Disneyland workers say they live in cars, motels due to low pay

Colleen Palmer, one of the negotiators from Local UFCW 324, has worked at Disneyland for nearly 37 years and makes almost $24 an hour as a “merchandise hostess”. She says she wore her union badge for less than half an hour before management told her to take it off.

Palmer says workers are responsible for the experience that customers enjoy at Disneyland, and that her loyalty and experience should be rewarded. She said workers believe the pay gap between the workers and the company’s executives is outrageous: Disney CEO Bob Iger’s compensation was $31.6 million in 2023 – hundreds of times the amount Disneyland cast members earn.

“It makes me wonder, why don’t you want to recognize me? Because I’m making you that money, so that you can buy that sports team now,” she said, referring to news that Mr Iger and his wife had taken over the LA women’s soccer team, Angel City Football Club.

The disparity between workers pay and management has been fuelling labour unrest in the United States. According to the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute, CEO compensation rose 1,460 percent between 1978 and 2021.

Disneyland is a unique workplace. Many consider it a career, not a job, and workers are often also fans of the Disney brand – some call it the cult of Disney.

Workers get perks like free admission to Disney parks for their family and friends. But they also say Disney is not flexible when they have a family crisis or get sick. Many have second and third jobs that Disneyland’s unpredictable schedules make challenging to juggle.

For students and retirees working part-time, it can be a dream job, but it no longer provides a living wage for people in and around Anaheim, a wealthy city whose biggest employer is Disney, workers say.

“Without us, Disney would be like anywhere else,” says Morgan, who lived in motels around Disneyland for four years with his children and wanted to be identified by his middle name only.

The breakup of Morgan’s marriage caused him to lose his housing and cheap motels were all he could afford with his Disney wages. When his children were with their mother, he often slept outside and hid in shadows to avoid police or theft.

He now has a second full-time job as a recruiter – which he can do from home – and an apartment he can afford with the combined income.

Still, he takes pride in his job selling Disney merchandise and says every cast member takes the job seriously.

“It’s not the animatronics – it’s us. At least respect us enough to pay us a decent wage.”