Cast Member Wages

[WDWVolFan]

Life is about expectations, and I find it sad that you didn't expect to live the high life! Why??? It's one thing if you don't want that lifestyle, as many people don't -- but to not expect it is kind of sad to me.

And, I bet someone did the same for you, so I hope you pay it forward. How can we expect things from teenagers, if no one takes time to guide them?

I've been trying to stay away from this discussion but the points above gave me no option.

To expect to live a glamorous life is wrong. Because that assumes that you are entitled to it. No one is! You have to earn it. If you don't earn it, you can't have it. That's life.
Everyone should have a goal to live the high life, whatever they consider high life to be, but to expect it or to believe they have the right to do so, that is just nonsense.

As for teenagers, I've seen teenagers that are very polite and willing to learn. But there are plenty that flunk out of HS because they just don't care, then get a job at McDonald's, get the new iPhone, cool rims and sound system for their cars, and when money runs out (because they spent on stupid crap), they want $15/hour to stack buns and hamburger patties.

There is a generation of people that believe that they have the right to have a tricked out car, the coolest smartphone, fast internet, cool vacations, etc. etc. with very little or no effort.

Nice things are EARNED, they are not a right.
Every person makes their own happiness, it's not my job or yours to make everyone happy. We need to fight for what we believe we deserve. And guess what, what we believe may be wrong and life will teach us that and it's up to us to change that, not to pout and whine and scream that we have the right to have nice things if we have a poor attitude and want to put very little effort into it.

 

[Mouse_Trap]

Why do Cast Members accept a relatively low wage while working at Walt Disney World? Does it have to do with employee empowerment, the job setting or management styles? Let me know what you're thoughts are on this topic!

For mostly the same reasons anyone takes a minimum wage job....except Disney is a draw to many people.

It can include:
low level of qualifications/skills/experience necessary;
amount of labour supply in the area;
ease/simplicity of tasks to be undertaken;
opportunities for progression;
appeal of the industry or employer;
benefits offered for being an employee.

I'm sure there's more.

You could easily instead ask why do burger flippers in McDonalds get paid near minimum wage?
Because they don't need to be a 3 Michelin starred Chief to do the job.

 

[Siren]

I've been trying to stay away from this discussion but the points above gave me no option.

To expect to live a glamorous life is wrong. Because that assumes that you are entitled to it. No one is! You have to earn it. If you don't earn it, you can't have it. That's life.

Everyone should have a goal to live the high life, whatever they consider high life to be, but to expect it or to believe they have the right to do so, that is just nonsense.

As for teenagers, I've seen teenagers that are very polite and willing to learn. But there are plenty that flunk out of HS because they just don't care, then get a job at McDonald's, get the new iPhone, cool rims and sound system for their cars, and when money runs out (because they spent on stupid crap), they want $15/hour to stack buns and hamburger patties.

There is a generation of people that believe that they have the right to have a tricked out car, the coolest smartphone, fast internet, cool vacations, etc. etc. with very little or no effort.

Nice things are EARNED, they are not a right.

Every person makes their own happiness, it's not my job or yours to make everyone happy. We need to fight for what we believe we deserve. And guess what, what we believe may be wrong and life will teach us that and it's up to us to change that, not to pout and whine and scream that we have the right to have nice things if we have a **** poor attitude and want to put very little effort into it.

I strongly disagree with the notion that teenagers drop out of high school because "they don't care." It's not that simple, there is a lot of grey area and *too* many variables that factor into play here. So, we should not judge or paint all of them with a broad brush.

Anyway, it looks like CM wages are back in the spotlight again. I don't feel like $15 dollars an hour is enough to live on, let alone provide a *glamorous* lifestyle. I don't feel any compassion from you toward the working poor.

My perspective has changed and I really don't know what to think anymore. I was cheering for everyone to get those raises -- thinking that it would help the working class.

But, the minimum wage increase backfired in some parts of the country -- and those same workers who protested and fought so hard to receive $15 an hour, subsequently lost their government subsidies such as food stamps, medical care, daycare assistance, electric, heat, and water subsidies, etc.

The raise actually put them in a far worse state to where they asked their employers to give them *less* hours so they can still qualify for welfare. That is an unintended consequence, that no one could forsee.

^^^This is what Bernie Sanders *needs* to focus on -- instead of Bob Iger's salary.

People are fighting for $15 an hour and even that is not enough. You can't blame Disney for everything.

It's sad, that they don't know how much they really need to live and part of me, believes that these protesters were exploited for a larger agenda.

As an aside, our government leaders are totally obsessed with Disney World. It's embarrassing. LOL.

Let Disney Fix Those Long TSA Security Lines at Airports - Former Senator Bob Kerrey

Former Sen. Bob Kerrey wants Disney to fix the TSA lines.


DC's Mickey Mouse Policymakers keep comparing big problems to Disney World

Let’s make this clear: The nation’s capital is not the Magic Kingdom.

Yet twice this week, Washington policymakers preposterously likened serious issues — veterans’ health care and the safety of the D.C. area’s deeply dysfunctional Metro system — to Disney amusement parks.

Talk about being stuck in Fantasyland.

First, there was Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald comparing scandalous wait times for treatment at VA hospitals to waiting in line at a Disney park, as though a colonoscopy is the same as a Space Mountain ride.

“When you go to Disney, do they measure the number of hours you wait in line? Or what’s important?” McDonald told reporters at a Christian Science Monitor breakfast in Washington on Monday. “What’s important is: What’s your satisfaction with the experience?”

The second Mickey Mouse move this week came from Rep. Daniel Webster (R-Fla.), during a House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee’s hearing on Metro’s safety.

The committee oversees the Metro, which moves hundreds of thousands of people every day on six lines and through 91 stations. The system’s lines go over rivers, under rivers, across bridges, beneath federal buildings and through neighborhoods.

Shouldn’t be that hard, said Webster, who thinks the Metro should run as smoothly as Disney’s monorail, a system that consists of three lines with stops at the park’s hotels and attractions.

“I have one rail system in my district — it’s owned by Disney World. And I’ve never seen it broken in the 30-some years they’ve been there,” he said. “And we have a lot of people riding that, too. We have 66 million people that come to my district every year.”

^^^LOL.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I strongly disagree with the notion that teenagers drop out of high school because "they don't care." It's not that simple, there is a lot of grey area and *too* many variables that factor into play here. So, we should not judge or paint all of them with a broad brush.

Anyway, it looks like CM wages are back in the spotlight again. I don't feel like $15 dollars an hour is enough to live on, let alone provide a *glamorous* lifestyle. I don't feel any compassion from you toward the working poor.

My perspective has changed and I really don't know what to think anymore. I was cheering for everyone to get those raises -- thinking that it would help the working class.

But, the minimum wage increase backfired in some parts of the country -- and those same workers who protested and fought so hard to receive $15 an hour, subsequently lost their government subsidies such as food stamps, medical care, daycare assistance, electric, heat, and water subsidies, etc.

The raise actually put them in a far worse state to where they asked their employers to give them *less* hours so they can still qualify for welfare. That is an unintended consequence, that no one could forsee.

^^^This is what Bernie Sanders *needs* to focus on -- instead of Bob Iger's salary.

People are fighting for $15 an hour and even that is not enough. You can't blame Disney for everything.

It's sad, that they don't know how much they really need to live and part of me, believes that these protesters were exploited for a larger agenda.

As an aside, our government leaders are totally obsessed with Disney World. It's embarrassing. LOL.

Let Disney Fix Those Long TSA Security Lines at Airports - Former Senator Bob Kerrey

Former Sen. Bob Kerrey wants Disney to fix the TSA lines.


DC's Mickey Mouse Policymakers keep comparing big problems to Disney World

Let’s make this clear: The nation’s capital is not the Magic Kingdom.

Yet twice this week, Washington policymakers preposterously likened serious issues — veterans’ health care and the safety of the D.C. area’s deeply dysfunctional Metro system — to Disney amusement parks.

Talk about being stuck in Fantasyland.

First, there was Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald comparing scandalous wait times for treatment at VA hospitals to waiting in line at a Disney park, as though a colonoscopy is the same as a Space Mountain ride.

“When you go to Disney, do they measure the number of hours you wait in line? Or what’s important?” McDonald told reporters at a Christian Science Monitor breakfast in Washington on Monday. “What’s important is: What’s your satisfaction with the experience?”

The second Mickey Mouse move this week came from Rep. Daniel Webster (R-Fla.), during a House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee’s hearing on Metro’s safety.

The committee oversees the Metro, which moves hundreds of thousands of people every day on six lines and through 91 stations. The system’s lines go over rivers, under rivers, across bridges, beneath federal buildings and through neighborhoods.

Shouldn’t be that hard, said Webster, who thinks the Metro should run as smoothly as Disney’s monorail, a system that consists of three lines with stops at the park’s hotels and attractions.

“I have one rail system in my district — it’s owned by Disney World. And I’ve never seen it broken in the 30-some years they’ve been there,” he said. “And we have a lot of people riding that, too. We have 66 million people that come to my district every year.”

^^^LOL.

Well that was the great secret about earned money. The more you earn the less free things you get, because now you have the money for them, in theory. Welcome to the middle class, the more you earn the less you have, the more taxes you pay, the fewer subsidies you received and the hardship never really changes until another large jump is achieved. It is a trade-off and for beginning people in the workforce, with no skills, it is and has been that way since the founding of this country or any other for that matter.

I know that this isn't relevant to today's economy, but, I remember so well when I was about to get out of High School in 1966, if you could dream about making $10,000.00 per year it was upper middle class. You would have a decent house, a decent car (maybe even two) and lived a good life. That meant that the average wage would have been about $4.80 per hour to get to that $10K number. That $10K meant that you had "made it". The thought of minimum wage now at $15.00 is almost hard to imagine.

 

[Chef Mickey]

Governments should have zero role in regulating wages. Minimum wages actually hurt the people they intend to help and should be abolished completely. Markets should decide value of jobs.

Federal entitlements also hurt the people they intend to help and should be extremely temporary measures to assist people in dire need.

It's a shame people actually think they are "owed" some kind of arbitrary lifestyle and/or wage to realize that lifestyle.

Many low paying jobs are never designed to be a career and frankly are temporary stop gaps to bigger things. Just because you think being a cashier deserves more than $8/hr plus benefits doesn't mean it's the employer's responsibility to pay you that arbitrary wage. If lawmakers do make them, they'll just higher fewer people, automate more, raise prices, and cut benefits elsewhere for active employees.

 

[Scrungo]

Cast Members should wear microphones on them at all time and every time they answer a guest's question correctly, they get $0.10 added to their paycheck for that week.

 

[FettFan]

Why do Cast Members accept a relatively low wage while working at Walt Disney World? Does it have to do with employee empowerment, the job setting or management styles? Let me know what you're thoughts are on this topic!

Multiple reasons.
- Large number of college students working there as interns for the DCP, who accept low pay in addition to their college credit.

- College/Young Adults who see Disney as a valuable name to include on their resume for the future.

- College/Young Adults who see themselves as going further within the Disney company by starting out as regular CMs (example: former Imagineering head Tony Baxter got his start working the ice cream shop at Disneyland.)

- The number of retirees working part time just for the heck of it and a few extra dollars in addition to their Social Security and retirement pension.

- People who genuinely enjoy the human interaction side of it, making kids smile and creating that Disney brand of magic that makes guests truly relax on their vacations.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Wow @Goofyernmost
Bernie Sanders ridiculous and spiteful comments toward Bob Iger and exploitation of Cast Member wages to further his agenda brought this discussion back around full circle for me. That was just wrong.

Iger oversees all of the Disney Parks and Resort Hotels not just Disneyland. Plus, all of the ABC network channels, The Disney channels, Pixar, Disney Animation, the Marvel Brand, Star Wars, ESPN, DVC and so much more. He is literally managing hundreds of businesses at once.

Millions of people have since received the $15 raise and now they don't want it or have to work less hours in order to qualify for vital benefits -- and I forgot to mention the housing voucher - that's the most important one.

This is a gov't related issue, not Disney.

Yes it is and no it isn't. Bob Iger has got to be a smart man. You don't get to the top and stay there by being an idiot. He knows who to please and that is his target. However, no man, no matter what one perceives that they do, is worth the kind of money that he is given. He would be nothing without his advisors and well beyond that he would be nothing without the people that actually represent those companies directly with the public. For any one person to take that large a discrepancy between what he draws for a salary and what those that keep him afloat make is sheer craziness.

It is one thing for the person that put everything on the line and built a successful company to be generously compensated for taking that risk. They risked losing their homes and other assets to build it. Spent countless hours planning, worrying and pushing to achieve and had a lot to lose. Mr. Iger has nothing to lose. He didn't exactly step into a failing company. If he did something stupid tomorrow he would be sent on his way with enough golden parachute money to finance a high end retirement for literally thousands of plain folk like ourselves.

In any employment situation there needs to be different levels. People with no skills are not going to automatically be given all the money they need just because it would be nice. No one is owed a good living. Those things are earned. It comes with something that today's workforce seems to have rejected as not necessary and that would be paying your dues. No one, for sure, is forced on the payroll, anyone with savvy and drive can go in a different direction, but, they shouldn't be in abstract poverty either. I think that if you were to study the habits of those that are the worst off financially from low wages you will find that the champagne taste and beer pocketbook scenario applies. They see the commercials on TV with all the young people partying with nice clothes and expensive friends and they decide to live the same way. Unfortunately, they cannot afford to and before long they are in debt and floundering. (It's important to say here that I'm not talking about everyone, but, I am talking about the a lot of the population) Those that say... I'll work harder as soon as they pay me more, really don't understand how it works.

The point is that since it is the front line cast members that create the image for Disney, they should be compensated for that. Even beyond that they should be backed up by their managers and empowered to maintain organization, but, to say that people like Mr. Iger aren't grossly overpaid is just wrong on many different levels.

 

[raven]

Late to the party here, but there are many CM roles that are indeed underpaid for the work they perform. I'm not talking about store clerks or ride operators but people who work in high risk areas and have to go through ongoing extensive training to work with hazardous chemicals and safety issues on a daily basis. They do manual labor and sweat their entire shift just to make things "magical" for other guests but no one realizes it. People who work behind the scenes doing the grunt work yet for all of this...they are paid the exact same wage as someone who trades pins and walks around with a pan and broom all day? That doesn't make any sense but (in Disney at least) it continues.

 

[Adam Snider]

They are raising the minimum wage to 10.00 an hour. While that is not the greatest money, it is pretty good for a college student

 

[Chef Mickey]

Yes it is and no it isn't. Bob Iger has got to be a smart man. You don't get to the top and stay there by being an idiot. He knows who to please and that is his target. However, no man, no matter what one perceives that they do, is worth the kind of money that he is given. He would be nothing without his advisors and well beyond that he would be nothing without the people that actually represent those companies directly with the public. For any one person to take that large a discrepancy between what he draws for a salary and what those that keep him afloat make is sheer craziness.

It is one thing for the person that put everything on the line and built a successful company to be generously compensated for taking that risk. They risked losing their homes and other assets to build it. Spent countless hours planning, worrying and pushing to achieve and had a lot to lose. Mr. Iger has nothing to lose. He didn't exactly step into a failing company. If he did something stupid tomorrow he would be sent on his way with enough golden parachute money to finance a high end retirement for literally thousands of plain folk like ourselves.

In any employment situation there needs to be different levels. People with no skills are not going to automatically be given all the money they need just because it would be nice. No one is owed a good living. Those things are earned. It comes with something that today's workforce seems to have rejected as not necessary and that would be paying your dues. No one, for sure, is forced on the payroll, anyone with savvy and drive can go in a different direction, but, they shouldn't be in abstract poverty either. I think that if you were to study the habits of those that are the worst off financially from low wages you will find that the champagne taste and beer pocketbook scenario applies. They see the commercials on TV with all the young people partying with nice clothes and expensive friends and they decide to live the same way. Unfortunately, they cannot afford to and before long they are in debt and floundering. (It's important to say here that I'm not talking about everyone, but, I am talking about the a lot of the population) Those that say... I'll work harder as soon as they pay me more, really don't understand how it works.

The point is that since it is the front line cast members that create the image for Disney, they should be compensated for that. Even beyond that they should be backed up by their managers and empowered to maintain organization, but, to say that people like Mr. Iger aren't grossly overpaid is just wrong on many different levels.

I don't like Iger either, but people always seem to struggle with executive pay, particularly top execs like CEOs. Do you know how much shareholder value Iger created since he took over? Essentially, Disney is now worth 4 times what it was in 2006 or $120 billion more in shareholder value.

Since the CEO's primary responsibility is increasing shareholder value, Iger might be underpaid. His decisions at WDW haven't been my favorite, but you can't argue with his results. Top guy gets top credit/money.

 

[Dad 2 M & M]

Multiple reasons.
- Large number of college students working there as interns for the DCP, who accept low pay in addition to their college credit.

- College/Young Adults who see Disney as a valuable name to include on their resume for the future.

- People who genuinely enjoy the human interaction side of it, making kids smile and creating that Disney brand of magic that makes guests truly relax on their vacations.

My youngest M was in the Disney College program her Freshman year. When she returned to the university for her Sophomore year she was barraged with intern requests for her service, BECAUSE she already had DCP on her resume. She is currently completing an internship with Apple, and has already been recruited AND accepted as an intern for the Federal Reserve in Atlanta. These internships will "cost her" graduating in 5 years vs graduating in 4.....

It all started with the mouse....and she loved the DCP experience at the "low" compensation

 

[AEfx]

Also I would take $8.05 an hour at Disney over $8.05 at a fast food place. Simply with the passes, family/friends tickets, discounts both at Disney and the surrounding area make up a pretty nice pool of fringe benefits.

I see it totally opposite. Yes, Disney gives you discounts when you give your money back to them. However, even those have been shrinking.

Think of all the EXTRA that one has to do when they work for Disney vs. a fast food place for the same wage. If you work at McDonalds, you can drive right up to the building and be inside to work within 60 seconds. At Disney, you have to park miles away, be bused in, and then make your way to whatever place in the park you are working. The standards of guest satisfaction are much higher. The guests are a lot more demanding ("I paid thousands to be here!). Appearance standards are much more stringent. The list goes on and on.

That is why WDW has such a hard time getting and retaining quality employees, and why they rely so much on the CP and luring students down with promises of a super-fun semester at WDW, who end up resenting the whole thing because after sweeping up all day or slinging fries for the masses, the last thing they want to do is hang out in the parks.

 

[AEfx]

Multiple reasons.
- Large number of college students working there as interns for the DCP, who accept low pay in addition to their college credit.

I need to correct this - they are NOT getting college credit in most cases. Colleges don't give you credit for sweeping up or slinging fries. It's basically a "semester off" for them in terms of academics.

A select few of that group go on to the higher tiers of the CP where you actually do some sort of real internship. They are few and far between, however.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I don't like Iger either, but people always seem to struggle with executive pay, particularly top execs like CEOs. Do you know how much shareholder value Iger created since he took over? Essentially, Disney is now worth 4 times what it was in 2006 or $120 billion more in shareholder value.

Since the CEO's primary responsibility is increasing shareholder value, Iger might be underpaid. His decisions at WDW haven't been my favorite, but you can't argue with his results. Top guy gets top credit/money.

Did it occur to them that if they weren't paying him a kings ransom their dividends would be even bigger? The only people who really benefited to a usable degree are the major stockholders and they are already rich and probably got that way the same way that Iger did. By being over paid. He should be paid a good amount, but, that was exceeded a long time ago. I don't argue with his results just what he is worth in connection with that. Part of Disney's value is connected with the name Disney and the legacy that long preceded Bob Iger.

 

[Dad 2 M & M]

I see it totally opposite. Yes, Disney gives you discounts when you give your money back to them. However, even those have been shrinking.

Think of all the EXTRA that one has to do when they work for Disney vs. a fast food place for the same wage.The standards of guest satisfaction are much higher. The guests are a lot more demanding ("I paid thousands to be here!). Appearance standards are much more stringent. The list goes on and on.

That is why WDW has such a hard time getting and retaining quality employees, and why they rely so much on the CP and luring students down with promises of a super-fun semester at WDW, who end up resenting the whole thing because after sweeping up all day or slinging fries for the masses, the last thing they want to do is hang out in the parks.

Having an internship from Disney on one's resume is worth $$$ to a future employer. The "EXTRA" is worth $$$ to those employers seeking candidates. And, most hang out at the parks, and have Wishes as their anthem.

I need to correct this - they are NOT getting college credit in most cases. Colleges don't give you credit for sweeping up or slinging fries. It's basically a "semester off" for them in terms of academics.

A select few of that group go on to the higher tiers of the CP where you actually do some sort of real internship. They are few and far between, however.

The resume enhancment is what many in the College Program are seeking.

 

[Chef Mickey]

Did it occur to them that if they weren't paying him a kings ransom their dividends would be even bigger? The only people who really benefited to a usable degree are the major stockholders and they are already rich and probably got that way the same way that Iger did. By being over paid. He should be paid a good amount, but, that was exceeded a long time ago. I don't argue with his results just what he is worth in connection with that. Part of Disney's value is connected with the name Disney and the legacy that long preceded Bob Iger.

What is your definition of "a good amount.?" You're out of touch if you think the only people that benefit from DIS share appreciation are rich people. Shareholders benefit exactly proportional to what they put it and the risk they take. If you invested $10,000 in 2006, the shares are worth over $40,000 plus dividends. Is that not a benefit? Jus because you're not paid like zinger doesn't mean you're not making real money.
Im just telling you, that's why he's paid so much. He's been a goodCEO for shareholders, including small shareholdrers. I own in the 4 figures of DIS shares and although it didn't make me rich, it all helps.

CEO pay packages are also approved by the board who are elected by shareholders.

 

[Goofyernmost]

What is your definition of "a good amount.?" You're out of touch if you think the only people that benefit from DIS share appreciation are rich people. Shareholders benefit exactly proportional to what they put it and the risk they take. If you invested $10,000 in 2006, the shares are worth over $40,000 plus dividends. Is that not a benefit? Jus because you're not paid like zinger doesn't mean you're not making real money.
Im just telling you, that's why he's paid so much. He's been a goodCEO for shareholders, including small shareholdrers. I own in the 4 figures of DIS shares and although it didn't make me rich, it all helps.

CEO pay packages are also approved by the board who are elected by shareholders.

I am aware that is what they are paid, but, my opinion is that they are not worth all that much money and if the board of directors pulled they heads out of their butts for two minutes they would know that they can get the same thing for a whole lot less. There is more then one person in the world that is capable.

 

[NelsonRD]

I am aware that is what they are paid, but, my opinion is that they are not worth all that much money and if the board of directors pulled they heads out of their butts for two minutes they would know that they can get the same thing for a whole lot less. There is more then one person in the world that is capable.

What difference does it make how much a CEO makes? I am trying to understand your argument. I have already proven if he took a $1 a year salary, it only amounts to about a 5 cents per hour increase shared across all 180K employees. So really, what difference does it make what he makes? Do you think if his pay was reduced prices everything Disney (Tickets, Hot Dogs, Merchandise) would go down? Do you think his salary divided against employees would help them? I hate to tell you, the salary won't make a difference, maybe the person, but not the pay.

 

[englanddg]

What difference does it make how much a CEO makes? I am trying to understand your argument. I have already proven if he took a $1 a year salary, it only amounts to about a 5 cents per hour increase shared across all 180K employees. So really, what difference does it make what he makes? Do you think if his pay was reduced prices everything Disney (Tickets, Hot Dogs, Merchandise) would go down? Do you think his salary divided against employees would help them? I hate to tell you, it won't make a difference.

But...evil rich people!

And, muh wage gap!