Remote workers are setting up their offices at Disney parks and posting about it on social media.
It’s called The Most Magical Place On Earth, but some remote workers are turning Disney World into their place of business.
Everyone from freelance journalists to lawyers is sharing where inside the park they can plug in and get to work while also mixing in time to visit Cinderella’s castle.
I am able to shift my hours earlier, so I can hit the parks in the afternoon after I’ve wrapped up my work for the day, Matt Richardson said in a TikTok post.
Richardson has been working remotely from Disney for two years now.
What’s important to my employers is that I get my work done, Richardson said. That’s my first priority, no matter where I am in the world.
He lives about 1,000 miles from Orlando but realized he could still enjoy his favorite parks, and create digital content while also maintaining a job at his tech company.
I wanted to take a trip down to Disney as things were coming back, and I kept working. I just opened up my laptop. I kept the emails going, Richardson said. It made me realize that I don’t necessarily have to be in my home in Ohio to get work done.
There’s a system on Disney blogs you can find the best places to whip out your laptop and peruse some spreadsheets before hopping on Space Mountain.
There are a few spots at Disney that are great for remote working like the lobby of the Wilderness Lodge, Richardson said.
It’s not just Disney World in Florida, but Southern California’s Disneyland is getting in on the action.
I live pretty close to Disneyland, remote worker Caleb Graves. I have a Magic Key, which is like the annual pass here, and I’m able to go pretty frequently. I’ll spend time during the day working as I need to.
Graves is an attorney and makes the most of his daily downtime with Disney distractions.
But not everyone thinks you should be able to work at an amusement park.
Dr. Stephan Meier with Columbia Business School supports remote work, but said workers should be careful not to take advantage of their employers.
What is accepted? What is OK? Remote work, what is just giving flexibility, and what is like a slippery slope into not just taking more days off, and phoning it in on a ride.
For Graves and Richardson, they’re just hoping to add a little more magic to their work day.
It’s a feeling of comfort, a little bit of nostalgia, there’s great music, it’s just a really happy, fun environment to be in, Richardson said.
