News Disneyland Character Performers Look to Unionize With Actors’ Equity

[Disney Analyst]

Disney World is the only other one that I know of - and that does not cover costumed characters, face characters and parade performers. (*green army men in block party bash were equity).

I’m honestly surprised equity wants to cover parade performers and costume characters - it’s honestly a different talent level.

Yes it's very different, and hourly at that. So I will be very interested to see what kind of contract they want for the performers.

Only specific shows at Disney World are equity, and those still run normally I believe. I have to imagine there would be a different price point for characters around the parks, parade performers, and stage performers etc. Varying rates based on output needed / risk.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Only specific shows at Disney World are equity, and those still run normally I believe.

Yes -
Hoop dee doo, Beauty and the Beast, Nemo, Festival of Lion King, Indiana Jones, Castle Stage Shows, Dapper Dans, Voices of Liberty, Holiday Storytellers, Laugh Floor, Crush.

 

[truecoat]

I'm not sure how people assumed Disney was going to handle an increase in their costs over the years. Disney is running a business not a charity, if their costs increase they have two options to maintain profits, either increase prices on goods and services or cut goods and services. Its basic economics, Disney can't just maintain the same level of service trying to run the Parks using 1990s prices, it just doesn't work out that way.

It's more about raising the stock price and if they can cut entertainment along with raising food prices by $1 or more, all the better.

 

[Disney Analyst]

The question I have for these performers is, will this be a normal equity contract, i.e. do they become full Equity members? You have to remember, Equity is something you join either by earning credits, or being hired on an equity contract. Usually something performers work up to professionally, and it's always a weighted decision. Will you be hired for equity contracts? Are there more contracts available for non-union paid work?

Once an equity member, you cannot work or be hired for non-union contracts. So will all these performers now only be eligible for future union work? Can they start going to equity audition calls?

I'd love to know how Equitys handles those strictly doing character work, vs stage performers, dancers, etc.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Once an equity member, you cannot work or be hired for non-union contracts.

That’s an excellent point. It also means the jobs can be harder to get since they have to audition current equity first - meaning it will be more difficult for non-equity performers to get hired on.

 

[Disney Irish]

It's more about raising the stock price and if they can cut entertainment along with raising food prices by $1 or more, all the better.

Wall St doesn't care about the specifics of the Parks, such as entertainment offerings, only that the Parks are maintaining good margins. So how Disney does that they don't care, so it can be a combination of tactics and as long as the margins are the same Wall St won't care.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

I'm not sure how people assumed Disney was going to handle an increase in their costs over the years. Disney is running a business not a charity, if their costs increase they have two options to maintain profits, either increase prices on goods and services or cut goods and services. Its basic economics, Disney can't just maintain the same level of service trying to run the Parks using 1990s prices, it just doesn't work out that way.

True, and every year when they raise prices we debate on these boards just how high they can go before there’s pushback, prior to 2019 every price increase was accompanied by complaint’s but attendance stayed steady, this is the first time (without a major recession of some kind) I can recall Disney attendance dropping, I think they’ve finally reached the breaking point we’ve talked about for the last decade.

The CMs are playing with fire, as you said Disney has 2 choices, raise prices or make cuts… I’m of the opinion they can’t raise prices right now so as Trains has said the CMs are likely signing their own pink slips.

 

[Disney Analyst]

That’s an excellent point. It also means the jobs can be harder to get since they have to audition current equity first - meaning it will be more difficult for non-equity performers to get hired on.

Right. Can Disney only hire equity for all these positions? Or are they treated differently?

 

[TP2000]

So Disney is paying these Entertainment CM's starting wages of $23.50 per hour right now without a union?

What would the pay rates be with a union, I wonder? And how much money would go to union dues out of that?

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

And how much money would go to union dues out of that?

$176 annually + 2.5% of gross of working contract + $1,800 initiation fee that is taken out of salary over a maximum of 3 years.

 

[Disney Analyst]

$176 annually + 2.5% of gross of working contract + $1,800 initiation fee that is taken out of salary over a maximum of 3 years.

Assuming this isn’t some special equity unit that does not follow the usual route.

I could see equity carving out a special thing just for theme park performers.

 

[Disney Irish]

True, and every year when they raise prices we debate on these boards just how high they can go before there’s pushback, prior to 2019 every price increase was accompanied by complaint’s but attendance stayed steady, this is the first time (without a major recession of some kind) I can recall Disney attendance dropping, I think they’ve finally reached the breaking point we’ve talked about for the last decade.

There is a lot of complex reasons why attendance can be down right now, and while yes price can be one it is not a sole factor. For example over the last decade more and more AP/Keys have been getting blocked out during the summer compared to prior decades, making summers more of the off-season than in the past. The question is will the crowds come back once the blocks lift in last August/early September, we'll see. And how will that affect the overall attendance figures for DLR for the year, again we'll see.

The CMs are playing with fire, as you said Disney has 2 choices, raise prices or make cuts… I’m of the opinion they can’t raise prices right now so as Trains has said the CMs are likely signing their own pink slips.

Except are they really asking for increased pay now, or just better ability to negotiate for better working conditions in the future which may include asking for increased pay. The idea that the performers are now falling under Equity doesn't automatically or immediately mean asking for increased pay. This is something that I believe @Disney Analyst brought up.

So this fearmongering that Disneyland will soon be with less or no costumed characters and parades in the future is just that right now, fearmongering. Which was my point, there is a long way to go before we get to that point. And as I pointed out there are many ways Disney can handle this without having to make drastic cuts to entertainment.

 

[Disney Analyst]

There is a lot of complex reasons why attendance can be down right now, and while yes price can be one it is not a sole factor. For example over the last decade more and more AP/Keys have been getting blocked out during the summer compared to prior decades, making summers more of the off-season than in the past. The question is will the crowds come back once the blocks lift in last August/early September, we'll see. And how will that affect the overall attendance figures for DLR for the year, again we'll see.


Except are they really asking for increased pay now, or just better ability to negotiate for better working conditions in the future which may include asking for increased pay. The idea that the performers are now falling under Equity doesn't automatically or immediately mean asking for increased pay. This is something that I believe @Disney Analyst brought up.

So this fearmongering that Disneyland will soon be with less or no costumed characters and parades in the future is just that right now, fearmongering. Which was my point, there is a long way to go before we get to that point. And as I pointed out there are many ways Disney can handle this without having to make drastic cuts to entertainment.

That’s right. Equity has different things in place already for varying types of performances. A broadway contract is very different pay than a regional contract. Then a small non-profit theatre contract, etc etc.

Usually the protections are the same, although there may be less strict break rules pending the type of equity contract a production has.

As an example, equity never allows filming or photography ever, during performances locally or on broadway.

But of course Disneyland couldn’t enforce that, so there will need to be differences.

Again, equity may be the administrator, but Disneyland may be an entirely different branch / wing of the union, under a very different contract, that doesn’t speak to the general Actors Equity unit.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

As an example, equity never allows filming or photography, ever for performances locally or on broadway.

Yes, another example unique to WDW - there is no cast board or program which lists the names of the actors.

But for the most part -the WDW equity contract is a full on equity contract.

You are correct - equity could be creating a new wing where these performers wouldn’t have an actual E card.

 

[Disney Irish]

That’s right. Equity has different things in place already for varying types of performances. A broadway contract is very different pay than a regional contract. Then a small non-profit theatre contract, etc etc.

Usually the protections are the same, although there may be less strict break rules pending the type of equity contract a production has.

As an example, equity never allows filming or photography ever, during performances locally or on broadway.

But of course Disneyland couldn’t enforce that, so there will need to be differences.

Again, equity may be the administrator, but Disneyland may be an entirely different branch / wing of the union, under a very different contract, that doesn’t speak to the general Actors Equity unit.

Agreed, which is why all this talk about DLR making cuts to entertainment because of this switch is all premature.

 

[Disney Analyst]

Agreed, which is why all this talk about DLR making cut to entertainment because of this switch is all premature.

Yes. We would really need to wait to see what contract equity creates based on this specific locations needs.

I’m sure they understand how fundamentally different this will be, unionizing a theme park work force of varied performers, from trained dancers, singers, and actors, to workers who this would be their first performing job (or job in general) because they are the right height to befriend a fur.

 

[Disney Irish]

Yes. We would really need to wait to see what contract equity creates based on this specific locations needs.

I’m sure they understand how fundamentally different this will be, unionizing a theme park work force of varied performers, from trained dancers, singers, and actors, to workers who this would be their first performing job (or job in general) because they are the right height to befriend a fur.

Agreed, and who knows this may even result in even better entertainment at DLR due to having access to a more trained cast of performers.

 

[MarvelCharacterNerd]

how are you getting those numbers?

Are they scheduled differently than the rest of the CM’s at the resort?

I don't want to discuss specifics so I'll keep this to generalities.

If you have 2 people sharing a role, they might get 3 or 4 shifts per week - if that role is 7 days/week and not 2 or 3 or 4 days/week with the rest not being out at all.

If you have 4 people sharing a role, they might get 4 and 1 and 1 and 1 shifts per week or 2 and 2 and 2 and 1 or 4 and 3 and 0 and 0.

If you have 6 people sharing a role, they might get 1 shift per week each or one may get 3, another 2, another 2 and three of them none.

And so forth. And those days they do get can change every week. Imagine not knowing next week if you're working Mon-Fri or Monday, Wednesday, Saturday or just Tuesday. And then the following week it's something completely different. And so on.

While it's certainly possible a few are making close to full time hours, especially if they are the main one in a role, it also means plenty are making hardly any hours at all.

But it's not just entertainment. I know cast throughout the Resort in all different roles with little to any schedule predictability, nor getting the hours they would choose if given the option.

ETA: So I'm just saying, if people knew for the season at least that they were guaranteed working every Tuesday and Thursday, or Monday-Wednesday or always weekends, etc., it would be a lot easier to manage a second job on the other days. So, in my opinion, scheduling is a bigger issue than a pay bump and that fixing that would help longer term.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

But it's not just entertainment. I know cast throughout the Resort in all different roles with little to any schedule predictability, nor getting the hours they would choose if given the option.

is that one of the main reasons the other divisions are striking too? The candy makers and others?

If someone takes a job that is only 1 shift per week, that’s on them. Like I’m not sure why that exists unless it’s like a fill in or something like that.

 

[MarvelCharacterNerd]

is that one of the main reasons the other divisions are striking too? The candy makers and others?

If someone takes a job that is only 1 shift per week, that’s on them. Like I’m not sure why that exists unless it’s like a fill in or something like that.

Even one shift per week is a foot in the door that would hopefully build to more hours. But, yes, it's sad that people may wind up with that little even if they're told it may be/will likely be more.

The parks have ridiculous availability expectations with no guarantees of hours given. And they are known to schedule people when they've specifically said they are NOT available. Again, this is a general issue for the Resort that I'd love to see fixed to help the cast overall.