attendant

lifeguard

security officer

intern

merchandising associate

Universal Orlando Resort

This is real life. This place treats people in such a disgusting manner I don't like to admit I was part of this place for so long. I started in attractions and three months later I was in security mainly because I needed full time hours and I always enjoyed security work. I liked that I was screening the guests and team members for a potential threat. I felt I was making a difference and providing a safe environment for all of us. After six months and being able to stop and take a look at management, what we were doing and how we were performing is when I realized there was a problem. We betrayed the public trust each and every day giving them a false sense of security. Yes we found contraband such as knives and multi tools guests were not permitted to possess inside the park but most of the officers were so focused on those items, especially illegal alcohol they were blind to things like firearms and never mind and IED. Even with x ray after years of screening I would have difficulty detecting and explosive device because we were not trained to recognize it. The trainers had the other items mentioned but not a mock IED or firearm. Then we had the officers who were there just to collect a check and get their free tickets and discounts. They were nothing more than a stuffed uniform going through the motions and not screening people properly. These individuals are especially dangerous operating x ray. Most of the time they didn't watch the screen as bag after bag would go by sometimes with contraband inside. I would be at the wanders position post x ray and could see what they were missing. If I brought it to a sergeants attention it was largely ignored. Management was more interested in putting on their show than caring about the well being of all of us. 
 
There was no mechanical ventilation in the main hub and water was scarce. During the summer months it was brutally hot and officers were passing out from heat exhaustion. I remember several being taken out by ambulance but management didn't care. They would make sure they were o.k. but another officer would be in their place within a minute. The show must go on! It took another eighteen months for them to install fans in that area and provide adequate drinking water. If you were assigned to screen guests at one of the satellite posts like the hotel boat docks you were really forgotten. No water except for the sixteen ounce bottle they gave you during training. You had the opportunity to refill it when you took your break but it doesn't last very long. I remember being at a dock with another officer and we both went without water for hours. We already took our breaks and could not leave our posts to go find some. We were not permitted in the hotels either for any reason. Had it not been for a trainer coming out with trainees we would have gone several hours before our relief showed up. He permitted us to leave long enough to go find water. All the radio calls to management were ignored.

Speaking of breaks, don't expect to get one or get it on time. The security department runs on a minimum of officers on any given day. I blame this on upper management. Not your lead, (sergeant) supervisor or department manager. This comes from higher up. They trim the fat by sending someone from business management to monitor the security posts and how many officers should be there. You can tell when they are around because you'll see a nerd with a polo shirt, dockers and a clip board hanging around watching the flow of guests. The problem is they send them when they know it's a slow day. When they complete their observation report there are too many officers at that particular post. Now they make cut backs and when it gets busy again there aren't enough officers so wait forever for your break or you won't get one at all. I can't say this enough, Universal cares only about their bottom line. You mean NOTHING to them!

I recall another occasion when I had an opening boat dock shift in February. It was around twenty eight degrees this particular morning. We clocked in at 5am and were at the docks by 530-545. When we were being briefed for the day the sergeant told us to check the propane tanks in the heaters as soon as we got there. He stated it would take time to bring us a replacement so call it in immediately. When we arrived we did just that and not only was there no tank but the heater was broken. We called and reported what we found but were informed they could not bring out a new heater. Around an hour later we hear someone approaching and they have a heater with them. The problem is it was horticulture bringing out a heater for a tree! That's right. They were concerned their silver palm from Madagascar would die from the cold so they brought out a heater to keep it warm. Two of them actually. I am not kidding in the least. Universal was more concerned with the well being of a tree than two of their team members! The other officer and I froze for three more hours until the sun came up.

This kind of treatment is not limited to security. It is park wide. The brief amount of time I was in attractions I saw similar treatment of team members however I was naive and thought they were isolated incidents. During my time in security I would speak to people from different departments and discovered everyone is subjected to Universals neglect and abuse. They do not care about anyone except their precious, precious guests.

A female officer was left at her post for hours without a bathroom break. I worked that day and recall hearing someone on the radio repeatedly asking for a break to relieve herself. Help never arrived, she almost peed herself and ended up with a bladder infection. She went to team member services and wardrobe and turned in her uniforms the next day. She was so disgusted with how we all were being treated she quit. She also had child care issues and management would not work with her schedule to accommodate her.

 Then comes your annual review. You've been a model employee, have perfect attendance and do a really great job. Your supervisor meets with you to discuss your pay increase. You score really high on your review and you think you're getting a maybe dollar or more. Guess again. You are getting one to three percent of you current rate. So if you're at 12.00 per hour you get anywhere from 12 to 36 cents for your hard work and dedication. Comcast/NBC can't afford more? I guess they figure you get comp. passes and discounts all year and that counts for something. Just try paying your rent with your comp. passes.

When attendance for the day is 50k @ 185.00 for a one day 2 park pass that equals around 9.25 million dollars gross sales for one day. Sometimes attendance in the peak season reaches 80k or more. That does not include express passes or merchandise. Don't forget 25.00 per car for parking and the the outrageous prices for food and drink.
Turkey Leg (not even real turkey) 15.00
Foot Long Hot Dog 11.50
16 oz. Bottled Water 4.50
That is just an example of what they rake in daily. They sell tens of thousands daily. Guess they can't afford bigger raises.
Here's a fun fact about those comp. passes. If you give passes to someone and they do something stupid, (act out, shop lift or get drunk) you can be terminated for it whether you are with them or not!
Myself and my fellow officers were being mistreated and even abused by management. It may look like fun from the outside but it is far from it if you work there. Why would anyone want to work for this place or anyplace like it. If you are reading Indeed prior to working at Universal to see what people are saying consider something else. This is all the absolute truth about what you could be in for. I am trying to warn you and save you from the stress and pain they are capable of doling out. If you are already employed by Universal good luck.

My time at Universal has been extremely disappointing. Management here is a joke. Supervisors and managers are nothing more than team members who advanced through attrition and not by merit. If someone in management quits or gets fired, rather than placing the most qualified candidate in that role, they give the job who is just next in line or the friend of a manager. Having the right last name is very helpful too. From that point on they are permitted to run amok. They have no management experience or job experience and now they are your boss. Yes even a status lead can write you up and discipline you like a supervisor or manager. They are trained from day one to be just as every bit as vindictive as the people training them. Being mean seems to be the only way they know how to manage. They are never wrong and they will lie to protect each other. They will fabricate evidence and even coerce other team members to falsify documents to write you up or fire you.
If you go to HR you will be dragged into a supervisor or managers office and they will swear everything you told HR is nothing more than lies and what you are complaining about never happened. They love to "blame the victim". They will spin everything you said to make it your fault. The HR department will try to intimidate you and stand behind management. I was injured one time and even though the safety condition existed for quite some time it was not corrected. So of course I should have been more careful. Again, my fault. A few weeks later I was written up for something that absolutely did not happen. This is a fine example of their brand of retaliation. 
Working as a security screener for almost two years running x-ray and metal detectors I would observe new officers who did not properly screen guests. Some officers were intimidated by the guest when they protested being screened. Others did not care and were there just for the free tickets and discounts. They could care less about the job they were supposed to be performing. From time to time I would bring this to the attention of management. This is a double edged sword. If you go to management you're wrong. If you say nothing and a guest enters with a firearm because someone is asleep on x-ray, you're all punished. One would think they would appreciate someone coming forward with information pertaining to the safety of their guests and team members. WRONG! I was mocked by some and punished by others. It took some time to figure out that it was nothing more than a show. The security screening for the most part is all fake. "Security Theater" is what a corporal called it. Understandably management didn't have much to work with because HR recruiters would take applicants for park services for example and convince them they should work in security instead. Why? Because they could not get anyone to apply for a security position so they had to recruit from the bottom of the barrel. Unfortunately the majority of these people do not have the capacity or skills to perform the job. If you can't understand the fundamentals of the job you can't perform or improve the necessary skills to do the job effectively. It took some time but I finally learned to keep my mouth shut to avoid further retaliation from management for pointing out their weaknesses. If I were on x-ray and saw an officer ignore a metal detector alarm I would keep my mouth shut. It was very frustrating not knowing if the guests had a knife or even worse a firearm or explosive device, which is probably why we would hear on a regular basis how someone was in the park with their Glock. 
Management also fails to recognize what "lead by example" means. This applies to the "sergeants" and goes up the chain to managers. Since they are all liars and treat people so disrespectfully, their subordinates want to emulate them and treat everyone accordingly. This is another hurtle I was never able to clear. I would tell HR regularly how management treated everyone and it spreads like a cancer infecting the ranks. This would account for the extremely low TSAT scores and the 90% turn over rate. That's right, nine out of ten officers hired quits with a 60 day period. So you constantly have inexperienced officers guarding the entrance to the parks. I don't know how I would feel if every time I went to the airport the TSA had all brand new officers with less than 60 days experience. Why something has not happened yet is purely by luck, not because they are vigilant.
Then get ready for your annual review. For all your hard work and effort you will get 1 to 3 percent of your current hourly rate. So if you are making $12.00 per hour and you get two percent your raise will be 24 cents per hour and that's for being a model officer. Comcast/NBC cannot afford to reward their good team members with more than that? That does not leave someone feeling good about themselves and there is no incentive to do better.
At Universal managers, supervisors and sergeants are master manipulators, liars and con artists. They do not know the meaning of loyalty or being part of a team. They will stab you in the back to save themselves or one of their friends. You are meaningless to them and they will sacrifice you at the drop of a hat. It happened to me and I saw it happen numerous times to other officers. Even if you want a part time job while in school I would still caution you not to work there. If you get in someones way or upset a manager they will make you quit, swear you were fired and do everything they can to destroy your reputation. Then after graduation from whatever school you are attending, you start looking for employment in your field and you will not be hired because of what Universal is saying about you. They have endless resources and can do what they have to in order to defend themselves. They will bury you and your attorney in a blizzard of appeals and motions. They did it to me, they will do it to you. DO NOT WORK FOR THE EVIL EMPIRE!!

...Insignificant, Belittled and Arrogance. These are just some of the words you will become familiar with working at Universal. They have created a culture of nepotism, retaliation and intimidation. When you are hired they will tell you they will work around your schedule if you have special needs like certain days off for school or child care issues etc. You will think for the first few months how great the job is. You're working at a world famous theme park, you get free admission and comp. passes for family and friends. Then they will insult you with perks like your free turkey at Thanksgiving, your holiday discount book with coupons for free popcorn etc. They act like they are treating you like gold.
Then they don't keep their word. They schedule you whenever they feel like it and if you can't come to work because you have your kids for the day, they will point you and keep pointing you until you are fired. They are nothing more than heartless liars and bullies and do not care about you or anyone else for that matter. 
Then when it comes time for your annual increase you're insulted once again and rewarded for all your hard work with a 1 to 3 percent raise which means 20 or 30 cents per hour depending on your pay rate. You will discover that other team members who are the supervisors "pets" will be treated amazingly well while you are left bewildered. The managers and supervisors will "look the other way" while these people goof off, come in late, extend their breaks and are never disciplined. If your best friend is a senior manager you can commit the same egregious offense multiple times and you will be moved to another department instead of being fired. Then these pets advance and get real raises while you are left to rot. For example, you can be in the security department and become a sergeant after just 90 days. No experience needed. You barely know the job and you can be sergeant! You just have to know a supervisor. Isn't that great? All of your efforts and legitimate hard work goes unrewarded and unnoticed. If you complain they retaliate with ridiculous write ups and verbal warnings until they make you quit or you are fired.They're nothing more than children who made it through the ranks by the means previously explained.
Let us not forget about their precious guests. They can do no wrong. Nothing. They will curse at you, spit on you, kick, push, punch and slap and there isn't a thing you can do about it. They don't care if you are injured by a guest (I saw it happen first hand) they will not eject them, trespass them or call law enforcement to have them charged. NOTHING! You could be bleeding on the floor. NOTHING! But, if you talk back to one of their precious guests or try to defend yourself you will be fired and TRESPASSED! Everything written here barely scratches the surface of the abuse they are capable of. If you have any dignity or self respect DO NOT work for Universal.

Job/work life balance: if you're married with kids, work/life balance is poor unless you get lucky enough to work in an area where you have good TMs that will help trade shifts with you when needed. Management may help but more times than most, they won't. Business needs outweigh any needs told the TMs. Different seasons, i.e. summer, HHN, Mardi gras, will also change your schedules a bit but that's normal.

Growing with the company: here is the most frustrating part of working with UO. They openly promote the fact that hard work does not get you anywhere. It's only about 10-15%. When asked what the other 85-90% is, they say it's basically a popularity contest. Have to network within and outside your own area. This is what they tell the brown nosing bunch that get through to higher positions in their "classes". 

Hard workers do not get recognized. Only those that fake smile all the time and have fake charming demeanors get a head of this company despite having little to no experience or don't get the proper training to be actual effective leaders.

I have a pretty good resume with great professional and personal references. I had many coworkers that would speak about my character and my reliability as a TM if asked at the drop of a dime only to be told that experience doesn't matter. Only what you're doing in the moment. I can't agree with that because past experience should be on the table and whatever you're learning in the moment as well.

I was told I needed to get to know my management team andwhat they liked and how they liked their shifts to be run. I asked all of that and if there was anything I should be doing differently or better. Went a year a time being told to keep doing what you're doing with no real recognition. 3.5 years there and got employee of the month once! Never able to go higher than TM even though I desperately tried to get trainer of cashbcoordiantor. But those spots only ever went to nepo cases or favorites. 

Many of the managers who have been there for 8-10+ years took them a few years to make asm or some other position so they have it in their minds that moving up in general merchandise takes years! I spoke with a general merchandise, sort of/kind of like a district manager for 2 areas within the park who was in agreement that this was too long if people wanted it and showed hard work and promise but that went against the status quo which is a no no at UO. 

If you're looking for a career at UO, don't count on it unless you want to live like barbie from toy story 2 and be fake the entire time you're on the clock. I'm sorry, I'll be respectful and cordial but never fake. 

Absolutely awful employer to work for.  And I worked back of house in the Marketing department I didn't even work in the park.  Company has no idea what they are doing, the amount of money you will see go to waste is absolutely sacrilegious.  They will hire contractors because their own employees cannot do their jobs.  

I was hired on back in 2011 and within a year I was practically running my department as my managers and directors kick back and rake in the credit.  I was constantly told that I needed to be "leaned on" by my direct manager (basically because she had no idea how to do her job) however when it came time for recognition I was always left out in the cold.  My direct manager was a survey analyst who was put in charge of my IT group with no experience whatsoever, merely as a political move so she wouldn't quit.  If you cannot stand ridiculous office politics and backstabbing this place is not for you.

Throughout my time there I was constantly promised a raise for two years for all of my hard work and it never came.  Meanwhile my direct manager received two promotions OFF OF MY WORK.  On top of it I was expected to be managing two interns, yet was not paid as a manager to handle direct reports, I was told numerous times when I was hourly to clock out and keep working, and on more than one occasion my director told me that my team was not important and was "expendable".  In my 3 years there I saw an entire turn-over of our whole department, twice, if that gives you any idea how happy people were to run screaming from this company.  The good people would always leave and then management replaces them with idiots as they are not threatening and won't make management look incompetent.

Perhaps the most alarming part of this company's horrid playbook is it's HR department.  I brought several of these issues along with the rest of my team to the attention of my HR coordinator to no avail, begging for direction from my manager and a little bit of structure and organization in our department.  All of which met with nothing, an entire team speaking out about the problems within the department and as to be expected HR only sided with management.  The HR people are not there to help you, do not go to them ever, it will only cause you more issues.  The HR department in that company are only hired to save the company money, they do not look after the well-being of their employees in any shape or form, regardless of what they want to tell you.

Working at Universal is fun, except for when it isn't. There's many good things about working here in my position--- Namely, the pay is good at about $17 minimum, with an annual raise depending on performance--- I got about ~40 cents added onto my hourly pay after a year of working here, which isn't a whole lot, but it could be worse. I enjoy working here despite some coworkers being a tad confusing or otherwise abrasive, but they can atleast put any differences aside in order to actually do their job--- I'm sure there's drama, but it's been surprisingly stress free.

The only issues I can think of is the scheduling. I can hardly get scheduled as a part-time worker sometimes, with the non-busy seasons giving me maybe one day a week at most, and sometimes not at all. I have issues with standing for too long, so I don't feel comfortable getting another part time job--- Especially because once it gets to be a busy season, they will schedule you for all the days you allow them to.

Universal is a nice place to work, albeit inconsistent at times. The customers tend to not be too bad, although you do get your abrasive personalities at times--- In my year plus of working here, I haven't had a single person full-on yell at me, just be disappointed by choosing to wait for something we don't have.

I'd recommend it if you want a quick, easy job--- Something to tide you over, a seasonal place to work. Working here part-time is not something I'd fully recommend, due to inconsistent scheduling meaning you having issues getting money. Unless you can get a job that's beyond flexible with your scheduling, income will be unsteady, unless you are full time.

Full time workers? Honestly, a job at Universal sounds like it'd be great for people who can handle it. $17 an hour, 8 hour days, 5 days a week. 680 a week, 35k a year. Not bad at all for a position that requires no work history! This is my first job I've kept for longer than a few months, and I have no regrets, really. 

Aside from getting scheduled to work at other locations, sometimes. Those are rough shifts.

Finally, you CAN get upward mobility. You can ask to get training to be a trainer, or a cash coordinator, or maybe even a manger if you're stubborn and charismatic enough. It's all about availability, as far as I've seen, as well as the effort you put into it. They won't consider you for a position unless you're putting in enough effort for it to be noticeable, as well as make YOURSELF noticable. Most managers at South Carts are friendly, although I cannot speak for everyone everywhere.

They quite frankly do not care about anyone. People are left in the extreme heat without shelter and bathroom breaks to the point where security officers have wet themselves and gotten bladder infections. We have been at a boat dock post freezing to death because the heater did not work but, they wheeled out a heater to keep their precious silver palm trees from dying. 
You can bust your butt and go above and beyond thinking you can advance or something. Then it comes time for your annual review and they give you a 22 cent raise. That hardly motivates you to work hard or even want to stay for that matter. Then they try to give you stupid little perks like movie tickets for your birthday. A free turkey for Thanksgiving etc. I would rather be paid enough to go buy my own turkey. I don't need their charity. I was so insulted by their fake generosity I threw away the tickets and never took a turkey from them. This is how they make team members feel in general.
They do not have a culture of seniority. You can be there five years and the person standing next to you starts at a higher rate than you. The culture they have created is one of fear, intimidation and retaliation. If they paint a target on you back you will be written up for the smallest infraction. Forget about standing up for your self because if you go to HR due to unsafe or unhealthy working conditions you are done for and they will come right out and tell you.
The guests can and will behave however they want without fear. They will spit on you, curse at you, shove and even strike you and Universal WILL NOT back you up. As a matter of fact they will even go as far as to comp the guests for their "inconvenience". That's right, they are rewarded for bad behavior. Management will do or say anything to protect their precious guests. Mangers and supervisors will lie right in front of you and make you the bad guy. Quite frankly management would not know what the truth is if it jumped up and bit them in the butt.
So if you are a glutton for punishment then look no further, You have found a home at Universal.

Do not even consider working for this place. Should you decide to work here keep one thing in mind, they are all deceptive and they all lie to protect each other. It starts with the sergeants and goes all the way up the chain. They will lie to write you up and a supervisor will swear to it. If it is a supervisor lying then a manager will swear to it and so on. If you go to HR for any reason regardless of how poorly you and your co workers are being treated you are signing your own death warrant. Universal Orlando Resort's HR department regularly practices victim intimidation and directly contradicts the values Comcast claims to stand for. They will deprive you of income by reducing your hours. They will tell you they don't have the hours while all your co workers are complaining they are part time and working full time hours. They will find any reason to screw with you hoping you will make it easy for them and quit. They all protect each other and quite frankly upper management does not care in the least. Should you decide to leave or if you are fired and go at them with an attorney or file a complaint with a state agency, that is when the real smear campaign begins. They will make up stories about you and and have managers swear that you threatened one of them and called several team members making threats. They will fabricate a multitude of lies and even go as far as falsifying documents. Then they are foolish enough to put these lies in writing and send it to someone. Even if you leave on good terms I would absolutely NOT use them as a reference. If you do NO ONE will hire you because of what they are saying about you. The turnover rate is 90 percent and the TSAT (team member satisfaction survey) was at an all time low for 2018 however management will swear it is someone else's fault. If you are a glutton for punishment and have no dignity or self respect then by all means fill out an application. The free tickets and the trinkets they hand out during the year are not worth it. STAY AWAY!

I worked in city walk for nearly two years. It was an amazing experience. You have an opportunity to meet people from all over the world whether that be co workers or guests. You are always busy but the company takes your health and happiness seriously as well. If you are hot and tired, let a manager know and get a drink and get and out of the heat. Break times are more than generous. You will work hard but the benefits at full time are great. Tickets to the park, special employee only events, amazing discounts, vacation time, 401 k, etc. If you have a can do attitude management will recognize you and you can be promoted from within. Ok, the not so good stuff, maybe. Park services works outside a lot so the heat can be a big issue, it is loud, very loud people, music etc. Walking, this position requires a lot of walking, as in miles, pending where you are for the day. Make sure you have excellent shoes and be ready to get into shape. Heavy lifting, I'm 5'7 135 lbs female on a skinny frame. It was not always easy to lift trash for 8 hours a day especially if it has rained. You can always ask for help from a co worker. You must wear gloves for safety reasons this adds to heat frustration in my opinion. If you are the type that constantly runs late for everything this is not the job for you, they are strict about clocking in and out, lunches and checking into your bathrooms etc. Let me be clear, you really need to be early in order to be there on time. You may need to walk a fair distance to clock in. During training pay attention to understand how long it will take you to get from point a to b. It can be overwhelming when you start, there are a million things to learn from policy to navigating the tunnels and elevators. The training is adequate but you will learn more hands on and while out and about. Co workers will always lend a hand and give help when needed. Make sure you surround yourself with positive co workers, some people just aren't happy being there and complain about everything. Don't let them bring you down. 
Essentially this job is what you make it, try it out you may have found a career with an amazing company!!

This place seems like a great place to work until you have to deal with management. I worked as a stocker and a cashier.
The only positives I can think of are the benefits (free tickets, 35% discount/50% discount during the holidays, etc.) and the really good insurance (if you're full time).
As a stocker, they expect you to do as much work as you possibly can, and once you reach your breaking point, they talk to you like you've been the worst worker they've ever seen. That's hard enough when you're neurotypical. They switched me to cashier because I wasn't able to handle all of the work they would give the stockers.
I would tell my managers about my disorders (ADHD, Autism, etc.) and they would shrug it off like it was no big deal. The few managers that acted like decent human beings only did so until it was inconvenient to them. Even when I went to HR to talk about accommodations, they gave me wrong information which caused me to not only be unable to get accommodations, but also had me spend hundreds of dollars for an appointment that didn't even help me.
I would be careful with communication in general with the managers in certain areas of the park. In my experience, they would act like they are listening and then either not do what they said they would do or forget because it doesn't fully effect them. They would then proceed to blame you for "not communicating." If you do communicate, try to get everything in writing so you have some sort of proof.
All in all, If you are neurotypical or a neurodivergent person who already has the papers and therapy you need, this is a great temporary job until you find something better for you. That seemed to work for everyone else who left this awful place. And for anyone who can/must handle that place just to keep the benefits or the insurance, keep in mind that as of writing this Universal is very understaffed because of all the people leaving and instead of fixing the problem to make people stay, they just try to throw all the work on what little employees they have left. So good luck.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Attendant 16 salaries reported	$17.63 per hour
Lifeguard 4 salaries reported	$18.00 per hour
Security officer 6 salaries reported	$19.33 per hour
Intern 4 salaries reported	$19.75 per hour
Merchandising associate 5 salaries reported	$17.60 per hour

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