BREAKING NEWS: 14,000 Disney actors agree to strike, “have had enough”

Disneyland Resort cast members have officially voted to strike.

This week was a big one for Disneyland. On July 17, the Anaheim resort (more specifically, Disneyland Park) celebrated its 69th anniversary since Walt Disney opened it to the public in 1955. What started as a tiny park in Southern California has grown into an entire theme park empire, and the Disney name can now be found on six resorts around the world: Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World Resort, Tokyo Disney Resort, Disneyland Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland, and Shanghai Disney Resort.

In other words, this week we celebrated the park that has brought rides, characters, entertainment and magic to millions of Disney fans around the world for decades – none of it would have been possible without the cast and crew who work tirelessly behind the scenes.

But those cast members haven’t been too happy lately. In May, Disneyland Resort’s entertainment cast members (the employees responsible for the magical meet-and-greets with Snow White, the hugs with Mickey Mouse, and the daily spectacle of shows like Fantasmic! and Magic Happens) voted to join the Actors’ Equity Association, giving them a platform to negotiate fairer wages and better working conditions.

Resort employees are generally pushing for better wages. Earlier this week, we saw a protest outside the gates of the Disneyland Resort, where workers from all areas of the park – attractions, merchandise, janitorial, and more – made it clear that not only are they unhappy, but they are struggling with their current wages.

A statement from the Disney Workers Rising bargaining committee said: “Workers in Disney’s largest bargaining unit in California – representing a wide range of occupations from janitors and ride operators to candy makers and merchandise sellers – began negotiations with the company on April 24, 2024, fighting for fair wages, fair attendance policies, higher seniority rates and safe parks for cast members and guests.”

Since then, Disney cast members have filed unfair labor practice lawsuits against Disney, claiming that “14,000 workers at the resort are subjected to unlawful discipline, intimidation and surveillance” because they wear union badges (which feature Mickey Mouse’s trademark white glove clenched into a fist) at work. In May, the resort’s entertainment cast members also voted to form a union.

At the rally outside the Disneyland Resort, off-duty employees carried signs reading “Mickey would like fair pay” and “Disney, don’t be the bad guy.” While the protest was driven forward by security forces — and Anaheim police also made their presence known — the protest accomplished what it set out to do: It garnered worldwide coverage and raised awareness of the discontent among the Disneyland Resort’s more than 14,000 unionized employees.

Last night, according to NBC News, a whopping 99% of those performers took their fight to the next level by voting to strike.

This means that Disney Cast Members throughout Disneyland, Disney California Adventure, Downtown Disney, and the three Disneyland Resort hotels (Disneyland Hotel, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, and Pixar Place Hotel) can now walk out of work, effectively putting Disneyland Resort operations on hold.

Of course, that won’t happen today – or even tomorrow. It might not even happen at all. That means that over 14,000 actors are now authorized to go on strike, which will only happen if the four unions representing the cast members in question fail to reach an agreement with Disneyland Resort over their salaries.

Aaron Zarate, a candy maker at Disneyland who also serves as a member of the workers’ bargaining committee, issued a statement emphasizing, “This vote shows that Cast Members have had enough!”

Meanwhile, Disneyland Resort spokeswoman Jessica Good also released a statement saying that a strike authorization is “not unusual” while unions are in the midst of negotiations, and noted that negotiations between the two parties are still scheduled for Monday and Tuesday (July 22 and 23).

“We deeply value the important role our employees play in creating unforgettable experiences for our guests and remain committed to reaching an agreement that focuses on what matters most to them while positioning the Disneyland Resort for growth and job creation,” added Good.

Cast members have made no secret of the fact that they are struggling with their current salaries. Some have claimed they are struggling with food and housing issues, while others have described having to take on additional jobs to make ends meet. According to unions, 64% of cast members spend more than half their monthly salary on rent.

If a strike does occur, it would be the first to hit the Disneyland Resort in 40 years. In 1984, over 2,000 employees – including janitors, ticket sellers, ride operators, salespeople and warehouse workers – demonstrated for 22 days outside the resort (which at the time consisted only of Disneyland Park and the Disneyland Hotel) over wage disputes.

“It makes me sad to stand in front of something I love and wave a strike sign,” a cast member named Terry Stacey, who was working as a ride operator at the time, told the Register (via OC Weekly). “But I’m doing this for future park employees. I’m trying to protect their chance to work in a special place.”

Do you support the Disneyland Resort employees going on strike?