From today’s Los Angeles Times:
Adam Hefner had recently graduated high school and was looking for a job when their sister, who was working in Disneyland Resort’s food and beverage department, alerted them to an opportunity.
The company was searching for a tall “Star Wars” fan to portray a particular character (Hefner declined to say which one) before the opening of Disneyland’s Galaxy’s Edge attraction in 2019.
Getting a role at the park was a dream come true for Hefner, a longtime Southern California resident who lives in Anaheim and grew up with season passes. Several years later, however, Hefner has a less enchanted view.
“After a couple of months … the fairy dust fades away, and you see your friends and people you really care about hurting and burnt out and not able to pay their rent,” Hefner said. “ Despite it being ‘the Happiest Place on Earth’ … it’s not always the case for the people that are working there.”
Hefner, 28, belongs to Magic United, a bargaining unit of about 1,700 employees in the characters and parades departments at Anaheim’s Disneyland Resort. In addition to the actors who portray characters such as Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Cinderella and Prince Charming in the parks and nearby hotels, Magic United includes hosts, trainers, leads and other workers who support them.
In February, the workers announced their intent to unionize under the Actors’ Equity Assn., which already represents actors, dancers and singers at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla.
Read the complete story here.