Though most attractions at Walt Disney World have reopened with several safety measures in place, stage shows like For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration, Festival of the Lion King, and Finding Nemo The Musical at the resort remain dark, largely due to a dispute with the Actors’ Equity Association, which is the labor union representing American Actors and Stage Managers in the theater.
When the dispute started
Though Cast Members that performed as a part of these shows were initially called back to work on June 23, according to the union, Disney rescinded its call for performers to return on June 26.
Disney released a statement before reopening that they would have liked to include live stage shows in their reopening, but the requests from the union did not make it possible. Reportedly, these demands included face masks and regular COVID-19 testing for all performers, which were measures that Disney pushed back on.
Reopening with modified and cancelled shows
Because of this dispute, members of the Actors’ Equity Association union are not able to work and stage shows at Walt Disney World have remained dark, with the exception of Up! A Great Bird Adventure which was reworked to be performed without actors and renamed Feathered Friends in Flight to avoid any further disputes.
However, it looks like the Actors’ Equity Association union is continuing to pressure Disney into taking the measures necessary to allow actor Cast Members to return to work safely, and have released a new video which uses an edited version of Walt Disney World’s “Welcome Home” video, to highlight increasing COVID-19 cases in Florida. You can see the full video from the Actors’ Equity Association below.
Trying to get Cast Members back to work
According to the Orlando Sentinel, the union released a statement to members saying, “Earlier this week, staff had a meeting with Walt Disney World to discuss our grievance, and renew a request that Disney provide masks and testing. Disney refused on both counts. That means the Equity members are being offered a lesser safety standard than other park workers. That isn’t right.”
And while it may seem reasonable to ask actors to go without a mask or a face shield during a performance, it is worth noting that live shows at nearby Universal Orlando Resort like The Universal Horror Make-up Show and the newly opened Borne Stuntacular are all performed with actors in masks and/or face shields, so it looks like there could be ways to implement this safety measure creatively for many of Walt Disney World’s stage shows.
This lockout affects approximately 250 actors at Walt Disney World and though there are some who support the union’s strategy, others released a statement this week saying “While we appreciate our union’s efforts on our behalf, we strongly believe that Disney has taken the necessary safety precautions for a phase one reopening, and that we deserve a voice in the assessment of these new protocols.”
As of right now it looks like the situation has unfortunately reached a stalemate, with neither Disney nor the actors’ union able to come to a reasonable compromise that will allow actors to both work in the parks and continue to stay safe as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, not only as it will allow the actors to return to work, but it will also add much needed capacity to parks like Disney’s Hollywood Studios, which has been filling up its parks pass availability regularly (especially for annual passholders) and has been more crowded than the other theme parks.
