News Disneyland Character Performers Look to Unionize With Actors’ Equity

[TP2000]

The pay compared to other operational roles is great for them, sure, but they’re getting shafted when it comes to everything else.

It appears the "hosts" who accompany face characters on stage and wrangle the lines at meet n' greets have a current starting wage of $23.40 per hour.

I would imagine they use the same break rooms, cafeterias, and employee logistical infrastructure that all other CM's do.

Can you elaborate on what makes the role of entertainment host so much more miserable than the role of ride operator or churro salesman or store cashier or burger flipper?

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Also, the blonde girl had an interesting take

Yeah, I caught all that too. And the others saying “they indoctrinate you with magic” as if they brainwash you and make you join a cult that you can’t leave. One of them literally said “drinking the kool-aide.”

 

[TP2000]

Yeah, I caught all that too. And the others saying “they indoctrinate you with magic” as if they brainwash you and make you join a cult that you can’t leave. One of them literally said “drinking the kool-aide.”

What's also fascinating to me is they say these things while living in the LA Metro area; the entertainment capital of the world with over 15 Million people where every single major employer in the entertainment industry has employment opportunities.

They have dozens of choices to ply their craft as entertainers in LA. This isn't a little lumber mill town in southern Oregon where they only have a choice between working in the mill, working in the hardware store, or working at the town Denny's.

If Disneyland is such a truly awful employer, why did they seek out that employment and then why have they stayed there for up to 10 years or more? Everyone in that video has worked at Disneyland for years and years. Why?

 

[TP2000]

Randomly, I do like the way Mr. Hefner here has used his various charcuterie and serving boards as a decor wall in his dining room. I am going to look into doing that on a wall here at the beach house, because we've collected too many of those hipster serving boards over the past decade! I should repurpose them into a design statement like he has...

That said, he has worked at Disneyland as a masked superhero guy for over 7 years. He seems to allude to the concern that the costumes he wears for his job are injurious to him and his fellow CM's. That would seem to be an issue for Cal/OSHA and all the other labor safety mechanisms a highly regulated state like California has at an employee's disposal.

Has he contacted Cal/OSHA about alleged safety violations and concerns at Disneyland for this role? He's been there for over 7 years, what has he done to elevate his concerns beyond his Dockers-clad manager who may not have handled the concern properly?

Cal/OSHA safety and health complaint handling process simplified process

www.dir.ca.gov

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Randomly, I do like the way Mr. Hefner here has used his various charcuterie and serving boards as a decor wall in his dining room.

I really needed to laugh today - this made me laugh so hard - thank you!!!!!

 

[MarvelCharacterNerd]

While admittedly, DL CM's make a lot higher hourly wage than I do, I think a lot of people think about the amounts in terms of 40-hour work weeks or even 30-hour work weeks, when in reality they may be 8-16 hour work weeks, while requiring them to be fully available 7 days a week for all shifts, making it difficult to schedule the second jobs that many of them have/need to actually pay their bills. Part of what they certainly need is more responsible scheduling. If they knew they'd at least have set days/times and a minimum number of hours per week, they might not stress the hourly wage as much.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

when in reality they may be 8-16 hour work weeks,

how are you getting those numbers?

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

 

[TsWade2]

Looks like the costume characters at Disneyland are in jeopardy. Not ending, but in jeopardy.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Looks like the costume characters at Disneyland are in jeopardy. Not ending, but in jeopardy.

Correct - there is no way Disney will be paying equity pay for the same number of characters.

They are literally signing their own termination papers.

 

[TsWade2]

Correct - there is no way Disney will be paying equity pay for the same number of characters.

They are literally signing their own termination papers.

Now you're making me feel miserable!

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Now you're making me feel miserable!

All the characters and interactions really made Disneyland special.

 

[TsWade2]

All the characters and interactions really made Disneyland special.

There will still be costume characters at DIsneyland even some rare ones every once in a while?

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

There will still be some - but certainly less. Obviously nobody knows for certain how this will all play out.

 

[TsWade2]

There will still be some - but certainly less.

I'm back being miserable! I hate this decade!

 

[TP2000]

While admittedly, DL CM's make a lot higher hourly wage than I do, I think a lot of people think about the amounts in terms of 40-hour work weeks or even 30-hour work weeks, when in reality they may be 8-16 hour work weeks, while requiring them to be fully available 7 days a week for all shifts, making it difficult to schedule the second jobs that many of them have/need to actually pay their bills. Part of what they certainly need is more responsible scheduling. If they knew they'd at least have set days/times and a minimum number of hours per week, they might not stress the hourly wage as much.

The video that was shared here as proof of their plight quoted an entertainment CM as stating she was scheduled 4/10's each week, and the first 3 hours of her shift was paid to her as she went through makeup and costuming prep. So she was getting 40 hours per week on a 4/10 schedule, which means 8 hours of that is automatically overtime paid at time and a half.

A new hire would then be working 32 hours at $23 per hour, and an additional 8 hours per week at $34.50 per hour.

Is that not accurate? Or is that only for certain face characters and performers?

I could understand that an Entertainment "host" CM who wrangles the lines at meet n' greets may not have a set schedule as an entry-level CM making only $23 per hour to start. But how does that differ from the other 19 year old kids flipping burgers at Tomorrowland Terrace or ringing up t-shirts at the Emporium or loading boats at Pirates of the Caribbean?

 

[Disney Irish]

Correct - there is no way Disney will be paying equity pay for the same number of characters.

They are literally signing their own termination papers.

While I appreciate your opinion, but frankly we don't know that. There is a long road ahead and nothing is set in stone.

 

[DLR92]

The rally today was for 4 other unions that represent attractions, entertainment costuming, candy makers, and etc.

In terms of the Characters and Parade Performers, you are correct that they are not with Equity in Florida. However, the entertainment CMs in Florida ARE with a union. Entertainment at Disneyland have been hourly non-union the entirety of their time here.

As it stands, entertainment CMs have gone through non-restrictive scheduling which leads to more injuries from lack-of recovery time and lack of opportunities to gain adequate sick/pto time. Parade performers can be working 40+ hours a week and still not qualify for full-time status and all the benefits that come with it (health care, vacation time, etc.) In some cases, entertainment offerings/hours get cut without advance notice for these CMs to be able to find work elsewhere, and yet, they’re expected to be fully available on a moments notice and get penalized if they can’t be because they had to find a job elsewhere to supplement lost hours. So yes, these CMs are technically being overworked and “under paid,” but the reality of them wanting to unionize is to be able to set up protections for themselves and their livelihood as well as the future generations of entertainment CMs.

They deserve full employment benefits, more safety. That why I am very proponent of on employment rights. And having strict regulations on everything to make things fair.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

While I appreciate your opinion, but frankly we don't know that. There is a long road ahead and nothing is set in stone.

If they join equity - how do you see it working out any other way?

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

If they join equity - how do you see it working out any other way?

I would love to disagree with you but unfortunately the way Disney is currently ran I think you are 100% correct, there’s no way Disney will eat the added expense and they are already seeing a decrease in guests from high prices, if they unionize the only viable option left for Disney (they way they are currently ran) is to have fewer characters.

Charge more, offer less… the new Disney way.

 

[Disney Irish]

If they join equity - how do you see it working out any other way?

Do I see Disney dropping all or a majority of entertainment at Disneyland because more performers joined Equity, no I do not.

What I do see happening is that Disney may adjust prices to offset the cost of the increased labor. But I don't see them eliminating entertainment because of this.