News Several character meet and greets to be cut at Walt Disney World as labor shortage continues

[mkt]

I would like for you to stop comparing Disney to a park that refuses to let go of the Dora characters that Nickelodeon has been licensing out, because they’re hardly that popular nowadays, has hardly selling merchandise, and some reason they still have them even though the Superstar Parade has long ended its run

While it's well known that the service industry's job losses are largely due to people leaving the industry altogether for white collar work where they earn more and are treated better, I believe that it's a fair comparison given that The Other Park™ is likely the one reason that Disney is short staffed. I've seen so many LinkedIn profiles in my network with an employer change from TWDC to UP&R, and beyond that I personally know several dozen now-former-CMs that jumped ship to Universal and refuse to go back to Disney.

Yes partly anecdotal, but also topical and relevant.

 

[mm52200]

LOL no.... I literally posted this yesterday:



So at least one person is on the outside of that bubble.

Now that the news is coming out that Green Army Men are coming back, and more parade showtimes are being added... how do (more than half) the comments in this thread stand up?

Disney doesn't seem to be having too much of an issue attracting talent in other areas so there can't be too much of a problem.

Green Army Men Drum Corp have been back…they’ve been in in the motorcade since July 2020. They’re just moving back to the lane now.
Parade was only once a day for a month because there wasn’t enough support staff to handle Christmas rehearsals, Halloween parties and two parades a day.
Watch any performance of FoF or a cavalcade and you will see that many performers are frequently missed due to staffing issues.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

LOL no.... I literally posted this yesterday:



So at least one person is on the outside of that bubble.

Now that the news is coming out that Green Army Men are coming back, and more parade showtimes are being added... how do (more than half) the comments in this thread stand up?

Disney doesn't seem to be having too much of an issue attracting talent in other areas so there can't be too much of a problem.

There is a strong sentiment (around here) that Disney “has” to charge much more, but can’t afford a dime of additional cost.

You might be above the Mendoza line on this one.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

Neither prices nor wages need to be justified.

Charge as much as people are willing to pay, pay as little as people are willing to take.

I cringed while liking this post but it’s the truth, it sounds like employee treatment and morale may be a bigger problem than pay anyway.

I’ve worked jobs for less money than I could have made elsewhere purely because of great bosses, I’ve also left good money jobs to get away from bad bosses. Sounds like Disney needs to reevaluate their policies.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

Possible. I do remember when they used beef tallow for fries, I think it was something like 5 or 10 percent of the oil was tallow... they tasted better, but then some fool thought that people going to McDonalds wanted healthier food... which to this day I cannot understand the logic they used. My god if I'm going to eat at McDonalds I'm not thinking about trying to be healthy.

I also remember when they had fried pies instead of the "healthier" and nasty baked ones they have today... funny how a fast food place destroys their product by trying to be healthy.

As I recall, part of the concern was that tallow = not vegetarian. Customers had previously assumed the fries were vegetarian.

 

[Basil of Baker Street]

As I recall, part of the concern was that tallow = not vegetarian. Customers had previously assumed the fries were vegetarian.

If I recall correctly, there was also an uproar within the Indian population.

 

[celluloid]

I would like for you to stop comparing Disney to a park that refuses to let go of the Dora characters that Nickelodeon has been licensing out, because they’re hardly that popular nowadays, has hardly selling merchandise, and some reason they still have them even though the Superstar Parade has long ended its run

That is the beauty of Universal recently. They are currently doing good at all aspects of it. Entertainment was not cut the way things were (at least for a while and maybe ongoing) at Disney. So well in fact they are not really comparable, but they are competition, so they are offering characters people want to meet and expanding entertainment, not cutting it.

They are still characters you meet in the park; they still sell plenty of merch. They would not be there if they were not revenue. The fact that the parade is not there currently while a new project is worked on for that does not mean the entertainment is not present in other areas.

Unless your post was facetious. Then it all went over my head.

 

[thomas998]

As I recall, part of the concern was that tallow = not vegetarian. Customers had previously assumed the fries were vegetarian.

They were sued by some Hindus in California over the tallow... which I find strange as I never assume how something is cooked, and McDonalds never hid the fact. If you asked they would tell you it wasn't as if it was some trade secret. I think way back then lots of places other than McDonalds used tallow and some even used lard in lots of things. I know the local fast food taco places used lard in their re fried beans which would make them an issue for Jews and muslims, but again if you bothered to ask or read the fliers they had on the food it was clear what was in it.

Too often people just don't want to take responsibility for themselves. If I was trying to avoid a certain thing in my food I wouldn't just assume the world was looking out for me.

 

[Joel]

Neither prices nor wages need to be justified.

Yet some people here spend an awful lot of time doing both!

Charge as much as people are willing to pay, pay as little as people are willing to take.

Obviously that's what literally every company to ever exist wants to do, but it sure seems like there aren't enough people currently willing to take what Disney's offering. So...

Disney is holding out in hopes that the job market tilts back in favor of employers and doesn't want to be saddled in perpetuity with higher wages. I don't blame them. But the vampire-to-sunlight reaction of the gratis corporate white knighters to the idea that Disney actually could (not even "should") pony up if it really wanted to return to the levels of service it has historically had is really something else.

 

[el_super]

There is a strong sentiment (around here) that Disney “has” to charge much more, but can’t afford a dime of additional cost.

Disney is holding out in hopes that the job market tilts back in favor of employers and doesn't want to be saddled in perpetuity with higher wages. I don't blame them. But the vampire-to-sunlight reaction of the gratis corporate white knighters to the idea that Disney actually could (not even "should") pony up if it really wanted to return to the levels of service it has historically had is really something else.

There is room for Disney to pay Cast Members more, but for Disney there has to be a real, tangible benefit to doing so. I still think there could be, in job performance and retention, but those aren't certain facts... just my opinion on the matter.

It's cheap talk to say "Disney can afford it" because it ignores who actually owns the piggy bank: US Shareholders. Disney's continued performance in the market is quite literally to the benefit of millions of average people who depend on their success for their retirement.

So if you're going to take money from someone's retirement to pay a character performer slightly more, you have to be pretty well justified to do it. In this case I think they are, but I also realize that there could be many other determining factors where a straight up wage increase doesn't solve the problem.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

Too often people just don't want to take responsibility for themselves. If I was trying to avoid a certain thing in my food I wouldn't just assume the world was looking out for me.

Sadly, it is not that simple.

Very much been there w/food allergies. People lie.

I can't speak to the MK suit, but when it comes to food allergies laypeople often outright lie, or they don't know/don't care, or worse they get downright y when asked if a food contains a specific allergen. Saw it just in the last month!

With food allergies it just isn't easy to tell the world, "HEY world, did you know that you can easily make me miserable/kill me just by giving me one little cracker!" Strangers just aren't always that nice or empathetic. Many don't 'believe' in food allergies, and they are so certain they are correct that they kindly take it upon themselves to secretly 'test.'


Just in the last month, I was out with someone who had to ask about wheat, and shockingly a manager laughed out loud when politely asked if an oatmilk product contained wheat. (At least one major brand of oatmilk contains wheat.) I mean laughed in a dismissive way and could not be bothered to check.

Have you never heard anyone mock vegetarians? I can't speak to the lawsuit, but I can easily see why it might not be easy for everyone to just ask everywhere they eat.

I wish it was that easy.

 

[flynnibus]

There is room for Disney to pay Cast Members more, but for Disney there has to be a real, tangible benefit to doing so. I still think there could be, in job performance and retention, but those aren't certain facts... just my opinion on the matter.

The cost of turnover alone and the drag it has on operations is justification enough. Plus there is the problem of not being able to operate at full capacity means you are dragging your product and revenues now.

It's cheap talk to say "Disney can afford it" because it ignores who actually owns the piggy bank: US Shareholders. Disney's continued performance in the market is quite literally to the benefit of millions of average people who depend on their success for their retirement.

Disney can continue to perform in the market with a lower net revenue - The shareholders are not getting rich based on a 1% difference in profit margin in a single segment. They get rich based on SPECULATION and confidence in the health and potential of the business. Just like when Disney spends billions on a new ship it doesn't put shareholders in the poor house because it takes years to pay for.

So if you're going to take money from someone's retirement to pay a character performer slightly more

Disney hasn't paid a dividend in almost 2 years... whose supporting grandma since??

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

A few years back, I was trying to get food for a young girl with celiac. This was at a local mall food court at a stand with an open kitchen. She told them she had celiac up front and was very careful to order something very plain.

The chef openly cross contaminated her food. Or would have. The chef was working the grill, and mindlessly, immediately went from handling bread to handling what would have been her food.

She politely spoke up quickly and asked if he would be so kind as to change out their disposable gloves before handling her order.

The chef stopped, and changed his gloves, but openly scoffed at her.

This was a 10 year old girl.

In plain sight with an adult standing next to her.

 

[John park hopper]

There is room for Disney to pay Cast Members more, but for Disney there has to be a real, tangible benefit to doing so. I still think there could be, in job performance and retention, but those aren't certain facts... just my opinion on the matter.

It's cheap talk to say "Disney can afford it" because it ignores who actually owns the piggy bank: US Shareholders. Disney's continued performance in the market is quite literally to the benefit of millions of average people who depend on their success for their retirement.

So if you're going to take money from someone's retirement to pay a character performer slightly more, you have to be pretty well justified to do it. In this case I think they are, but I also realize that there could be many other determining factors where a straight up wage increase doesn't solve the problem.

Playing the stock market is not a sure thing. Disney should be doing what is best for their guests (who generate the revenue) and if that means paying employees a little more so be it.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

There is room for Disney to pay Cast Members more, but for Disney there has to be a real, tangible benefit to doing so. I still think there could be, in job performance and retention, but those aren't certain facts... just my opinion on the matter.

It's cheap talk to say "Disney can afford it" because it ignores who actually owns the piggy bank: US Shareholders. Disney's continued performance in the market is quite literally to the benefit of millions of average people who depend on their success for their retirement.

So if you're going to take money from someone's retirement to pay a character performer slightly more, you have to be pretty well justified to do it. In this case I think they are, but I also realize that there could be many other determining factors where a straight up wage increase doesn't solve the problem.

The primary product Disney sells is sentiment.

You just can’t get the ganglion wrapped around this

 

[el_super]

Playing the stock market is not a sure thing. Disney should be doing what is best for their guests (who generate the revenue) and if that means paying employees a little more so be it.

They have to keep their guests happy in order to keep the revenue coming in.

I think the issue people are really trying to come to grasp is that, guests are really easy to please.

 

[Goofy Ninja]

As long as they aren't physically cutting them I'm alright with it. I'd hate to see Piglet put on the menu at Crystal Palace.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Disney's continued performance in the market is quite literally to the benefit of millions of average people who depend on their success for their retirement.

You don’t honestly beleive that do you?

 

[el_super]

You don’t honestly beleive that do you?

How can anyone not?

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

As long as they aren't physically cutting them I'm alright with it. I'd hate to see Piglet put on the menu at Crystal Palace.

Wait...don't they serve carved pork loin?


Uh oh.