash, as I know I have to pay tax for it. But you will get used to it.

About the costs of the flight, I think it is different in every country. They wanted me to buy an expensive Disney ticket, which they wanted to book for me. But I told them I want to book my own. I did and got it way more cheaper, than Disney wanted to book it for me. They quoted me about 1000$, I got one for about 300!!!!!

If you have anymore questions, write me

Have a wonderful weekend

Katharina

 

Thanks Katharina, that was useful info.

Talking about the UNION, can we refuse to sign their papers ?

 

Yes you can. The Union is free to choose.

Its like on the second day at the Disney University. And what they do is, they put you all in a room and just show that movie, than you quickly have to sign it, so you cant really think about it and if you dont really understand what it is all about, you just sign, as you think, its part of the routine. You have to sign so many things, that you surely stop to care after the first day, that is why they (i think) bring it in on the second day. It might have changed, but just be aware of it. And always try to read and understand what you are signing, as it will be so much and very confusing at first. Ask questions, even if you feel stupid about it in that group of people that you dont know yet.... because it is about your money

The strange thing is, if you signed up for the Union once, you cant get out the whole year. That happened to a few of my friends, they had to pay all year long..... and if you work the first few month, you will see that 8$ is a lot in the beginning.

Hope that helps

 

Thanks Katharina, that helped me alot. Now I know all the answer to my questions
I will not sign up to join the Union, so thay can tell me what they want, but I will not listen to theme ;D

Why do they want ppl from other contries to sign up for the Union whene they know we cant use it?

One question to you Katharina, is the tax form in the end of the year difficullt to fill in? In Norway the tax office fills it out for you and they send it to you so you can look over it to see if all is ok and the sign it and thats that. Hope it is the same in USA?

I hope disney will not book a ticket for me that cost 1000 dollar, on the phone Noellie in France told me that it will cost me 500 dollars, so I hope she is right

 

About the tax form:

I got the tax form from Disney directly. They lay it out in like January so you can make your tax return for the last year. I tried one of these tax offices in town, which told me, I wouldnt get any money back. They wanted to file it for me. So it is not really good to consult them. I thought it would be difficult, but I filled it myself and got the money back.

They have a little brochure in there on how to fill it out. You have to fill it out yourself, but it only takes like 15min. If you know someone that has done it last year, ask them. The tax return office will send you a check about your money in the end. You will get it at your address at the Commons.

Its easy to fill out but you just have to take some time and read the instructions. Its not really much to fill out, as there is not really much you are paying (tax as a foreigner) or you can claim back from them.

Concerning the flight ticket: Let them state you the price and then do some research for yourself. Maybe you get it cheaper and you can tell them you found it cheaper and buy it yourself? I know that funds before your trip are not really high... and you need some money until your first paycheck in Orlando as well... so I know how it feels to get an expensive quote.

I dont know why they offer the UNION... but I always thought, they wont help me anyways. They will make it look like it is soooo important to be a member and since you get brain-washed the first few days, you will totally think its okay. But honestly... if they want to get rid of you, they can. No Union would ever help... Even though they tell you that it would be good for you. But if you honestly think for yourself, that is how it works

 

ok, thene I will ask somone that have done the tax form before. Me and tax form is not so good idea ???, hehe I alway get it wrong. Before in Norway you had to fill it out yourself, but many ppl in Norway did it wrong so the tax office took over and filled it out for us ;D

 

In the sidebar to the left there is a tax guide ;link that I'm sure will help if you get stuck!

 

My only worry about the unioin would be that not signing up would make me look bad? Would this give them any movitve to make sure I DID get termed?
As long as it doesn't then there is NO way I'm joining the unioin Thanks for the tip! I know for sure I woud have been brainwashed and happily signed my name otherwise

 

They told us about the union when we arrived in June and said that there would be a presentation about it. They said that we were under no obligation to sign up with them. However, we never got the presentation, so there was no need to refuse. I wasn't planning on signing up with them anyways. I don't really think that anyone looks down on you for not signing. Everyone who I talked to when I got here told me there wasn't a point to signing up with the union.

 

When we got there, yes, they put us all in a room and didn't really explain too much about what we were signing. We read it all over and asked a couple of questions and were told that we didn't have to sign then, but we'd have to sign eventually so most of us did. They were running it kind of scammish...which is why EVERYONE did it. We asked the questions and even the people that we "trusted" and had been there for all our paper signing told us to...so we did. People complained and complained that we'd all been lied too, so they've changed it a little. Whether you sign up for the union or not, you are still able to have union representation if you have any problems (seem stupid to anyone else??). They see internationals as easy targets because so many do not speak english very well and will sign anything. Beware and spread the word through your arrival group NOT to join.

As for the tax forms, keep your eyes open around tax times, they'll be tax clinics in the complexes or at Mickeys' Retreat or in the cast areas in the parks. It's the easiest way. Or you can just take your papers and go to Walmart. It can be confusing, but you may be able to do it yourself...I did.

Shan

 

Yeah is there something else than tax, rent and maybe insurance must pay with the salary each week?

________________
Irs problems

 

For the 1st couple of weeks it will be odd as you won;t get much money. They take a couple of weeks rent in one go. If Disney do your flights for you then that's an extra expense that could come out of your wages. My advice is to pay as much as possible before coming over as the wage is nothing to shout about till you go into service

 

wow! i knew you earnt more from tips in serving! but i never imagined this much

 

Yes you definitely need to bring along some extra cash to get you through the first couple of weeks until your wages begin to steady off a bit.

 

people in service can earn stupid money here. the difference is big

 

i wanna be a serverrrrrrrrrrrr lol

 

me 2 ......................

 

I don't trust myself to be a server. I would drop everything!!

 

I'm already a server. English tips are Appauling. I wanna be an American Server!!! Or a Server in America... get it right

 

Right there with u vikki! although i would say i am a BRITISH server....get it right