2008 Pay Scale

BlueStreak64 said:
Also, in reference to HRP, I have heard that they are leaning towards some employee housing, but are still undecided.

I would imagine that if Hard Rock decides to build housing, it wont be until after a summer/season of being open. I doubt we would see onsite housing before May.

Pay isn't everything. I will be the first to admit that and it is often the argument that Cedar Point (and other companies) will throw out there when justifying their crappy pay. They will cite studies that indicate pay is low on the list of factors that make a job enjoyable.

Sure, but those lists are generated at companies with full time workers. So, while pay may not mean a lot they probably have better benefits, flexible schedules, good bosses, educational reimbursement, etc.

Cedar Point has lousy pay. They also have lousy accommodations, less than stellar training for their supervisors, little flexiblity with scheduling, etc.

I worked on the College Program at WDW. Yes, we were the lowest paid cast members in the park. (I believe I made $5.30/hr.) But, we lived in modern condos with a/c, kitchens, nice furniture, swimming pools, tennis courts, etc. You know...like adults. Our supervisors were full time employees who, for the most part, treated you well. And, of course, we were in Orlando and had access to all that Disney offers either free or at a deep discount.

For as creative and talented Dick Kinzel is at seeing what is next from an operational point of view, he is absolutely regressive when it comes to employee issues...including, but not limited to pay. When the Breakers East wing was built the employee rec center had to be demolished to make way for it. Now, that was a pretty nice amenity for the employees with a history that went back a long way.

Logic tells you that employees would still like that type of facility but it was several years before Dick greenlighted a replacement. His feeling was, what do they need a rec center for when they have the park? Sure, because after you have worked a 10 hour or more shift in the park it makes perfect sense you would want to spend your free time there too.

Why are they trying to get a handle on returning employees now? My somewhat educated guess is that they are getting ready to go out on the international recruiting tour and they probably need to get a handle on how many internationals they will need to fill the void of American workers.

The Disney College Program is a professional internship, not a summer job.

I think "professional internship" is a pretty liberal description of it. I know plenty of schools that do not give credit for it being an internship. (They do have an internship program at WDW which is separate from the College Program. Many CP alums go on to do a true internship.)

And, frankly, why can't CP have a true internship program as well? There are a handful of those opportunities but, as far as I know, they have not made an effort to structure it ala Disney.

The College Program was a creative way (see, there is that creativity again) to fill the void of workers in the Orlando area. And, when Disney created it they made it attractive. When the Disney College Program was first developed, students/employees lived in a trailer park called Snow White's Village. It was only after CP aquired Vista Way (and has further acquired nicer facilities) that the College Program exploded.

Having just gone through the process of applying and then getting accepted as a Attractions CP, I can say a few things about it:

Yes, Disney raised the pay rate just now. I think they raised it for everyone (full time, part time, etc.) because of similar staffing issues. The letter I got said my rate would be $6.79/hr. There was also an insert that talked about the increase.

Disney also offers more time off (at least during non peak times). I have never had more than 1 day off a week at Cedar Point and sometimes none, so seeing a example schedule with 8 or less hours a day with several days off was amazing.

And the CP is somewhere between a REAL internship and a summer (err... spring/fall) job. There are classes you can take for credit and some schools even offer a full semester's credit for doing the program (but it is up to your school, not Disney). After the CP, there are real internships with Disney in their offices.

Yall need to quit your crying, its a summer job, you cant expect to make a living off it? Trust me, i know the work is not worth the pay, thats why after 3 years, i told em to go to hell! (well not literally, but i still havent returned)

Jason

2003 Cad Cars/Millennium/Mantiss

2004 Millennium/Engine House

2005 Millennium/ATL Monster, Witches Wheel

the_go_to_man said:
Yall need to quit your crying, its a summer job, you cant expect to make a living off it? Trust me, i know the work is not worth the pay, thats why after 3 years, i told em to go to hell! (well not literally, but i still havent returned)

Nope, I can't make a living off of it, but I CAN make some extra cash at a job I enjoy (for the most part), with people I enjoy being with. And I can put that extra cash towards school and I won't look like a fool typing online in a public forum with multiple spelling and grammar mistakes.

Nobody is demanding that seasonals get rich from that job. Let's not be overly dramatic.

But, CP has trouble recruiting quality employees. The local employment base is thin...and the folks there understand CP more than most. You can recruit from area colleges but the word is likely out about the bad pay and the sub-standard housing so the college tour isn't nearly effective as it once was.

Sure, other jobs pay similar but why not stay home and take one of those jobs...leaving you with your own bedroom and mom's cooking which will save you the aggravation?

I believe I paid something like $50 per pay check when I worked at Disney in order to live in Vista Way. (I know that has gone up since then.) For that I had a condo nicer than any college dorm I stayed in...I had access to pools, weight rooms, cable tv, volleyball courts etc. I had no problem with that money coming out of my paycheck.

Whether it is better pay, an investment in their housing, or a combination there of...Cedar Point needs to tackle this sooner and not later. Problem is, the man at the top is the reason nothing gets done in this regard. He just doesn't care because, "hey, I lived in Cedars when I was a seasonal." Yeah, really? Great, and since they haven't done much in the way of improvements in the last 30 years or so then it must be just fine.

Ok working there for 6 years now ...this is by far a slap in the face to all the employees.

Back in late 2004 when I became the assisting TL at mine ride I got paid like 640 an hour...the tl got i think 655. Now that was with a 1.00 bonus. This past year My atl got 700 I got 705 an hour..if im not mistaken. You know whos been gettin the shaft lately The TL's in pay cause that was 50 cent bonus last year so basicly im making the same. TL in 2004 (755 after bonus an hour) 2007 755 an hour. Ok now ATL in 2004 (740 after bonus an hour) 2007 (750 an hour after bonus) So tell me this what is leadership gonna pay im gonna guess 720 for TL and 715 for ATL which is crap!....In they told us TL's and ATL's Cedar Fair was really talking about giving returners a per year raise...yup guess that dropped! That is why mid summer im talking early July we still had staffing issues...The bonus keeps them there heck lower it to 685 and give me a 1 dollar bonus id be more then happy to accept. Cause then more people would stay during the summer when there bonus is 700 plus...Also one thing that makes a bonus feel bigger is weekly paychecks. This is horrible and you wonder why the staff quality is down this is why.

Minimum wage increase is hard on a lot of min. wage paying jobs. I have had 4 jobs in the past 3 years, all starting at minimum wage. But, ever since the minimum wage started increasing in Michigan, I just assumed why should I stay at this same job, when my "raise" is just the amount that minimum wage goes up?

I've had a job at a restaurant in my hometown for 3 years, and the amount I was making at the end was only 30 cents above the minimum wage now, because of the increases. Now, at Cedar Point I was TL at the resort gate, but now this next summer everyone will be making what I made as TL (not counting the bonus).

*** Edited 12/15/2007 12:04:44 AM UTC by Ryan06***

Cedar Point doesnt have to pay minimum wage. Alot of people say the do, but its been proven here

thttp://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070103/NEWS24/701030436/-1/NEWShe proof is in the pudding.

Cedar Fair only raises to the minimum wage just because..if they didn't then the locals would go to the minimum wage paying jobs in Sandusky. Cedar Point needs to up there bonus to keep the seasonals around or you can expect another less then stellar year in terms of staffing at Cedar Point. Just my 2 cents.

Well, I guess if you want to work at CP, you'll have to deal with the pay rate. I will probably be working 50-60 hours a week, and since I'll be a TL, I'll be slightly above the base rate. But even at base rate, working 60 hours, that's $420 a week, or $840 every 2 weeks. I bet a majority of employees will get at least 50 hours a week, I hope. In 2007 I had people complaining about not getting enough hours, and I really hope that's not the case this season. Also, if we $1.00 per hour during Halloweekends, and they've added one more weekend, that should draw some people for that time. The pay scale is pretty fair, and I don't think they're going to reduce it any further. I know a lot of people think CP can afford to pay more, but you have to consider how much it costs to operate an amusement park the size of CP. Besides, where can you work, and have fun at the same time! This job is awesome! See ya'll in 2008 GW

Thank you, Chief Wahoo, for finally saying what has been needed to be said for years. Dick Kinzel does not care about the seasonal wage employees. If he did, the hiring managers would not be put in the position of hiring anyone who can fog a mirror. I think the seasonal employees should boycott the .35 bonus and not turn their contracts in until the bonus is put back up to 1.00 per hour for the entire summer. By the way, does Dick's bonus go down every year?.......yea right.

Putz and Yahoo for President.....2008

DBCP said:
The Disney College Program also only pays $6.67 an hour...

EDIT: Just checked the website, and it says $6.79 an hour, but, I had a friend that did the program this spring, and she only got $6.67 an hour. So, either, it's increased, or it's not entirely correct on the website.

The $6.79 is new starting for the next semester. The key to remember is overtime. Disney pays it. I know people on the college program who would pick up some hours and get up to 50-60 hours a week... right there is 10-15 hours of making over $10 bucks an hour . Double time also is nice if you get lucky (or unlucky if you don't like to work) where you could be making over $12 bucks a hour.

The housing is alittle step but not too bad. Most people are housed at either Chatham Square or the "legendary" Vista Way. Rent is around $70-90 dollars a week depending on number of roommates but apartments come with some stuff in it (plates, silverware, chairs, internet router, etc.), cable and high speed internet. Included is bus transportation to work and pools, fitness center, volleyball courts, and hot tubs. Disney also offers plenty of free classes (including some college accredited classes). I know a friend who took one class where they got to tour a bunch of the facilities at the park and see where they build many of the ride cars and such. Another friend took a class where each week a Disney leader (including some high-level folks) came in and talked.

The difference with the Disney program is they try to keep around those folks who are good at what they do. Gomez, you are about half correct that it is a "professional internship", there is the normal program than after that you can apply for a "professional internship" which pays quite nice (as in over 10 dollars an hour) and gets your foot in the door quite nicely. Disney wants or hopes people come down for the college program and if they like it will apply for a the highly sought after professional internships and build a career with Disney.

If anyone wants to know more about the program drop me a line I can pass along some more details I know as I know quite a few people who are in it currently.

I worked at Universal/IoA for over 4 years. When I left to return to CP I was making just over $12/hour, but the environment is very different than that of CP and even making that much and hour it was tough to make rent and bills. Yea the Orlando parks pay OT, but getting it at Universal other than Halloween or Xmas was hard. Full-Time employees were only guaranteed 32 hours/week there. Lucky for me, I was a lead and usually got between 38 and 40.

And as far as the Hard Rock Park goes I forsee its operations to be very similar to that of Universal considering all the upper management are past Universal management including COO Felix Mussenden, Ex-President of Universal as well as others. I wouldn't expect to see housing for at least awhile and it would depend on how well they can staff the park.

Here is my take. People dont work at cedar point for the pay. They just dont. You work at cedar point for all the amazing friends that you make. Thats the main reason. Also, its very easy to gain leadership experience which looks good on a resume. Companies are always looking for people who can make schedules and can supervise large amounts of people. It is slightly depressing the wages didnt go up, but most people will still return anyways.

Mike, it is that very thinking that is the cause for nothing to get done. And yes, that thinking bore some truth in the 70s, 80s and even into the early 90s. Back then there were FAR fewer job opportunities for kids then there are today. Back then less 16-18 year olds had their own transportation so they were relegated to work close to home or do something like a summer job away from home in a National Park, on a fishing boat, or at a Cedar Point. Back then those places that did hire kids were behind the curve when it came to retention programs like bonuses.

But, the world caught up to...and leapt ahead of Cedar Point. Jobs at home pay the same, and often better than, Cedar Point. (Unless you live overseas...for now.) The comforts of home have magnified. (Do I want to give up my high speed internet access in my bedroom, the big screen tv in the living room, and mom's cooking?)

I will agree with you that making friends and the Cedar Point "lifestyle" (with the exception of the housing situation) is one of the key drawing points of the job. But, how do you sell that on a college campus when you have just a couple minutes to grab the attention of someone?

I think Cedar Point/Fair has some major hurdles to overcome and I don't think Dick Kinzel has any interest in facing them. So, instead, they continue to expand their BUNAC, foreign employee program. And, let's be honest, they are not coming to the States because they are eager to work for Cedar Point. They are taking the Cedar Point job because they are eager to come to the States. And, the world's economics are going to impact the BUNAC program in negative way, in my opinion, sooner rather than later. As it stands now they are already travelling to far more countries and spending longer lenghts of time to fill all of those positions. At some point, that well is going to run dry.

And then what? They should be addressing that very question right now. Heck, they should have been addressing it in the last decade. What significant improvements have they made to housing in the past 10 years? Have they improved the compensation program or is it merely trying to "keep up with the Jones's"? Have they created any real, significant internship programs that would be attractive to not only students but to college administrators?

I feel pretty confident in saying that none of the above will happen under the current leadership.

You make some excellent points Chief. How did CP go from a job kids woould covet in the 70's & 80's, to a place where they can't even get enough American kids to apply for? I think the comforts of home in this day & age are far more attractive to maintain over trading down to substandard conditions.

Exactly, they can't expect to sell the job on the friends alone, because we all know that their pay is quickly becoming nothing to consider. And as college costs keep on rising, those of us in college are looking for jobs that are going to help pay for it. What I walked away with at the end of this summer was barely enough to cover the remaining balance on my college bill for the first semester; and that was after loans, scholarships, grants, etc. Also, like Chief said, it won't be long at the current rate of the devaluing of the dollar before the overseas program starts running out of options. Those people aren't coming to work here because its Cedar Point, like a lot of the American workers, and that is something that they need to realize. What happens in possibly as little as a year, when the dollar is equal to or less than a lot of other foreign currencies? What happens when the college students that realize they need to start paying for college now, or else they'll never be rid of the debt, so they start looking for jobs that pay better? College is only going to get more expensive, under current economic and fiscal policies the dollar will only continue to fall, and Cedar Point will need to do something to combat the effects. They sure aren't doing that right now. In fact, I would go so far as to say that their continued reliance on the foreign work program to fill the slots is equal to not realizing the effects of globalization and the global economy. They not only need to worry about the regional economies, they also need to be paying attention to the international economy, if they want the foreign program to continue to work for them.

^ Right, I spent all my money from the summer paying for this past semester in college and it basically didn't do any good, because I just changed my major.

But yeah also I don't think I would work at the park just for the "friends". That's what college is for ;)