When Disney’s theme parks shuttered its doors for one of the few times in its history, many people were shocked. Disneyland can’t close, right? It’s the Happiest Place on Earth. The Magic Kingdom! Surely Mickey or Minnie could wave all our problems away, right? Wrong, as a matter of fact. After all, the park had only closed four times in its history: once when JFK was assassinated in 1963, once after the death of Walt Disney in 1966, once after the Northridge Earthquake in 1994, and once after 9/11 in 2001. At the most, the parks had only been closed for one day. And now coronavirus has had Disneyland’s gates shuttered for close to ten months, and with no reopening date in sight.
The Disney Company is struggling to reopen its theme parks across the world, leaving Disneyland indefinitely shut down for the time being. Tensions have been high at the park, with many employees bearing the brunt of the consequences. Disney recently fired 32,000 cast members, or employees; almost a quarter of its global theme park staff. And with the pandemic’s end nowhere in sight, and Governor Gavin Newsom’s reopening plan making Orange County wait until they’re in the “Yellow” tier before proceeding reopening, employees continue to worry whether they’ll work another day again. I myself am a Disney cast member, and trust me, I constantly worry.
For months, many of Disney’s execs have been practically begging Gavin Newsom to reopen the park, promising the addition of COVID safety measures, such as hand washing stations and mandating temperature checks for all guests. Disney swears these precautions will be effective, citing the reopening of Disney World in Florida, claiming the parks there followed the same precautions and operated safely, even stating there had been no coronavirus cases among guests or employees, according to the New York Times.
However, some workers at Disneyland are skeptical and doubt that the park should reopen. “I’m completely against it,” said Jeffrey Schlichter, a longtime cast member at Disneyland. Schlichter has worked in the attractions department for 19 years, first from 1974-1982, and again from 2009 to the present. Jeff, in his day to day job, operated classic attractions at Disneyland such as “Indiana Jones Adventure” and “The Jungle Cruise,” as well as tested various new rides, such as “Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.” Since the closure of Disneyland, Jeff has not left his house in six months, living off of unemployment checks from the state, and doesn’t plan on doing so even if he gets his old job back.
“I don’t want to risk my life for 15 dollars an hour,” said Schlichter. Even though he is a longtime, trusted employee, Jeff has no trust in his bosses or his workplace. “I have no trust in the Disney company in regards to COVID testing,” said Schlichter. “I don’t trust ‘em ‘cause they have a business interest in the place reopening.”
I don’t want to risk my life for 15 dollars an hour.”
Jeff Schlichter
Sean Paul Lorentzen, a former Disneyland cast member in the Entertainment Department, echoed similar sentiments. “If I was a Disney cast member, I would not feel safe,” said Lorentzen.
Many of the cast members who do work at Disneyland are surrounded by germs and guests day in and day out. Lorentzen, who portrayed the character of Captain Jack Sparrow, was chased and mobbed by fanatic guests on the daily, and got the flu to show for it. I myself have gotten sick on many occasions just from exposure to guests, mostly children, whose hands were covered in germs.
“I got sick once every 6 weeks,” said Lorentzen.
Some Disney cast members feel that the company prioritizes profits over employee health and security, with Disney laying off close to 32,000 people, and then executives turn around very soon after and announce their millions of salary bonuses they incurred.
Chris Duarte, a union representative at Worker’s Union Local 50, who represents the food and beverage cast members exclusively in Disneyland, states that the layoff negotiations have been difficult while trying to look out for the financial security of its vast employees, many of whom are living paycheck to paycheck. The union represents approximately 7,750 workers in the park, and is the single largest union of its kind on the West Coast.
“You know, we’re sort of that investigator and advocate,” said Duarte. “We can understand the logic of the layoffs, but we may not agree with it…I wish it didn’t happen,” said Duarte.
Duarte says that Disney executives don’t understand or realize the vast importance of such departments as the Food and Beverage department when it comes to serving and fulfilling guest’s needs.
“It’s everything, from when taking the goods off the truck to getting it to a guest…It’s not just the guy selling popcorn. And it’s not just the guy in the back, who may be making the churros,” said Duarte.
“What is the cost to Disney to keep all these people on the books rather than saying, ‘You’re fired?’” said Schlichter.
Schlichter said in the ‘70s and ‘80s, the executives at Disney were approachable, knew your name and shook your hand. Now, you’d be lucky to make eye contact with your manager. Jeff had cold interactions even with Bob Iger, the head of the company, while he was on the test team for the Star Wars ride “Rise of the Resistance.”
“They basically locked up all the employees. We’re hidden out of sight so he wouldn’t have to encounter any of us,” said Schlichter.
Disney did not respond to a comment for this story.
Meanwhile, cast members working overseas say the reopenings have gone smoothly. Christopher Marshall, an entertainment cast member in Hong Kong Disney, said they have never felt ill at ease while out on the job, despite the park shutting down again recently after coronavirus concerns.
“We stand away from the crowd, everyone has to wear masks,” said Marshall. “I have never felt unsafe while working in the park.”
“I got sick once every 6 weeks.”
Sean Paul Lorentzen on working as Captain Jack Sparrow
Ashley Casillas, a cast member based in Tokyo Disneyland, feels the same way about her park. “There’s almost no difference between being in Disneyland and being out in public, because everyone wears masks everywhere.”
So what’s the reason behind the success of the Asian Disney Theme parks reopening? Casillas, Marshall and Schlichter, all agree that there’s a different philosophy in Asia on taking care of others versus yourself.
“It’s definitely the importance of the collective over the self,” said Casillas.
That’s different in the United States.
J.T. Tanner is a merchandise trainee in Disney World in Orlando, Florida, which reopened in the summer. He said the encounters where he is at most risk of infection come from guests who don’t want to wear masks.
“It’s definitely the importance of the collective over the self.”
Ashley Casillas on the core difference between Asian and American theme park guests
“Having to tell guests that it has to fully cover their nose, you know, some people don’t listen. Some people think it’s a political stunt about this whole mask thing,” said Tanner.
He feels the company has done its best to keep cast members’ safety their top priority.
“We have the face masks, face shields, and then we also have the plexiglass. And then on top of that, we have socially distanced lines,” said Tanner.
However, even with all the precautions, Disney World cast members have not been immune to coronavirus.
“We did have one positive case in Galaxy’s Edge, and most people were sent home for two weeks, and then had to get two negative tests to come back to work,” said Tanner.
Schlichter also feels that guests remain the biggest danger to returning to work.
“That’s why I don’t think Disneyland can reopen, because I know how much trouble the guests give me for height checks…How the hell am I going to get them to wear a mask?,” said Schlicter.
“In Asia, they were masking in, and it’s not a social stigma, it’s not a political thing,” said Schlichter. “I’ll do some curbside pickups, and go to restaurants and nobody’s wearing masks… All those countries in the Far East have taken care of COVID…If everybody did the same thing, we’d be over it.”
The notion of reopening is a tricky, challenging affair. On the one hand, it is safer and easier to keep Disneyland closed for the time being. On the other hand, though, it might spell calamity for the public health of Southern California. After all, I am concerned about the guest’s behaviors as well, because they are the single biggest threat to you while working. For some reason, people’s brains turn off when they enter Disneyland. I’ve been chased, hit, groped, thrown to the ground, you name it. And I am concerned for mine and other people’s safety that American guests can’t look out for other people. We, as a people, are so self-involved in being right, especially right now in the political sphere. Can’t we just put our differences on the backburner and come together, and look out for one another, since we are all in this thing together?
As a Disneyland cast member, I myself cannot wait until the parks reopen again. Do I think they could? Absolutely. Do I think they should? The collective part of myself wants them to stay closed for the good of the public health of Disneyland workers and guests. But the singular part of me desperately wants them to reopen. I survived the first round of layoffs, but I fear I won’t survive another one. My days are numbered and if it doesn’t reopen, well, I’m screwed, and so will a lot of other cast members be.
If you are reading this and want to go to Disneyland soon, I have one wish upon a star for you: wear a mask. If you’re not, you’re only slowing down the issue and problem for everyone.
“To all who come to this happy place: welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past, and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America, with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world.”
— Walt Disney’s Speech at Disneyland’s Opening Day, July 17th, 1955