It is the year 2022 and we have become a remote world. At our fingertips, we look at the weather, we make food selections, we can find a ride home and we can reply to emails. Very rarely these days does the term “Out of Office” truly apply. Work just seems to follow us. And if you work in a fast-paced, “always on” industry, you know how hard it is to totally leave work behind for any vacation, let alone a Disney vacation. So what happens when you simply have to keep working while at Disney? That leads us to today’s article…
Welcome to Believe Vacations’ Weekly Post where today, we are going to talk Doing Work at Disney. Meet Believe Vacations Agent Jessica Koch. One of our more well-rounded and successful in the real world agents, Jessica works in real estate among other business opportunities. With a hard-working husband and 2 kids, as you can imagine, she really looks forward to her vacations. But she and her husband had to bring work with them this past trip. How did it go? What advice does she have if you are in a similar situation? Let’s hear from her directly…
Hello there! First, let me take a moment to introduce myself. My name is Jessica Koch. One of your lesser known Believers, but still full on Disney obsessed.
My task with this article is to give my experience about working while at Disney. In addition to being a top producing realtor for the Houston area, I also help run the family business (and yes, work with Believe Vacations on the side). Needless to say, I am “on” 24/7 and must always be available for my clients or to put out fires at the office(s).
My husband, Thomas, works in Private Equity in Africa and Europe- so he’s usually on a completely different time zone and has to make himself available when needed. He had several remote meetings scheduled while we were on Disney property and found some great places to set up his calls and get some work done.
During this trip, we have a lot going on. I had closing happening back at home (thank you to my Compass colleagues for covering for me), Tom and I are building our first house and finishing up the engineering and bidding phase, and my family and I are acquiring another small business. This may not be the best time for us to travel, but I wanted to be sure Henry was able to go to Disney World for the 50th anniversary (my first Disney trip was for the 25th Anniversary).
The WiFi connection at Ale and Compass Lounge worked wonderfully. His first meeting was at 10AM EST so he set up early with his computer for breakfast to prepare while the rest of us headed to Hollywood Studios to build some droids. For his actual meeting, he did return to the room for privacy. His meeting was an interview with the Finance Minister of Zambia, so he needed to be sure there was no background noise. The WiFi in the room worked wonderfully.
While we were at Hollywood Studios, I received a phone call about some documents that needed to be updated for a closing. The WiFi connection outside of the Disney Junior Dance Party was great and I was able to step away for 5 minutes taking care of it via phone. Before I leave town, I always set up my documents online and in my email just in case I need access.
There is nothing like negotiating last minute lawn maintenance less than an hour before closing while you are on “it’s a small world”. The drama continued while we were on Under The Sea, Journey of the Little Mermaid. Not sure if having Ursula in the background helped calm the other side down a bit, but being on the call for that entire ride was a bit frustrating… but the call never dropped and we got everything worked out!
The biggest issue I had is battery life on my phone. Between working the MDE app, taking calls, answering emails and texts, and of course taking photos of the kids, my battery depleted quickly. First thing in the mornings, I suggest going in and closing out all the apps on your phone. That way you won’t have things running in the background using coveted battery life. I had 3 (yes 3) extra charging jumpers and my phone went through them all each day. I may be a bit excessive, but I recommend taking a few with you to have on hand. Having to stop to find an outlet really wasn’t an option and I didn’t see a single fuel rod station when I needed one.
In a pinch, you can always ask a nearby Cast Member for advice. They know every nook and cranny of the theme parks, so they’ll be sure to help you find that perfect spot to settle in for a call or where to get the quickest WiFi service (or in my case, an outlet).
Technical Support is available for guests 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by touching 56 on the in-room phone or contacting Walt Disney World Telecom at 407-827-2732.
For more tips and places to Work While at Disney:
Follow @disneymeeting on twitter
Remote office Set Up Spots with good WiFi:
Ale & Compass Lounge @ Disney’s Yacht Club
Enchanted rose lounge @ Grand Floridian
Territory lounge @ Wilderness Lodge
Nomad Lounge @ Animal Kingdom Geyser Point Bar & Grill @ Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
