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

[mm52200]

Fifteen years ago, I'd probably agree. But the "commute" time from West Clock to your site is paid now.

No it’s not. Not at all. The amount of time it takes to park, ride the bus, and walk to your location is unpaid.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

We’re struggling to get fully staffed in Vegas also, a lot of people won’t do customer service anymore regardless of the pay.

They’d rather make $15-20 an hour working on the phone or in a warehouse than make $30+ an hour putting up with miserable people all day.

Disney could easily afford to buy their way out of this problem but it’s not going to be cheap, it’s not enough to just pay a couple bucks an hour more than the Amazon warehouse or even the local restaurant who can hire people who live nearby, the difference needs to be substantial to convince people to deal with the inconvenience of getting to work and to deal with the guests once they get there.

I’ve worked some form of customer service for 25 years and customers are getting less patient, more rude, and more aggressive every year.

Now here is a take that is cognizant of the times. It’s site specific and that is the only way to ever evaluate Anaheim and lake buena vista

Thank you for not saying “labor is short everywhere”

It’s indeed More than that.

 

[bryanfze55]

No no, it's a conspiracy by Chapek to bone the guests.

Wow, Splash Mountain predicted the eventual arrival of Chapek 30 years prior: “Pretty good, show us your bone.”

 

[lazyboy97o]

We’re struggling to get fully staffed in Vegas also, a lot of people won’t do customer service anymore regardless of the pay.

They’d rather make $15-20 an hour working on the phone or in a warehouse than make $30+ an hour putting up with miserable people all day.

Disney could easily afford to buy their way out of this problem but it’s not going to be cheap, it’s not enough to just pay a couple bucks an hour more than the Amazon warehouse or even the local restaurant who can hire people who live nearby, the difference needs to be substantial to convince people to deal with the inconvenience of getting to work and to deal with the guests once they get there.

I’ve worked some form of customer service for 25 years and customers are getting less patient, more rude, and more aggressive every year.

And Disney has too long of a history of rewarding those obnoxious jerks and even punishing employees who don’t.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Wow, Splash Mountain predicted the eventual arrival of Chapek 30 years prior: “Pretty good, show us your bone.”

Hands down…top 5 post in the history of the internet

And Disney has too long of a history of rewarding those obnoxious jerks and even punishing employees who don’t.

Don’t ruin the “magic”

 

[Tom P.]

Day drinking today?

Okay, this time I agree with @CaptainAmerica and disagree with you. That feels more right.

 

[Tom P.]

No no, it's a conspiracy by Chapek to bone the guests.

A new Disney+ adult tier?

 

[Casper Gutman]

They can't pay them more even if they wanted to without union buy-in. And the union wouldn't agree to that without renegotiating salary structures for everyone.

And Disney does that, and wall Street reacts, the stock market plummets, and the executives are either all out of jobs or the price gets low enough that some activist investor executes a hostile takeover, leading to efficiencies and synergies that will make what Chappie has done seem like child's play.

Disney can and should do things to compensate cast members more. But there are major limits on what and how they can do it. It's a bad system but it's the one they find themselves in.

You've brought this theory up before - that it's actually the UNIONS that are preventing higher wages. Do you have any evidence at all that this is actually the case?

 

[MrPromey]

Flipping burgers at Cosmic Ray's is not harder than flipping burgers at Wendy's and I'm sick of pretending like it is. Cast members aren't sacred, first of all, and I expect good service no matter where I go.

Entry level, low skill workers earn entry level, low skill wages. Once they've gained some experience, they will earn more, because they're not entry-level and low-skill anymore.

This is true, however, I have one recent anecdote from someone still earning their ears that's already looking for another job.

Again, this is one person and someone overqualified for unskilled work which probably makes their appetite for all of it a lot less but their comment was that it just wasn't worth it. They have to drive down I-4 to get to and from work and then there is a 15 minute walk to and from their car in the parking lot and then another 15 minute walk to their position where they are supposed to work in the park (Hollywood Studios).

Their feeling as stated, was that between the drive and the walking, it makes each day 11-12 hours.

I'm guessing that's on a 10 hour shift but I didn't ask.

The I-4 thing is obviously out of Disney's hands but due to the remote nature of their location it's probably a common issue. I recall a former cast member talking about how they should tear down those entry gates in the ToT sign thread because they slowed people down and they said something like "having to drop out of 60 because someone is taking a picture" before someone came in and pointed out that the speed limit through there is a lot lower than that and then it was revealed, they were talking about the way guests drive while they were trying to get to work.

The other stuff about the hour spent every day getting to and from their position after they arrive on property, though, sounds like a tough one to suck up for the chance to work for the mouse.

Maybe other cast or former cast could share their thoughts on that but his reasons for wanting to leave less than a week in weren't/aren't even related to anything having to do with actual working conditions.

That's a problem that Wendy's (and most other retail/non-skilled in the Orlando area) don't need to deal with or account for when hiring.

I don't imagine many cast members bike to work at Disney, either.

Just something to consider.

It’s not just the skill required of the primary task. Things like commute and flexible scheduling also play a role. Just getting to Cosmic Ray’s is most likely harder than getting to a Wendy’s.

EDIT: Posted before I saw this. As you can see from the example above, it is!

EDIT (again) okay, having caught up, I see a lot of people are pointing out this getting to work problem at Disney. :/

 

[MrPromey]

These character meet and greets were legitimate people eaters! Now these folks will be wondering around the park, looking at their phones, refreshing the Genie+ app to try to snag that 7:30PM Lighting Lane return time.

I'm not so sure about the people-eater thing.

Maybe when it comes to lines but I'd guess the hourly throughput on these is pretty awful compared to just about any ride on property.

They can only handle one guest/group at a time unless they do something like the Mickey thing in Town Square (does anybody know how many rooms there are for that usually working at once?) which would still be pretty low and they have limited control regarding the length of each visit.

Obviously, they aren't getting stuck with anyone for 10+ minutes but for everyone who takes their picture and leaves, there will be someone who want's do-overs and wants to interact and that seems like it would result in them only being able to estimate a rough approximation of how many guest per hour something like that could even handle on an average day.

 

[MrPromey]

BS on this. I did a stent at McDonalds way back when, and while we might not have had as many customers per hour as Cosmic Rays, we did have a lot less grill space and only 1 guy flipping at a time because there wasn't enough space for more. During rush times the grill was non-stop no time for a break and that rush time wasn't just an hour at a whack, it pretty much mirrored the rush times you get at WDW.

Unless something has changed with how they grill the burgers since I worked there as a teen, nobody "flips" burgers at McDs.

Pretty sure they don't at BK either but I have no idea what's going on at Wendy's.

Just sayin'

 

[Lilofan]

And Disney has too long of a history of rewarding those obnoxious jerks and even punishing employees who don’t.

Some what not related but did all companies in Central FL pay their staff 2 days work when they stayed home during Hurricane Ian like WDW did to their cast?

 

[CaptainAmerica]

This is true, however, I have one recent anecdote from someone still earning their ears that's already looking for another job.

Again, this is one person and someone overqualified for unskilled work which probably makes their appetite for all of it a lot less but their comment was that it just wasn't worth it. They have to drive down I-4 to get to and from work and then there is a 15 minute walk to and from their car in the parking lot and then another 15 minute walk to their position where they are supposed to work in the park (Hollywood Studios).

Their feeling as stated, was that between the drive and the walking, it makes each day 11-12 hours.

I'm guessing that's on a 10 hour shift but I didn't ask.

The I-4 thing is obviously out of Disney's hands but due to the remote nature of their location it's probably a common issue. I recall a former cast member talking about how they should tear down those entry gates in the ToT sign thread because they slowed people down and they said something like "having to drop out of 60 because someone is taking a picture" before someone came in and pointed out that the speed limit through there is a lot lower than that and then it was revealed, they were talking about the way guests drive while they were trying to get to work.

The other stuff about the hour spent every day getting to and from their position after they arrive on property, though, sounds like a tough one to suck up for the chance to work for the mouse.

Maybe other cast or former cast could share their thoughts on that but his reasons for wanting to leave less than a week in weren't/aren't even related to anything having to do with actual working conditions.

That's a problem that Wendy's (and most other retail/non-skilled in the Orlando area) don't need to deal with or account for when hiring.

I don't imagine many cast members bike to work at Disney, either.

Just something to consider.



EDIT: Posted before I saw this. As you can see from the example above, it is!

EDIT (again) okay, having caught up, I see a lot of people are pointing out this getting to work problem at Disney. :/

All of this sort of misses the point that *Wendy's can't get enough workers either.*

Everyone is twisting themselves in knots to explain why people are forgoing working at Disney to work elsewhere, but all of those "elsewheres" are struggling with the exact same labor shortage.

Disney isn't struggling to attract and retain workers because it's unattractive relative to other companies. EVERYONE is struggling to attract and retain workers because there are still millions of workforce dropouts who haven't come back post-COVID.

 

[Lilofan]

It’s been explained 1,000 times on 100 threads are this point.

“Poor Disney is helpless” is low mental rent.

They’ve pulled some tricks to get labor…but have not gone far enough. They have more than enough financial flexibility to accommodate that.

Do better.

Can WDW go to Puerto Rico like that did approx 25 years ago and give the bonus money ($1K) to lure the island residents to work at WDW?

 

[Lilofan]

All of this sort of misses the point that *Wendy's can't get enough workers either.*

Everyone is twisting themselves in knots to explain why people are forgoing working at Disney to work elsewhere, but all of those "elsewheres" are struggling with the exact same labor shortage.

Disney isn't struggling to attract and retain workers because it's unattractive relative to other companies. EVERYONE is struggling to attract and retain workers because there are still millions of workforce dropouts who haven't come back post-COVID.

Staffing issues in operational settings is just part of the issue . Advisors at my local Ford dealer can't even get certain parts to fix customers Ford trucks.

 

[castlecake2.0]

Isn’t Minnie already greeting at

This is true, however, I have one recent anecdote from someone still earning their ears that's already looking for another job.

Again, this is one person and someone overqualified for unskilled work which probably makes their appetite for all of it a lot less but their comment was that it just wasn't worth it. They have to drive down I-4 to get to and from work and then there is a 15 minute walk to and from their car in the parking lot and then another 15 minute walk to their position where they are supposed to work in the park (Hollywood Studios).

Their feeling as stated, was that between the drive and the walking, it makes each day 11-12 hours.

I'm guessing that's on a 10 hour shift but I didn't ask.

The I-4 thing is obviously out of Disney's hands but due to the remote nature of their location it's probably a common issue. I recall a former cast member talking about how they should tear down those entry gates in the ToT sign thread because they slowed people down and they said something like "having to drop out of 60 because someone is taking a picture" before someone came in and pointed out that the speed limit through there is a lot lower than that and then it was revealed, they were talking about the way guests drive while they were trying to get to work.

The other stuff about the hour spent every day getting to and from their position after they arrive on property, though, sounds like a tough one to suck up for the chance to work for the mouse.

Maybe other cast or former cast could share their thoughts on that but his reasons for wanting to leave less than a week in weren't/aren't even related to anything having to do with actual working conditions.

That's a problem that Wendy's (and most other retail/non-skilled in the Orlando area) don't need to deal with or account for when hiring.

I don't imagine many cast members bike to work at Disney, either.

Just something to consider.



EDIT: Posted before I saw this. As you can see from the example above, it is!

EDIT (again) okay, having caught up, I see a lot of people are pointing out this getting to work problem at Disney. :/

While I’d love more $$ per hour, I would love more if the company would acknowledge the PITA it is to get to work and give anyone working in parks “travel time” to and from cast services. MK does it, the other parks need to start.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

While I’d love more $$ per hour, I would love more if the company would acknowledge the PITA it is to get to work and give anyone working in parks “travel time” to and from cast services. MK does it, the other parks need to start.

I remember a few years ago, it was a huge win for Fort Wilderness people when golf cart time was moved to paid. That might be one of the only places with a worse commute than Magic Kingdom.

 

[Disstevefan1]

I'm not so sure about the people-eater thing.

Maybe when it comes to lines but I'd guess the hourly throughput on these is pretty awful compared to just about any ride on property.

They can only handle one guest/group at a time unless they do something like the Mickey thing in Town Square (does anybody know how many rooms there are for that usually working at once?) which would still be pretty low and they have limited control regarding the length of each visit.

Obviously, they aren't getting stuck with anyone for 10+ minutes but for everyone who takes their picture and leaves, there will be someone who want's do-overs and wants to interact and that seems like it would result in them only being able to estimate a rough approximation of how many guest per hour something like that could even handle on an average day.

Yes, people-eater is not the best term. My point is that these folks were in queues waiting for their meet will now be wandering around the park, staring at their Genie+ app

 

[thomas998]

Unless something has changed with how they grill the burgers since I worked there as a teen, nobody "flips" burgers at McDs.

Pretty sure they don't at BK either but I have no idea what's going on at Wendy's.

Just sayin'

Prior to the current clamshell grills they cooked the burgers like other places, I remember having to sit through a VHS tape instructing how to place the patty, squash the patty then flip it before it was done. I know they have sped up the process now with the clamshell grills that cook both sides at once but those didn't always exist. I think they came out in the late 80's or 90's.

 

[monothingie]

NBD. It’s temporary.

Just like the suspension of daily housekeeping was temporary.

Just like the suspension of trams were temporary.

Temporary means something different to Disney bean counters.