2025 was an awful year

[DisneyHead123]

The two aren't even really connected. If CM pay reflected the financial success of the company things would be a lot different. Let's not pretend Disney can't waste thousands of dollars at a time and it would still only be a blip on their bottom line.

I responded but it got deleted so I’ll try to phrase this in the most neutral way possible.

They are connected, but this is the direction: Higher wages are going to get rolled into prices. The inverse is not true, you are correct - higher profits are not going to get rolled into higher wages.

I’m not making any kind of subjective analysis on how things “should” be, just defending the semantics of the claim I made.

 

[Ayla]

I thought I read that Disney was building some employee housing which might help. I would love to see higher CM pay, but the thing about pay increases is that fans want to have it both ways, imo. They want CMs to be earning a living wage but will also be the first to lose their minds if the price of a Mickey bar or resort stay increases.

Food, tickets and resort stays have increased exponentially year after year after year - you know damn well CM pay hasn't kept up with those increases.

 

[Prince-1]

Charging people based on when they decide to go isn’t scrupulous…no matter who else does it.

It will absolutely destroy any casual visitors…which is likely the point. Will also take out a lot of loyalty visitors…which is also likely the point

Ok then we agree that it isn't "theft" at all. First, they to have actually implement the plan and then, if they do, we will see if it is a dumpster fire or if people join the lemming parade and pay whatever they have to to get in.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Ok then we agree that it isn't "theft" at all. First, they to have actually implement the plan and then, if they do, we will see if it is a dumpster fire or if people join the lemming parade and pay whatever they have to to get in.

Not theft

Nothing close to good PR or a well run company…but the price is the price

Well sortof…if it changes the more times you click to look

 

[John park hopper]

Splash Mountain should have never been killed off.

Agree

 

[DisneyHead123]

you know damn well CM pay hasn't kept up with those increases.

Do mean universal “you” or me in particular?

If you mean me in particular, my attempt to run those numbers would be dubious given my mathematical abilities. If anyone skilled in that area wants to give it a try I’d be interested to see what profit margins vs. pay / benefit increases have looked like.

 

[KDM31091]

losing core identities of 3 parks is certainly depressing. The Rivers of America, Muppet Courtyard, and Dinoland USA were not minor parts of the parks.

I wouldn’t put starlight on the list of negatives - it’s definitely a positive addition and a step in the right direction.

i don’t remember seeing misplaced DJ’s and that’s the type of thing I notice.

All the parks are becoming interchangeable IP hodgepodges unfortunately. But I’m trying my best to find positives. I was fully prepared to hate the new Country Bears and I actually like it. Not all recent projects have been awful. I do hope the design of the resorts and restaurants etc goes back to a more themed Disney design and not just bland beige everywhere. I am very concerned for the Lakeshore Lodge being a vaguely themed Hilton esque design.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Do mean universal “you” or me in particular?

If you mean me in particular, my attempt to run those numbers would be dubious given my mathematical abilities. If anyone skilled in that area wants to give it a try I’d be interested to see what profit margins vs. pay / benefit increases have looked like.

Price increases have almost nothing to do with pay

That would be worthy…the price increases have not been

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I am very concerned for the Lakeshore Lodge being a vaguely themed Hilton esque design.

Because every room they’ve touched for 10 years has ended up that way?

 

[WorldExplorer]

losing core identities of 3 parks is certainly depressing. The Rivers of America, Muppet Courtyard, and Dinoland USA were not minor parts of the parks.

I wouldn’t put starlight on the list of negatives - it’s definitely a positive addition and a step in the right direction.

i don’t remember seeing misplaced DJ’s and that’s the type of thing I notice.

Sorry, I didn't see this: Cool Kids Summer came with a DJ in Tomorrowland (not just a dance party with Stitch; it was playing when Stitch wasn't around) and the decision to blast Disney Channel music through parts of Fantasyland in the morning for early entry. Kids can't enjoy themselves in Disney World unless they have pop music from the long forgotten Disney Channel Original Movie Princess Protection Program playing, you see.

There was also a spot in Epcot blasting pop music that apparently was a Cool Kids Summer thing but was just playing pop with no one around when I found it. So if you were particularly unlucky with your timing, with the misplaced DJ that was already there, you could walk into World Celebration from World Showcase through whatever random crap was being played on the stage, through CommuniCore where they had a DJ playing random crap, then escape CommuniCore only to find this random speaker playing random crap.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Cool Kids Summer came with a DJ in Tomorrowland

Oh I do remember that dj when I went to ride people mover. I think she had a pop up tent over her making it all the more magical! Haha

 

[DisneyHead123]

Price increases have almost nothing to do with pay

That would be worthy…the price increases have not been

I will certainly agree that Disney is not handing out pay raises without being asked. That said, there were large pay / benefit raises in recent years with unions using increased profit margins as leverage in their arguments. According to Google those pay / benefit increases will cost multiple millions annually, so they certainly weren’t nothing, although I have absolutely no idea how that compares to profit margin increases.

 

[WorldExplorer]

Oh I do remember that dj when I went to ride people mover. I think she had a pop up tent over her making it all the more magical! Haha

They do this stuff regularly but can't be bothered to make themed props for them.



Reminder that the Rama DJ got a truck and land appropriate theming, because Rama was the first and only place a DJ in a Disney World park was or will ever be acceptable:

 

[John park hopper]

Disney can well afford to pay CM's when their profit is 12 billion on 94 billion in revenue

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I will certainly agree that Disney is not handing out pay raises without being asked. That said, there were large pay / benefit raises in recent years with unions using increased profit margins as leverage in their arguments. According to Google those pay / benefit increases will cost multiple millions annually, so they certainly weren’t nothing, although I have absolutely no idea how that compares to profit margin increases.

Unions have no power in Florida

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Unions have no power in Florida

Entertainment does (equity) but that’s a small piece of the puzzle and has arguably been responsible for more 3rd party stuff

 

[Ayla]

Do mean universal “you” or me in particular?

If you mean me in particular, my attempt to run those numbers would be dubious given my mathematical abilities. If anyone skilled in that area wants to give it a try I’d be interested to see what profit margins vs. pay / benefit increases have looked like.

You.

 

[AidenRodriguez731]

- The year of constant shut downs.

- The year they officially gave up on Animal Kingdom's theme.

- The year they officially killed Frontierland.

- Tiana's opened in 2024, but I think this year is when it sunk in that Disney gaves so little of a care they have no intentions of even giving the ride they killed Splash Mountain for proper maintenance. They put it on Disney Plus blatantly broken.

- The Summer of constant DJs and random pop music playing in inappropriate places.

- The year we got Zootopia: Better Zoogether. Then the only thing people agreed was good about it (animatronic) broke within two weeks.

- Asha's still here and taking up valuable space.

- Starlight debuted to thunderous "well that was okay"s. Then quickly started having issues.

- One step closer to drinking around the Magic Kingdom.

It's been so bad I think it's permanently changed how enthusiastic/tolerant I am for anything Disney related. I don't expect that enthusiasm to come back in 2026.

The year of pulling the bandaid off, finally giving WDW the construction and attention it needs, getting back to refreshing everything that has fallen behind the last few years, a fun summer with allowing people to experience the waterparks for much cheaper and dance parties, Asha's still doing her meet and greets despite what random people online say about the movie/her because damn it people still like her, more and more thematic experiences opening up, a new nighttime parade!!! A great new Test Track. Boots on the grounds, dirt is moving. Good time to be a Disney fan imo.

Great interim year imo. Not that much "big stuff" opened so they focused on improving what we already have, adding more little shows/character interactions/etc

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

people still like her,

What people? I’m one of the few people I know who actually liked the movie but it seems to me hardly anyone even knows who she let alone like her

 

[AidenRodriguez731]

What people? I’m one of the few people I know who actually liked the movie but it seems to me hardly anyone even knows who she let alone like her

I waited in a little line to meet her and there were quite a few kids who seemed to really like her. And I obviously was also there because my fiancé and I liked her movie.