Disneyland and Disney World lay off 28,000 employees amid pandemic struggles - OCR/SCNG

[SuddenStorm]

Speaking of churro cart employees, the ones at Disney parks should definitely be making more than minimum wage, considering the incredibly high standards Disney forces on their employees.

And they are. $3/hr or so more than minimum.

 

[SuddenStorm]

It's worth mentioning that the level of service delivered by Disneyland CM's has declined sharply over the last 5 or so years. Sure, there's the occasional CM who really does an amazing job but for the most part your entry level worker there is very, very average.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Wow. Holy crap! So sorry to hear about that.

Thats why I find it funny on here when posters say that their interaction with a Disney CM vs a Mall Employee is supposed to be so much different since they paid thousands for their trip.

At the end of the day the employee is getting maybe a dollar or two more than minimum wage but is supposed to be some happy go lucky miracle employee? Yeah right.

I never have the expectations that Disney employees have to "create magic" at all times. It's unfair to the workers.

Yes, the guests expect superb behavior and service from Disney employees because Disney has planted that. The problem is Disney doesn’t create a pleasant environment that encourages CMs to be of great service without Disney having to drill it into them. One of my leads pulled me to the side and told me to smile more. He didn’t bother to ask how I was doing, no concern about my well-being.

This is why I preferred working for Universal. The clientele is different and the company doesn’t put so much pressure on their team members. And I’ve witnessed lots of great customer service at Universal, both as an employee and as a guest.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

I was a good CM

 

[TP2000]

Speaking of churro cart employees, the ones at Disney parks should definitely be making more than minimum wage, considering the incredibly high standards Disney forces on their employees.

I agree with that.

Federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour and California minimum wage is now $13 an hour (highest in the nation!), but Disneyland starts their CM's at $15.50 to $17 an hour depending on their department. I think that's probably about where they should be, maybe even $1 or $2 less per hour than I would think is appropriate for a few uniquely Disneyland gigs (Jungle Cruise, Security guards, Ky'le From Tustin in Star Wars Land explaining his backstory, etc.).

So if the average starting wage for entry-level CM's is now $16 an hour, and many of us think that's an appropriate starting wage give or take a dollar or two, it seems like almost all of us are pretty much on the same page here regarding CM wages. It could be a really interesting discussion here why Jungle Cruise Skippers should start at $18 an hour and be held to higher standards for showmanship and comedic timing.

But the moment Disneyland reopens, I'll head back to my table at the Plaza Inn so I can sit there yelling "You Suck!" at passing busboys.

 

[Californian Elitist]

As for your Universal example, I find that everywhere if someone is truly happy that it makes everything better. Forcing people to act happy and create "magical memories" is a recipe for anger/resentment.

Yes, absolutely. I supervise a group of undergrad student workers at my university. Before corona, I created a pleasant, welcoming work environment, which in turn created happy employees who genuinely enjoyed their job and enjoyed coming in to work every day. Everything is on Zoom now, so it's very different.

It's not difficult at all to understand. When the work environment is not hostile and toxic, employees will most likely be happier and the quality of the work will be better.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Yes, the guests expect superb behavior and service from Disney employees because Disney has planted that. The problem is Disney doesn’t create a pleasant environment that encourages CMs to be of great service without Disney having to drill it into them. One of my leads pulled me to the side and told me to smile more. He didn’t bother to ask how I was doing, no concern about my well-being.

This is why I preferred working for Universal. The clientele is different and the company doesn’t put so much pressure on their team members. And I’ve witnessed lots of great customer service at Universal, both as an employee and as a guest.

It's not just at the front line level either. The most recent episode of the Themed Attraction Podcast was an interview with Brandon Kleyla, one of the designers of both Trader Sam's locations. Like so many, he ran out of work at Walt Disney Imagineering while working on Pandora and made the jump to Universal Creative to work on Universal Studios Beijing. During the interview he talks about the lack of politics and just being empowered to get things done. It is a sentiment that is heard or at least alluded to by others. Throughout, Disney has become this very toxic place to work.

 

[truecoat]

Milton Friedman proposed a sort of universal basic income as part of Nixon's plans to overhaul the welfare system. Friedrich Hayek made supportive comments. The FairTax, a national sales tax proposal, has a sort of universal basic income in its "prebate" scheme. It's actually an idea that has been circling amongst some libertarians for decades, the idea being that you replace the myriad welfare programs, a complicated tax code with loop holes and social engineering incentives, and the massive bureaucracy that administers all of that with a single payment.

Trucking is working towards automation, it's not there yet but it's coming. Being one of the biggest employment sectors of every state, there will not be a replacement for the jobs lost. UI might get some traction when unemployment starts going through the roof.

 

[Californian Elitist]

It's not just at the front line level either. The most recent episode of the Themed Attraction Podcast was an interview with Brandon Kleyla, one of the designs of both Trader Sam's locations. Like so many, he ran out of work at Walt Disney Imagineering while work on Pandora and made the jump to Universal Creative to work on Universal Studios Beijing. During the interview he talks about the lack of politics and just being empowered to get things done. It is a sentiment that is heard or at least alluded to by others. Throughout, Disney has become this very toxic place to work.

I distinctly remember having a guest control shift with someone else from attractions while working at Disneyland and she told me about her positive experiences working at Universal. She said she was planning to leave Disney and return to Universal as soon as she she could. I started working at Universal three year after that and immediately saw a difference and understood what the CM was talking about.

My uncle, who is now retired, was head of security at the Walt Disney Studios for decades and warned me about working for Disney, telling me “you don’t want to do it.” I’m glad I didn’t listen to him because I needed to see for myself. I always tell people who want to work for the company to go for it, as their experience may differ from mine. I always hope they have a better experience.

Is that interview with Brandon Kleyla on YouTube?

 

[Mac Tonight]

I distinctly remember having a guest control shift with someone else from attractions while working at Disneyland and she told me about her positive experiences working at Universal. She said she was planning to leave Disney and return to Universal as soon as she she could. I started working at Universal three year after that and immediately saw a difference and understood what the CM was talking about.

My uncle, who is now retired, was head of security at the Walt Disney Studios for decades and warned me about working for Disney, telling me “you don’t want to do it.” I’m glad I didn’t listen to him because I needed to see for myself. I always tell people who want to work for the company to go for it, as their experience may differ from mine. I always hope they have a better experience.

Is that interview with Brandon Kleyla on YouTube?

I'm sorry your experience wasn't what you wanted it to be. I personally have nothing but the fondest memories from my time in Burbank. I probably saw or interacted with your Uncle a few times too without realizing it.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Is that interview with Brandon Kleyla on YouTube?

It’s just a regular audio podcast. You can listen to it here:

TA Podcast E31: Brandon Kleyla - Themed Attraction

Brandon Kleyla made his mark as a production art director for Universal Creative and Walt Disney Imagineering, bringing his love of spatial storytelling to two of the most detailed and beautiful dive bars on the planet, Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar at the Disneyland Resort, and Trader Sam’s...

www.themedattraction.com

They’re back catalogue is worth a listen as well. They get some surprisingly honest comments at times.

 

[Californian Elitist]

I'm sorry your experience wasn't what you wanted it to be. I personally have nothing but the fondest memories from my time in Burbank. I probably saw or interacted with your Uncle a few times too without realizing it.

I’m happy you had a good experience! Honestly, I rarely hear people claim to have a positive experience, so it’s refreshing.

I wouldn’t doubt you most likely ran into my uncle! My dad used to work at the Studios as well, but this was back in the late 80s/early 90s.

 

[Californian Elitist]

It’s just a regular audio podcast. You can listen to it here:

TA Podcast E31: Brandon Kleyla - Themed Attraction

Brandon Kleyla made his mark as a production art director for Universal Creative and Walt Disney Imagineering, bringing his love of spatial storytelling to two of the most detailed and beautiful dive bars on the planet, Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar at the Disneyland Resort, and Trader Sam’s...

www.themedattraction.com

They’re back catalogue is worth a listen as well. They get some surprisingly honest comments at times.

Thank you for sharing! I will check out the rest of the catalogue as well.

 

[Darkbeer1]

My wife sent me this...

>>

Feb 17, 2021​

Medi-Cal Website Functionality Fully Restored



Medi-Cal website functionality has now been restored. The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) is continuing to monitor the site and services to ensure stabilization. Providers, submitters, and other users can access site resources and resume transaction submission through all authorized channels. If any issues are encountered, please contact the Telephone Service Center (TSC) for support.



As of Tuesday, February 16, 2021 at 2:45 p.m. Medi-Cal was able to accept and process:

• Eligibility inquiry and response transactions via Automated Eligibility Verification System (AEVS), Supplemental Automated Eligibility Verification System (SAEVS), CA Point of Service network (CALPOS) and Leased Line
• Pharmacy claim transactions via CALPOS and Leased Line

As of Wednesday, February 17, 2021 at 4:00 a.m. Medi-Cal is able to accept and process all remaining transactions via all other channels and website functionality was enabled.



As Medi-Cal’s primary Data Center (which resides in Texas) was impacted by a weather induced power outage, the website was unavailable to all users from approximately 12:15 a.m. Monday, February 15, 2021 through 04:00 a.m. Wednesday, February 17, 2021. Medi-Cal is currently assessing the impact to both real-time and batch transactions that were submitted during the downtime window which began Monday February 16, 2021 at 12:15 a.m. Additional updates and instructions will be published as information becomes available.<<

So The State Government is even out-sourcing to Texas....

 

[Darkbeer1]

>>California theme parks could be the last to return from coronavirus pandemic closures in the United States now that New York has allowed theme parks to reopen and amusement parks in Illinois, Michigan and Massachusetts have set reopening dates.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that outdoor amusement parks can reopen on April 9 with 33% attendance capacity limits and a host of “new normal” COVID-19 health and safety requirements — mandatory face coverings, social distancing, temperature checks and enhanced cleaning protocols.

The reopening of New York amusement parks leaves Disneyland, Universal Studios Hollywood, Knott’s Berry Farm, Six Flags Magic Mountain, SeaWorld San Diego, Legoland California and other California theme parks wondering when they can reopen.

“We are thrilled our sister park Legoland New York will be able to celebrate its grand opening this year now that Gov. Cuomo has announced the reopening of family attractions, including outdoor theme parks,” Legoland California president Kurt Stocks said in a statement. “We anticipate Gov. Newsom to follow suit and announce similar dates for the responsible reopening of theme parks in California allowing Legoland California Resort to reopen its gates to our guests soon.”<<

California theme parks could be last to return in U.S. as New York sets reopening date

The reopening of New York amusement parks leaves Disneyland, Universal Studios Hollywood and other California theme parks wondering when they can reopen.

www.ocregister.com

 

[The Mom]

Please get back on topic. Thank you.

 

[TP2000]

Very true in experience. Even different Disney parks. I worked at dland and DCA and the tone was very night and day.

At Disneyland the CM's seem uptight and easy to anger. STAY TO YOUR RIGHT!!!!

At DCA the CM's are happy and polite and laid back. Hi! How can I help you folks?

The tone is quite noticeable between the two parks.

 

[SuddenStorm]

At Disneyland the CM's seem uptight and easy to anger. STAY TO YOUR RIGHT!!!!

At DCA the CM's are happy and polite and laid back. Hi! How can I help you folks?

The tone is quite noticeable between the two parks.

I knew management at one DCA location that didn't care about the Disney Look- they'd allow people to work with visible tattoos, hair, etc that wouldn't fly in Disneyland proper.