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

[Disstevefan1]

"Wrong"???

Well, where I volunteer, the volunteers don't get to tell the sponsors what benefits and/or freebies to offer them.

We're lucky to get race-specific t-shirts, snacks and water.

We're even luckier to get to help runners have a smoother, hassle-free race experience.

I guess the bottom line is -- if that's not enough, then go sell your services somewhere else.

What's that? Am I some kind of chairborne internet expert just typing through my butt cheeks?

I believe I have enough experience to speak credibly about this -- I've served in hydration stations, bib-pick-up, merchandise sales store, medal unpacking, t-shirt folding, medal/t-shirt post-race delivery and runner problem resolution positions supporting a major military marathon/half/10-k/5-k/kid's 1-k for each of the past 15 years. Meanwhile, I've also served just over 4,000 hours helping visitors find, enjoy and understand exhibits in a major military museum. I also was lucky enough to volunteer at a PGA event several years ago. Total benefits received: 16 t-shirts, one free polo shirt (I had to buy the other 4), about 24 granola bars, a hot dog and a bag of chips, a few cups of Gatorade (mainly to check the mix strength), several hundred bottles of water, discounts in food venues and the museum gift shop, and 6 banquet-style appreciation meals.

Thanks for the info.

IN MY OPINION Disney was still wrong to downgrade the ticket. It was petty and disrespectful to the volunteers.

Let's just agree to disagree.

 

[Lilofan]

Thanks for the info.

IN MY OPINION Disney was still wrong to downgrade the ticket. It was petty and disrespectful to the volunteers.

Let's just agree to disagree.

Wasn’t that brilliant to lessen ticket but will Disney get another 15K volunteers in January? Bet on it.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Thanks for the info.

IN MY OPINION Disney was still wrong to downgrade the ticket. It was petty and disrespectful to the volunteers.

Let's just agree to disagree.

Let's get the facts straight, first of all. Nobody's ticket was downgraded.

But setting that aside...

You don't have any beef with Disney not just, you know, paying these people actual wages or staffing their own damn race with their own damn cast members?

 

[lazyboy97o]

If the businesses in the city are making extra money then the city makes extra money. It's not difficult to understand.

A city collecting more taxes is not at all the same as operating a for-profit business.

 

[King Panda 77]

A city collecting more taxes is not at all the same as operating a for-profit business.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Let's get the facts straight, first of all. Nobody's ticket was downgraded.

But setting that aside...

You don't have any beef with Disney not just, you know, paying these people actual wages or staffing their own damn race with their own damn cast members?

The thread C O N T I N U E S . . .

Of course, these folks should be paid but I have been totally schooled by folks in this thread that these races would be impossible without volunteers even for TWDC.

I personally do not understand why Disney can't pay their folks, but then again, I don't understand the Moana attraction in EPCOT or how TWDC could spend 25 million dollars on a single episode of She Hulk.

As for the Ticket being downgraded??? The subject of this thread, @CaptainAmerica are you saying this is totally fake news and the Disney volunteers are getting the same ticket they did in the past, or are we splitting hairs on the word "downgraded"

 

[Smooth]

Interesting reading about volunteers.

Volunteer Stipends, Interns, and Employee Volunteers

If you're thinking about offering volunteer stipends, or recruiting employees to volunteer, be sure you understand how labor laws might affect you.

tobijohnson.com

If you decide to offer stipends to volunteers, keep the following in mind:

• Never pay more than a nominal 20% of what an employer would otherwise pay for the same service.
• Do not offer benefits that other employees received.
• Make it clear if a volunteer receives more than $500 a year in compensation, they will no longer be protected from liability claims by the Federal Volunteer Protection Act.
• Check with your accountant to determine whether any volunteer gifts you have planned, including gift cards, are taxable.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I personally do not understand why Disney can't pay their folks, but then again, I don't understand the Moana attraction in EPCOT or how TWDC could spend 25 million dollars on a single episode of She Hulk.

If you don’t understand, then there’s no need to spam thread with dubious assertions.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Interesting reading about volunteers.

Volunteer Stipends, Interns, and Employee Volunteers

If you're thinking about offering volunteer stipends, or recruiting employees to volunteer, be sure you understand how labor laws might affect you.

tobijohnson.com

If you decide to offer stipends to volunteers, keep the following in mind:

• Never pay more than a nominal 20% of what an employer would otherwise pay for the same service.
• Do not offer benefits that other employees received.
• Make it clear if a volunteer receives more than $500 a year in compensation, they will no longer be protected from liability claims by the Federal Volunteer Protection Act.
• Check with your accountant to determine whether any volunteer gifts you have planned, including gift cards, are taxable.

"Amusement or recreational establishments" are exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act so much of this doesn't apply, and it's how Disney gets away with this from a legal perspective.

 

[Disstevefan1]

If you don’t understand, then there’s no need to spam thread with dubious assertions.

@lazyboy97o a serious, non-spam question.

Please explain to me so I understand why Disney pared back the full day ticket for its volunteers.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Wasn’t that brilliant to lessen ticket but will Disney get another 15K volunteers in January? Bet on it.

Let's see what happens. I am sure someone will report back here as this thread will still be active.

 

[Lilofan]

The thread C O N T I N U E S . . .

Of course, these folks should be paid but I have been totally schooled by folks in this thread that these races would be impossible without volunteers even for TWDC.

I personally do not understand why Disney can't pay their folks, but then again, I don't understand the Moana attraction in EPCOT or how TWDC could spend 25 million dollars on a single episode of She Hulk.

As for the Ticket being downgraded??? The subject of this thread, @CaptainAmerica are you saying this is totally fake news and the Disney volunteers are getting the same ticket they did in the past, or are we splitting hairs on the word "downgraded"

Like I said good luck scheduling 15K cast to come in at very odd hours , long shifts and see if they all come to work and one can manage that fiasco. That’s why volunteers are making the magic since 1994.

 

[King Panda 77]

 

[flynnibus]

@lazyboy97o a serous, non-spam question.

Please explain to me so I understand why Disney pared back the full day ticket for its volunteers.

The explanation is if you don't understand something - you can't make an assertion about why it should be X vs Y.

You can question it... but earlier in this thread you were making assertions about what they really can do or not. Hence his comment.

 

[Disstevefan1]

The explanation is if you don't understand something - you can't make an assertion about why it should be X vs Y.

You can question it... but earlier in this thread you were making assertions about what they really can do or not. Hence his comment.

@flynnibus a serious, non-spam question.

Please explain to me so I understand why Disney pared back the full day ticket for its volunteers.

 

[King Panda 77]

 

[pdude81]

They only need these additional resources a few days a year. That is a logistical headache for any employer to hire like that and a huge PITA for people who have not interest in filling out a W2 for one 8 hour shift. If I wasn't able to run a race I would consider volunteering instead, but there is no way in hell I'm sending my SSN through the magic of Disney digital forms just so I could pay taxes on the pittance of money I'd get paid if they were giving out $15 an hour. Even a half day park ticket is better than that. For both sides.

I don't get why half instead of full, unless the value of the full day ticket not exceeds some weird legal threshold. It seems greedy and silly to start checking the start time of a day ticket when you didn't need to do that before.
I wonder if this is a precursor to them starting to sell 1pm and on tickets.

 

[lazyboy97o]

They only need these additional resources a few days a year. That is a logistical headache for any employer to hire like that and a huge PITA for people who have not interest in filling out a W2 for one 8 hour shift. If I wasn't able to run a race I would consider volunteering instead, but there is no way in hell I'm sending my SSN through the magic of Disney digital forms just so I could pay taxes on the pittance of money I'd get paid if they were giving out $15 an hour. Even a half day park ticket is better than that. For both sides

Disney handles the staffing logistics for all sorts of temporary events, even multiple events simultaneously.

 

[Minthorne]

Disney makes money off the races or they would not have them.

Disney makes more money when the workforce is mostly volunteer.

Does makes even more money if they don’t give as big a thank you gift to the volunteers.

Disney loves money. You (Money) are the magic.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Like I said good luck scheduling 15K cast to come in at very odd hours , long shifts and see if they all come to work and one can manage that fiasco. That’s why volunteers are making the magic since 1994

This makes sense, volunteers WANT TO BE THERE so they accept very odd hours, long shifts etc., various abuses that cast members would not put up with.

This also tells us why Disney pared back the ticket! It's another abuse volunteers would accept.