Are you someone who hates conflict? Do you avoid controversial subject matter whenever possible? If these statements apply to you, what are you doing on the internet? Anyway, if you want to avoid unnecessary arguments that function as accidental time-sucks, there are a few subjects to skip. Here are the touchiest subjects about Disney trips.
Cast member salaries
I’m going to treat each of these topics as neutrally as possible, as I don’t want to engage in these accidental time-sucks, either. What I plan to do is give each side of the argument fair treatment without offering my personal opinions…except on the first one, which kind of bleeds into the last one.
Recently, Disney has made headlines for all the wrong reasons. They’ve engaged in combative salary negotiations with cast members on both sides of the country. At Disneyland, the two parties engaged in protracted discussions about fair wages for company employees. After a lot of back-and-forth, the sides eventually settled on a minimum salary of $15 per hour that will go into effect in 2019.
Meanwhile, Disney sidestepped impending legislation in California that will lead to $18 per hour wages in the city of Anaheim. They’ve been similarly stubborn with Orlando employees. The company wants financial certainty for the next few years as minimum wage laws become a contentious political issue.
Some Disney fans are upset over this turn of events. They question whether all employees are created equal and thereby deserving of the same base salary. It’s similar to this story, which became a (brief) national sensation a few years ago.
The people concerned about the topic believe that the rising cost of employee salaries will inevitably lead to higher costs at the parks. Others are aware of the shocking homeless stats involving cast members and want the people creating the magic at parks to get paid an acceptable wage.
Is the dining plan free?
Image: DisneyEvery year, Disney offers a special package called the Free Disney Dining Plan. Every year, the package gets a bit worse. Lately, the all-Quick Service version of the plan is all that guests staying at Value and Moderate Tier resorts get.
Disney’s altered the plan in a downward pattern as a cost-cutting measure. They didn’t feel that they were getting the right price on the offer. In a way, they became a victim of their own success. The Free Disney Dining Plan sells out at a staggeringly high rate, speaking to how much guests love the idea of getting a better deal on a Disney vacation.
Image: DisneyThe sticking point here is that many Disney fans disagree with the basic premise. They resent the word “free” in the Disney Dining Plan. Their belief is that Disney only offers the package at times when hotel rates are higher, thereby negating any potential food savings. In other words, Disney only gives away the plan when they make enough money on the hotel room to counteract the cost of the “free” meals.
Other Disney fans like a deal. When they get the Free Disney Dining Plan, they purchase a package that takes care of all their basic needs during a Disney vacation. The package provides a certain amount of cost certainty. Plus, it’s easier to sell a loved one on the idea of a Disney vacation when they get to add that something is “free”, even if the “free” part is possibly misleading.
Service animals
As I type this, I have a cat sitting by my hip and a cat snoring loudly on the pillow beside me. I’m a huge animal lover on a first name basis with all the people at my vet’s office, and I want to state that upfront. Now, I’m going to relay an anecdote.
On the way back from Walt Disney World last trip, already a grim time, I exited the Tragical Express and boarded a flight. Sitting next to me on the plane was an older woman and her diapered dog. The woman didn’t acknowledge me the entire flight, but she talked to the dog ceaselessly. Also, the diaper didn’t disguise the fact that the dog released its bowels at least twice during the flight. It wasn’t the best flight of my life.
I say both of these things upfront to prove that I understand both sides of the service animal debate. Some people need animals to help them deal with true disabilities in life. Then, there are those who abuse the rules of law in order to have their furry friends allowed on trips with them. That’s the crux of the service animal debate at Disney.
In recent years, the number of animals seen at Disney theme parks has approximately quintupled (totally made up number with no basis in reality) as guests have grown bolder. They’re now willing to claim emotional support animals as critical to their enjoyment of a Disney vacation.
As someone who uses the security cameras in my home as glorified pet monitors, I understand all too well the sadness of leaving a pet behind during a vacation. As someone who has had a recent encounter with a crazy dog lady, I…am a bit conflicted on the subject.
After all, that lonely woman clearly loved that dog, and I have a widowed mother who feels similarly about her dog and cats. I’m just not sure that she needs to bring them on vacation with her. Then again, maybe she does. It’s tough for an outsider to judge what someone else does or doesn’t need. And that’s the chief conflict of the service dog debate. It’s hard to distinguish between those who need a lenient policy and those who abuse it for personal gain.
Tipping
If you ever want to stick your head into the lion’s mouth on a Disney message board or social media group, make a bold proclamation about the One True Way to Tip. People will rush at you with tar and feathers before you manage to blink.
The gist of the subject is that most guests expect Disney to pay its cast members a fair wage, at least when it’s helpful on the topic of tipping. Some people don’t want to tip Magical Express drivers. When they hear Bell Services employees indicate that they get tipped $5 or $10 a bag, these guests taste bile.
Since park visitors pay a great deal of money on a Disney trip, they feel like the other expenses should be paid by someone else i.e. The Walt Disney Company. It is a discussion that does go hand-in-hand with the cast member salaries debate.
Image: DisneyPeople fear that cast members getting paid more will lead to higher admission prices and more expensive hotel rooms. BUT… the same folks don’t want to foot the bill directly when certain cast members rely on tips to make a living wage. It’s a tricky subject to be sure, and there are complex underlying economic principles at play.
I look at the situation in its simplest terms. Cast members are the greatest people on the planet, generous sorts who pass on more lucrative career opportunities in order to bring happiness to strangers. I’ll root for them to get the highest wages possible in negotiations, and my family carries cash on trips to tip everyone. I’m fine with paying a bit more to return the kindness of these dutiful Disney employees. I understand that others don’t feel the same way, though.
