Tacking on $675 per day to a vacation adds up quickly.
On yet another early morn , on yet anotheroppressively humidday inCentral Florida , 25 - year - old Cyan Nardiello adjusts her Mickey ears and prepares to go R-2 - bead - to - parking area - close at the Most Magical Place on Earth . That , of course , could describe any of the billion of tourer who descend upon Orlando on an annual basis , but Nardiello is different — she ’s a theme - park nanny , and she ’s about to make $ 400 for helping kid have playfulness atWalt Disney World .
On any establish day , you ’ll find a handful of ante up magic Lord like Nardiello visiting Disney ’s 27,520 acre . Orlando ’s composition - common nanny byplay is palmy , and for good reason — visiting Disney World is more complicated than ever . contend with Genie+ ( Disney ’s pay skip - the - line armed service ) and the odyssey that is navigating from one side of the hangout to another is nerve-racking in the best of times . Throw in a screaming youngster or two , and you have a seven-day math job , not a vacation .
And so , in 2020 , Nardiello come up with a solution : a theme - park nanny agency calledOnce Upon A Nanny . As a senior at the University of Central Florida , she took a nestling she nannied to Disney World on their last day of schooling . When this became a regular occurrence , she started film telecasting diaries of their adventures for TikTok . 1000000 of views play along — as did inquiries from parents hoping Nardiello could do the same for their kids . “ From my first TikTok , I had hundreds of parents asking me to aid , ” Nardiello enjoin me . “ I still get kids who are excited to see me because they ’ve find my picture . ”
Photo courtesy of Once Upon a Nanny
One of hermost - take in postsinvolves her taking a 10 - twelvemonth - erstwhile to live out his dreaming good afternoon at Disney ’s Hollywood Studios . They ride the Tower of Terror together , banquet at 50 ’s Prime Time Café , aviate the Millennium Falcon , and watch Fantasmic ! , during which Nardiello dons a waterproof poncho because her commission requested a seat in the spattering zone .
She ’s been the same male child ’s Fairy God Nanny for four years now ( their next meetup is in June ) . One parent ’s wellness issues intend they clamber to complete a full green day with him . “ That ’s when I ill-use in , ” she says , her life now a fuzz ofsplitting chicken strips with toddlers , hunting down Easter eggs around EPCOT , andflying to Tokyo Disney Resort(at the guest ’s disbursement ) to help a exclusive father of three .
It ’s a concept Disney tries to betray to parent through feature like rider replacement ( where parents take turns riding without have to stand in contrast twice ) and Lightning Lanes ( giving node the chance to yield up to $ 25 per drive to jump to the front of the line ) , but has never managed to truly box .
Courtesy of Nanny-Land
Thus , a new bungalow industriousness has been born , with more than half a twelve root - park she-goat agency in Orlando alone ready to fill this void . For example , in 2019 , Shannon Albrecht createdNanny - Landto serve not just family line shinny at Disney World but also Disneyland , Disney Cruise Line , and Disney ’s international parking lot . With more experience come more à la carte options catering to the nicety of Disney , such as Sleepy Sessions , which involve nannies arriving as early as 5 am to entertain tike pre - car park as mamma and dad recharge , and a $ 15 minimal brain dysfunction - on for civilize lifeguards to watch their Thomas Kid at the pocket billiards or water commons . “ They ’ll take teenagers on the wild water ride and play all day , but they ’ll also have the childcare experience and cardiopulmonary resuscitation breeding , ” Albrecht explains . “ So parent get a dependable caregiver , and Kid get the ripe time . ”
For her part , Kalista Kassidy co - foundedThe Sister Sitterswith her sister Kayla after the two were inundated with requests while working as non - theme - park nurse . “ We do a great deal of Nox where parents just want to go to the parks alone , ” Kalista says of parents who want a kid - free repast at Disney ’s Michelin - star Victoria & Albert ’s or who are looking to bar hop at Disney Springs .
As you ’d expect , these services do n’t fall flashy . Once Upon A Nanny charges $ 40 per hour for a lower limit of three hour with a CPR - certified , backcloth - check out nanny . The cost goes up if you have more than two children ( $ 10 an hour ) , desire a nanny between midnight and 8 a.m. ( another $ 10 an hr ) , or specifically want to book Nardiello herself ( her hourly premium is $ 15 spare ) . Plus , you ’re on the bait for the nurse ’s day pass , too .
Courtesy of the Nanny-Land
At Nanny - Land , which shoot down $ 45 per hour , booking a Gold Crown Nanny for a full green day — which can last up to 15 hours — will cost parent about $ 675 . That ’s roughly $ 6,750 if read parent want a she-goat every daytime of a 10 - twenty-four hour period trip . The nurse themselves take between $ 19 and $ 30 an hour , plus any tips ( which are voluntary but can run north of $ 500 on a good day ) .
These crown are n’t always easy bring in . composition - park nanny involve to revolve with the punches , and the punches can land hard . Anyone who ’s ever been to Disney World will tell you that foresightful lines , humidness , and the pressure to milk every possible ounce of magic from the proceedings could break Mickey himself . Ash , who ’s work as a full - time theme - park nanny , explain that it ’s often the parent rather than the kids who endeavor to exaggerate it . “ ( I ’ve ) had military parents sum up about 50 things to the schedule that theyhaveto do , and the children can be eat , ” she explain . “ So I ’ve had to evoke , ‘ Hey , they ’re not up for this , can we do this instead ? ’ ”
“ Some need full - blownconciergeservice , ” Albrecht tot . “ They want us to push the stroller , behave the udder , sail the green , make Lightning Lane reservations — they just confound everything on us . ” Albrecht also recalls an incident in which parents quest a nursemaid for grandma , not the kidskin . “ She ’d come on the stumble but was too tired by about 3 pm and just wanted to go do some shopping , but did n’t want to shop alone . So we air someone to keep her society while everyone go to the parks . We call that a ‘ Granny Nanny . ’ ”
Some people endeavor to reserve nanny for themselves , thinking they ’re a tatty choice to Disney World ’s $ 900 - per - time of day VIP Guides . Others do so with more confutable intentions . “ Random mass say , ‘ Hey , I know you ’re nanny , but can I hire you ? You would just advert out with me for the day , ’ ” Tiffany , cobalt - owner of agency Storybook Nannies , evidence me . “ We ’re like , ‘ That ’s not what this is . We do n’t nanny 35 - class - old men . ’ ”
Some nannies are full - meter , but the bulk are college pupil . Some equilibrize the gig with pedagogy , nursing , or work at Disney orUniversal . Others are parent with real - world experience brawl youngsters in the Magic Kingdom . “ About 150 to 200 girls apply monthly , ” says Tiffany ( most nursemaid are women , although Nanny - Land does have a lineup of “ Mannies ” ) . As parents themselves , Tiffany and her co - founding father , Brittany , claim Storybook Nannies is more rigorous than most with its hiring summons , vetting how prepared candidates are for the capriciousness of the job . “ If we ca n’t see them watch our own kids , there ’s not a chance we ’re hiring them . ”
At first , Nardiello smartly pushed back against such a view , but nowadays , she understands why hoi polloi do n’t get it . She ’s not in a hurry to correct their misconceptions either . “ We ’ve help oneself so many families , small fry with disability , infants , working parents , ” she says . “ If you ca n’t understand how a theme - park nanny-goat would profit you at Disney World , then you probably do n’t necessitate the help . ”
