Disney Celebrates National Neighbor Day

Posted on by Mathew Corn Uncategorized

Disney wants to highlight those who are making a difference in their community. They are also trying to inspire others to think of ways to impact their own city and neighborhood. Here’s what Shelby Grasser shared with Disney Parks Blog:

“The Disney Magic Makers contest was launched to recognize and reward those who are making magic in their communities. In honor of National Neighbor Day on September 28, Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products and the neighborhood network, Nextdoor, have teamed up to create an interactive digital map that showcases the inspirational acts of kindness, compassion, and generosity taking place in neighborhoods across the country.

In addition to spotlighting local heroes who have made a positive impact in their neighborhoods, the interactive map provides a deeper look into where and how magic is being made around the country. The data from Nextdoor includes a breakdown of who these magical neighbors are, where they come from, how they’re answering the call to help, and more!

To view the map, visit NeighborhoodMagicMakers.com.

To nominate an inspiring neighbor to become a Disney Magic Maker, visit DisneyMagicMakers.com by Oct. 1, 2021. You can further celebrate your neighborhood heroes by sharing the nomination on Nextdoor using #DisneyMagicMakers. 50 Disney Magic Makers will receive a trip to Walt Disney World Resort to celebrate the “Year’s Most Magical Celebration” and may also receive a one-year subscription to Disney+.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Enter the contest before October 1, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. & D.C., who are 18 years of age at time of entry. Nominees must be at least 13 years of age at time of nomination. Limit 5 entries per person. See Official Rules and visit www.DisneyMagicMakers.com for full details on how to enter, eligibility requirements, contest entry periods, prize description and limitations. Void where prohibited. Sponsor: Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media, Inc., 500 S. Buena Vista Street, Burbank, CA 91521.”

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.

Could Disney lose the rights to Mickey?

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Uncategorized

Could Disney lose its iconic symbol? DisDining.com dives into the history of the famous icon.

“Disney is set to lose its rights to Mickey, and a potential new owner is already lying in wait.

Shhh. Did you hear that–the sinister, maniacal laughter of the villain from any of your favorite Disney classic films? Yeah, me too.”

In news reminiscent of that from early 1928, Disney Dining has learned that Disney is set to lose its rights to the beloved Mickey Mouse in 2024, just three short years from now. and the enterprise poised to catch him just as he is loosed from Disney is doing so out of spite–not for the mouse–but for all he represents.

A company called MSCHF has launched its own version of Mickey Mouse–of sorts.

Its “token” isn’t referred to as Mickey, and the likeness is not quite Mickey’s either. It’s more of a copy and an idea rolled into one.

Fans and non-fans alike are invited to purchase a token that looks like a mouse. The so-called “X Famous Mouse” serves as more of a placeholder that can be bought today for $100 and redeemed in 2024 when Disney no longer owns the rights to Mickey. Once redeemed, the owner will receive an actual collectible piece of artwork.

It’s the copyright for Disney’s Steamboat Willie that is set to expire in 2024. Once the copyright expires, the character of the famous mouse as he appeared in the animated short will be part of the public domain. That is, unless Disney can pull a fast one like it did in 1988.

Faced with a similar fate in the late 80s, Disney bypassed any potential riff-raff and went straight to the federal government for help, lobbying Congress in an effort to extend its copyright on Mickey. Whether it was Disney’s powerhouse persona or a Congress full of Mickey fans, we aren’t sure. But the lobbying worked, and the copyright was extended.

But, as with all good things, the copyright is coming to an end. The so-called “Mickey Mouse Protection Act,” or, as it is more formally knows, the Copyright Term Extension Act, only extended the rights so long, and in 2024, the extension of the protection will be terminated.

MSCHF explains that it feels Disney is a “multinational behemoth, able to change national laws to suit the interests of a cartoon mouse,” and that the entertainment giant is also “a massive all-swallowing conglomerate, with a desire for both industry dominance and cultural hegemony.”

The company further says that we must “leap at the chance to take back even the scant morsels available to us; at the slightest chance we must eat them alive.”

So it would seem that MSCHF wants the rights to Mickey, not to continue to see his notoriety blossom and bloom or further his legacy, but rather to mock him and the company he represents for being such a power-hungry “conglomerate.”

Got it.

But if Disney did it once, couldn’t they do it again? Couldn’t they lobby Congress or write a letter to the President or pay a hefty sum of money to see that the copyright doesn’t expire? That remains to be seen.

And if Disney is successful in securing some kind of staying power on its Mickey copyright, MSCHF is ready for that too, saying that it will move along with the extension, should one be granted.

Catching the mouse seems to be the name of the game for MSCHF’s CEO, Gabe Whaley, who says his company is making the most of a loophole in the copyright law.

“Famous Mouse is using the idea of conceptual art as a copyright loophole,” he explained. “Copyright is always a game of loopholes.”

A loophole led to the demise of Walt’s beloved Oswald the Lucky Rabbit in early 1928. The long-eared bunny ended up the property of Universal Pictures, thanks to a contract loophole, a sneaky distributor and some less-than-loyal studio staff members.

Could it happen again in 2024? It’s possible.

Whaley explains, “This is a roundabout way to get the mouse out early.”

Johansson’s Lawyer Says Disney Is Trying to Hide Its Misconduct

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney+, Uncategorized

The Scarlett Johansson (AKA “Black Widow”) and Disney dispute continues. If you need to be caught up, Johansson recently announced she is suing Disney for the release of Black Widow on Disney+ which she says was not part of their original film contract. Even though the COVID 19 pandemic hit the actress wanted an exclusive theatrical release. Disney responded with disappointment. Disney’s upcoming “Tower of Terror” film is currently on hold as Disney has reportedly cut all ties with Johansson. With all of the Johansson news highlights, she was privately keeping hidden that she was pregnant and as of a few days ago celebrated the arrival of a baby boy! In other words – there has been a LOT going on! Now, Disney is asking for private arbitration. It sounds like Johansson’s lawyer is not happy about it.

On Friday night (August 20), the Walt Disney Company filed to move the Black Widow and Scarlett Johannson lawsuit out of the public court and behind closed doors with a confidential arbitration. As reported by Entertainment Weekly: “In the filing, Disney took aim at Periwinkle Entertainment, the company through which Johansson negotiated her contract and the official plaintiff in the case. Disney’s motion argues that Periwinkle agreed to resolve all disputes “‘arising out of, in connection with, or relating to’ Scarlett Johansson’s acting services for Black Widow” through arbitration, and accuses Johansson of legal chicanery to attempt to take the dispute to court.”

The actress’s lawyer, John Berlinski, responded: “After initially responding to this litigation with a misogynistic attack against Scarlett Johansson, Disney is now, predictably, trying to hide its misconduct in a confidential arbitration,” said Berlinski. “Why is Disney so afraid of litigating this case in public? Because it knows that Marvel’s promises to give Black Widow a typical theatrical release ‘like its other films’ had everything to do with guaranteeing that Disney wouldn’t cannibalize box office receipts in order to boost Disney+ subscriptions. Yet that is exactly what happened — and we look forward to presenting the overwhelming evidence that proves it.”

The Marvel movie recently became the highest-grossing film at the domestic box office since COVID-19 began, with $179.3 million. In its motion on Friday, Disney revealed a rare Disney Plus disclosure that Black Widow had also grossed “more than $125 million in streaming and download retail receipts.” 

Disney Parks and Resorts Revenue Up $1 Billion Over Last Quarter

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

The third quarter of the fiscal year has closed, and Disney has released their Q3 2021 results. In the earnings call this afternoon, the company announced a $17.02 billion revenue, higher than the expected revenue of $16.76 billion.

Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products reported revenue of $4.3 billion, an increase of 100% versus Q3 2020 and $1 billion more than last quarter.

Domestic parks posted a profit of $2 million, marking the first quarter with a profit since the pandemic began in March 2020. Meanwhile, international parks had a loss of $210 million.

Disney Parks worldwide were all open during Q3, and domestic parks increased capacity, leading to higher attendance and guest spending.