This could help staffing issues at WDW - follow Dollywood’s lead!

[Beer Me]

https://fox17.com/news/local/dream-...-pigeon-forge-tennessee-herschend-enterprises
“Dollywood on Tuesday announced they'll start paying a hundred percent of tuition for employees who wish to further their education. This includes the cost of fees and textbooks.”

 

[umichigan10]

They’ve been needing to offer better play and benefits for a while now. Especially with how housing prices are shooting up in the Orlando area

 

[hotboxghost69]

Or, better yet, pay the employees the value of that education and allow them to decide how to spend it!

 

[lockets]

Wow! That’s darn impressive! Go Dolly!

 

[OKW Lover]

Isn't this something Disney already offers?

 

[Together at Disney]

Disney covers tuition as well. They have had the program for several years now. A substantial pay increase is what they need now.

 

[Beer Me]

Disney covers tuition as well. They have had the program for several years now. A substantial pay increase is what they need now.

Absolutely they should raise pay.

I’m not sure what Disneys tuition program looks like but Dolly’s 100% of costs starting day one of employment for all full and part time staff seems very generous. And I assume it is designed to attract new hires among other things.

 

[HopperFan]

Disney World has 6 times the number of employees and you can't do WDW and not other company owned parks. Disney already has programs in place, their focus should be increased pay. With better pay comes better employees.

And just to understand, Dollywood's program is limited to a partner "University" in a few specific programs, degrees or certificates. If you wish to purse some additional programs there is a cap on what they will pay, only a partial funding. Not that any of that is bad, it's just that it's not like you can say "I want to go to University of Tennessee and get my degree in fine arts." There are considerable restrictions. Still a generous offer that many would have no access to otherwise, especially considering where they live.

 

[Jennasis]

Dolly is a class act.

 

[ChipnDale79]

Dolly is a national treasure. More people should strive to be like her.

 

[Obi-J Kenobi]

An increase in wages is what WDW needs to do to stay competitive. If they raise CM pay, then Disney will have publicly articulated basis and justification to raise room rates, ticket prices, ILL, meals, etc. by even a larger percentage next year. Its really a win-win for Disney. Big PR announcement of taking CM pay seriously with a pay increase and then tell the guests that the higher prices they are paying is going to directly fund the CMs pay increase.

 

[lockets]

They did increase one CM’s pay. Bob’s.

 

[Obi-J Kenobi]

They did increase one CM’s pay. Bob’s.

I am not Bob Chapek, but rather a secret plant by Bob Chapek to the DIS boards to be his apologist. Let's look at some facts as a matter of fairness.

Bob Chapek has a contract through February 2023, per my understanding of industry media reports (i.e. Deadline & CNBC). Bob Chapek's contract purportedly calls for compensation in certain forms, including, without limitation, salary, bonus, stock, and incentive plans. It is a fact his 2021 compensation increased over 2020. And it is a fact that Bob Chapek (and Bob Iger) took voluntary salary reductions 2020.

So Bob Chapek's compensation increased, but that's partly due to the fact that he voluntarily reduced his salary from the year prior and it is due to the fact that his contract has clauses that would increase pay for meeting certain financial benchmarks. But it is misleading to say that Disney increased Bob Chapek's compensation when his total compensation was negotiated years ago as part of a multi-year contract and contingent upon Disney meeting certain financial benchmarks.

I'm not saying that the contract Disney negotiated and agreed along with Bob Chapek is a good contract or a reasonable contract or (because I'm an apologist) even a bargain contract. I'm just saying that is the contract for better or worse.

Exit question: Doesn't Bob Iger (and even Josh D'Amaro) have some measure of responsibility with the what's happening with Disney parks, the guest experience, the whole Disney experience becoming less magical for guests over the years? Bob I. and Josh D. seem to get a free pass by a lot of Disney fans. I guess it's lonely being at the top like Bob Chapek.

Sincerely, Bob C.'s apologist

 

[OKW Lover]

They did increase one CM’s pay. Bob’s.

Disney front line CM's also got a pay increase according to the union contract.

Bob Chapek has a contract through February 2023, per my understanding of industry media reports (i.e. Deadline & CNBC). Bob Chapek's contract purportedly calls for compensation in certain forms, including, without limitation, salary, bonus, stock, and incentive plans. It is a fact his 2021 compensation increased over 2020. And it is a fact that Bob Chapek (and Bob Iger) took voluntary salary reductions 2020.

Details of Bob's compensation package can be found in the annual proxy.

 

[rdaky]

Disney has tuition programs. Increased pay is what is needed. $15/hr is not a livable wage, especially not in the Orlando area.

 

[OKW Lover]

Increased pay is what is needed. $15/hr is not a livable wage, especially not in the Orlando area.

Hourly worker pay is negotiated between management and the unions. If the two parties agree that wages need to increase then they can do that the next time the contract is up for negotiations.

 

[DisOrBust]

Hourly at Disney get 100% tuition from the Aspire program and it doesn't need to be paid back if you leave Disney. Salaried get $700/credit and needs to be paid back if you leave before 2 years.

 

[starlite_]

Bob Chapek has a contract through February 2023, per my understanding of industry media reports (i.e. Deadline & CNBC). Bob Chapek's contract purportedly calls for compensation in certain forms, including, without limitation, salary, bonus, stock, and incentive plans. It is a fact his 2021 compensation increased over 2020. And it is a fact that Bob Chapek (and Bob Iger) took voluntary salary reductions 2020.

Because it was the start of the pandemic and almost every cast member was sent home. It was not out of the goodness of his (or Iger's) heart

 

[HopperFan]

I am not Bob Chapek, but rather a secret plant by Bob Chapek to the DIS boards to be his apologist. Let's look at some facts as a matter of fairness.

Bob Chapek has a contract through February 2023, per my understanding of industry media reports (i.e. Deadline & CNBC). Bob Chapek's contract purportedly calls for compensation in certain forms, including, without limitation, salary, bonus, stock, and incentive plans. It is a fact his 2021 compensation increased over 2020. And it is a fact that Bob Chapek (and Bob Iger) took voluntary salary reductions 2020.

So Bob Chapek's compensation increased, but that's partly due to the fact that he voluntarily reduced his salary from the year prior and it is due to the fact that his contract has clauses that would increase pay for meeting certain financial benchmarks. But it is misleading to say that Disney increased Bob Chapek's compensation when his total compensation was negotiated years ago as part of a multi-year contract and contingent upon Disney meeting certain financial benchmarks.

I'm not saying that the contract Disney negotiated and agreed along with Bob Chapek is a good contract or a reasonable contract or (because I'm an apologist) even a bargain contract. I'm just saying that is the contract for better or worse.

Exit question: Doesn't Bob Iger (and even Josh D'Amaro) have some measure of responsibility with the what's happening with Disney parks, the guest experience, the whole Disney experience becoming less magical for guests over the years? Bob I. and Josh D. seem to get a free pass by a lot of Disney fans. I guess it's lonely being at the top like Bob Chapek.

Sincerely, Bob C.'s apologist

Dear apologist -

Too much to banter with you, I'll just say find me the tiniest violin for the Bobs' "voluntary" pay cuts.

On exit: Iger was great at his job, unfortunately he did us dirty by not retaining the man who should have taken over, rather let him leave, tossed in his hat leaving us with Bob Dis-mart. Of course the company is using him to gut much of the goodwill but hey, that is what companies do - bring in hatchet men for the dirty work. (DH was once a hatchet man, it is an experience). I think Josh is being groomed to take over because people love him, guests and CMs. They will do anything they can to keep his hands clean. Once Dis-mart is done de-personalizing the company, eliminating the Be Our Guest practices and putting a price tag on EVERYTHING .... they can give him early retirement, move up Josh and he'll be the most popular and expensive Individual Lightning Lane Meet & Greet. Brilliant.

Details of Bob's compensation package can be found in the annual proxy.

Here it is and his salary makes me ill when they have employees busting it at work to return home to a flea bag motel.

https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/app/uploads/2022/01/2022-Proxy-Statement.pdf
Got my proxies today and I am voting with a few

 

[umichigan10]

Exit question: Doesn't Bob Iger (and even Josh D'Amaro) have some measure of responsibility with the what's happening with Disney parks, the guest experience, the whole Disney experience becoming less magical for guests over the years? Bob I. and Josh D. seem to get a free pass by a lot of Disney fans. I guess it's lonely being at the top like Bob Chapek.

Sincerely, Bob C.'s apologist

I wholeheartedly agree with this point. Josh D is head of parks. When chapek had that position, everyone was piling on him for infusing IP and making cuts. So it was either Iger’s fault then, Josh’s fault now, or a combination. I feel like everyone fawns over Josh because he’s a likeable guy, and because he goes out into the parks and talks to cast, but at the same time, his actions in how the parks are being treated now speak louder than his small goodwill gestures