Disney Crew Member Quits Due to “Intense Burnout,” Explains “What It’s Actually Like”

A Disney crew member from the Disney Dream shed light on what working aboard a Disney cruise ship was really like, citing “intense burnout” as her reason for quitting after a short four months.

While any Disney theme park is certainly known for the magical Disney experience it provides (be that the Walt Disney World Resort or the Disneyland Resort), the real magic makers are the cast members and crew members. Disney employees make the theme parks and the cruise ships what they are to so many of us.

However, there is another side to this role that’s much darker than one would think: many cast members have spoken out previously about the pressures (financial and otherwise) of the job; now a Disney Cruise Line crew member has done the same.

Recently, former Disney Dream crew member Gianna Alexis shared her story working for Disney Cruise Line aboard the company’s beloved ship, and the account isn’t pretty.

As reported by Business Insider, Alexis explained, “I worked from 8:30 a.m. until 9 or 10 p.m. Before starting this job, I didn’t, or couldn’t, conceptualize what an 80-hour work week without a day off would look like at all. There was no work-life balance.”

In addition, Alexis also elaborated, “I got a stress fracture in one of my feet from standing 80 hours a week in my costume shoes — it got so hard for me to stand. With a normal job, you can call in sick if you’re not feeling well. But for me, if I didn’t show up to work, my manager could come downstairs from the shop to see me what was wrong, how long I would need off, and if I needed medical attention or if I was faking it.”

Related: The Most Shocking Incidents to Ever Happen Aboard a Disney Cruise

The unfortunate cherry on top of this entire situation is Alexis’ report that she made below minimum wage. She explains, “I worked a minimum of 70 hours weekly and got paid $423 a week, so it was about $6 an hour. There was no overtime rate at all.”

It’s certainly a grisly behind-the-scenes look into the reality of working for Disney Cruise Line. However, it’s worth noting that Alexis’ account, while undoubtedly difficult, is just one account.

We at Disney Fanatic also spoke to other ex-crew members from Disney Cruise Line who shared their experiences.

One explained, “You go into DCL knowing that you will be working obscene hours with very little time off. It’s not a secret that you work 7 days a week. However, at least in entertainment, it was an AMAZING way to make money when young. And, you are forced to take a break after your contract, so you basically take all your time off in one big lump at the end.”

The ex-crew member acknowledged that he was an entertainment crew member and, therefore, was afforded more freedoms than someone in Alexis’s role would have been.

This said accounts of Disney not treating their cast members and employees well are not new. Walt Disney World Resort cast members even organized protests to demand fair pay, which the Walt Disney Company reportedly refused for as long as they could.

Here’s hoping stories like that of Alexis’ are the exception rather than the rule!