Ten years ago my family was headed into the Magic Kingdom. My husband received a work call that turned the day from excitement to me trying to keep the kids happy and my husband from just wanting to leave. Then out of nowhere came this cast member that walked up to my husband and handed him 4 vouchers for Mickey ice cream bars. He told my husband he wanted to sprinkle our family with pixie dust. It changed everything. My husband went and got our bars and we sat and watched Splash Mountain and the day was saved. My now adult daughters mention about the man at Disney that saved our trip. It was a small gesture of kindness that I will forever be grateful for. Cast members are magic.
We had a similar situation in early 2020. My young 3-year-old niece had a total meltdown in a store at the end of the night and we couldn't reason with her and a cast member came over and told her that Mickey wouldn't want to see her so upset and she offered her a little something to try and calm her down. It really touched me that she would step in and try to help with such kindness. I agree, those are very special employees.
Cast members are amazing. I heard a story from an exec. in the Disney company years ago where a woman was at her wits end. Her children were crying and one was just a baby in the stroller. Poor thing was about in tears herself. One or two cast members came to her rescue and helped her push the stroller and kept the children happy. She was able to relax and when she got home she wrote of her experience to the company in thanks. I love happy endings.
@@jdmichal Maybe not comped but they can still have the same effect without comping something. In Galaxies edge, where Kylo comes onto the stage and talks to kids in the crowd, my son tried 3 times to get up the nerve to go talk to him. He would go up, freak out and come back to me. Somehow, in the sea of people and kids, that cast member remembered my son, and when they walked through galaxy's edge an hour later, he spotted my son and pulled off to the side to talk to him. Made our trip amazing and made my son's first trip one he would never forget. They don't need to be able to comp things or hand out vouchers in order to make things incredibly magical.
@@tylerrichlen3286 My comment wasn't about the free stuff. It's about empowerment of the employees. Red tape exists in many forms, and its primary purpose is always the same: to make something harder to accomplish by introducing control. In this case, the company controlling the power of the employees to make choices that can improve someone's trip. I use it as an example of accounting overriding the guest experience.
Tom, thank you. I am a former Cast Member, and we worked VERY HARD to try to make everyone feel the magic of Disney. You have no idea what is asked of us, crazy shifts where you can't get a decent night's sleep, double and triple shifts during the holidays so you can't spend time with your family, unreasonable demands from management, and oftentimes dealing with irate guests. Still, we believe in the magic and have a deep desire to ensure that guests have the best experience they can. It is incredibly disheartening when we fight for and are denied a few extra dollars and then we hear about the annual salaries (and severance packages) of the C-level execs. Disney is the largest employer in Florida, so it isn't so easy for many people to just get up and go somewhere else. The cost of living has skyrocketed but the wages did not rise to match. Why is asking for a living wage so hard? People will surely walk if they don't get this right.
Incorrect Disney is the largest single site employer in the state of Florida The 250,000 employees that comprise Publix’ work force are spread out throughout the entire southeast
Not that it matters at all. I do believe Publix beats Disney over single site employers. I BELIEVE around 100k jobs just in Florida. Don’t yell at me please
It’s a shame how the Disney company treats their workers. They have raised their prices on everything yet do not give the cast members a living wage, shameful to say the least
That’s every company and corporation in the world, especially since March 2020, executives should take a cut if they want to save money to pay these people
Thank you, Tom!! My daughter is a cast member and struggling as well with affording her rent and medical supplies. THANK YOU for standing up for all of them!!
You are her parent and support her decision to stay at a job that isn’t compensating her “fairly” so, send her the money she needs and support her. OR, tell her that she needs to move on and find other work, professional work. Either way take care of your kid and stop expecting her bosses to pay her more than she’s worth!
@@MrBoomatt why do you think that paying someone enough that they can take care of basic needs (rent, food, health insurance, etc.) is “paying them more than they are worth”?
@@MrBoomatt Ah, yes, the "stop complaining, just get a better job" comment. FWIW, I once had a job which had me looking at individual wages in a major US city. There was minimal correlation between what people made (in the same industry for the same type of job) and what they were paid. Except that the owner's kids were being paid far more than anyone else. Funny, that.
Thank you Tom. This is why I watch. No BS, no clout chasing. Fighting for CM’s is what *everyone* should be doing. Either you’re on the right side of history or you’re not. That’s integrity.
PREACH TOM! Completely valid and justified rant! Disney cast members are undeniably the real Magic of the parks and this feels just as you said, gross. Step up and prove that you care about your cast members Disney! This isn’t an outrageous ask. The cost of living is not some elusive mystery. They’re asking for a chance to make ends meet! Not to afford the outrageously priced products of your parks! Do better!
Hi from one of the cast unions at Disney World! Thanks for the support. The rent crisis here has been crazy, not to mention how much harder customer-facing jobs have gotten these days. Everyone working at Disney deserves so much more than the company seems willing to give, and it's so disrespectful. But we'll stand together until we get everyone what they need!
Rent is out of control and being in property management myself, it makes me sick to my stomach to see landlords sucking people dry while not offering more value...the pandemic made the wage gap wider and its sad that companies would rather cut jobs and pay instead of paying people what they are worth and providing affordable housing for all
Huge need for Iron Workers, Welders, General Contractors, etc. My son wanted to work for Disney, but he chose financial security for his family over an unskilled job at his favorite place.
Customer facing jobs are increasingly frustrating because guests are more volatile than before the pandemic. Honestly, record crowds with Lower staff levels is not sustainable. Disney needs to hire more cast members and pay them More to help better control the atmosphere at some of the parks. Disney Animal Kingdom and Epcot are managing far better than Magic Kingdom or Hollywood Studios.
What this channel does with its platform is commendable. Keep being the light that the people need in the dark times. As a fellow lifelong Disney fan who loves the company, I commend this channel. Keep up the good work and inspiring change.
Tom, behind you all the way. Let us know what as fans we can do to support you with this fight to help cast members. Totally shameful that top executives can take home millions and cast members take home empty pay packets.
Literally everything you said is what my Disney bestie and I have discussed over and over, especially since the reopening. I’ve always said I could stomach the price hikes if I knew they went to the cast members and the park upkeep, instead of lining already grossly rich people’s pockets. Disney doesn’t exist without those cast members. Most of my favorite memories involve those CMs who made the magic or who I connected with over our love of Disney. Thank you for saying everything you said, Tom.
PREACH TOM!!! On 🔥. Seriously hitting the nail on the head. Absolutely on point in your rant. Loved loved loved this. You said what everyone knows and is thinking!
It’s a shame a company like Disney barely pays their employees. Those cast members go above and beyond to make every guest have a great time at the Parks. They deserve higher wages!!!
I hope they strike. Disney will lose a few days of revenue and the cast members will realize that they aren’t worth what they are demanding. The last round of “living wages” has resulted in no more magical express, park reservations, paid fast-pass, restricted park hopping, higher prices, loss of streetmosphere… and the list goes on. If they want to get paid more then they need to make themselves more valuable. Find work where you aren’t looked at as a body but as an asset.
Good on WDWNT for covering the Union! Let’s get this being the biggest talking point for every major WDW CZcamsr! This needs to be known and discussed. These people deserve to have LIVES not be wage slaves.
I am actually surprised Disney didn't agree to their pay raises and then turn around and raised the prices to help pay for covering the cost of giving the cast members enough to live on, because lets be honest they would raise prices above what they would actually need to cover the cost of paying for the cast members and pocket the rest while using it as a PR smoke screen to raise prices.
I would tell the Union to not only plan a strike, but to also encourage Universal to hire all these cast members once the new park is ready! At a certain point, Disney is going to have such a hard time getting anyone to work for them, it will force them to start closing parks. That's the only time they will actually listen is when it hits their bottom line.
It’s a union watch them start negotiating for lower pay. Seen it before will probably see it again. Hell I’ve seen the teachers union argue that teachers unions should be paid below federal minimum wage. Unions are pro big business pretending to be on the workers side.
It wouldn't bother me if Disney World closed for a few weeks because of employee strikes. WDW doesn't exist in my mind since it isnt even a SHADOW of its former self... Disney really is lost in the woods and threw away the keys to the Land Rover with GPS that could get them out. That's their decision and I know when the time comes, they'll be crying.
That certainly would be a bold bluff, but one that can't be pulled off because while Universal will certainly be able to hire some workers, the vast majority would be without jobs, striking is great except when it's time to pay bills and you don't have any income. And wouldn't surprise me in the least that some will cross picket lines, which in itself is interesting since the whole resort is private property and they can't picket on there, maybe on the sidewalks outside of shopping area at most?, either way Disney runs with less cast members, or newer cast members and ends up winning in the end.
Tom mentioned it at the beginning at some point but unfortunately after strikes in the mid-2000s, part of the new agreement back then with the Union was that the staff no longer had the right to strike without getting fired.
This is just deplorable on Disney's part. Apparently Universal is offering a better employment package and Disney's cast members will all be applying for positions at Epic Universe. They're digging themselves an even deeper hole.
Cast members will ALL be applying for positions? Eh... maybe, but all aren't going to get jobs and at the end of the day there will still be people who want to work.
Tom - You are the man! Thank You for standing up for the workers. 100% agree with your stance! I hope others in the influencer community follow your lead in the News presentation. Nice job!👍🏻
Every Disney influencer should produce at least one “Stand with the Cast” post a day until the negotiation is resolved. Collectively, the combined social media power could make a difference to bring more awareness about this
It was Walt after all who said, “You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.” As a former CM and friend to many current CMs, I applaud you for not sugarcoating your criticism. Universal may not be as good as Disney in a lot of ways, but as you said, they absolutely treat their people 1000x better and at the end of the day the better the employee morale, the better the guest experience.
These are not rants. These are words of fact. You are a righteous person and speak the truth. Without the cast member there is a shell of plaster wood and dead animatronics.
Anyone who deals with the public in 2023 should be able to name their price. Please continue to speak about this situation. The cast members shouldn’t be taken for granted.
I was a union member for a state agency and in their negotiations board 20 years. The steps Disney took is not bargaining in good faith! I hope the union can bring charges against them to make them negotiate honestly. We had to with the state and amazing how fast they came back when we told governor, in our case, with possibility. I’ll be writing letters today.
Thank you for speaking up and speaking out Tom! Our family has been fans of yours and WDWNT for a long time because you care about the people and don't care about the clout and free cupcakes. Keep up the great work!!
Feeling all the emotions.... you said it so well!!!!! When the execs salaries are sky high and the CMs can't afford rent and food it's just wrong, Thanks for speaking up. I hope they listen 🙏
One time leaving Hollywood studios after eating at sci-fi diner the park was already closed. We saw a little girl in a princess dress walking out and some cast members were also since again it was past close. The cast member got down on one knee and bowed to her in her dress and she was so happy and that image is burned into my brain. The cast members make the magic. Pay them.
D23 member, annual pass holder, and DVC member here…I completely agree with everything Tom said about this situation with cast members’ wages. The reason we continue to visit WDW is not the rides that we have experienced many times over and over, but the fantastic cast members that make our time there truly magical. They allow us even as adults to feel like a kid again. Please provide a wage that these amazing people deserve for a wonderful experience!!!!!
I've almost graduated with my degree and since I'm moving to Orlando in May I was asked if I was going to try and work for disney. I've always said no, because of exactly this reason. Universal does such a better job at treating its employees better. To disney cast members..."you're awesome!" But please don't allow them to walk over you. Keep fighting the fight and know that we support you and not the corporation that disney has become.
I’ve had cast members hug me for wearing the cast members are the magic shirt! I was eating dinner at BOG and a food runner asked me if they could have a hug. It definitely brought tears on from them and me.
Tom...thank you for that rant about the negotiations. Shame is the only thing that works and I can't blame the unions for making this a bloodbath. I honestly hope they do. I remember what UAW did to GM over the health care a few years ago and that's the only thing that GM understood was shame so they didn't cut their health insurance. I just wish they could strike, as much as I love the parks, but that may be the only thing they understand.
Thank you, Tom! I am a former Cast Member. I worked at the Tampa reservation center. I loved my job. However, when the last recession hit I didn't reach my quota for sales. Mind you I was a top seller many times! That didn't matter to them and they " walked" me. That is when they walk up to you on the sales floor with a yellow folder. They tap you on your shoulder and tell you to go with them. You can't get your items or say goodbye. They pack up what they think is yours and send you on your way. It is very sad and embarrassing. Feel free to share
Tom's rants are my favorite part of this show, and he knocked this one out of the park! Cast members are the most important part of Disney and they should be taken care of.
Bob Chapek recieved a $24.18 million dollar severace package. Bob Iger recieves an annual salary of $27 million (in cash and stock). Don't tell me Disney does not have enough money to pay a living wage to the people who actually work for a living!
Your argument sounds good on paper…but in reality it’s not even close to enough money needed to achieve $20 minimum wages. Assuming the CEO works for free $24M / 60,000 cast members equates to $400 more per year. That’s nothing. Disney is in a heavy overhead industry with razor thin margins…which is why they are branching out more into media, streaming, etc.
@@CigTopGun38 According to the financial statements, the Disney Parks division attained a net profit (after cost of operations) of more than $20 Billion. I wouldn't exactly call that a "razor thin margin."
@@shadowlord7 it’s all relative. net profit margin was only 3.93%. that’s really small. I would call it razor thin. normal companies see 10-20% profit margins. don’t forget they are losing money in other business segments. also parks division has had monster quarters due to pent up demand. I wouldn’t expect that to continue…as consumer debt balloons and less people travel.
@@CigTopGun38 So your argument is that cast members who are delivering to the company RECORD PROFITS should suffer because other Disney devisions are not doing so well? If Disney is so dependent on the profits from the parks, you'd think they woud be more proactive in ensuring that those profits continue.
@@shadowlord7 we will agree to dis-agree. You cherry picked one sentence from my response…what about the rest of it. In the end Disney has a responsibility to its stakeholders. Not just it’s employees. Sadly all of it matters not just the parks division.
I am a former Cast Member who loved Walt's vision for the Disney company but cast struggle to exist on low pay while Disney announced millions in revenue for their stockholders, of which I am one. There needs to be a balance and people need help. Walt would have taken care of his people.
I saw something a bit ago from a CZcamsr and he made a very interesting point that no one seems to be talking about. With Epic Universe going to be opening in a few years, there is going to be a sudden need for more service industry personnel. With Universal offering $17 to start right now to fill 2500 spots, it sounds like the first shots are being fired and specifically at Disney Cast Members. When Epic is built, they're going to be hiring even more people and it makes me wonder if they'll offer even more money to try to entice more Disney Cast Members over, either with a sign-on bonus or better benefits or even higher wages if not all three. The amount of service people in the Orlando area isn't infinite so companies are going to have to start offering more in order to entice these people to work for them. If Disney is going to survive, they have to step up to the plate now, otherwise, they are going to be without quality people.
Great rant that tells the truth! When corporate America starts caring for the employees that do the jobs that they will never do they just might understand they will make more money in the long run with happy dedicated employees
You are absolutely right. Why would anyone want to work at Disney if they’re not being appreciated. The workers truly are what make the magic happen at Disney. If there’s no workers, there’s no magic.
The answer is not raising the minimum wage. You need to tackle the cost of living. The only thing a raise would do is increase the cost of living for everyone. The CMs will then be back where they started asking for a raise.
Tom, you and your staff continually show time and time again how much you care about the magical Disney experience. And the front line cast members are the main delivery mechanism for that experience. They deserve so much more for everything they give to us each and every day as guests. I hope this situation is remedied quickly in their favor and well done with how you articulated the situation and your support. 🙏 ❤️
🙌🙌🙌 Preach it Tom!! 👏👏👏 I agree with EVERY SINGLE WORD THAT YOU HAVE SAID!!! 💜💜💜 I have been going to Disneyland for over 35 years now. (I am 53 years old.) In all of those years, I have only ever been mistreated by 3 Cast Members (all on the same day, interestingly) and I was shocked. One manager acted like I was lying about something that I was not. 😡 Then the manager above her, implied that I was too poor, to even attend Disneyland! 😔 I was so upset, I almost, just left the park (and I had just gotten there, to the park, and had already paid for parking). I had this interaction with these 2 rude cast members at the Wheelchair Rental place! Did I mention that, I am disabled, and it was Mother's Day, when they acted like jerks? 😢 My husband got me calmed down and we decided to go into the park. I didn't even report the Cast Members for what they had done. I was with Disney loving friends and they told me that I really should have reported them! So, we go on with our day, and we interact with so many wonderful Cast Members! Then, I ask for help from a young cast member about where I could view the fireworks, right as a Parade was about to end, so I would know where to go, way before the fireworks started. I am always put in a section behind trees, where I can barely see anything of the show, at all. This sweet, young lady took me to the place with the trees, after I had explained that that was not a good place for me, and was asking if there was any other place. She went to talk to her Manager person, who was onstage, at the time. This was the 3rd rude cast member. She told me that there was no other area for people like me to view the fireworks! 😳😡 Then she asked me why didn't I try looking for a better place, when the parade had ended, and I reminded her that I had already told her that I HAD done that! Then she said that she could not help me and walked away! 😡 Then, we decided to try to get to It's a Small World to watch the fireworks and my husband rolled me by, that rude manager lady berating the young girl, who had tried to help us, and had not done anything wrong! 😢 I knew that they were not supposed to be attacking Cast Members onstage, so I was stunned! I bring all of this up, to illustrate HOW WONDERFUL the Cast Members truly are, and how helpful they are! In 35 years, I only ever experienced 3 Cast Members that should not have been cast members! And on that horrible day, that I experienced all 3 of them...I experienced a lot more Awesome, Good, and Kind cast members!! They deserve to be paid a living wage!! Period!! Disneyland and WDW would not work, without ALL that the Cast Members do!!! 😊 💜 💜 💜
Tom you are so right! Rent in Orlando is expensive this is WRONG 😑 and lacks integrity for Disney not to even pay a living wage. Sickening!! They should strike
Thank you for sticking up for us cast members!! I just returned back to the company back in December. I left last January after working for the company for 20 years.
My family’s last trip to Disneyland was saved solely by a cast member. The night before our last day I made a horrible mistake and cancelled our reservation to Magic Kingdom. My wife and I realized what happened and it was a long miserable night trying to get our reservation back. The next morning as we came to terms that our last day was going to be at our hotel I wandered over with hopes that I could exchange a light sabre that had issues. A cast member at the entrance asked why I didn’t have a reservation to get in, worked with a supervisor and reinstated my family’s park reservation. She didn’t have to do this. She wouldn’t even take money I offered her for what she’d done and she certainly deserved every penny. If you don’t think cast members ARE the magic you don’t get it. Pay them, period! You lose them this will no longer be a magical place, it will be an expensive collection of rides and would no longer be a destination for many like us.
Tom you couldn't be more correct and there is no way to truly emphasize how in the wrong disney is, and how Universal really nicely kicked them in the nuts with the timing of their new positions.
Such greedy and nasty corporation just so they can say we saved “x” this quarter or made “x” amount. Deplorable 😢 keep this story alive and never stop telling the world. Walt is turning is his grave .
I worked at DCA. Our break areas were pathetic. Never enough tables and people sitting on the concrete foundations of electrical boxes eating lunch was the norm
Thank you for your comments Tom. My family and I were going to purchase AP’s again now that the MK RR is back up and running, however, we’ve put that on hold. We’ve also cancelled our upcoming dining reservations for several MK resorts (still can’t enter a resort without dining or room reservations!).
I agree with everything you said. So many union members in the US will support the cast members. No boycot until it is necessary. I see that coming soon. Universal is loving this.
As one of the Union negotiators for the STCU, I want to thank you for everything you said - it was 100% true. The Company has made mistake after mistake during these negotiations - it’s so bad, it’s embarrassing. WDW is nothing without the frontline Cast - and they deserve better. Maybe we should play your “rant” for them when we’re back at the table. They should hear every word, and cringe.
Guests should be able to do something to signify that they stand with cast members. Something that says they know what's going on, and that they too think it's wrong. Maybe guests could get an "I'm celebrating..." button and ask the cast member to write, "Thanks CM's!" on it. And maybe someone can make a YT video showing people how to turn some dollar store trinket into a little green light that they can attach to their button -- so that the CM's can see it at night! Or...???
NEWS FLASH - NOBODY is getting an annual raise equal to or greater than the rate of inflation. thats the whole point of inflation. IF your employer is giving you a raise like that, be thankful, they value you, but you are not entitled to it. PS. i love cast members too
The Cast Members are the reason we return. They make the best memories for my family and are the greatest. From the costumed characters who stayed in character at all costs to the lady who gave me a very special Pixie Dust Pin for holding the door for people. From the lady who let me buy a season pass holder exclusive pin because scalpers bought all the regular pins for the art festival, to the waiter who gave my twin sister a free Strawberry Lemonade to celebrate her cancer recovery. Those cast members are Disney World. And Disney needs to realize that it's not just the rides that make the memories but the cast members too.
I could watch that rant and eat popcorn all day. I completely agree, and was elated when I saw how decisively the cast members rejected Disney's offer.
I am blind and I was at Universal this past weekend for my sons school trip. The team members were so kind and helpful it reminded me of what Disney used to be. I went to Disney the following day and it was not the same service. It was very dry and I know it’s not their fault but it is becoming very obvious. I couldn’t believe that I had a better experience at Universal when my heart has always been at Disney.
Thank you Tom! I’m a current cast member at Epcot for the festival for merchandise and I truly enjoy my job and being able to talk with wonderful guest in the park and also the people that I have encountered as cast members when they come to the park on their day off & the only reason why we don’t leave our jobs for Disney is because we too believe in the magic. We believe what Walter Elias Disney has created into our World. Plus we also grew up coming to the parks and for Disney Corporate people not giving a damn about us is very disappointed. 😢
People forget, it was Bob Iger in his quest to become a mega streaming service by purchasing all of these services, pawned Disney's future on that. He's on the hook to get streaming services profitable by 2024. Bob Chapek, was trying to right the financial books of Disney and had two choices: Increase Revenue or cut cost. While no one could have foreseen the pandemic and the resulting turmoil, it doesn't help when Iger is calling meeting with Disney Executives and not informing Chapek or inviting him to those meetings. Yet Iger is placed back in charge of looking for his successor that he screwed up the first time.
I want Disney to do the right thing. Cast members shouldn't have to live in cars or with loads of roommates, or worry about their costumes being clean (I knew a friend of Goofy who got a horrific rash, thanks to the undergarments debacle a couple of decades ago). Disney has the money and the power to do better. It just lacks the will. That's really sad.
Reminds me of when Papa Johns didn’t want to pay their workers benefits like insurance, claiming the price of pizza would go up. But then they schedule their workers not enough hours to qualify, use the delivery fee to pay themselves, not the drivers, and raise the price on pizza anyway. Now getting pizza delivered from them is rare because they don’t have enough employees to cover it, so it’s just pickup only, unless you want to wait an hour when and if it’s available.
As a central Florida native, you can apply all of this to the healthcare industry, as well. In central Florida, a 4-yr degree with 10 years experience will yield you maybe $30/hr. Starting pay $22-24/hr. And no on is standing up for us. With $30-40k in student loans, so we can provide literal life and happiness to others. Meanwhile, executives make their 50 mil bonuses and we get told we can leave if we don't like it. This issue is about the obscene cost of living in the area and the failure of those in power to control it. It's about the abuse of executives that flourish, while the workers starve. Central Florida is no longer viable for anyone in the "working class", regardless of employer.
As someone who works and is active in a union it's a shame how companies like this can't back up their talk. Clearly this company like many are extremely top heavy. Everything has gone up at the park...tickets, genie, food, drinks. Disney sells and pushes so many sugar products that it's not surprising they don't see the big issue even with that. We as customers pay far more for the experience than ever before. But one constant is cast members do their very best to smile and be a model to the company image. It's insane what they charge for a family vacation to Disney now. Disney upper management needs to do the right thing and back up their talk. It's a disgrace to treat cast members and customers the way they have. Disney needs a real cultural change in those upper levels of management.
Unfortunately, Disney is using the parks profits mainly from their domestic parks to prop up their entertainment and media divisions that keep losing money. Disney should pay cast members better wage and benefits! Disney is nothing without the amazing cast members that make the magic happen for all guests.
In 2019 I got to go to Disney world and universal Florida for the first time in my life, and there was a marked difference in the employees between the two. And it made a world of difference in my experience. The employees at all the Disney parks were so dedicated friendly and welcoming. Disney is nothing without their employees.
Thank you for doing what you can for front-line cast members! I’ve never worked for Disney in any way, but I know what it’s like to be a disrespected front-line employee. They absolutely deserve to be able to support themselves. Thank goodness they are unionized!
Thank you Tom for being the voice for the voiceless and speaking with the authority and passion that u posses! You have taken the success with this wonderful platform that you have been given and instead of only focusing selfishly on what is best for you, have used it to be the powerful voice that is needed to stand up for those who desperately need it. IT’s people like you that will ultimately defend the essence of the things many of us enjoy (the parks) and might be the one person that keeps it the special experience we all cherish when the officials in that company have lost the passion for it from the past that we all fell in love with. Thank you and continue to be the voice of reason to keep everything in check
I find it ironic when I hear people who claim to be Disney World fans but are anti union and want the union to lose since they are so anti union. They are probably the same people to complain to cast members and give them a hard time.
Could not agree more. In January we took a family trip to WDW. 4 of my 5 grandchildren had never been to WDW and were beyond excited to meet Minnie at a character breakfast. A cast member at the Marketplace picked up on this excitement and sprinkled us with some of that magic that brought me to tears. Highlight of our trip. It really is the cast members. I don't know how executives who make MILLIONS annually can treat these staff members so poorly. Shame on them
The Disney cast members ARE what makes a trip to WDW so special. This is indisputable. Two stories that I love to tell: 1) A member of the janitorial staff came over to me and said "Excuse me ma'am, you have a little Pooh on your shirt. Let me help you with that." I laughed all day with my kids. Whenever we mention that story to each other (often) we laugh until our sides hurt. 2) While eating lunch with Sonny Eclipse (I'm so upset that he's gone) with my grandson a cast member came over to us and chatted for a minute asking us if we were having fun. We told her that we were having a great time and that WDW was our favorite place. As she was leaving she handed me 2 FastPasses for any ride. We felt very special. I watched to see if she approached everyone like this (if it was just a survey) and I didn't see her go to any other table. It made me feel good all day. I also had a cast member (a chef) stop and change my tire for me on the highway on the way back to the airport. It was before cell phones, and I thought that we were going to miss our flight. As he approached me he showed me his Disney ID and he was in his uniform. He talked to my kids the whole time about their 2 weeks in WDW to keep them calm and he was just wonderful. This was going above and beyond, nobody stopped for about a half hour until he came along. This is what Disney cast members are, they deserve to make a living wage. I totally support them!
Thank you for your wonderful, thoughtful cm encounter stories. After innumerable times of going to the parks over the years I can honestly say it’s the lovely cm interactions that are indelible, even as much as the rides. It’s the atmosphere. They are the not so secret sauce. The magic.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! So well said. Thank you for speaking your mind and articulating what so many of us Disney fans have been thinking. I am tired of hearing about the shareholders. Disney is worth nothing without its employees. And you are so right that this is not a good look for Disney. I hope that they have a team working on how to meet the workers' needs (note my choice of words, I didn't use demands) before this gets ugly. Just so sad. We just came home from WDW on the 13th, the parks were packed. It's time for some of that money to "trickle down" to the cast members. I find it hard to believe that Bob Iger is so short-sighted. Thanks again for your courage in speaking up.
Amen to that, Tom! All of those greedy executives, and management within the company should be fired. Underpaying cast members is highly unexplainable.
Ten years ago my family was headed into the Magic Kingdom. My husband received a work call that turned the day from excitement to me trying to keep the kids happy and my husband from just wanting to leave. Then out of nowhere came this cast member that walked up to my husband and handed him 4 vouchers for Mickey ice cream bars. He told my husband he wanted to sprinkle our family with pixie dust.
It changed everything. My husband went and got our bars and we sat and watched Splash Mountain and the day was saved. My now adult daughters mention about the man at Disney that saved our trip. It was a small gesture of kindness that I will forever be grateful for. Cast members are magic.
Could this even happen today? The last time we had a situation where Disney comped us something, it involved actual paperwork and a manager...
We had a similar situation in early 2020. My young 3-year-old niece had a total meltdown in a store at the end of the night and we couldn't reason with her and a cast member came over and told her that Mickey wouldn't want to see her so upset and she offered her a little something to try and calm her down. It really touched me that she would step in and try to help with such kindness. I agree, those are very special employees.
Cast members are amazing. I heard a story from an exec. in the Disney company years ago where a woman was at her wits end. Her children were crying and one was just a baby in the stroller. Poor thing was about in tears herself. One or two cast members came to her rescue and helped her push the stroller and kept the children happy. She was able to relax and when she got home she wrote of her experience to the company in thanks. I love happy endings.
@@jdmichal Maybe not comped but they can still have the same effect without comping something. In Galaxies edge, where Kylo comes onto the stage and talks to kids in the crowd, my son tried 3 times to get up the nerve to go talk to him. He would go up, freak out and come back to me. Somehow, in the sea of people and kids, that cast member remembered my son, and when they walked through galaxy's edge an hour later, he spotted my son and pulled off to the side to talk to him. Made our trip amazing and made my son's first trip one he would never forget. They don't need to be able to comp things or hand out vouchers in order to make things incredibly magical.
@@tylerrichlen3286 My comment wasn't about the free stuff. It's about empowerment of the employees. Red tape exists in many forms, and its primary purpose is always the same: to make something harder to accomplish by introducing control. In this case, the company controlling the power of the employees to make choices that can improve someone's trip. I use it as an example of accounting overriding the guest experience.
Tom, thank you. I am a former Cast Member, and we worked VERY HARD to try to make everyone feel the magic of Disney. You have no idea what is asked of us, crazy shifts where you can't get a decent night's sleep, double and triple shifts during the holidays so you can't spend time with your family, unreasonable demands from management, and oftentimes dealing with irate guests. Still, we believe in the magic and have a deep desire to ensure that guests have the best experience they can. It is incredibly disheartening when we fight for and are denied a few extra dollars and then we hear about the annual salaries (and severance packages) of the C-level execs. Disney is the largest employer in Florida, so it isn't so easy for many people to just get up and go somewhere else. The cost of living has skyrocketed but the wages did not rise to match. Why is asking for a living wage so hard? People will surely walk if they don't get this right.
Publix is the largest employer in Florida, fyi.
Incorrect
Disney is the largest single site employer in the state of Florida
The 250,000 employees that comprise Publix’ work force are spread out throughout the entire southeast
@@UniversalDorks Single-site employer.
Not that it matters at all. I do believe Publix beats Disney over single site employers. I BELIEVE around 100k jobs just in Florida. Don’t yell at me please
Krdennison: Have a magical day!
It’s a shame how the Disney company treats their workers. They have raised their prices on everything yet do not give the cast members a living wage, shameful to say the least
It's insane how they can say nice things about CMs but NOT PAY THEM after such a great financial quarter.
That’s every company and corporation in the world, especially since March 2020, executives should take a cut if they want to save money to pay these people
Thank you, Tom!! My daughter is a cast member and struggling as well with affording her rent and medical supplies. THANK YOU for standing up for all of them!!
just send your daughter a few bands for the meantime
You are her parent and support her decision to stay at a job that isn’t compensating her “fairly” so, send her the money she needs and support her. OR, tell her that she needs to move on and find other work, professional work. Either way take care of your kid and stop expecting her bosses to pay her more than she’s worth!
@@MrBoomatt why do you think that paying someone enough that they can take care of basic needs (rent, food, health insurance, etc.) is “paying them more than they are worth”?
@MrBoomatt How much is basic living worth? Why don't you tell me how much she's worth?
@@MrBoomatt Ah, yes, the "stop complaining, just get a better job" comment. FWIW, I once had a job which had me looking at individual wages in a major US city. There was minimal correlation between what people made (in the same industry for the same type of job) and what they were paid. Except that the owner's kids were being paid far more than anyone else. Funny, that.
Thank you Tom. This is why I watch. No BS, no clout chasing. Fighting for CM’s is what *everyone* should be doing. Either you’re on the right side of history or you’re not. That’s integrity.
PREACH TOM! Completely valid and justified rant! Disney cast members are undeniably the real Magic of the parks and this feels just as you said, gross. Step up and prove that you care about your cast members Disney! This isn’t an outrageous ask. The cost of living is not some elusive mystery. They’re asking for a chance to make ends meet! Not to afford the outrageously priced products of your parks! Do better!
Well said!
Hi from one of the cast unions at Disney World! Thanks for the support. The rent crisis here has been crazy, not to mention how much harder customer-facing jobs have gotten these days. Everyone working at Disney deserves so much more than the company seems willing to give, and it's so disrespectful. But we'll stand together until we get everyone what they need!
That's right Ella!! We won't and can't give up!!!
Rent is out of control and being in property management myself, it makes me sick to my stomach to see landlords sucking people dry while not offering more value...the pandemic made the wage gap wider and its sad that companies would rather cut jobs and pay instead of paying people what they are worth and providing affordable housing for all
Huge need for Iron Workers, Welders, General Contractors, etc. My son wanted to work for Disney, but he chose financial security for his family over an unskilled job at his favorite place.
Customer facing jobs are increasingly frustrating because guests are more volatile than before the pandemic. Honestly, record crowds with Lower staff levels is not sustainable. Disney needs to hire more cast members and pay them More to help better control the atmosphere at some of the parks. Disney Animal Kingdom and Epcot are managing far better than Magic Kingdom or Hollywood Studios.
What this channel does with its platform is commendable. Keep being the light that the people need in the dark times. As a fellow lifelong Disney fan who loves the company, I commend this channel. Keep up the good work and inspiring change.
Tom, behind you all the way. Let us know what as fans we can do to support you with this fight to help cast members. Totally shameful that top executives can take home millions and cast members take home empty pay packets.
You know what to do you just don’t want to do it. Boycott Disney .
If enough people say enough is enough, ticket prices will also come down.
Way to go Tom. Your comments are dead on. Not a rant, TRUTH to power.
As a shareholder, I voted against executive compensation. Until the Castmembers are taken care of, executives do NOT deserve any type of raise.
Literally everything you said is what my Disney bestie and I have discussed over and over, especially since the reopening. I’ve always said I could stomach the price hikes if I knew they went to the cast members and the park upkeep, instead of lining already grossly rich people’s pockets. Disney doesn’t exist without those cast members. Most of my favorite memories involve those CMs who made the magic or who I connected with over our love of Disney. Thank you for saying everything you said, Tom.
PREACH TOM!!! On 🔥. Seriously hitting the nail on the head. Absolutely on point in your rant. Loved loved loved this. You said what everyone knows and is thinking!
It’s a shame a company like Disney barely pays their employees. Those cast members go above and beyond to make every guest have a great time at the Parks. They deserve higher wages!!!
Let them walk out and set disney straight
Agreed!
Workers need to simply walk off the jobs. If they don’t, they appear weak
So true. Anytime I’ve been to Disney the customer service is beyond amazing.
I hope they strike. Disney will lose a few days of revenue and the cast members will realize that they aren’t worth what they are demanding. The last round of “living wages” has resulted in no more magical express, park reservations, paid fast-pass, restricted park hopping, higher prices, loss of streetmosphere… and the list goes on. If they want to get paid more then they need to make themselves more valuable. Find work where you aren’t looked at as a body but as an asset.
Good on WDWNT for covering the Union! Let’s get this being the biggest talking point for every major WDW CZcamsr! This needs to be known and discussed. These people deserve to have LIVES not be wage slaves.
I am actually surprised Disney didn't agree to their pay raises and then turn around and raised the prices to help pay for covering the cost of giving the cast members enough to live on, because lets be honest they would raise prices above what they would actually need to cover the cost of paying for the cast members and pocket the rest while using it as a PR smoke screen to raise prices.
Universal went up $17 I’m shocked that didn’t make Disney say ok $20 it is
@@mattyg4186nothing shocking about it, Universal has been treating their workers better than Disney since inception.
Police and firefighters don’t even start at 18 per hour. Why do we accept that when we pay their salary?
I would tell the Union to not only plan a strike, but to also encourage Universal to hire all these cast members once the new park is ready! At a certain point, Disney is going to have such a hard time getting anyone to work for them, it will force them to start closing parks. That's the only time they will actually listen is when it hits their bottom line.
It’s a union watch them start negotiating for lower pay. Seen it before will probably see it again. Hell I’ve seen the teachers union argue that teachers unions should be paid below federal minimum wage. Unions are pro big business pretending to be on the workers side.
It wouldn't bother me if Disney World closed for a few weeks because of employee strikes. WDW doesn't exist in my mind since it isnt even a SHADOW of its former self...
Disney really is lost in the woods and threw away the keys to the Land Rover with GPS that could get them out. That's their decision and I know when the time comes, they'll be crying.
That certainly would be a bold bluff, but one that can't be pulled off because while Universal will certainly be able to hire some workers, the vast majority would be without jobs, striking is great except when it's time to pay bills and you don't have any income. And wouldn't surprise me in the least that some will cross picket lines, which in itself is interesting since the whole resort is private property and they can't picket on there, maybe on the sidewalks outside of shopping area at most?, either way Disney runs with less cast members, or newer cast members and ends up winning in the end.
Tom mentioned it at the beginning at some point but unfortunately after strikes in the mid-2000s, part of the new agreement back then with the Union was that the staff no longer had the right to strike without getting fired.
Shut the parks down. Make them refund guests. Raises will come REAL quick.
This is just deplorable on Disney's part. Apparently Universal is offering a better employment package and Disney's cast members will all be applying for positions at Epic Universe. They're digging themselves an even deeper hole.
Cast members will ALL be applying for positions? Eh... maybe, but all aren't going to get jobs and at the end of the day there will still be people who want to work.
We would hope everyone can make a living wage. But comparing a raise for Universal’s 25,000 employees to Disney’s 77,000 cast members isn’t the same.
@@Mike__B Then you aren't looking at the worker trends imo.
Tom - You are the man! Thank You for standing up for the workers. 100% agree with your stance! I hope others in the influencer community follow your lead in the News presentation. Nice job!👍🏻
Every Disney influencer should produce at least one “Stand with the Cast” post a day until the negotiation is resolved. Collectively, the combined social media power could make a difference to bring more awareness about this
It was Walt after all who said, “You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.” As a former CM and friend to many current CMs, I applaud you for not sugarcoating your criticism. Universal may not be as good as Disney in a lot of ways, but as you said, they absolutely treat their people 1000x better and at the end of the day the better the employee morale, the better the guest experience.
These are not rants. These are words of fact. You are a righteous person and speak the truth. Without the cast member there is a shell of plaster wood and dead animatronics.
It's disgusting they treat cast members this way, how can I enjoy myself knowing they are suffering like that.....do better disney
Anyone who deals with the public in 2023 should be able to name their price. Please continue to speak about this situation. The cast members shouldn’t be taken for granted.
I was a union member for a state agency and in their negotiations board 20 years. The steps Disney took is not bargaining in good faith! I hope the union can bring charges against them to make them negotiate honestly. We had to with the state and amazing how fast they came back when we told governor, in our case, with possibility.
I’ll be writing letters today.
Thank you for speaking up and speaking out Tom! Our family has been fans of yours and WDWNT for a long time because you care about the people and don't care about the clout and free cupcakes. Keep up the great work!!
Feeling all the emotions.... you said it so well!!!!! When the execs salaries are sky high and the CMs can't afford rent and food it's just wrong, Thanks for speaking up. I hope they listen 🙏
Thank you Tom! Well deserved rant! Disney needs to care about their employees.
One time leaving Hollywood studios after eating at sci-fi diner the park was already closed. We saw a little girl in a princess dress walking out and some cast members were also since again it was past close. The cast member got down on one knee and bowed to her in her dress and she was so happy and that image is burned into my brain. The cast members make the magic. Pay them.
D23 member, annual pass holder, and DVC member here…I completely agree with everything Tom said about this situation with cast members’ wages. The reason we continue to visit WDW is not the rides that we have experienced many times over and over, but the fantastic cast members that make our time there truly magical. They allow us even as adults to feel like a kid again. Please provide a wage that these amazing people deserve for a wonderful experience!!!!!
I've almost graduated with my degree and since I'm moving to Orlando in May I was asked if I was going to try and work for disney. I've always said no, because of exactly this reason. Universal does such a better job at treating its employees better. To disney cast members..."you're awesome!" But please don't allow them to walk over you. Keep fighting the fight and know that we support you and not the corporation that disney has become.
I’ve had cast members hug me for wearing the cast members are the magic shirt! I was eating dinner at BOG and a food runner asked me if they could have a hug. It definitely brought tears on from them and me.
Tom...thank you for that rant about the negotiations. Shame is the only thing that works and I can't blame the unions for making this a bloodbath. I honestly hope they do. I remember what UAW did to GM over the health care a few years ago and that's the only thing that GM understood was shame so they didn't cut their health insurance. I just wish they could strike, as much as I love the parks, but that may be the only thing they understand.
Thank you, Tom! I am a former Cast Member. I worked at the Tampa reservation center. I loved my job. However, when the last recession hit I didn't reach my quota for sales. Mind you I was a top seller many times! That didn't matter to them and they " walked" me. That is when they walk up to you on the sales floor with a yellow folder. They tap you on your shoulder and tell you to go with them. You can't get your items or say goodbye. They pack up what they think is yours and send you on your way. It is very sad and embarrassing. Feel free to share
👏 sir! As a former cast member the way they think of their employees is disgusting.
Tom's rants are my favorite part of this show, and he knocked this one out of the park! Cast members are the most important part of Disney and they should be taken care of.
Bob Chapek recieved a $24.18 million dollar severace package. Bob Iger recieves an annual salary of $27 million (in cash and stock). Don't tell me Disney does not have enough money to pay a living wage to the people who actually work for a living!
Your argument sounds good on paper…but in reality it’s not even close to enough money needed to achieve $20 minimum wages.
Assuming the CEO works for free $24M / 60,000 cast members equates to $400 more per year. That’s nothing.
Disney is in a heavy overhead industry with razor thin margins…which is why they are branching out more into media, streaming, etc.
@@CigTopGun38 According to the financial statements, the Disney Parks division attained a net profit (after cost of operations) of more than $20 Billion. I wouldn't exactly call that a "razor thin margin."
@@shadowlord7 it’s all relative. net profit margin was only 3.93%. that’s really small. I would call it razor thin. normal companies see 10-20% profit margins. don’t forget they are losing money in other business segments. also parks division has had monster quarters due to pent up demand. I wouldn’t expect that to continue…as consumer debt balloons and less people travel.
@@CigTopGun38 So your argument is that cast members who are delivering to the company RECORD PROFITS should suffer because other Disney devisions are not doing so well? If Disney is so dependent on the profits from the parks, you'd think they woud be more proactive in ensuring that those profits continue.
@@shadowlord7 we will agree to dis-agree. You cherry picked one sentence from my response…what about the rest of it. In the end Disney has a responsibility to its stakeholders. Not just it’s employees. Sadly all of it matters not just the parks division.
As someone that loves the parks and thinks the world of the cast members, thank you for standing up for them.
Thank you for sticking up for us cast members! ❤️
I am a former Cast Member who loved Walt's vision for the Disney company but cast struggle to exist on low pay while Disney announced millions in revenue for their stockholders, of which I am one. There needs to be a balance and people need help. Walt would have taken care of his people.
I saw something a bit ago from a CZcamsr and he made a very interesting point that no one seems to be talking about. With Epic Universe going to be opening in a few years, there is going to be a sudden need for more service industry personnel. With Universal offering $17 to start right now to fill 2500 spots, it sounds like the first shots are being fired and specifically at Disney Cast Members. When Epic is built, they're going to be hiring even more people and it makes me wonder if they'll offer even more money to try to entice more Disney Cast Members over, either with a sign-on bonus or better benefits or even higher wages if not all three. The amount of service people in the Orlando area isn't infinite so companies are going to have to start offering more in order to entice these people to work for them. If Disney is going to survive, they have to step up to the plate now, otherwise, they are going to be without quality people.
It’s time for Disney leadership to prove that they truly care about the Cast Members they are privileged to lead.
Solidarity with Tom and the WDW Cast Members. Thank you for speaking of workers rights, Tom. Seriously, thank you.
Great rant that tells the truth! When corporate America starts caring for the employees that do the jobs that they will never do they just might understand they will make more money in the long run with happy dedicated employees
You are absolutely right. Why would anyone want to work at Disney if they’re not being appreciated. The workers truly are what make the magic happen at Disney. If there’s no workers, there’s no magic.
Loved your rant today, Tom. Makes me quite proud to have voices like yours in our local scene.
The answer is not raising the minimum wage. You need to tackle the cost of living. The only thing a raise would do is increase the cost of living for everyone. The CMs will then be back where they started asking for a raise.
As a Disney stock holder.. pay the staff Disney! Thanks Tom!
Tom, you and your staff continually show time and time again how much you care about the magical Disney experience. And the front line cast members are the main delivery mechanism for that experience. They deserve so much more for everything they give to us each and every day as guests. I hope this situation is remedied quickly in their favor and well done with how you articulated the situation and your support. 🙏 ❤️
🙌🙌🙌 Preach it Tom!! 👏👏👏 I agree with EVERY SINGLE WORD THAT YOU HAVE SAID!!! 💜💜💜 I have been going to Disneyland for over 35 years now. (I am 53 years old.) In all of those years, I have only ever been mistreated by 3 Cast Members (all on the same day, interestingly) and I was shocked. One manager acted like I was lying about something that I was not. 😡 Then the manager above her, implied that I was too poor, to even attend Disneyland! 😔 I was so upset, I almost, just left the park (and I had just gotten there, to the park, and had already paid for parking). I had this interaction with these 2 rude cast members at the Wheelchair Rental place! Did I mention that, I am disabled, and it was Mother's Day, when they acted like jerks? 😢 My husband got me calmed down and we decided to go into the park. I didn't even report the Cast Members for what they had done. I was with Disney loving friends and they told me that I really should have reported them! So, we go on with our day, and we interact with so many wonderful Cast Members! Then, I ask for help from a young cast member about where I could view the fireworks, right as a Parade was about to end, so I would know where to go, way before the fireworks started. I am always put in a section behind trees, where I can barely see anything of the show, at all. This sweet, young lady took me to the place with the trees, after I had explained that that was not a good place for me, and was asking if there was any other place. She went to talk to her Manager person, who was onstage, at the time. This was the 3rd rude cast member. She told me that there was no other area for people like me to view the fireworks! 😳😡 Then she asked me why didn't I try looking for a better place, when the parade had ended, and I reminded her that I had already told her that I HAD done that! Then she said that she could not help me and walked away! 😡 Then, we decided to try to get to It's a Small World to watch the fireworks and my husband rolled me by, that rude manager lady berating the young girl, who had tried to help us, and had not done anything wrong! 😢 I knew that they were not supposed to be attacking Cast Members onstage, so I was stunned! I bring all of this up, to illustrate HOW WONDERFUL the Cast Members truly are, and how helpful they are! In 35 years, I only ever experienced 3 Cast Members that should not have been cast members! And on that horrible day, that I experienced all 3 of them...I experienced a lot more Awesome, Good, and Kind cast members!! They deserve to be paid a living wage!! Period!! Disneyland and WDW would not work, without ALL that the Cast Members do!!! 😊 💜 💜 💜
Tom you are so right! Rent in Orlando is expensive this is WRONG 😑 and lacks integrity for Disney not to even pay a living wage. Sickening!! They should strike
Awesome job Tom we feel the same way. We are so glad you are someone with a spine and not a suck up like alot of the media and vloggers. Thank you!
Thank you for sticking up for us cast members!! I just returned back to the company back in December. I left last January after working for the company for 20 years.
My family’s last trip to Disneyland was saved solely by a cast member. The night before our last day I made a horrible mistake and cancelled our reservation to Magic Kingdom. My wife and I realized what happened and it was a long miserable night trying to get our reservation back. The next morning as we came to terms that our last day was going to be at our hotel I wandered over with hopes that I could exchange a light sabre that had issues. A cast member at the entrance asked why I didn’t have a reservation to get in, worked with a supervisor and reinstated my family’s park reservation. She didn’t have to do this. She wouldn’t even take money I offered her for what she’d done and she certainly deserved every penny. If you don’t think cast members ARE the magic you don’t get it. Pay them, period! You lose them this will no longer be a magical place, it will be an expensive collection of rides and would no longer be a destination for many like us.
Tom you couldn't be more correct and there is no way to truly emphasize how in the wrong disney is, and how Universal really nicely kicked them in the nuts with the timing of their new positions.
Disney bleeds its customer's dry and treats its cast members like crap. Sick and tired of this company.
I don't know if I 'll ever go back.
They forget their own history. Disneyland almost failed more than once.
@@janetg.1477 i feel the same. I have had so many great memories but I can't stand by whilst they rip me off and workers are living in their cars.
Go Cast Members ! Great rant Tom, well done.
Tom, you go! Thank you for being so strong in what you believe in. We all have support the people that make our stay special.
Such greedy and nasty corporation just so they can say we saved “x” this quarter or made “x” amount. Deplorable 😢 keep this story alive and never stop telling the world. Walt is turning is his grave .
I worked at DCA. Our break areas were pathetic. Never enough tables and people sitting on the concrete foundations of electrical boxes eating lunch was the norm
Thank you for your comments Tom. My family and I were going to purchase AP’s again now that the MK RR is back up and running, however, we’ve put that on hold. We’ve also cancelled our upcoming dining reservations for several MK resorts (still can’t enter a resort without dining or room reservations!).
Absolutely well said Tom, I’m proud of you for always doing and saying the right thing.
Thank you, Tom. I don’t agree with you all the time on things, but 100% back your stance on this issue.
I agree with everything you said. So many union members in the US will support the cast members. No boycot until it is necessary. I see that coming soon. Universal is loving this.
Nope, they will still go to the parks and spend spend spend.
Amen! Thank you for using your platform to do what's right. Cast members deserve a living wage!
Tom, you are a very good and honorable man. Thank you for what you are doing. 🙏🏼👏🏼
As one of the Union negotiators for the STCU, I want to thank you for everything you said - it was 100% true. The Company has made mistake after mistake during these negotiations - it’s so bad, it’s embarrassing. WDW is nothing without the frontline Cast - and they deserve better. Maybe we should play your “rant” for them when we’re back at the table. They should hear every word, and cringe.
Guests should be able to do something to signify that they stand with cast members. Something that says they know what's going on, and that they too think it's wrong.
Maybe guests could get an "I'm celebrating..." button and ask the cast member to write, "Thanks CM's!" on it.
And maybe someone can make a YT video showing people how to turn some dollar store trinket into a little green light that they can attach to their button -- so that the CM's can see it at night!
Or...???
FlashingBlinkyLights
NEWS FLASH - NOBODY is getting an annual raise equal to or greater than the rate of inflation. thats the whole point of inflation. IF your employer is giving you a raise like that, be thankful, they value you, but you are not entitled to it. PS. i love cast members too
Thank you for speaking out, Tom.
Have literally been waiting for this the minute the news came out
The Cast Members are the reason we return. They make the best memories for my family and are the greatest. From the costumed characters who stayed in character at all costs to the lady who gave me a very special Pixie Dust Pin for holding the door for people. From the lady who let me buy a season pass holder exclusive pin because scalpers bought all the regular pins for the art festival, to the waiter who gave my twin sister a free Strawberry Lemonade to celebrate her cancer recovery. Those cast members are Disney World. And Disney needs to realize that it's not just the rides that make the memories but the cast members too.
💯Agree with you Tom! Walt Disney World management should be ashamed of themselves! No cast member deserves to be treated this way!
I could watch that rant and eat popcorn all day. I completely agree, and was elated when I saw how decisively the cast members rejected Disney's offer.
We are coming down in about 37 days and I’d like to shake your hand because I agree in everything you said
That was spot on! You are totally correct how the other CZcams people turn a blind eye for free crap from Disney. Thank you for speaking the truth!
Tom going in guns blazing is why I subscribed to the channel
I am blind and I was at Universal this past weekend for my sons school trip. The team members were so kind and helpful it reminded me of what Disney used to be. I went to Disney the following day and it was not the same service. It was very dry and I know it’s not their fault but it is becoming very obvious. I couldn’t believe that I had a better experience at Universal when my heart has always been at Disney.
Thank you Tom! I’m a current cast member at Epcot for the festival for merchandise and I truly enjoy my job and being able to talk with wonderful guest in the park and also the people that I have encountered as cast members when they come to the park on their day off & the only reason why we don’t leave our jobs for Disney is because we too believe in the magic. We believe what Walter Elias Disney has created into our World. Plus we also grew up coming to the parks and for Disney Corporate people not giving a damn about us is very disappointed. 😢
People forget, it was Bob Iger in his quest to become a mega streaming service by purchasing all of these services, pawned Disney's future on that. He's on the hook to get streaming services profitable by 2024. Bob Chapek, was trying to right the financial books of Disney and had two choices: Increase Revenue or cut cost. While no one could have foreseen the pandemic and the resulting turmoil, it doesn't help when Iger is calling meeting with Disney Executives and not informing Chapek or inviting him to those meetings. Yet Iger is placed back in charge of looking for his successor that he screwed up the first time.
I want Disney to do the right thing. Cast members shouldn't have to live in cars or with loads of roommates, or worry about their costumes being clean (I knew a friend of Goofy who got a horrific rash, thanks to the undergarments debacle a couple of decades ago). Disney has the money and the power to do better. It just lacks the will. That's really sad.
Reminds me of when Papa Johns didn’t want to pay their workers benefits like insurance, claiming the price of pizza would go up. But then they schedule their workers not enough hours to qualify, use the delivery fee to pay themselves, not the drivers, and raise the price on pizza anyway. Now getting pizza delivered from them is rare because they don’t have enough employees to cover it, so it’s just pickup only, unless you want to wait an hour when and if it’s available.
As a central Florida native, you can apply all of this to the healthcare industry, as well. In central Florida, a 4-yr degree with 10 years experience will yield you maybe $30/hr. Starting pay $22-24/hr. And no on is standing up for us. With $30-40k in student loans, so we can provide literal life and happiness to others. Meanwhile, executives make their 50 mil bonuses and we get told we can leave if we don't like it. This issue is about the obscene cost of living in the area and the failure of those in power to control it. It's about the abuse of executives that flourish, while the workers starve. Central Florida is no longer viable for anyone in the "working class", regardless of employer.
As someone who works and is active in a union it's a shame how companies like this can't back up their talk. Clearly this company like many are extremely top heavy. Everything has gone up at the park...tickets, genie, food, drinks. Disney sells and pushes so many sugar products that it's not surprising they don't see the big issue even with that. We as customers pay far more for the experience than ever before. But one constant is cast members do their very best to smile and be a model to the company image. It's insane what they charge for a family vacation to Disney now. Disney upper management needs to do the right thing and back up their talk. It's a disgrace to treat cast members and customers the way they have. Disney needs a real cultural change in those upper levels of management.
"Disney’s parks division raked in $7.9 billion in operating profit" Forbes Magazine... they cant use any of that to pay these very important people.
Unfortunately, Disney is using the parks profits mainly from their domestic parks to prop up their entertainment and media divisions that keep losing money. Disney should pay cast members better wage and benefits! Disney is nothing without the amazing cast members that make the magic happen for all guests.
@@avarice.karmageddon well then those divisions need to do better.
In 2019 I got to go to Disney world and universal Florida for the first time in my life, and there was a marked difference in the employees between the two. And it made a world of difference in my experience. The employees at all the Disney parks were so dedicated friendly and welcoming. Disney is nothing without their employees.
Thank you for doing what you can for front-line cast members! I’ve never worked for Disney in any way, but I know what it’s like to be a disrespected front-line employee. They absolutely deserve to be able to support themselves. Thank goodness they are unionized!
I hope they go work for Universal. Universal sitting back and enjoying this. They getting there workers and there customers
I'm so proud of you Tom and the entire team at WDWNT for being the ones to stick up for the most important people. It's truly admirable
Thank you Tom for being the voice for the voiceless and speaking with the authority and passion that u posses! You have taken the success with this wonderful platform that you have been given and instead of only focusing selfishly on what is best for you, have used it to be the powerful voice that is needed to stand up for those who desperately need it. IT’s people like you that will ultimately defend the essence of the things many of us enjoy (the parks) and might be the one person that keeps it the special experience we all cherish when the officials in that company have lost the passion for it from the past that we all fell in love with. Thank you and continue to be the voice of reason to keep everything in check
I find it ironic when I hear people who claim to be Disney World fans but are anti union and want the union to lose since they are so anti union. They are probably the same people to complain to cast members and give them a hard time.
Preach on! Well said. Thank-you for taking a stand for cast members. I hope others will follow your lead.
Could not agree more. In January we took a family trip to WDW. 4 of my 5 grandchildren had never been to WDW and were beyond excited to meet Minnie at a character breakfast. A cast member at the Marketplace picked up on this excitement and sprinkled us with some of that magic that brought me to tears. Highlight of our trip. It really is the cast members. I don't know how executives who make MILLIONS annually can treat these staff members so poorly. Shame on them
The Disney cast members ARE what makes a trip to WDW so special. This is indisputable. Two stories that I love to tell: 1) A member of the janitorial staff came over to me and said "Excuse me ma'am, you have a little Pooh on your shirt. Let me help you with that." I laughed all day with my kids. Whenever we mention that story to each other (often) we laugh until our sides hurt. 2) While eating lunch with Sonny Eclipse (I'm so upset that he's gone) with my grandson a cast member came over to us and chatted for a minute asking us if we were having fun. We told her that we were having a great time and that WDW was our favorite place. As she was leaving she handed me 2 FastPasses for any ride. We felt very special. I watched to see if she approached everyone like this (if it was just a survey) and I didn't see her go to any other table. It made me feel good all day. I also had a cast member (a chef) stop and change my tire for me on the highway on the way back to the airport. It was before cell phones, and I thought that we were going to miss our flight. As he approached me he showed me his Disney ID and he was in his uniform. He talked to my kids the whole time about their 2 weeks in WDW to keep them calm and he was just wonderful. This was going above and beyond, nobody stopped for about a half hour until he came along. This is what Disney cast members are, they deserve to make a living wage. I totally support them!
Thank you for your wonderful, thoughtful cm encounter stories. After innumerable times of going to the parks over the years I can honestly say it’s the lovely cm interactions that are indelible, even as much as the rides. It’s the atmosphere. They are the not so secret sauce. The magic.
Just wanted to let you know that Sonny Eclipse is back at Cosmic Ray’s
@@joyholmes254 Great news, thank you!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! So well said. Thank you for speaking your mind and articulating what so many of us Disney fans have been thinking. I am tired of hearing about the shareholders. Disney is worth nothing without its employees. And you are so right that this is not a good look for Disney. I hope that they have a team working on how to meet the workers' needs (note my choice of words, I didn't use demands) before this gets ugly. Just so sad. We just came home from WDW on the 13th, the parks were packed. It's time for some of that money to "trickle down" to the cast members. I find it hard to believe that Bob Iger is so short-sighted. Thanks again for your courage in speaking up.
Thank you Tom for making us aware of this and for being so passionate about getting the word out!
Thank God for your voice on behalf of these Disney employees.
Amen to that, Tom! All of those greedy executives, and management within the company should be fired. Underpaying cast members is highly unexplainable.
I’d freaking love that!!
Everyone SPREAD THE WORD!
Journey into Imagination with Figment is instantly given a $100M budget and Epcot is renamed back to EPCOT Center.
I meant spread the word about Tom as Disney CEO