New Disneyland Parking Garage and Transportation Hub

[Disney Irish]

Thank you, sir! I have a degree and have been successful in the workplace for many years. However my former career is not an option any longer so I had to start over. I’ve been at the Disneyland Resort now for several years and I love it. I love Disney, I love my job, and I love creating happiness! But it is a challenging place to work. In my opinion it does not equate to employment at a fast food restaurant. Disney has very high expectations of CMs. (Higher than anywhere else I’ve been employed.) So do Guests! I am happy to meet those expectations and prefer to work at that level. I went in knowing this and agreeing to the pay offered and the late hours. Still, I wish that I earned something closer to what I need to pay my bills. I need the cast shuttle given how far away from my work location I am required to park. I accept that when Guests need the spaces I will be parking twice as far that distance. I am grateful for the paid walk time and consider it a privilege. At the same time in all my working years I have never parked so far from my location. I don’t think I am spoiled in receiving partial compensation for the time it takes to get to and from my car to where I work, which takes far more than twenty minutes. (How much time I spend commuting to the lot is entirely separate and on me.) All I ask of the online community is respect for the experience of Cast Members and reserve judgement if you haven’t been one yourself.

I have respect for the CMs, and I empathize with the situation. While I have never worked for Disney, I have worked for a local amusement park in the Bay Area. I know how it is to have to deal with long commutes, public transit, and having to be at my work assignment by an assigned time. Going through security, having to go to costuming before being "on-stage", checking in with your lead or supervisor, etc. All this before I even clocked in. I just had to budget my time and know when I needed to leave my house in order to do all this. I wish I got the perk of "walking time", that would have been heaven.

Point people have been trying to make is that Disney CMs aren't in a unique position. Its something that lots of people deal with and not just in the theme park business.

 

[Ismael Flores]

Except that Disneyland is in a position where it isn't competitive in terms of compensation, thus it needs to do whatever it can to draw people to work there. Offering a shuttle to/from the employee parking lot is the least they can do.

I don’t disagree with that, if the parking is at a distance sure shuttles should be provided because the workers are using a company parking lot.
But like others and I have said additional time compensations for the extracommuting time shouldn’t have to be an obligation.
If I am do to be in my station and working at 4 and I know that it takes me an hour to get to the point of checking then it’s my responsibility to add that extra hour Into my commute time with out demanding that I be compensated. It would be nice if that was the case for everyone in the work force but it’s not

 

[Ismael Flores]

The issue is not whether Disney offers a perk like "paid walking time" or a shuttle, its when the employees that take advantage of it believe its a right not a perk.

Exactly,
Maybe that is why I hate unions. Because they seem to be taking that approach and I don’t think it’s because they care for their members. I think it’s more about the idea of keeping the unions strong so they can continue to collect member dues from their members.

 

[Ismael Flores]

Because @Ismael Flores said, "I really never understood the argument about CM’s having to be compensated for their commuting time or their time from parking to punching in. What makes this so different to any other job that thousands of other people do and have to commute, park and then many of times have to prepare for work with a uniform."

I was simply responding that it's a perk they're offering to attract workers. That's it.

I wasn’t insinuating that perks shouldn’t Be offered as in this case with the shuttles service. I was stating that demanding to be paid for their commuting time to their post is not a companies obligation.
I believe this started when someone got upset to the suggestion that the bus stops and cast shuttles could be moved to Manchester to help with traffic flow in harbor. Seems like person got upset for the suggestion because it added time for his/her walking commute without additional compensated.

 

[Deleted member 107043]

But like others and I have said additional time compensations for the extracommuting time shouldn’t have to be an obligation.

I don't think anyone said that it was, well at least not me, hence why I used the word "perk".

 

[Phroobar]

Something has switched inside me lately. I used to just sit back and keep my mouth shut when I didn't agree with things, but no more. I've already called my son's teacher out twice so far for her BS. I'm sure plenty more will be forthcoming! Of course I'm not rude, and I do it in a respectful way, so that goes a long way, but no more sitting by and privately stewing for me!

Iger withdrawals.

 

[Old Mouseketeer]

I actually do believe that CM's deserve to be paid more but the "living wage" argument is irrelevant. The problem is CM's aren't being paid what's fair to the work they put out. However, someone working at McDonald's is getting paid more than what's fair to the work they put out. It's all relative to the job.

I think that's horrible. It's been explained in detail that labor is such a small percentage in the fast food industry that paying $14 or $15 per hour would have a negligible impact on corporate profits. "Relative to the job" is irrelevant. It's people working full time and unable to live.

 

[Old Mouseketeer]

So lets say you are right, then the question is what do you consider a living wage? Because your definition and the definition of someone else may differ.

For example based on the labor statistics in LA metro area which includes Anaheim the living wage for a single adult is $13.41 per hour. Is that enough to live on for a single CM anywhere in LA? What about if that adult has a child the living wage goes up to $27.94 per hour. Should Disney pay that CM different because they have a child? Is that fair to the CM that doesn't have a child?

http://livingwage.mit.edu/metros/31080

Now flip that, everyone complains about how expensive it is to go to DLR now. Imagine if Disney had to pay all their CMs a living wage, those prices would skyrocket even more. Is it fair that a guest should pay even more because the front-line CMs, who are mostly just barely high school graduates or are in college without any marketable skills, want to make more than minimum wage?

So as you can see above its not just straight cut and dry. The living wage changes based on the individual circumstances. And then that cost of the wage gets passed onto the consumer. Who then has to make more money to get that service, etc. Its a vicious cycle.

I'm all for people making more money. But at some point you have to ask, is this a position that is meant to be temporary or is it meant to a career. I don't think anyone envisions being a front-line CM as a career. So its meant to be temporary until you get into a career. Which means you have to gain marketable skills by going to school so you can get into that career. Until then you work those minimum wage jobs and do what you can to get by.

I really don't think you understand the reality of vast numbers of Disney CMs today. It is widely proven that raising the minimum wage results in more unemployment or rampant inflation is not true. And I sure as hell don't think you know many Disneyland employees.

Everyone--listen up. We're talking about people here. People who wait on you and are expected to make magic for you and entertain you. And you don't care if they're making a living wage. You don't care if their compensation and benefits have drastically declined over the past 40 years. Disney keeps squeezing and squeezing and you offer the equivalent of "let them eat cake."

Have a magical day.

 

[Darkbeer1]

https://www.seattletimes.com/business/uw-study-finds-seattles-minimum-wage-is-costing-jobs/

>>
The UW team published its first report last July on the impact of the first jump in Seattle’s minimum wage, which went in April 2015 from $9.47 to $10 or $11 an hour, depending on business size, benefits and tips.

This latest study from the UW team looks at the effects of both the first and second jumps. The second jump, in January 2016, raised the minimum wage to $10.50 to $13. (The minimum wage has since gone up again, to the current $11 to $15. It goes up again in January to $11.50 to $15.)

The team concluded that the second jump had a far greater impact, boosting pay in low-wage jobs by about 3 percent since 2014 but also resulting in a 9 percent reduction in hours worked in such jobs. That resulted in a 6 percent drop in what employers collectively pay — and what workers earn — for those low-wage jobs.

For an average low-wage worker in Seattle, that translates into a loss of about $125 per month per job.

“If you’re a low-skilled worker with one of those jobs, $125 a month is a sizable amount of money,” said Mark Long, a UW public-policy professor and one of the authors of the report. “It can be the difference between being able to pay your rent and not being able to pay your rent.”

The report also estimated that there are about 5,000 fewer low-wage jobs in the city than there would have been without the law.<<

Actual study, real numbers, real tracking in a study ordered by the city government.

 

[The Mom]

People, just a reminder that personal attacks are never allowed, and there is a politics forum to discuss living wage, government assistance, etc etc.

 

[Disney Irish]

Well now back to the reason for the thread, the Eastern Gateway.

@Darkbeer1 any indication when Disney will be submitting an updated proposal? I would have to think its got to be before the end of the year or timelines are shot. We're already half way through October, and no agenda updates as of yet.

 

[Darkbeer1]

Nothing to report, and after the workshop is held, you have to get it on the planned calendar. If the plans was released om Monday, you could have the Workshop just before Thanksgiving, and then filed, you could get a hearing date, after the required review period in early 2018. So you already have 3 months at minimum before it could go to the City Council.

http://anaheim.net/DocumentCenter/Home/View/2004

 

[Disney Irish]

Nothing to report, and after the workshop is held, you have to get it on the planned calendar. If the plans was released om Monday, you could have the Workshop just before Thanksgiving, and then filed, you could get a hearing date, after the required review period in early 2018. So you already have 3 months at minimum before it could go to the City Council.

http://anaheim.net/DocumentCenter/Home/View/2004

I suppose if they got an exception (for noise, road closures, and such) to allow 24 hour construction for the entire project it could be finished in time for SWL:GE opening. However it's likely to get opened after opening in sometime late 2019 or early 2020.

 

[Darkbeer1]

I suppose if they got an exception (for noise, road closures, and such) to allow 24 hour construction for the entire project it could be finished in time for SWL:GE opening. However it's likely to get opened after opening in sometime late 2019 or early 2020.

I doubt you will get the Hotel Owners to agree to a total waiver. But most of the Hotels and Inn/Motels are been built and retrofitted to help deal with the I-5 noise. So you might get an evening work allowance, say no loud noises between 10 PM and 8 AM, and limited work in those hours if they keep the noise level equal to the freeway noise.

But, yes, no way to get the entire project done in time, though you might be able to get the bridge, security check and new transportation hub done. So looks like CM's will have to give up the Katella Lot until Pummba is ready when Galaxy Edge opens.

 

[Darkbeer1]

One more major point as to why Disney needs to get the complete Eastern Gateway approved. We know about the lack of parking, and the need for a larger security check area,

But a lot of Future projects depend on freeing up the current land used for the Transportation Hub and current security check.

Disney is getting ready to add more to Marvel Land, and the project will be in the current footprint, but then what they add, and where they place it hinges on when they can build on expanded land. So this is a cause of frustration in other divisions.

And the earliest they could get the go ahead to take the next step of the expansion is when the Eastern Gateway is gets final approval from the city council is now March.

If Disney waits until after the November, 2018 election, then they could start the process right after that, so a December Workshop, and maybe a late April approval, but more likely May or later in 2019, almost two years from now.

So what could have started years ago, or maybe a lot quicker after Disney made the deal with the Carousel Inn purchase, is coming to bite Disney big time,

Heck, maybe overpay and buy the Denny's and IHOP, or get someone like Wincome to do it. (Who is going to make out nicely with the new pedestrian entrance on Disney Way right across the street from the planned new 4-Star Hotel). That would get rid of the main complainers and should make it easier to work with the Hotel owners to find solutions to better access to the new security check area. One simple thing Disney would normally hate, signage on property that would direct folks to the off-property sites, including the names of the specific businesses. Not every solution needs to cost a lot of money, just a change in the corporate "think".

If Disney could get a large percentage of the nearby businesses to fully support the project, it would make it very difficult for the city council to override the approved Planning Commission vote. Only if some folks voice their opposition could allow the council the excuse yo overturn the decision.

 

[Darkbeer1]

By the way, the Anaheim Planning Commission is meeting on Monday with a few items on the agenda, but nothing related to the Resort District.

http://www.anaheim.net/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_10162017-301

 

[Hatbox Ghostbuster]

I try not to take any of it too seriously, so for me the levity is much appreciated.

Obviously I enjoy vigorous debate, but only as long as the conversation is respectful and consideration is shown for everyone's opinion. I am frank and not shy about expressing my opinion, but in doing so I make an effort to go with the flow, add substantively to the discussion, and acknowledge when I'm wrong. I consider the majority of posters in the Disneyland section of WDWMagic as my virtual friends, and like "real life" friends we aren't always going to agree, and that's OK.

You're doing it right in my book!

 

[TP2000]

Nothing to report, and after the workshop is held, you have to get it on the planned calendar. If the plans was released om Monday, you could have the Workshop just before Thanksgiving, and then filed, you could get a hearing date, after the required review period in early 2018. So you already have 3 months at minimum before it could go to the City Council.

http://anaheim.net/DocumentCenter/Home/View/2004

Thank you Darkbeer, that info is very helpful.

My gosh, is this thing a mess! I am very frustrated at the current Anaheim politicians, especially Mayor Tait who appears to be having a weird mid-life crisis where he seethes and broods and tries to undermine Disneyland instead of just buying a Corvette and hitting on cocktail waitresses.

But, I place most of the blame for this on TDA and it's last few executives; Michael Colglazier, George Kalogridis, Ed Grier. All of them completely failed at this. Especially Colglazier. They let the corporate short-sightedness stump them, and they failed to plan for the future while they valet parked at the Grand Californian and let the peasants fight for the few parking spaces left.

TDA and the Burbank bosses have absolutely no one to blame but themselves. Mayor Tait may be a jerk about it, but this is ultimately Disney's fault for the mess they are in.

 

[Phroobar]

Thank you Darkbeer, that info is very helpful.

My gosh, is this thing a mess! I am very frustrated at the current Anaheim politicians, especially Mayor Tait who appears to be having a weird mid-life crisis where he seethes and broods and tries to undermine Disneyland instead of just buying a Corvette and hitting on cocktail waitresses.

But, I place most of the blame for this on TDA and it's last few executives; Michael Colglazier, George Kalogridis, Ed Grier. All of them completely failed at this. Especially Colglazier. They let the corporate short-sightedness stump them, and they failed to plan for the future while they valet parked at the Grand Californian and let the peasants fight for the few parking spaces left.

TDA and the Burbank bosses have absolutely no one to blame but themselves. Mayor Tait may be a jerk about it, but this is ultimately Disney's fault for the mess they are in.

At this point I'm kind of hoping the anti-Disney groups gets reelected. It would really off Calglazier's bosses and they might actually do something. Of course, they will probably just wait even longer.

 

[Deleted member 107043]

At this point I'm kind of hoping the anti-Disney groups gets reelected. It would really **** off Calglazier's bosses and they might actually do something. Of course, they will probably just wait even longer.

Are these people really anti-Disny or are they just less willing to bend over backwards and give Disney everything it wants without bigger concessions for their constituents?