For some, working at a Disney Resort is a dream job. Being able to be right in the middle of the magic and help families create memories is something not a lot of people get to do. Heck, some people even move across the country — or even the world — for the chance to work at places like Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.
However, recently, it seems that Disney is having a little bit of trouble keeping Cast Members happy. Not only does Disney frequently get called out for its low wages — which left some workers living in their cars — but there were also a number of walkouts and protests when Disney CEO Bob Chapek called Florida’s controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill, “irrelevant to the company”.
There was also the issue of Cast Members and studio employees not receiving the same great perks that they once did. Now, however, it looks like Disney is trying to increase the perks — at least a little bit.
For years, one of the biggest perks was that Cast Members would be able to get into the theme parks pretty much whenever they wanted and bring some of their family or friends with them. They were also given a number of complimentary tickets that they could give to friends and family, so they could get into the Parks without the Cast Member.
Those days have been significantly cut down and last year, Disney told Cast Members they could either have the theme park perk, or they could receive the Disney Bundle — which includes Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ — for free.
This year, Disney has changed course and has informed Cast Members that they will not have to choose. Cast Members will now be able to have both the theme park access and the Disney Bundle. However, they will only have free access to the ad-supported version of Disney+, which will launch on December 8. Disney has not told Cast Members if they will be able to pay to upgrade to the ad-free tier.
Disney Cast Members also get perks like discounts at other Disney theme parks and Disney Resorts. They also get discounts at Disney hotels. The one exception is Tokyo Disney Resort, which is not owned by Disney.
We live in an age where social media is the way many people communicate nowadays. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok are massive platforms where people can share their love of things with people around the world. One of the fastest growing platforms is people sharing their love for all things Disney. Some people focus on Disneyland, some on Walt Disney World Resort, others on Disney Cruise Line, and some focus on all of it.
While we love seeing people share fun things about their Disney trips, as well as tips and tricks you can use while visiting, it is no secret that TikTokers, and those who want to be social media influencers, are making the jobs of Disney Cast Members incredibly difficult. People are constantly breaking rules in order to make a video and get attention.
Now, one very prominent TikToker is going viral for all the wrong reasons, but it’s not because of what she did while in the Parks — although it started there.
You may or may not know about the TikToker, Theme Park Mom. She is constantly in the Parks, sharing the experiences that she has, and she has amassed quite the following. However, one of her recent videos has put her on the receiving end of a lot of Disney fans’ anger.
In one video, she tells the story of people who were rude to a Cast Member while she was in line to meet Donald Duck. Theme Park Mom tells Guests to be nice to Cast Members, as they are just doing their job.
Not long after that video was posted, a woman claiming to work at a Starbucks location in Disney called Theme Park Mom out for being rude. The Cast Member said that Theme Park Mom placed a coffee order during a very busy time. According to the Cast Member, the woman was very impatient and wanted her drink, while others who got their first were still waiting. The Cast Member called out Theme Park Mom’s rude behavior and said that she should practice what she preaches and be nice to Cast Members.
Theme Park Mom issued an apology video and seemed to be sorry for her behavior — the video has since been deleted. However, we are now learning that instead of being sorry for how she acted, Theme Park Mom apologized publicly but, behind the scenes, got the Cast Member who called her out fired.
The Cast Member deleted her original video, though some people were able to screenshot the comments where the Cast Member said that the woman had reported her and that the Cast Member was afraid she would lose her job. And that is exactly what happened.
Theme Park Mom is now being called out by fellow influencers and Disney fans alike for her appalling actions. Things seemed to have gotten so bad for Theme Park Mom that she now no longer allows people to comment on her videos — although she still frequently posts.
If and when you visit a Disney Park, please remember that Cast Members work very hard to keep the magic alive and create great memories for Guests. Their number one priority is Guests and their safety. While Cast Members frequently have to deal with Guests’ problems, you can always brighten their day by being kind when you interact with them.
Disneyland Resort was closed for more than one year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. During that time, Disney officials decided to make a lot of changes to how Guests would be able to visit Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. For one, the traditional Annual Pass system was done away with and a new Magic Key Pass Program was introduced. Second — and possibly the most important — all Guests ages two and up are now required to make a theme park reservation before they head to The Happiest Place on Earth.
Guests who want to visit Disneyland and California Adventure must not only select which day they would like to visit the Resort, but also what Park they would like to spend their day in. Even Guests with a Park Hopper ticket must select which Park they would like to start in. The reservation system — which is also in place at Walt Disney World Resort — has been a controversial one. While many Guests have become used to it, there are still times when some people forget about those essential reservations, which can become problematic on especially busy days.
On some days, there are still reservations that can be made the day of. However, during busier times of the year — like summer and the holidays — if you head to the Parks and you don’t have a reservation, you may be out of luck. Most people would realize the error was theirs and lay the blame at their own feet. However, one Guest did not lay the blame on himself, instead, he took it out on a Cast Member operating a ticket booth.
TikToker John Tovarr was also in line at the ticketing area and recorded the Guest’s outburst. You can watch the video of the incident below.
As you can see, the Guest informed the Cast Member that everyone in his party had a theme park reservation, except for a young boy. While we cannot hear what the Cast Member says, they seem to indicate that the young boy’s ticket is not valid for that day and the angry man says to upgrade the boy’s current Magic Key. Unfortunately, it does not look like that solution would have worked. The man gets angrier as he yells at the Cast Member, seemingly shocked that the boy can’t get in when everyone else in the party has a reservation.
Here is what you need to know about Disneyland Resort’s new theme park reservation system — which applies to both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure:
All Guests (ages 3 and older) are required to have:
Valid admission and park reservation, for the same date and same park, for each day of their visit
An approved face covering for each Guest age 2 and older, as applicable. Please check current face covering requirements.
Theme park reservations can be made up to 120 days or more in advance, subject to availability. To accommodate as many types of ticket holders as possible, reservations for select dates may be made available on a rolling basis. Different types of admission may have different reservation date availability. Park reservations are limited and subject to availability, and availability can change until the park reservation is finalized. Check for updated availability.
Before you take your own magical Disneyland or Walt Disney World Resort vacation, it is important to make sure that you have all of your theme park reservations made. While Cast Members will do their best to help you if you find yourself without one, if the Parks are at capacity, their hands are tied. Guests need to remember that making a reservation is their responsibility.
If you are struggling to make your theme park reservations, or need help planning your Disney vacation, you can chat with a representative through either Resort’s website — just make sure you chat with a representative from the correct Resort. Both the Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort websites also have phone numbers you can call if you need additional assistance.
Visiting Walt Disney World in the summer is most certainly an undertaking. It is the time of year when temperatures are the highest, the humidity never seems to go away, and the crowds are massive. All those things combined can create the perfect environment for tempers to flare. However, it is important to remember, that when you lose your temper, you can ruin not only your own day, but also someone else’s. Also, poor behavior can get you kicked out of the theme park if you let it escalate beyond simple anger.
When it comes to dressing for Disney World in the summer, lighter is better. You don’t want clothes that will weigh you down, and a lot of parents don’t want their kids to overheat. With that in mind, you may see kids wearing bathing suits. However, it is important to remember that there is a dress code policy for both adults and children. It is important to familiarize yourself with that policy before visiting the Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, or EPCOT.
One Guest visiting Disney’s Animal Kingdom recently seems to have been told that they were in violation of the dress code policy by a Cast Member. That did not sit well with the Guest, who decided to take her frustration out on another Cast Member. TikToker Minnie Ears Magic saw some of the exchange as they were trying to film the Lightning Lane entrance at Kali River Rapids. You can watch what happened below.
I don’t go out of my way to film guest behaving badly, but I happen to be filming content. Guest behavior has gotten worse. Maybe it’s entitlement, maybe it’s the Florida Hades heat 🔥, I don’t know, but please, stop yelling at CM 😩. Oh, and #haveamagicalday❤️🤗
From what the Guest filmed, it appears that the woman was upset because she was told her son — who only had a bathing suit on — was in violation of the dress code. She was then upset to find out that, if her son did not put on a shirt, they may not be allowed on an Animal Kingdom attraction. The Cast Member who bore the brunt of her frustration could only continue to do their job and apologize to the upset Guest.
We suggest you dress comfortably, wear good walking shoes and check the local weather report before you leave for the parks at Walt Disney World Resort. Please make sure to bring a face covering with you and check current face covering guidelines for Guests. Proper attire, including shoes and shirts, must be worn at all times. The parks are a casual, family-oriented environment. Ensuring that the parks are family-friendly is an important part of the Disney experience. In that spirit, we ask you to use your discretion and common sense. Inappropriate Attire Disney reserves the right to deny admission to or remove any person wearing attire that is considered inappropriate or attire that could detract from the experience of other Guests.
It appears that Disney has struggled lately to enforce the dress code with Guests. Videos went viral on social media letting people know that, if they don’t wear appropriate clothing in the Parks, Disney would give them a voucher for a free piece of clothing. Guests were taking advantage of that, so Disney has changed its policy — buy new clothes and change, or leave the Disney Park and change into your own clothes. Should a Guest refuse to comply with dress code policy, they may be escorted from the theme park.
When it comes to creating that magical Disney experience, there are few keys more important than Cast Members. Cast Members do everything from keeping the Parks clean and safe to helping Guests who may not be very experienced in Disney vacations, running your favorite attractions and rides, and more. Without the thousands of hard-working Cast Members, Walt Disney World would not be the top vacation destination it is.
While becoming a Disney Cast Member may be a dream job for many, it is still a job. There are still clock-ins and clock-outs, breaks, vacation time, and all of the other things that come with a regular job. Each Company has its own attendance policy that employees have to follow, and The Walt Disney Company is no different. However, according to a local union, Disney is trying to drastically alter its attendance policy for Walt Disney World Cast Members, and the Cast Members are anything but pleased.
We’ve met with Disney and reviewed the proposed attendance policy. While we wait for clarification to questions that were raised we wanted to provide members with the main takeaways. Understand, this is just the beginning of the conversation with Disney and we will negotiate with Disney over the impact and request changes be made. Meaning, this may not be the final policy.
-No more points system. Instead attendance infractions will be tracked as total amount of unexcused time of missed work.
Tardies tracked separately by number of occurrences
– Different amounts of unexcused time/tardies for Full Time, Casual Regular, and Casual Temporary will trigger discipline.
16 hours to trigger for FT, 12 hours for CR, 6 hours for CT
3 tardies to trigger for FT, 2 tardies for CR, 2 tardies for CT.
– Supplementing sick time to not receive an infraction will require equal amount of time be supplemented. For example a 6 hour shift requires 6 hours be supplement.
– FMLA and other applicable leave time will continue to excuse absences.
– No more continued absences only counting as one infraction.
We will post updates as they become available. Message us with any questions or call the office (714 502 0220).
In Solidarity,
Chris Duarte
Local 50 Vice President
Now, only those who work at Walt Disney World and the union are incredibly familiar with the attendance policy and how it works for the type of company Disney is. And, according to numerous Cast Members, the new proposed attendance policy is just insulting.
Twitter user Jess (@jesscantlead) said that Disney was messing up with the new attendance policy, especially because being a Cast Member is both physically and mentally exhausting.
Disney MESSED UP for thinking this is a good idea. Working in theme parks is a mentally and physically exhausting job.
Facebook user Amber T. posted that the hour-for-hour proposed system doesn’t make sense. If an employee calls out, and they were scheduled to work a double shift, that could really hurt their sick time.
So if I need to call out on a double then I’ve just used almost all of my 12 hours for the whole year…this is insane.
Caroline M. pointed out on Facebook that Disney encourages Cast Members to call out and not come into work if they are feeling sick, which is especially important during the pandemic. Every day, sick Guests visit the Parks knowing that they are sick and knowing that they could get others sick. With this new strict attendance policy, those signs may be ignored.
I hope when you guys sit down with Disney you will bring up the signs posted in all areas indicating that if we are sick we should not come to work and indicate to them that if they truly believe in this statement they need to reconsider everything they have put on the plate especially not being able to extend a call out. Disney might not believe it but we still are in the middle of a PANDEMIC with Covid cases on the rise, as I’m sure HR is currently witnessing. This is not a proper solution to the call out issue, and will only require them to hire more people when Covid once again comes around in winter because everyone will be fired. Truthfully if Disney cannot negotiate in good faith as they generally cannot do, Local 50 you should contact media. I’m sure Disney would love to have more bad publicity on their hands.
Some commented that the new attendance policy is similar to attendance policies in regular businesses. However, many people who claimed to be Cast Members said that regular attendance policies may work for “normal” jobs, but being a Cast Member is anything but a normal job. One of those people was Jess, the original poster, who pointed out that yes, the proposed attendance policy is normal, but doesn’t work for the demands of a Disney job.
but also since leaving Disney I haven’t needed to call out a bunch because I’m not worked to exhaustion, not burnt out, not getting sick from guests, I have PTO, I have 80 hours worth of PSL, I have a set schedule, time off requests are honored, etc.
At this time, the Local Union is still working with Disney to negotiate a new attendance policy. So, the current points system that Cast Members seem to really like is still in place. Hopefully, Disney and the Union are able to come to an agreement that everyone can be happy with.
