Walt Disney World Cast Members Receive Minimum Wage Increase

Posted on by Mathew Corn Animal Kingdom, Disney Dining, Disney Parks, Disney Resorts, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom, Uncategorized

It’s an exciting time to be at Walt Disney World! Disney has recently kicked off their big 50th Anniversary celebration called “The World’s Most Magical Celebration”, honoring 50 years of magic. As Disney pulls themselves out of the COVID pandemic phased reopenings and invites Guests to join them in the Parks for the 50th experience, the need for more Cast Members is of the utmost importance. Disney Parks Blog recently shared the news that “Walt Disney World Resort is proud to have returned more than 50,000 Cast Members to work. Now, more than 65,000 are working across the Resort, and we are hiring hundreds more each week as we continue to open more resorts and Guest locations.” The massive hiring and re-hiring is the reason Disney Park entertainment is making a comeback with new announcements like the soon-to-be returning Candlelight Processional at EPCOT, Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and even the October 1 return of favorites like “Let the Magic Begin” at Magic Kingdom Park. Now, Disney Cast Members have even more to celebrate, as they receive a minimum wage increase!

As reported by OrlandoSentinel: “Disney and its unions agreed in 2014 to increase the minimum salary from $8.03 to $10 an hour by 2016. In 2017, the Service Trades Council Union — Disney’s largest — engaged in negotiations for another increase, and in September 2018 union workers approved the most recent contract that raised the minimum to $11 that December and outlined the path to $15.” Now, reports show that the Service Trades Council Union, a coalition of local unions representing Disney workers, struck a deal with the company to gradually increase wages to $15 an hour by October 1, 2021.

Currently, both Walt Disney World employees, as well as Universal employees, are now receiving increasing wages of $15 an hour. OrlandoSentinel reports that with this increase “Florida’s minimum wage rising to the same level by 2026 — many workers are experiencing new economic mobility, potentially signaling a positive shift in Central Florida’s low-wage, tourism-dependent economy.”

As crowds continue to return to the Orlando Theme Park, Disney plans to continue to hire Cast Members at this higher wage through the end of the year at a rate of hundreds of new employees weekly.

Walt Disney World turns 50 and says ‘thank you’ to Guests, Cast Members

Posted on by Mathew Corn Animal Kingdom, Disney Dining, Disney Parks, Disney Resorts, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom

Disney World turned 50 last Friday, and might we say, 50 looks good on the parks!

We have dreamed of this day for years, it seems, and Disney has been gearing up for the 50th anniversary celebration of the opening of Walt Disney World for quite a while now. It’s hard to believe the day has come!

There’s a palpable excitement at Disney World this morning as Guests take in the sights and sounds of a sprawling Disney theme park celebrating all the magic and memories over the last 50 years that has made Disney World what it is today.

There are also amazing new attractions, restaurants and experiences that have debuted in the past few days or are debuting today!

Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure opens to Guests today at the France pavilion on the World Showcase at EPCOT. Guests can climb aboard a Remy-themed ride vehicle and take off on a trackless culinary adventure unlike any other.

Also at EPCOT, over at Mission: SPACE, Guests can dine at the all-new Space 220 Restaurant that opened on September 20. You’ll need a reservation to step into the “stellarvator” and journey 220 miles up into the atmosphere where you’ll dine on cosmic renditions of popular dishes, all while taking in the breathtaking views of earth from 220 miles above its surface.

With names like “Starry Calamari” and “Galactic Lobster Globe,” we’re thinking a stop in at Space 220 is in our future!

We said goodbye to Magic Kingdom’s nighttime spectacular, “Happily Ever After”, and we trade up to “Enchantment,” an all-new nighttime spectacular that combines fireworks with Disney’s first-ever projection show to have projections leap off Cinderella Castle and illuminate every inch of Main Street U.S.A.

Walt Disney World said thank you to Guests and Cast Members alike with a new video. Take a look!

Disney Cast member ‘Married men made advances, offered hotel keys’, disrespected her because she played Tinkerbell

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

Via DisDining.com

We can’t wait for the release of Disney’s new Tinkerbell movie, starring Reese Witherspoon, but there’s, unfortunately, a downside to portraying Peter Pan’s tiny sidekick, especially at a Disney Park.

A former Cast Member has come forward in a viral video, sharing that while she was employed playing the role of Tinkerbell, married men made unwelcomed advances toward her, including offering her their hotel keys and inviting her to the hotels in which they were staying.

Sarah Daniels was answering questions from her followers when she shared the information.

One of her followers asked, “How many Dads end up hitting on you because you’re the character, as opposed to because you’re an attractive woman?”

Daniels’ initial response was “I feel like if dudes are going to be creeps and hit on you, they’re going to hit on you whether you’re a character or not.”

@sarahdanielstv

Answer to @mcbossio men gonna men. 😂😂😂#disneyprincess #ThatCloseMessenger #facecharacter #castmember #QandA

♬ original sound – Sarah Daniels

In her bio on TikTok, Sarah Daniels, known as @sarahdanielstv on the platform, calls herself an “ex-Disney Princess.” As part of her content, Daniels routinely answers questions from followers about her experience as a Cast Member and in portraying characters at Disney.

Daniels, who has nearly 57,000 followers, says she’s been asked more than once about Guests who act in less than respectful ways toward characters.

For example, Daniels has also been asked how she dealt with “creepy Dads” when she was Tinkerbell, also known as one of the many face characters in the parks, meaning that she was portraying a character for which her costume did not include a mask.

“As a face character, ‘no’ is not in your vocabulary,” Daniels responded to the online question, saying that when she was faced with an uncomfortable situation with a Guest, she would divert the attention to her character attendant so they could take care of it.

Otherwise, she says, anytime she was asked a question for which the answer was ‘no,’ she would have to find creative “ways around ‘no.’

@sarahdanielstv

Reply to @yocarlo78 dealing with creepy dads 😳#disneyprincess #CandyCrushAllStars #facecharacter #castmember #QandA

♬ original sound – Sarah Daniels

We hope that Guests will also remember to be respectful with everyone in the parks, especially Cast members who are working all the while Guests are on vacation.

Cast Members are Showing Off New EARidescent Nametags for the 50th Anniversary

Posted on by Mathew Corn Animal Kingdom, Disney Parks, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom

Via Disney Destinations

One of the best parts of any celebration is dressing for the occasion, and cast members at Walt Disney World Resort are ready to celebrate the resort’s 50th anniversary in style with their favorite accessory — new EARidescent Disney nametags!

With “The World’s Most Magical Celebration” only days away, cast members are coming together virtually and in person to officially put on their spectacular new 50th-themed nametags featuring EARidescent and gold details and the 50th anniversary logo.

Whether they’ve been here for 50 years or one day, the tradition of wearing a Disney nametag is one that every cast member keeps close to their heart (literally!), and there’s no better way to commemorate the important role each of us plays in bringing the magic of Disney to life for our guests and fellow cast members.

Check out how just a few of our Walt Disney World cast members are celebrating:

As the clock struck midnight earlier today, our third-shift cast members became the first to put on their 50th nametags!

Cast members working across Walt Disney World and at home share this historic moment together

Of course, no look is complete without a smile, and our cast members are grinning from ear to ear!

Cast members are wearing their new 50th nametags with pride, knowing they are part of this special moment in history and the heart of our celebration

Stay tuned for all of the latest news about the “The World’s Most Magical Celebration.”

Thousands of Cast Members Join Class Action Lawsuit Against Disneyland Over Wages

Posted on by Mathew Corn Animal Kingdom, Disney Parks, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom

The low pay for many Disneyland Cast Members along with the high cost of living near Anaheim, California has been causing housing and food insecurities for a number of years, and now the majority of Cast Members are joining a class action lawsuit against the resort in hopes of gaining a living wage.

The 25,000 (of Disneyland’s total 32,000) Cast Members involved in the suit allege that the company is legally obligated to pay them a living wage, and the ability to “live” hours away from their place of employment on top of food insecurities and the inability to consider having children does not quite constitute living.

Unions and Cast Members began to feel added pressure on wages when Disneyland changed the way certain roles are paid. For instance, some tipped positions like valet attendants recently had their roles modified so that they would no longer be handling luggage. But handling luggage is the way that many valet Cast Members make enough money to live on where their role is otherwise paid minimum wage or close to it.

Because of their low pay, some Disneyland Cast Members are experiencing food insecurities, while others are having to put off having children and buying a home. Some are even opting to sleep in their cars, because while affordable housing projects have helped some Cast Members make it work, others have not been able to find a solution close enough to work to justify the drive and the job.

Disneyland Cast Members

Many Cast Members also believe that leaving their positions, despite the fact they many do not want to as they are there because they love what they do for work, will not help. While the COVID-19 crisis may present a different picture, Disneyland has not historically had a difficult time filling frontline hospitality roles, so many fear if they were to leave the positions would simply be filled by those willing to accept the low pay and the problem would never be resolved.

A 2018 study conducted by Occidental College and the Economic Roundtable reported that 11% of Disneyland Cast Members have experienced homelessness, while 68% felt food insecurities and 73% stated that they do not earn enough to cover their basic living expenses.

Disneyland Cast Members

Some Cast Members have taken on second jobs to offset their Disneyland pay, but many find it difficult to do so given their requirement to have full availability at Disneyland. Even part timers have a hard time working a second job because of the varying shifts they get scheduled in the park. Some have turned to rideshare jobs and delivery services that are easier to work on their own time.

The cost of housing has gone up throughout Orange County as well, and many Cast Members believe rents are raised whenever possible because landlords understand the benefits of living close to the park and assume people will do what they can to be able to pay them.

The suit is also pointing to tax subsidies that the Walt Disney Company gets for the Anaheim property, claiming that those are extra dollars available that could be put towards giving the people who make the magic at the resort a living wage. Additional complications have been noted with revenue from the Mickey and Friends parking structure, which is a garage the City of Anaheim has ownership of though it is located on Disney property. “Measure L” as the involved Cast Members and union leaders are referring to this point in the suit, asks that the company increase wages to at least $18/hour plus any adequate increases to match the cost of living by 2022.

Currently Disneyland starts Cast Members at $15/hour, one dollar over the $14 minimum wage required by the state of California. There are plenty of perks and benefits to being a Disneyland Cast Member, too, but at the end of the day perks cannot compete with a living wage. As far as benefits, Cast Members do have access to public transportation cost subsidies, childcare, elder care, added paid sick time during COVID, and free access to educational programs (from GED courses to Master’s programs) all entirely covered up-front by the company.

Ultimately, Cast Members choose to work at Disneyland despite the low wages, because they want to be there. They enjoy creating happiness for Guests from all over the world and they truly have a passion for what they do- They would just like to be paid accordingly for it.