Should I move?

[yensid1987]

As many of us have read and or experienced, Disneyland is going threw a casting shortage. Just my luck, I need a job, I need a job bad. I would love to go and get a job as a cast member; unfortunately I live in Portland Oregon. I don’t mind commuting but 15 hours is a bit much.

Any way. A friend of mine suggested I move to the area and go to school and get a job at Disneyland. It might be a good idea I could be a terrible idea. So, I'm putting up to you.

Should I move, study radio broadcasting and get a job at Disneyland.
OR
Should I stay home?

[MasterGracey]

It would be a fantastic idea, and I've even considered making a move down there to go to art school and work at Disneyland, however, the cost of living in Orange County/Anaheim is far too high and isn't worth it considering Disneyland's wages.

I wouldn't be able to survive - helping my parents pay for my art school, and paying for my food, housing, and whatnot with a part-time job at Disneyland. Ouch!

[Theme Park One]

Disneyland is going threw a casting shortage.

Aaaargh!!!! Sorry, once a teacher, always a teacher... you know.

Um, save yourself from a nightmare. Stay home. Everybody here is moving
up there because $1500 a month rent for a two bedroom apt. when you
make $8.50 an hour at Disneyland is just proving to be too much of an
uphill battle.

Now if you want to live with 16 roommates or have a great inheritance,
well that would work out for you.

[Radiobarry]

As many of us have read and or experienced, Disneyland is going threw a casting shortage. Just my luck, I need a job, I need a job bad. I would love to go and get a job as a cast member; unfortunately I live in Portland Oregon. I don’t mind commuting but 15 hours is a bit much.

Any way. A friend of mine suggested I move to the area and go to school and get a job at Disneyland. It might be a good idea I could be a terrible idea. So, I'm putting up to you.

Should I move, study radio broadcasting and get a job at Disneyland.
OR
Should I stay home?

If you want to eat as well as find shelter in SoCal, you'll need to get another job besides the one at DL.
I've always said that you realllly have to love radio to get into our business. Let's face it - most people in the entertainment business see radio people at the bottom of the food chain. They're way off base, but that's just how it is.
I've been in radio ever since I left DL in 1982. The business has changed, and for the most part it's not for the better, and a lot of people are losing their jobs.
But, if you're like me, and you're ready for the glory of getting up at 2am each day to do morning drive, and there's absolutely nothing else you could ever see yourself doing - well, welcome aboard.
And may I suggest a great website (it costs, but it's worth it) -
http://laradio.com/
The bible of what's going on in Los Angeles area radio.

[disneyhound]

As a fellow Oregonian, who grew up in SoCal, I would love to move back down there some day. I think the only way I could do it would be when I retire! By then, rent for a two bedroom crappy apartment in Anaheim should be around 4K/month, and if wage inflation stays the same at DL, I should be earning about $9.80 an hour. Even if I sell a couple of pints of blood a month, plus SS, I will need 6 room mates...

The time make a radical change is when you are young with limited responsibilities. I'd say go for your dreams, no one else can live your experience!

[FrumiousBoojum]

I'm in agreeance. Even if you were going to get the lowered cost of living for FL, WDW isn't worth it either -- I was told by a CM a few years ago that about 75% of them live at or below the poverty line.

Unless you can get a high-paying position, don't do it. Move to the area, get a better job elsewhere, do the AP thing.

[Goofster]

Do it. Your young and dont have any tie downs. If your parents help then Id say do it.

[FrumiousBoojum]

Do it. Your young and dont have any tie downs. If your parents help then Id say do it.

Actually, this would be the only way I'd say to do it. Otherwise, if you're paying everything yourself, don't.

[Radiobarry]

An addendum to my earlier post - Go for your dreams, indeed - and I know of several young people just starting out in our business that have an advantage over us older guys since we're having to be basically retrained on all the new computer software involved in audio editing and production. What, no "cart" machines or razor blades? Two-top level LA news stations (no names, but you'll know the ones if you're in SoCal) were still using that kind of stuff until they moved into their new building within the last six months.
Just beware of the economic realities. And to anyone else looking in - if you're looking more for money and glamour, go into t-v or something else. Unless your last name is something like Limbaugh or Stern.

[pineapplewhipaddict]

Yeah, if your family helps you out, then I'd say go for it...but the wages don't justify as of now, you wouldn't be able to survive on just DL's paycheck.

You could move out close to the area, but not as directly...there might be places selling/renting for cheaper. But I wouldn't know too much about that. If I do work at Disneyland one day, I'd look into how much it costs to stay in Downey.

[Arilvdc]

You could move out close to the area, but not as directly...there might be places selling/renting for cheaper. But I wouldn't know too much about that. If I do work at Disneyland one day, I'd look into how much it costs to stay in Downey.

Average rent for a small one bedroom apartment in Downey....$975, no utilities paid. Average rent for a roomy one bedroom in the nicer part of Downey, $1100. Two bedrooms, one bath, $1300, easily.
Even Norwalk's one bedroom's are still high ($925), and the nice parts are on par with Downey's okay bits. If you want a two bedroom here (ours is 975 square feet), it's usually around $1200, and that's with only one bathroom.

Can you say roommates?

Disney doesn't pay enough to support you here, I know, I tried.

[dramaqueen]

I did the follow your dreams thing, but I moved to a place with a cheaper cost of living, plus I am married and my husband has a good job with steady income. I am in school, but have student loans to cover expenses, plus I have several side jobs. But it took us several months to get on our feet and several months of poverty (literally) before we were able to make it all work.

Making the move to California is not something you can do on your own, you will need roomates at the very least. I wouldn't move there without a plan, as in, roomates lined up, job lined up, school lined up. You need to know if you will be able to support yourself, or have parents will to pay some of your bills for a while.

Following your dreams is fine, but you need a plan too, or you will be worse off then when you started. At the very least, you need to have a couple grand saved up to cover moving expenses, deposts and the like until you start getting income coming in.

[MickeyMania]

Quick answer: No. Too much burden. Consider how many people who are already in the immediate area are turning down their begging and pleading each day.

[Mr D]

I followed my dreams, back in '92 I drove to Alaska, low cost of living with a good pay scale in my trade allowed me to build up my material possesions quicker, I never rented except to pay for trailer space, since then I have a paid off home, new vehicles and a really decent year round job.
I would like to work for Disney but their pay scale sucks. It would be like a charity job.

[Zeus]

It would be a fantastic idea, and I've even considered making a move down there to go to art school and work at Disneyland, however, the cost of living in Orange County/Anaheim is far too high and isn't worth it considering Disneyland's wages.

I wouldn't be able to survive - helping my parents pay for my art school, and paying for my food, housing, and whatnot with a part-time job at Disneyland. Ouch!

Anaheim housing costs are not high at all, in fact...you could get a Studio or 1 bedroom townhome in a private community on the beach in Newport or Laguna Hills for $600 a month, which is the avg. price....you can find one in anaheim / costa mesa / stanton and surrounding areas for much cheaper :]

and Arvil, I searched the Orange County register classifieds, as well as well as rent websites and the homes you are talking about are the brand new homes, very high-end and upscale...