Disneyland Park Update

Update for March 27-April 3, 2006

Go directly to: News & Views | Current Refurbishment/Attraction Closures | Park Events | Discounts/Promotions | Park Schedule/Blockout Dates

News and Views

MouseAdventure

Just our ongoing weekly reminder that MouseAdventure registration for our event on April 30 is open. For more details visit our MouseAdventure page.

Labor unrest averted

So, the potential story on everybody’s mind in recent weeks came to a sudden end last week. The four largest unions at Disneyland reached a new master agreement with Disney. The new contract went to park cast members for ratification last Saturday and easily won, though it was hardly unanimous.

The four unions represented in the Master Agreement are Teamsters Local 495, United Food and Commercial Workers 324, Service Employees International Union 1877, and the Bakery, Confectionery & Tobacco Workers Union. Though there are at least 35 other unions representing cast members at Disneyland, this agreement covers the vast majority of public-facing cast members at the park.

So far, we at MousePlanet have only heard the details of the contract secondhand and have not yet seen a copy of the new Master Services Agreement with our own eyes (hint hint). As is always the case, opinions of the new agreement vary, but in looking through what is known it appears that not much was gained for cast members, particularly for future new hires.

First the positive. All cast membes covered by the agreement will either get raises or bonuses as a result of the new deal. Which each gets depends on their tenure with the company. One of the big changes in the agreement is that the time period for the pay ladder (the time from starting wage to the top wage) has been reduced from six years to four years. This means that a cast member with four or five years of tenure will automatically be adjusted to the top of their position’s pay scale. A tenure of three years will be raised to the three-year rate under the four-year plan. It is unclear whether tenures of less than three years will see any raise due to this change. Cast members already at the top of their pay scale (currently a tenure of six years or longer) will receive one-time lump-sum bonuses equal to $100 per year of employment, up to $2,800. Additionally, all current cast members will receive 3.0% or 3.5% raises (up to $0.35/hour) in March of 2007 and 2008.

The big negatives seem to be a change in eligibility for benefits, a reduction of holidays for new hires, and loss of vacation accrual for part timers.

To receive health benefits, the requirement is now at least Regular Part Time status, which means working at least 30 hours and five days per week. Under the previous agreement, the threshhold was 25 hours. The contract requires Disney to offer anybody currently receiving benefits for working 25-29.5 hours per week a Regular Part Time position working at least 30 hours. A relief period is included to allow such employees time to reschedule themselves for longer work schedules.

Currently cast members have 10 holidays that pay time-and-a-half if worked. Under the new contract all cast members hired after March 15, 2006, will only get five for their first three years of employment. A minor change is that New Year’s Day is now the holiday that pays extra instead of New Year’s Eve (guess which day requires a lot more staffing).

Finally, cast members working less than 30 hours per week will no longer accrue any vacation time. All time off will be unpaid.

All-in-all it doesn’t seem such a great deal for cast members, but in our current era where working at Disneyland is no longer so much a career as a diversion for the young and elderly (though it must be noted there are still many long-time cast members around) once again this Master Agreement seems to promote turnover rather than tenure. A new cast member hired today is facing a base pay schedule (some position have salary enhancements for additional responsibility or other reasons) that starts at $8.20 per hour and tops out at $10 per hour after four years (about $20,800 per year).

On one of the larger issues, Disney also mostly gets its way as it is now much easier for Disneyland Park to pull cast members from Disney’s California Adventure. The unions have agreed that the new agreement will apply to DCA cast members as well until the one-year extension of the DCA Master Agreement expires this fall and it is expected that it will be renewed at that time.

The new agreement has a three-year term, meaning it will be 2009 before next rumors start to swirl.

Fantasyland Restrooms

The remodel of the “Prince” and “Princess” restrooms next to the Alice in Wonderland attraction has been completed. Aurora and Prince Charming have been promoted to the King and Queen of Hearts, and the interiors have been redecorated to more closely theme to the adjacent attraction.

For parents, the good news is that you can now send a child into the restroom without worrying that they will come out the other doors (with many park visitors not even realizing that there was another way in and out).

The interiors of the restrooms are decorated with playing cards. Photo by David Michael.

The naming of the restrooms shifts the association from Sleeping Beauty (Aurora and Prince Charming) to Alice in Wonderland. Photo by David Michael.

The second sets of doors (closest to the Alice in Wonderland attraction) are now closed off. The alcove between them will eventually be home to a White Rabbit statue. Photo by David Michael.

Submarine progress

Photo by David Michael.

Photo by David Michael.

Photo by David Michael.

Photo by David Michael.

This and that…

…Jim Shore, the artist behind the Disney Traditions line of scultpures, will be at the Disneyana Shop on Main Street for a product release and signing on Saturday, April 29. The new pieces released for the signing include Snow White, Tinker Bell, Jiminy Cricket, and Pinocchio (link for a complete list). The signing will last from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

…The coupon is now available for the 25% discount on select Robert Olszewski sculptures and accessories during the month of April (PDF link). The offer is limited to five pieces per person per day and the coupon needs to be turned in at purchase.

…Registration for the Disneyland Half Marathon closed last week having reached capacity. According to the announcement some spots are still open through travel agents, travel packages, and fundraising organizations. See the Disneyland Half Marathon Web site (link) for more information.

…We may have already mentioned this but the return of Snow White: An Enchanted Musical is now officially on the calendar for one final summer season beginning in June.

Don’t keep it to yourself! Send us your news tips, rumors, and comments. E–mail us here.

Current Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

Disneyland

• Pirates of the Caribbean closed March 6 – June 26, 2006, for major refurbishment and show updates. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest will premiere at Disneyland on June 24. Ride may be available to public on June 25.

• Blue Bayou Restaurant closed March 6 – June 26, 2006, for the duration of the Pirates of the Caribbean closure.
• Cafe Orleans Restaurant closed March 13 – June 26, 2006, for redesign into full service restaurant.
• Fantasmic! dark June 17 – June 28, 2006, for activities surrounding premiere of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.
• Disneyland Park opens and closes early June 24, 2006, for premiere of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. Will open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 5:30 p.m. DCA will be open two hours later than usual until 11:00 p.m.
• Parade of Dreams dark June 24, 2006, for red carpet arrivals to premiere of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.
• Golden Horseshoe closed May 15 – June 15 for refurbishment and kitchen changes.
• River Belle Terrace rumored to close in September or October 2006 for complete redesign into larger two-story restaurant.
• Bengal BBQ rumored to close permanently in September or October 2006 to provide room for expansion of River Belle Terrace.
• Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage is currently under construction and will open sometime in 2007.
• Snow White, An Enchanted Musical closed. On hiatus during off season; expected to return for final season in summer 2006.
• Disneyland Monorail goes into shuttle mode (one way trips only) January 2006. Complete closure for station redesign will not happen until later in 2006.

Disney’s California Adventure

• Department of Untapped Hilarity (D.U.H.) on hiatus. Might return for the 2006 summer season.
• Mullholland Madness closed April 24 – May 27.

Note: Refurbishment schedules are estimates only. All information is subject to change without notice. To get the most recent updates, call Disneyland at (714) 781–7290.

Events

If you know of any events, official or unofficial, that should be listed here, let us know.

March

• The Shaggy Dog at El Capitan Theater. March 10 – April 13. Reportedly the sideshow for this run will be a show by stunt dogs that worked in the movie.
• Walt Disney Classics Collection Spring Premiere Event. March 24-26. Unknown what else will be available but the leading item will be a limited edition (4,000) Stitch sculpture at World of Disney (link).

April

• The Wild at El Capitan Theater. April 14 – May 11. Side show unknown.
• Jim Shore artist signing. April 29, 9:00-11:30 at Disneyana (link).
• MouseAdventure. April 30, registration is now open (link).

June

• Cars at El Capitan Theater. June 9 – July 4. Side show unknown.
• Prirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. June 24. Presumptive date of world premiere of this new movie, to be held in New Orleans Square. Park will close early (5 p.m.) with celebrity red carpet arrivals earlier in the day. Has not yet been officially announced.

July

• Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest premiere: Details unknown but the world premiere is again expected to be held in Disneyland’s New Orleans Square. The movie opens July 7 and the premiere will be up to two weeks prior to that.
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest at El Capitan Theater. July 7 – September 4. Side show unknown.

September

• Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend. September 15-17. For more information and registration see the official Web site (link, warning: horribly annoying embedded music)

October

• Gay Days. October 6 – 8. Unofficial event (link).

Park Schedule/Blockout Dates

DL: Disneyland
DCA: Disney’s California Adventure
Annual Pass blockout dates:

• SL – Southern California Select Annual Pass
• SC – Southern California Annual Pass
• DX – Deluxe Annual Pass

Visit our Annual Passholders Blockout Dates 2006 page to see more dates. You can see future calendar schedules at Disneyland. As always, specifics are subject to change without notice (or occasionally, without us noticing) so when information conflicts between what is presented here and that presented by Disney, it is best to assume Disney’s information is correct.

Entertainment schedule: Go directly to the Disneyland Resort schedule for this week at Disneyland.com here.