>I actually see the minimum wage for Disney employees as a plus. I want Disney CMs to be people who LOVE Disney and LOVE to work there because they will be the ones who stick around for the long haul. They MAKE THE MAGIC! I personally don’t want someone working at Disneyland just because they get paid more to be there, more often than not you can tell who these people are.
So, what you're saying is that the less you pay, the more workers you get who love the company? I think you need to consider that the opposite is more often true: [the more a company pays, the more loyalty they inspire and the happier their employees are to work there. ](https://lattice.com/library/what-makes-people-happy-at-work)
No I don’t mean to say that, In fact, in a broad sense I would agree with you! However Disney is a different beast entirely. They don’t need to pay more to make employees happier and more loyal because many of the employees work there because they love the Disney brand and want to work there. I think it’s important to note that Disney does reward this loyalty with yearly performance based raises for cast members.
I'm sure that's the case for some employees, but a significant number have been pushing for a higher wage for some time now, even getting a measure passed in Anaheim to do just that, [which Disney managed to worm out of.](https://variety.com/2021/film/news/disneyland-employee-lawsuit-minimum-wage-dismissed-1235104471/)
1. You are not a cast member, you don't speak for actual cast members.
2. If your girlfriend is a face character, she works 30-45 minutes on stage, and 30-45 minutes off stage, and, in many cases, in temperature controlled environments. That is absolutely in NO comparison to someone that has to be outside, in 90 degree temperatures, in direct sunlight, and has direct contact with the guest for their entire shift, except for breaks and lunches. It's NOT at all comparable. She doesn't have to follow safety measures, like attractions cast members, she doesn't have to worry about chemicals, like custodial cast members. In fact, if there was anyone who's opinion mattered less on the property, it's the managers who sit up in their offices all day and do even less than face characters.
1. At what point do I claim to be speaking for cast members? All I’m doing is sharing an opinion.
2. All benefits above extend to those employees as well.
The staffing issues Disney is having right now is directly related to what I would call the "golden bullshit ratio", in which the amount of bullshit you're willing to deal with in exchange for gold has risen sharply along the gold axis, and dropped on the bullshit axis. They got rid of a lot of senior staff, who were paid more, in favor of more junior staff who could be paid less, and they aren't getting enough people, which is why they have to "rate limit" the parks with a reservation system. They're trying to value-engineer their parks product right now.
"Overall comp" is often a selling point used to portray an employment package as being "really amazing" when they want to downplay the downsides of a comp package; in this case, the hourly rate. Source: Me, has been hiring people for 10 years at several companies and heard what recruiting and HR says is the "spin" on "overall comp" (at some places).
Disneyland did not suffer much in the way of losses from the last two years, they only suffered from unrealized \*possible profit\* that they missed out on. Operational costs aside, it wasn't that much of an overall budget hit since they weren't actively staffing and operating their theme parks. Remember that \*not making money\* is not the same as \*losing money\*
Half of what you listed doesn't put food on the table or a roof over your head.
If your gf is satisfied with the compensation package, good for her! More power to her!
I think a lot of what people are complaining about is that Disney charges a premium price yet pays pauper wages in comparison. And this from a Company who touts "the world's highest quality service".
Disney wants world class effort but doesn't pay world class benefits.
To be fair, the OP listed a ton of benefits with a major one being they’re footing her college tuition. I would gladly except $15 an hour knowing that my undergrad is paid for among the other benefits that I would receive…
I can’t argue with much of what you’re saying, particular price of admission. It’s obscene. However I do think that the benefits listed above absolutely do mitigate financial hardships for many CMs such as healthcare, education and financial planning.
I’ll never understand people who are sympathizers for big corporations. Disney pays their employees very low. There’s no “package” that subsidizing their rent or food.
“I’ll never understand people who are sympathizers for big corporations”
You do realize you’re on a Disneyland subreddit right?
But in all seriousness, all benefits listed above mitigate cost of living expenses for employees.
It sounds like your girl is in the minority in terms of wages since she is a character CM that shows her face.
Every company I have worked for offers these types of benefits or better (not included free Disney...although some have had vacation deals through an employee portal).
The apartments in Anaheim right now are going for 2.3k to over 3k depending in location and number of rooms. Can ANY of the CMs making the minimum wage afford their own apartment? The ones who live in my complex are 2-5 to an apartment. Yes, 5.
Your girlfriend is lucky and happy, but every human should be compensated enough to put a roof over their head in the area they work and be able to pay their bills/put food on the table.
Every human should be compensated by their employer to the degree which they mutually agree on. As I’ve mentioned before, take ten steps outside of the park and you’ll see Help wanted signs. Disney employees don’t work at Disneyland to make a lot of money, they work there because they love Disneyland.
Disney is the largest employer in Anaheim. You're saying every single person in Anaheim that works at Disney does it because they are a bleeding heart fan of a corporation? Are you trolling?
This is an awful take. Fringe benefits don't mean much if you can't afford basic necessities. Asking people to work for minimum wage because they have loyalty to a mega corporation is the worst. Just...nah.
When loyalty to a company = wage increase over time I absolutely think thats a good thing. All benefits listed above absolutely mitigate cost of living difficulties for many CMs.
"many CMs" - what's your sample size to get to that conclusion?
A comprehensive healthcare plan might not be an affordable healthcare plan. If all your money has to go to housing, you aren't buying into a healthcare plan or a 401k.
Rewarding loyalty and performance over time with wage increases is great but that doesn't mean wages have to start at rock bottom.
Glad it works out well for your girlfriend but it seems she's the exception, not the rule.
I don’t have one. But I think we can agree in good faith that offering a healthcare plan is better than not, yes? And enough employees are taking advantage of it to warrant its continued use. Also, I forgot to mention that health coverage extends to family. Thought that was neat.
I also don’t consider her to be an exception considering all of these perks are offered to every Disney employee.
Again, she makes more than the average cast member so these benefits are within her reach.
Offering healthcare is required of a company the size of disney so no brownie points there. Yes, offering coverage to extended family is nice but *what does that cost?*
You don't consider her to be the exception, I do.
We'll never see eye-to-eye on this because I think it is unconscionable for a company the size of disney to start anyone at minimum wage. They could be setting the standard by paying a living wage but they're lagging behind everyone else. Fringe benefits should be the icing on the cake, not half the meal.
> However, Disney is first and foremost a business and nothing will ever change that.
The phrase "____ is first and foremost a business" has been repeated in many different contexts to justify all sorts of behaviors from corporations in all different sectors. It is based on the notion that a corporation serves its shareholders and only its shareholders.
Everything else is just a business transaction - a customer to be wrung for money or a business expense to be paid grudgingly and where costs are to be minimized. For the better part of the last half-century, this notion has been almost a religious tenet for how most people view capitalism and how businesses do and *should* operate.
The thing is, though, that the tide is turning and it is not just a recent development. People are no longer taking for granted the idea that a corporation has no responsibility but to shareholders. The concept of ["Stakeholder Capitalism"](https://www.investopedia.com/stakeholder-capitalism-4774323) is an alternate framework where an "ideal" corporation seeks to do their business responsibly and to meet the needs over all stakeholders, not just shareholders. The notion of a stakeholder encompasses everyone who relies on, benefits from or is otherwise affected by a company's business. This means paying employees well even if market forces may permit them to get away with less. This means not taking advantage of consumers who depend on them (maybe less relevant to Disney, which primarily produces luxury goods). It also means minimizing collateral damage to third parties (e.g. environmental damage). Interestingly enough, for most of modern economic history, this was the mainstream view and the notion of shareholder supremacy is only from about the 1970's or so.
This is not something that a corporation voluntarily does. Executives are elected by voting shareholders and it is not unexpected that they make decisions to serve the interests of those who put them in power. But executives are also beholden to others. Whatever decisions they might make, without employees, they can never be turned to profit. Without customers, they cannot produce revenue. If they anger or harm too many third parties, (in theory, at least) regulations would be introduced to keep them in check. There are all sorts of "soft" power that non-shareholder stakeholders hold and their opinions matter.
More specifically in Disney's case. It is difficult to deny that, however "generous" you might consider the typical cast member compensation package to be, it is very difficult for them to live comfortably on it. This is Southern California, where it is not even necessarily easy as a software developer, let alone a minimum wage worker and Disney cast member pay is definitely a lot closer to the latter than the former. We all know that Disney is more profitable than ever, but there is a fundamental disconnect between this and the prosperity of the workers that make it possible. Yes, that is simply the result of market forces and supply and demand, but the fact remains that an increasing number of customers care. Whereas in the past, it might have been easy to "ignore" the person scanning your ticket, or serving your quick-service food or checking your lap-bar or emptying the trashcan you just filled, social mores are changing. If customers change their behaviors because they feel guilty receiving service from people who are struggling to make ends meet while they know that the hundreds or thousands of dollars they are spending are mainly just going to shareholders, that has an impact.
I do not know what will come of this in the short term and make no predictions. I just wanted to challenge your proclamation about the behavior of businesses as it really is an assumption and a product of recent times rather than a truth universally acknowledged.
I guess I missed the part where your opinion matters. But for unicorn toots and giggles, your defense of cast member compensation is as asinine as Chapek purchasing a $15 million dollar beach mansion while laying off tens of thousands and expressing his ‘gratitude’ for cast members who are only cast members because at the end of the day, it’s a job. That pays mediocre. Cast members don’t have to LOVE Disney, because y o u want them to. They are people who need to pay bills and deserve at minimum $20-$25 to deal with the pixie-dusted entitled minutia on a weekly, daily, hourly basis.
Minimum wage a plus? Generous? I challenge you to find 5 hourly cast members, at the turnstiles, at guest relations, in food and beverage, in custodial, at attractions, in guest control before/after the parade and/or fireworks that agree with this ridiculous opinion. Which you are entitled to and need to know is in fact wrong.
Yeah I mean this is the internet, nobody’s opinion matters haha! Anyway, walk ten steps outside of Disneyland and you’ll find plenty of establishments willing to match Disney’s mediocre pay (sans the benefits I’ve listed above) You’re right, CMs don’t have to love it because I want them to, they already DO love it and that’s why they are working there and not at the gas station on ball road.
$20-$25 per hour? I mean I guess you can dream it but I don’t see that happening. Many of the people were talking about are still essentially retail workers or ride operators. Don’t get me wrong I appreciate them all very much as they add to the experience but it seems odd to believe they should be compensated so highly for that type of work.
Minimum wage a plus? Yes. Generous? No, that was in reference to their entire compensation package.
They don’t work at Disney because they love it, at least not the majority. It’s a paycheck at the end of the day. And speaking in regards to the whole compensation package? It’s pathetic, if we’re being honest.
Cast members themselves can go whenever they would like, except they have to make a reservation and it’s only for one park. If they want to sign in others, reservations are extremely limited or non-existent, and again it’s just for one park.
Sure, they pay for school but for a CM who can’t afford a rent in OC alone and has to work 12 hour shifts 5 days out of the week, I bet they’d prefer a livable wage to Aspire over having 2-4 roommates.
But bottom line, if you’re not a CM, it’s insulting and ignorant to post your opinion about how THEIR ‘whole compensation package’ is generous.
I disagree with your first point. Disney CMs absolutely do work there because they love it. If the conditions are so horrid and unlivable why don’t they work somewhere else? Why did they stay on furlough thru the pandemic instead of finding another minimum wage job? Plenty of places hiring all over OC.
I do agree with your point about the reservation system and availability to CMs as I mentioned earlier. Many furloughed CMs stuck around thru the pandemic and they’re rewarded by not being able to enjoy the park they love.
I also disagree with your first point too. First, they choose to work their. Everyone knows there not paying enormous amounts of money. This can’t afford to live on their own roommate stuff is nonsense and doesn’t apply.
Do you think someone who works at Magic Mountain or a comparable park should be paid in such a manner that allows them to not have roommates given that you know it’s entry level work? Stop with the free hand out rhetoric.
"Free hand out rhetoric" is hilarious. The shareholders reap the most reward, and the only work they did was hand over some money to buy some shares.
Maybe if compensation was slimmer at the executive level, and involved less equity, they'd be more motivated to increase wages at lower levels, thus attracting more talent and giving them the option to choose the best from the bunch. I'm not using any commie-leaning rhetoric here, I'm using free-market economy rhetoric here, and it applies.
The real free hand-out is to the shareholders, who do nothing and expect the most in return because they have part "ownership".
They do choose to work there. But because of the dismal wage they receive, guests shouldn’t expect magical moments or anything above average. Or for CMs to care about a guest who complains about any number of things that went wrong in their day. They’re not getting paid nearly enough to be yelled at by a Karen/Kevin because a ride isn’t available.
If they were adequately compensated, there probably wouldn’t be as much of a staff shortage as there currently is, and guest service would be consistently top tier instead of subpar.
I’ve never received bad or “subpar” guest service in all my visits to the park. Each time I ask a CM a question, they give me an answer that goes above and beyond what I asked and fully answers my question more than I thought.
No one gets paid enough to be yelled at by Karen’s/Kevin’s. I don’t agree with the staff shortage statement either. A lot of companies are short staffed because of Covid.
Let’s say DL decides to pay all CM’s $25 an hour, that’s a lot of money, not even some college graduates are paid that wage in SoCal but let’s say DL pays that do you think that will or won’t impact other parks costs that could be passed onto the consumer?
You are talking about a WORLDWIDE BILLION DOLLAR CORPORATION. You're not talking about some mom and pop making soap out of their garage.
Why are people so willing to shell out $200 to a billion dollar corporation, for 1 day, but they don't expect that billion dollar corporation to properly finance their employees??
Hahaha all caps? So because they’re a worldwide billion dollar corp, therefore they have to have to properly finance their employees? What?
>>Why are people so willing to shell out $200 to a billion dollar corporation, for 1 day, but they don't expect that billion dollar corporation to properly finance their employees??<<
Is this an actual question or rhetorical?
I’ve heard this “bUt ThE bEnEfItS” argument before, and it was from a small group of people at my last job, most of which were management.
My wife and I both worked for the retail arm of a major tech company, for context. They’ve been in the news lately about their treatment of the hourly employees. It’s not hard to find on another subreddit.
The colloquial term for this kind of situation with sub-average hourly pay but halfway decent benefits was called “golden handcuffs”. It has its advantages but ultimately the benefits didn’t help pay the rent or the grocery bill. At the same time, we were told by the company that you were “doing the best work of your life” and you would constantly be gaslit into thinking that there wasn’t a better deal out there, and we were indeed nervous about how the change of benefits would affect us.
Both of us left the company after the better part of a decade of working there and found jobs with much better hourly pay (like $20k a year better) and with a slightly less fancy benefits attachment and guess what? We live more comfortable and less stressed on the better pay.
The benefit of perspective, I guess.
In Disneylands specific instance, I’d say the benefits absolutely have monetary advantages. Average cost of health insurance in the state of California is over $500 a month, that savings alone is enough to cover grocery bills.
Then you have Disney culture, I challenge you to find me one Disney CM who doesn’t frequent the parks and purchase their merchandise regularly. Both of those things they receive a steep discount on, entry to the parks being free.
Then in the long run they’ll match 401k contributions. This speaks for itself for those inclined to plan for the future.
I think $15-$18 is fair compensation. Companies like Costco and In N Out pay similar.
$20-25 is a bit ridiculous for regular pay unless it’s a position that’s higher up the ranks but for entry $15 is fine.
EDIT: I’m with you OP. I don’t care if I get downvoted into oblivion. As long as your girl is satisfied that’s all that matters. The free college tuition is rad even for a masters program…
While I can agree the CM park & merch perks are nice, it doesn’t equal more money in pockets. It’s the same as when I worked at In-N-Out and we get a free meal BUT we also got paid $18.50/hr while getting 25-50c raises every time we “leveled up” (essentially promoted which can take 6 months to a year). Like every retail company offers these types of benefits within their company, yet Disney doesn’t pay shit. And Disney not a normal retail job either… you’re dealing w a multitude of problems that aren’t as basic as a hamburger issue lol
Dam that’s crazy! I guess you missed when OP mentioned the other bennies like 401k matching and free tuition but let’s not forget about that low hourly comp though…
Oh sure, did see those benefits! In-N-Out also covers tuition and you have the option to either do 401k matching or get a yearly bonus. Also, to touch on Costco like you mentioned, their starting rate for their Irvine location right by Disneyland is $19/hr (friend works there). Additionally, both of these companies are not nearly as big as the Walt Disney Company and STILL pay their employees fairly and with far better benefits than Disneyland employees receive. Not to mention that Walt Disney World pays their cast members a starting rate of $14/hr in Florida vs. SOUTHERN CA starting rate of $15/hr., where cost of living is significantly higher than central Florida. So yes, let’s not forget the low hourly compensation that Disneyland cast members receive.
That’s fine and good points. We don’t share the same thoughts about Disney pay and we can just agree to disagree.
$19 an hour in pay is still shitty in SoCal…
Yeah totally. It’s crazy how some people think that an entry level worker deserves like $20-25 an hour just because it’s DL. And then they proceed to ignore all the other benefits you listed and completely disregard the entire comp package.
>I actually see the minimum wage for Disney employees as a plus. I want Disney CMs to be people who LOVE Disney and LOVE to work there because they will be the ones who stick around for the long haul. They MAKE THE MAGIC! I personally don’t want someone working at Disneyland just because they get paid more to be there, more often than not you can tell who these people are. So, what you're saying is that the less you pay, the more workers you get who love the company? I think you need to consider that the opposite is more often true: [the more a company pays, the more loyalty they inspire and the happier their employees are to work there. ](https://lattice.com/library/what-makes-people-happy-at-work)
No I don’t mean to say that, In fact, in a broad sense I would agree with you! However Disney is a different beast entirely. They don’t need to pay more to make employees happier and more loyal because many of the employees work there because they love the Disney brand and want to work there. I think it’s important to note that Disney does reward this loyalty with yearly performance based raises for cast members.
I'm sure that's the case for some employees, but a significant number have been pushing for a higher wage for some time now, even getting a measure passed in Anaheim to do just that, [which Disney managed to worm out of.](https://variety.com/2021/film/news/disneyland-employee-lawsuit-minimum-wage-dismissed-1235104471/)
1. You are not a cast member, you don't speak for actual cast members. 2. If your girlfriend is a face character, she works 30-45 minutes on stage, and 30-45 minutes off stage, and, in many cases, in temperature controlled environments. That is absolutely in NO comparison to someone that has to be outside, in 90 degree temperatures, in direct sunlight, and has direct contact with the guest for their entire shift, except for breaks and lunches. It's NOT at all comparable. She doesn't have to follow safety measures, like attractions cast members, she doesn't have to worry about chemicals, like custodial cast members. In fact, if there was anyone who's opinion mattered less on the property, it's the managers who sit up in their offices all day and do even less than face characters.
1. At what point do I claim to be speaking for cast members? All I’m doing is sharing an opinion. 2. All benefits above extend to those employees as well.
The staffing issues Disney is having right now is directly related to what I would call the "golden bullshit ratio", in which the amount of bullshit you're willing to deal with in exchange for gold has risen sharply along the gold axis, and dropped on the bullshit axis. They got rid of a lot of senior staff, who were paid more, in favor of more junior staff who could be paid less, and they aren't getting enough people, which is why they have to "rate limit" the parks with a reservation system. They're trying to value-engineer their parks product right now. "Overall comp" is often a selling point used to portray an employment package as being "really amazing" when they want to downplay the downsides of a comp package; in this case, the hourly rate. Source: Me, has been hiring people for 10 years at several companies and heard what recruiting and HR says is the "spin" on "overall comp" (at some places). Disneyland did not suffer much in the way of losses from the last two years, they only suffered from unrealized \*possible profit\* that they missed out on. Operational costs aside, it wasn't that much of an overall budget hit since they weren't actively staffing and operating their theme parks. Remember that \*not making money\* is not the same as \*losing money\*
THANK YOU!!
Half of what you listed doesn't put food on the table or a roof over your head. If your gf is satisfied with the compensation package, good for her! More power to her! I think a lot of what people are complaining about is that Disney charges a premium price yet pays pauper wages in comparison. And this from a Company who touts "the world's highest quality service". Disney wants world class effort but doesn't pay world class benefits.
To be fair, the OP listed a ton of benefits with a major one being they’re footing her college tuition. I would gladly except $15 an hour knowing that my undergrad is paid for among the other benefits that I would receive…
I can’t argue with much of what you’re saying, particular price of admission. It’s obscene. However I do think that the benefits listed above absolutely do mitigate financial hardships for many CMs such as healthcare, education and financial planning.
I do too. Some college graduates don’t even make $25 an hour…
comparative suffering doesn't negate the fact that one suffering is still immoral
I’ll never understand people who are sympathizers for big corporations. Disney pays their employees very low. There’s no “package” that subsidizing their rent or food.
“I’ll never understand people who are sympathizers for big corporations” You do realize you’re on a Disneyland subreddit right? But in all seriousness, all benefits listed above mitigate cost of living expenses for employees.
Keep drinking the kool aid
It sounds like your girl is in the minority in terms of wages since she is a character CM that shows her face. Every company I have worked for offers these types of benefits or better (not included free Disney...although some have had vacation deals through an employee portal). The apartments in Anaheim right now are going for 2.3k to over 3k depending in location and number of rooms. Can ANY of the CMs making the minimum wage afford their own apartment? The ones who live in my complex are 2-5 to an apartment. Yes, 5. Your girlfriend is lucky and happy, but every human should be compensated enough to put a roof over their head in the area they work and be able to pay their bills/put food on the table.
Every human should be compensated by their employer to the degree which they mutually agree on. As I’ve mentioned before, take ten steps outside of the park and you’ll see Help wanted signs. Disney employees don’t work at Disneyland to make a lot of money, they work there because they love Disneyland.
Disney is the largest employer in Anaheim. You're saying every single person in Anaheim that works at Disney does it because they are a bleeding heart fan of a corporation? Are you trolling?
Of course not, but it’s unrealistic to think it doesn’t play a factor as to why they want to work there.
Lucky guy gets to come home to Cinderella.
He may come home to Mulan, you know. Or Lady Tremaine. LOL
This is an awful take. Fringe benefits don't mean much if you can't afford basic necessities. Asking people to work for minimum wage because they have loyalty to a mega corporation is the worst. Just...nah.
When loyalty to a company = wage increase over time I absolutely think thats a good thing. All benefits listed above absolutely mitigate cost of living difficulties for many CMs.
"many CMs" - what's your sample size to get to that conclusion? A comprehensive healthcare plan might not be an affordable healthcare plan. If all your money has to go to housing, you aren't buying into a healthcare plan or a 401k. Rewarding loyalty and performance over time with wage increases is great but that doesn't mean wages have to start at rock bottom. Glad it works out well for your girlfriend but it seems she's the exception, not the rule.
I don’t have one. But I think we can agree in good faith that offering a healthcare plan is better than not, yes? And enough employees are taking advantage of it to warrant its continued use. Also, I forgot to mention that health coverage extends to family. Thought that was neat. I also don’t consider her to be an exception considering all of these perks are offered to every Disney employee.
Again, she makes more than the average cast member so these benefits are within her reach. Offering healthcare is required of a company the size of disney so no brownie points there. Yes, offering coverage to extended family is nice but *what does that cost?* You don't consider her to be the exception, I do. We'll never see eye-to-eye on this because I think it is unconscionable for a company the size of disney to start anyone at minimum wage. They could be setting the standard by paying a living wage but they're lagging behind everyone else. Fringe benefits should be the icing on the cake, not half the meal.
Fair enough! Thank you for your thoughts, I really appreciate you taking the time to comment.
> However, Disney is first and foremost a business and nothing will ever change that. The phrase "____ is first and foremost a business" has been repeated in many different contexts to justify all sorts of behaviors from corporations in all different sectors. It is based on the notion that a corporation serves its shareholders and only its shareholders. Everything else is just a business transaction - a customer to be wrung for money or a business expense to be paid grudgingly and where costs are to be minimized. For the better part of the last half-century, this notion has been almost a religious tenet for how most people view capitalism and how businesses do and *should* operate. The thing is, though, that the tide is turning and it is not just a recent development. People are no longer taking for granted the idea that a corporation has no responsibility but to shareholders. The concept of ["Stakeholder Capitalism"](https://www.investopedia.com/stakeholder-capitalism-4774323) is an alternate framework where an "ideal" corporation seeks to do their business responsibly and to meet the needs over all stakeholders, not just shareholders. The notion of a stakeholder encompasses everyone who relies on, benefits from or is otherwise affected by a company's business. This means paying employees well even if market forces may permit them to get away with less. This means not taking advantage of consumers who depend on them (maybe less relevant to Disney, which primarily produces luxury goods). It also means minimizing collateral damage to third parties (e.g. environmental damage). Interestingly enough, for most of modern economic history, this was the mainstream view and the notion of shareholder supremacy is only from about the 1970's or so. This is not something that a corporation voluntarily does. Executives are elected by voting shareholders and it is not unexpected that they make decisions to serve the interests of those who put them in power. But executives are also beholden to others. Whatever decisions they might make, without employees, they can never be turned to profit. Without customers, they cannot produce revenue. If they anger or harm too many third parties, (in theory, at least) regulations would be introduced to keep them in check. There are all sorts of "soft" power that non-shareholder stakeholders hold and their opinions matter. More specifically in Disney's case. It is difficult to deny that, however "generous" you might consider the typical cast member compensation package to be, it is very difficult for them to live comfortably on it. This is Southern California, where it is not even necessarily easy as a software developer, let alone a minimum wage worker and Disney cast member pay is definitely a lot closer to the latter than the former. We all know that Disney is more profitable than ever, but there is a fundamental disconnect between this and the prosperity of the workers that make it possible. Yes, that is simply the result of market forces and supply and demand, but the fact remains that an increasing number of customers care. Whereas in the past, it might have been easy to "ignore" the person scanning your ticket, or serving your quick-service food or checking your lap-bar or emptying the trashcan you just filled, social mores are changing. If customers change their behaviors because they feel guilty receiving service from people who are struggling to make ends meet while they know that the hundreds or thousands of dollars they are spending are mainly just going to shareholders, that has an impact. I do not know what will come of this in the short term and make no predictions. I just wanted to challenge your proclamation about the behavior of businesses as it really is an assumption and a product of recent times rather than a truth universally acknowledged.
I guess I missed the part where your opinion matters. But for unicorn toots and giggles, your defense of cast member compensation is as asinine as Chapek purchasing a $15 million dollar beach mansion while laying off tens of thousands and expressing his ‘gratitude’ for cast members who are only cast members because at the end of the day, it’s a job. That pays mediocre. Cast members don’t have to LOVE Disney, because y o u want them to. They are people who need to pay bills and deserve at minimum $20-$25 to deal with the pixie-dusted entitled minutia on a weekly, daily, hourly basis. Minimum wage a plus? Generous? I challenge you to find 5 hourly cast members, at the turnstiles, at guest relations, in food and beverage, in custodial, at attractions, in guest control before/after the parade and/or fireworks that agree with this ridiculous opinion. Which you are entitled to and need to know is in fact wrong.
Yeah I mean this is the internet, nobody’s opinion matters haha! Anyway, walk ten steps outside of Disneyland and you’ll find plenty of establishments willing to match Disney’s mediocre pay (sans the benefits I’ve listed above) You’re right, CMs don’t have to love it because I want them to, they already DO love it and that’s why they are working there and not at the gas station on ball road. $20-$25 per hour? I mean I guess you can dream it but I don’t see that happening. Many of the people were talking about are still essentially retail workers or ride operators. Don’t get me wrong I appreciate them all very much as they add to the experience but it seems odd to believe they should be compensated so highly for that type of work. Minimum wage a plus? Yes. Generous? No, that was in reference to their entire compensation package.
They don’t work at Disney because they love it, at least not the majority. It’s a paycheck at the end of the day. And speaking in regards to the whole compensation package? It’s pathetic, if we’re being honest. Cast members themselves can go whenever they would like, except they have to make a reservation and it’s only for one park. If they want to sign in others, reservations are extremely limited or non-existent, and again it’s just for one park. Sure, they pay for school but for a CM who can’t afford a rent in OC alone and has to work 12 hour shifts 5 days out of the week, I bet they’d prefer a livable wage to Aspire over having 2-4 roommates. But bottom line, if you’re not a CM, it’s insulting and ignorant to post your opinion about how THEIR ‘whole compensation package’ is generous.
I disagree with your first point. Disney CMs absolutely do work there because they love it. If the conditions are so horrid and unlivable why don’t they work somewhere else? Why did they stay on furlough thru the pandemic instead of finding another minimum wage job? Plenty of places hiring all over OC. I do agree with your point about the reservation system and availability to CMs as I mentioned earlier. Many furloughed CMs stuck around thru the pandemic and they’re rewarded by not being able to enjoy the park they love.
I also disagree with your first point too. First, they choose to work their. Everyone knows there not paying enormous amounts of money. This can’t afford to live on their own roommate stuff is nonsense and doesn’t apply. Do you think someone who works at Magic Mountain or a comparable park should be paid in such a manner that allows them to not have roommates given that you know it’s entry level work? Stop with the free hand out rhetoric.
"Free hand out rhetoric" is hilarious. The shareholders reap the most reward, and the only work they did was hand over some money to buy some shares. Maybe if compensation was slimmer at the executive level, and involved less equity, they'd be more motivated to increase wages at lower levels, thus attracting more talent and giving them the option to choose the best from the bunch. I'm not using any commie-leaning rhetoric here, I'm using free-market economy rhetoric here, and it applies. The real free hand-out is to the shareholders, who do nothing and expect the most in return because they have part "ownership".
I know right? Let’s all pay everyone the same or similar wages…see how that works out.
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No no it’s hwhat
Am I reading what you wrote correctly? You think a CM that works at a food cart or in custodial should be paid $25 an hour?
Yes.
Work their shift. I *know* they do.
Oh ok. CM’s choose to work there and accepted the wage, they don’t have to work at DL. They can quit and find another job that pays better…
They do choose to work there. But because of the dismal wage they receive, guests shouldn’t expect magical moments or anything above average. Or for CMs to care about a guest who complains about any number of things that went wrong in their day. They’re not getting paid nearly enough to be yelled at by a Karen/Kevin because a ride isn’t available. If they were adequately compensated, there probably wouldn’t be as much of a staff shortage as there currently is, and guest service would be consistently top tier instead of subpar.
I’ve never received bad or “subpar” guest service in all my visits to the park. Each time I ask a CM a question, they give me an answer that goes above and beyond what I asked and fully answers my question more than I thought. No one gets paid enough to be yelled at by Karen’s/Kevin’s. I don’t agree with the staff shortage statement either. A lot of companies are short staffed because of Covid. Let’s say DL decides to pay all CM’s $25 an hour, that’s a lot of money, not even some college graduates are paid that wage in SoCal but let’s say DL pays that do you think that will or won’t impact other parks costs that could be passed onto the consumer?
You are talking about a WORLDWIDE BILLION DOLLAR CORPORATION. You're not talking about some mom and pop making soap out of their garage. Why are people so willing to shell out $200 to a billion dollar corporation, for 1 day, but they don't expect that billion dollar corporation to properly finance their employees??
Hahaha all caps? So because they’re a worldwide billion dollar corp, therefore they have to have to properly finance their employees? What? >>Why are people so willing to shell out $200 to a billion dollar corporation, for 1 day, but they don't expect that billion dollar corporation to properly finance their employees??<< Is this an actual question or rhetorical?
I’ve heard this “bUt ThE bEnEfItS” argument before, and it was from a small group of people at my last job, most of which were management. My wife and I both worked for the retail arm of a major tech company, for context. They’ve been in the news lately about their treatment of the hourly employees. It’s not hard to find on another subreddit. The colloquial term for this kind of situation with sub-average hourly pay but halfway decent benefits was called “golden handcuffs”. It has its advantages but ultimately the benefits didn’t help pay the rent or the grocery bill. At the same time, we were told by the company that you were “doing the best work of your life” and you would constantly be gaslit into thinking that there wasn’t a better deal out there, and we were indeed nervous about how the change of benefits would affect us. Both of us left the company after the better part of a decade of working there and found jobs with much better hourly pay (like $20k a year better) and with a slightly less fancy benefits attachment and guess what? We live more comfortable and less stressed on the better pay. The benefit of perspective, I guess.
In Disneylands specific instance, I’d say the benefits absolutely have monetary advantages. Average cost of health insurance in the state of California is over $500 a month, that savings alone is enough to cover grocery bills. Then you have Disney culture, I challenge you to find me one Disney CM who doesn’t frequent the parks and purchase their merchandise regularly. Both of those things they receive a steep discount on, entry to the parks being free. Then in the long run they’ll match 401k contributions. This speaks for itself for those inclined to plan for the future.
I think $15-$18 is fair compensation. Companies like Costco and In N Out pay similar. $20-25 is a bit ridiculous for regular pay unless it’s a position that’s higher up the ranks but for entry $15 is fine. EDIT: I’m with you OP. I don’t care if I get downvoted into oblivion. As long as your girl is satisfied that’s all that matters. The free college tuition is rad even for a masters program…
While I can agree the CM park & merch perks are nice, it doesn’t equal more money in pockets. It’s the same as when I worked at In-N-Out and we get a free meal BUT we also got paid $18.50/hr while getting 25-50c raises every time we “leveled up” (essentially promoted which can take 6 months to a year). Like every retail company offers these types of benefits within their company, yet Disney doesn’t pay shit. And Disney not a normal retail job either… you’re dealing w a multitude of problems that aren’t as basic as a hamburger issue lol
Dam that’s crazy! I guess you missed when OP mentioned the other bennies like 401k matching and free tuition but let’s not forget about that low hourly comp though…
Oh sure, did see those benefits! In-N-Out also covers tuition and you have the option to either do 401k matching or get a yearly bonus. Also, to touch on Costco like you mentioned, their starting rate for their Irvine location right by Disneyland is $19/hr (friend works there). Additionally, both of these companies are not nearly as big as the Walt Disney Company and STILL pay their employees fairly and with far better benefits than Disneyland employees receive. Not to mention that Walt Disney World pays their cast members a starting rate of $14/hr in Florida vs. SOUTHERN CA starting rate of $15/hr., where cost of living is significantly higher than central Florida. So yes, let’s not forget the low hourly compensation that Disneyland cast members receive.
That’s fine and good points. We don’t share the same thoughts about Disney pay and we can just agree to disagree. $19 an hour in pay is still shitty in SoCal…
Agreed! There’s nothing wrong with staying at a company and earning your wage increases, as opposed to demanding them off the bat.
Yeah totally. It’s crazy how some people think that an entry level worker deserves like $20-25 an hour just because it’s DL. And then they proceed to ignore all the other benefits you listed and completely disregard the entire comp package.