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View Full Version : A interesting letter to Roy Disney at FabDisBabe.com



Darkbeer
01-10-2004, 11:50 PM
http://www.fabulousdisneybabe.com/fab/articles/showArticles.asp?ID=69




As a Disney (position), I'm recently frustrated with trying nearly in vain to (position-related) who barely speak English, how to operate a complex ride system such as Big Thunder Mountain Railroad or Space Mountain.

What's even more demoralizing is that we just received 16 Brazilians at (area), which is more than HALF the entire operating staff. Why, I ask myself, am I training these Non-Americans to work here and replace my fellow American worker? Why?



And there is a lot more, check out the link.....

JeffG
01-11-2004, 04:07 AM
I doubt very much that "Larry King Live" appearance ever happened. I just did several online searches and could find absolutely no other references to the incident. Something like that would have been widely publicized and discussed, so I suspect this is some kind of urban legend getting repeated.

While I think the basic premise is a valid one (that many of Disney's theme park employees are underpaid for what they do), the whole letter is tainted by a disturbingly xenophobic attitude. I don't really think this type of writing helps Roy's cause.

-Jeff

Not Afraid
01-11-2004, 09:49 AM
Scraping the bottom of the barrel, are we?

teri
01-11-2004, 10:06 AM
I agree completely, Jeff.

At the same time, I think this CM has valid concerns. If Disney is shunting off experienced CMs and replacing them with underpaid, undertrained temporary employees who are here on work/study visas that could be revoked in a moment if they were to complain... that sounds like a setup for classic worker exploitation to me.

There really are a alot of Brazilians here - I think they must have come on a tour and loved it so, they did whatever they could to come back. Their attitudes are GREAT. I have yet to meet a cranky or officious Brazilian CM. I love them, and I hope they are being treated well, and trained well, and that they will blossom and grow with this experience.

I have noticed a slight difference in the College Program kids this year, though. They make less eye contact and seem more stressed.

The regular CMs seem *very* stressed.
Just my observations, as a regular visitor who has been coming here since 1996 and now lives here.

Brian Noble
01-11-2004, 11:05 AM
My home park, Cedar Point, draws a significant number of international employees as ride operations hosts--primarily from Eastern Europe. There is an active recruiting program. Of course, as a seasonal park, they are dependent upon a temporary workforce, and can't offer the same sorts of jobs a year-round park might.

While some have quite noticeable accents, I've not *once* ever had the impression that they knew any less about safe operations than their domestic counterparts---and this is at a park with a pretty good safety record. True, some of them can be hard to understand, but given the speed with which experienced operators sometimes give safety speils, I'm not sure it's any less effective. :)

In addition, it's fun to chat with some of these ride ops to get their perspective on a summer in the States.