The Miscellaneous Thought Thread

[Californian Elitist]

Or, put another way... Tokyo demands more from us and has higher standards, so we do more to show respect for them.

I wouldn't find the casual attire odd if they were there on their own time, or with family on a day off.

But when they are in the parks in an official capacity as the leaders of the Multi-Billion dollar investments they've recently made for their CM's, their shareholders, and their local communities, I think the jeans-n-sneakers look is too casual. Again, because they are representing Billions of dollars of investment and thousands of hard working employees who report to them.

The tone they took in the Tokyo parks last week seems far more appropriate as business leaders in charge of huge facilities like that.

The bolded is correct. If they have a different set of standards, then they should act accordingly. Standards are different here, so they act accordingly. That’s basically what I said.

The outlook on what these bigwigs should wear has shifted over time. For the most part, the public doesn’t care. At all. Iger and D’Amaro wearing jeans and sneakers doesn’t hinder the actual impact they make on the company. They’re not the only ones who don’t have on a suit at every meeting.

 

[TP2000]

The bolded is correct. If they have a different set of standards, then they should act accordingly. Standards are different here, so they act accordingly. That’s basically what I said.

Yes, exactly. Disney has purposely lowered their standards in the USA parks, because it's cheaper for them. Lower standards widen the labor pool quickly and make it easier to hire labor at lower rates of pay. Thus, you've got 19 year olds working StorybookLand with greasy hair and black nail polish at $17 per hour instead of demanding better grooming and only approved nail polish colors at $19 per hour.

Enjoy the lower pay rates you now get! Although it will now take you longer to earn the money to buy the black nail polish you get to wear to work now. So....

 

[TP2000]

So yeah, different cultures expect different things. News at 11.

I agree with that.

It just makes me chuckle that even D'Amaro and Iger know instinctively that the lower standards of the American parks don't play well in Japan. So they suited up and smiled for their Tokyo park tour in the rain.

That just proves that they know what they're doing with lowering pay scales by lowering standards in the California and Florida parks.

They know.

 

[TP2000]

Speaking of lowered standards, the previous President of Disneyland under Paul Pressler has another destroyed company to notch into her lipstick case...

Previous EVP of David's Bridal, Cynthia Harriss, just saw another previous employer go into the dumpster. David's Bridal just delcared bankruptcy and laid off 9,000 employees. Oops!

Cynthia Harriss was given the EVP spot at David's Bridal in 2013 by her previous boss and friend Paul Pressler. After Pressler ran both Disney's theme parks and The Gap into the ground in the 2000's, he ended up as a venture capitalist in New York City with a firm that took a controlling interest in David's Bridal. So Pressler got Harriss a gig as the EVP of that company, and Harriss ran the company out of an office in the back of the South Coast Metro location of a David's Bridal. It was an easy 25 minute commute from her Laguna Beach pad, so she was happy to do it.

Cynthia Harriss is also the sole Disneyland President to see two separate accidents resulting in the tragic (and rather horrific) deaths of Disneyland visitors; the 1998 disaster at the Sailing Ship Columbia that killed two guests and maimed one Cast Member, and the 2003 Big Thunder Mountain disaster that killed one guest and terrorized a dozen or so others.

Cynthia also became infamous because she was the first TDA exec to embrace the Internet age and really leaned in to the fake and pandering "We Love YOU!" marketing tactic that snowed paying customers and Cast Members alike circa 1998-2003.

David’s Bridal files for bankruptcy protection, may close all stores

David’s Bridal filed for bankruptcy protection for the second time and is preparing to close its nearly 300 stores if it can’t quickly find a buyer.

www.latimes.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthiaharriss/

 

[Californian Elitist]

Yes, exactly. Disney has purposely lowered their standards in the USA parks, because it's cheaper for them. Lower standards widen the labor pool quickly and make it easier to hire labor at lower rates of pay. Thus, you've got 19 year olds working StorybookLand with greasy hair and black nail polish at $17 per hour instead of demanding better grooming and only approved nail polish colors at $19 per hour.

Enjoy the lower pay rates you now get! Although it will now take you longer to earn the money to buy the black nail polish you get to wear to work now. So....

Don’t blame Disney for the evolution of American society and their choosing to evolve with the times. Standards have not been lowered, but simply changed, like they’ve been changing for thousands of years. Time to catch up now.

Not getting into the topic of wages and black nail polish with you.

 

[Consumer]

Don’t blame Disney for the evolution of American society and their choosing to evolve with the times. Standards have not been lowered, but simply changed, like they’ve been changing for thousands of years. Time to catch up now.

Not getting into the topic of wages and black nail polish with you.

Less is expected of cast members than used to be expected. That’s called lowering the bar. So yes, standards have been lowered.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Less is expected of cast members than used to be expected. That’s called lowering the bar. So yes, standards have been lowered.

Are CMs now allowed to come in late whenever they please? Take off sick days whenever they want without getting permission? Spit in guests’ face if they want?

If what you say pertains to uniform, no, the bar hasn’t been lowered. If it pertains to anything I mentioned above, then, yes, I would agree the bar has been lowered.

 

[Phroobar]

Remember when cast members where only being paid $13 an hour and demanded a living wage of $15. They were better dressed and groomed back then.

 

[CaptinEO]

I feel in Disney US parks, Six Flags, Universal Studios, Retail Stores, etc the only time you get good customer service is when people are working in spite of, or against their company's standards.

Again, I'm not fully blaming employees, its the standards and training that are non existent.

You can also say that the standards of consumers have been lowered as well.

 

[Consumer]

Are CMs now allowed to come in late whenever they please? Take off sick days whenever they want without getting permission? Spit in guests’ face if they want?

If what you say pertains to uniform, no, the bar hasn’t been lowered. If it pertains to anything I mentioned above, then, yes, I would agree the bar has been lowered.

I'm only arguing semantics. Objectively, by allowing people to be CM's they would not have formerly allowed to be CM's (such as tatted up individuals, men with long hair, men with facial hair, etc), Disney is lowering the bar. That's what the phrase means. If the bar previously had 10 requirements, and now it only has 8, that's lowering the bar. Whether this is good or bad we can debate separately, I'm just being fascist about grammar.

 

[Californian Elitist]

I can count on one hand how many times I was experienced awful guest service in the US.

 

[Californian Elitist]

I'm only arguing semantics. Objectively, by allowing people to be CM's they would not have formerly allowed to be CM's (such as tatted up individuals, men with long hair, men with facial hair, etc), Disney is lowering the bar. That's what the phrase means. If the bar previously had 10 requirements, and now it only has 8, that's lowering the bar. Whether this is good or bad we can debate separately, I'm just being fascist about grammar.

Disney is not lowering the bar. The bar has simply changed and is concurrent with current times and society.

 

[Consumer]

Disney is not lowering the bar. The bar has simply changed and is concurrent with current times and society.

Kid, that's what lowering the bar means.

If previously you needed to be able to jump three feet high in order to be a cast member, and now you only need to jump two feet, that's lowering the bar.

Again, I'm not currently saying the lowering of the bar is a bad thing, I am just saying the bar has been lowered, as that is what the phrase means. Objectively, there are fewer qualifications needed to pass in order to be a CM, therefore the bar is lowered.

 

[truecoat]

I actually found a short video of both Josh and Iger watching the "Dreams... and Shine Brighter!" show.

All three with arms folded tell me one thing. They are seeing a superior product and are defensive about it. They start nodding their heads in agreement that whatever they are watching is very good and better than they are used to.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Kid, that's what lowering the bar means.
View attachment 711043
If previously you needed to be able to jump three feet high in order to be a cast member, and now you only need to jump two feet, that's lowering the bar.

Again, I'm not currently saying the lowering of the bar is a bad thing, I am just saying the bar has been lowered, as that is what the phrase means. Objectively, there are fewer qualifications needed to pass in order to be a CM, therefore the bar is lowered.

No. It’s a change of culture.

Anyways, agree to disagree.

 

[Parteecia]

Bars aside, I will play devil's advocate and say that in my experience, CMs who would not have been hired in the old days due to their appearance have been just as friendly and helpful as those who meet the earlier standards. Looks have not correlated with performance.

 

[Disney Analyst]

No. It’s a change of culture.

Anyways, agree to disagree.

Exactly. And who gets to decide where the bar was in the first place? It seems rather subjective to me based on that posters criteria.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Exactly. And who gets to decide where the bar was in the first place? It seems rather subjective to me based on that posters criteria.

Exactly. The “bar” is constantly changing, based on societal values and interests.

 

[Consumer]

No. It’s a change of culture.

Anyways, agree to disagree.

Exactly. And who gets to decide where the bar was in the first place? It seems rather subjective to me based on that posters criteria.

Guys, this isn't hard to figure out. Five years ago, cast members were not allowed to have tattoos, facial hair, and men weren't allowed to have long hair. Today, all of those things are allowed. Nothing about this is subjective. Disney changed the Disney Look just a few years ago to lower their standards. This is, by definition, lowering the bar. I never denied there was a change in culture, just that Disney has lowered the bar for who can be a cast member.

Exactly. The “bar” is constantly changing, based on societal values and interests.

Yes, the bar goes up, and the bar goes down. In this case, the bar went down. That's what lowering the bar means.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Guys, this isn't hard to figure out. Five years ago, cast members were not allowed to have tattoos, facial hair, and men weren't allowed to have long hair. Today, all of those things are allowed. Nothing about this is subjective. Disney changed the Disney Look just a few years ago to lower their standards. This is, by definition, lowering the bar. I never denied there was a change in culture, just that Disney has lowered the bar for who can be a cast member.

Yes, the bar goes up, and the bar goes down. In this case, the bar went down. That's what lowering the bar means.

No.

Again, agree to disagree.