runDisney pares back complimentary full-day ticket to half-day for volunteers

[Rteetz]

"Charities use free labor so Disney can too" is one hell of a take.

Well you’re the one with the blinders on all the time.

 

[Santa Raccoon 77]

 

[Rteetz]

My favorite part of this site or the internet in general is people who have no knowledge of what they are talking about yet continue on their one sided mindset. Isn’t there a disney is woke thread for that or something?

 

[CaptainAmerica]

My favorite part of this site or the internet in general is people who have no knowledge of what their talking about yet continue on their one sided mindset. Isn’t there a disney is woke thread for that or something?

they're*

 

[Rteetz]

they're*

Thank you for the correction kind sir.

 

[Disstevefan1]

I agree that changing the rules without notice is not only bad form for Track Shack, apparently the sponsor and administrator of the volunteer management program, but also for Disney, who probably contracted with Track Shack. Particularly if there's no notice of the change to the volunteers before the change goes into effect (i.e., the first time they learned that the tickets were a half-day is when they were handed the tickets). Unlikely to be a legal remedy (though I'm not admitted to practice law in Florida), but certainly deserves public condemnation.

But (and I hope I'm misconstruing your comment; if so, I apologize), if your comment is directed at the volunteers who don't "value their own time," it's misplaced. Volunteerism is huge in America, and should be honored, not discouraged. A vast number of the more than a million U.S. charities simply could not operate without volunteers. During and after the pandemic, there's a big challenge for charities across the country in getting volunteers.

And speaking as one who knows exactly the value of my time (and for many years, my time has been valued - and paid for - at far more than $1,000 per working hour), I freely give away hundreds of thousands of dollars of my time each year to charities, my neighborhoods, and other organizations. I am required to report my pro bono legal work and time provided without compensation to my state bar associations, so I know fairly well what those numbers are, and for many years, I've given hundreds of hours each year of pro bono work at the highest levels of my profession.

But some of the best times I've had have been volunteering at sporting events, including coaching youth sports, high school sports, and volunteering at international tennis and pickleball tournaments. It's often hot, sometimes miserable, and, as recent experience has shown, sometimes exposes me to disease or nasty fans (or worse: outrageous parents). I get a t-shirt, a thank-you dinner at the big tournaments, and often a free meal each day. But it's also been very rewarding to meet and talk to champions, like Serena Williams and Roger Federer at Indian Wells, and even better just helping "nobodies" who simply want to play, compete, or watch.

And that's probably what drives those RunDisney volunteers as well. Just read some of the comments from people who have done it; one person posted a while back about her transition from runner to volunteer, and apparently just loved it. It's not that they value their time so little, it's that they value giving to others and the experience more.

BAD SHOW DISNEY!

This is so petty and low!

To all the Disney apologists, please don't tell me if you gift your volunteers a ticket, they are no longer volunteers.

Disney's response is simple, blame it on COVID or Chapek or both.

I hope and pray all those folks who previously volunteered STOP volunteering.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

To all the Disney apologists, please don't tell me if you gift your volunteers a ticket, they are no longer volunteers.

Literally nobody is saying that.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

"Every race rips off people by leeching off of free labor" is not a justification of Disney doing it.

I don't see any fundamental difference between this and Disney saying "we'd love to have some volunteers come work the registers at Pecos Bill's."

The volunteers deserve a living wage.

In all seriousness, I know zero about the running world. Looking at it dispassionately: if you consider the value of a one day pass has increased so much over the years, then they are giving out maybe double the value of what they used to give out. If they wanted to give volunteers a $60 thank you, that ticket is now a $110 thank you.

OTOH, it really doesn’t cost them much to offer the full day pass, and they’re more likely to sell more stuff.

Maybe it’s time to pay employees instead of using volunteers?

 

[AndyS2992]

That's sad and disappointing on Disney's part but volunteering is just that, you do because you want to help, not for any kind of reward.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Literally nobody is saying that.

I can't speak for everyone, but I sure hope not.
This gets me mad to hear they did this, but I am not surprised TWDC did this. it's so typical of this company.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

My favorite part of this site or the internet in general is people who have no knowledge of what they are talking about yet continue on their one sided mindset. Isn’t there a disney is woke thread for that or something?

…watch it, Mister…or I’m gonna call the thought police on you…

 

[LittleBuford]

Wait...are we angry or not?

I would say just that headline being out there makes Disney look bad no matter if they are at fault, not at fault, kind of at fault.
Bad press is bad press.

I am very much on the Pixie Duster end of the spectrum and consider this a really mean-spirited move on Disney’s part. I hope they backtrack.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I am very much on the Pixie Duster end of the spectrum and consider this a really mean-spirited move on Disney’s part. I hope they backtrack.

The only mitigating factors that come to mind...

1) The Orlando Sentinel is known to lie and exaggerate.

2) I don't think Disney has ever said "come volunteer and you get a free ticket," and then changed the deal on people. I think Disney said "come volunteer" and people thought "hey, last year when I volunteered, I got a free ticket, so I'm going to assume I'll get that again."

3) There may be a tax issue vis-a-vis the cash value of a full day ticket where Disney can't legally give them anymore at the current prices.

4) The whole story feels a tiny bit fishy in the sense that Disney doesn't even have half-day tickets, so I'd like more information about what that actually means in practice.

But yeah, my stance on all of this is "forget half day tickets and forget full day tickets, just pay these people $15 an hour."

 

[bcoachable]

I’m not sure any of this matters…

What this is is a daily reminder of the capacity problem.

They can’t fit race volunteers in to the park for a day. A blip in a long year.

That’s capacity and every move for the last 10 years is either trying to distract from the problem or profit off it

The fix is quite simple- build out the parks to allow more capacity. More capacity would lead to more money spent in the parks, right? More money for TWDC is good, right??
Staffing is an issue you say? Well, pay them what they deserve. I bet more would be willing to show up and work for you. CM’s obviously enjoy their roles… it’s when they can’t afford the rent that they decide to bail out. Cost of infrastructure has gone up, you say? Well, you are already outsourcing your work to save anyway…. That should help fix the bloated WDI budgets of the past… idk… works for me in Roller Coaster Tycoon…

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

I imagine many volunteers see this as more of a community event than a big company running an event for profit. People dress up in costume for the marathons and I imagine it has a lot of that community vibe. No doubt volunteers enjoy it.

Using volunteers could make sense from a logistical standpoint. You'd need staff above and beyond what Disney has on payroll, and for one day. Would it be unrealistic to hire people for one day's work and/or reassign cast members for that one day?

None of this justifies the change to half day tickets. As many have pointed out, they cost Disney nothing so it just comes across as a mean spirited move.

 

[Disstevefan1]

The only mitigating factors that come to mind...

1) The Orlando Sentinel is known to lie and exaggerate.

2) I don't think Disney has ever said "come volunteer and you get a free ticket," and then changed the deal on people. I think Disney said "come volunteer" and people thought "hey, last year when I volunteered, I got a free ticket, so I'm going to assume I'll get that again."

3) There may be a tax issue vis-a-vis the cash value of a full day ticket where Disney can't legally give them anymore at the current prices.

4) The whole story feels a tiny bit fishy in the sense that Disney doesn't even have half-day tickets, so I'd like more information about what that actually means in practice.

But yeah, my stance on all of this is "forget half day tickets and forget full day tickets, just pay these people $15 an hour."

If this turns out to be fake news. that's fine.
If it turns out to be true, that Disney cut the day ticket to a HALF Day ticket (whatever the heck that is) there is NO rationalization to make this right period.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Holy crap, the Boston Athletic Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit association! We're talking about THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY.

What you said is literally like saying McDonald's doesn't have to pay their workers because the soup kitchen doesn't.

Track Shack Foundation is also a 501(c)(3). They’re essentially outsourcing the event to a nonprofit so that they can do things like utilize volunteers. This is house sports leagues at private facilities like an ice rink get set up. The league is technically a nonprofit that buys facility time and services which is why they can still have unpaid parents as coaches.

4) The whole story feels a tiny bit fishy in the sense that Disney doesn't even have half-day tickets, so I'd like more information about what that actually means in practice.

Half-day tickets have been offered in the past for organizations booking things like conventions.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Track Shack Foundation is also a 501(c)(3). They’re essentially outsourcing the event to a nonprofit so that they can do things like utilize volunteers. This is house sports leagues at private facilities like an ice rink get set up. The league is technically a nonprofit that buys facility time and services which is why they can still have unpaid parents as coaches.

So who is issuing the tickets (or half-day tickets) to the volunteers? Disney, or this Track Shack?

 

[Rteetz]

So who is issuing the tickets (or half-day tickets) to the volunteers? Disney, or this Track Shack?

Disney would be giving Track Shack the tickets. Track Shack isn’t paying for the tickets from Disney.

 

[Santa Raccoon 77]

I find myself only half angry at Disney for this .