Anyone read this?
QuoteThree Disneyland employees came to the bar in Chessy to chat to The Independent about life "Chez Mickey". Hervé Impinna, 43, used to maintain the floats used in the daily parades. He is now on lighter duties after falling from the top of Cinderella's coach and damaging his neck and back. "The whole attitude of management has changed," he said. "When I look at the illuminated night parades, I see scores of gaps where bulbs have failed and not been replaced. Visitors may not notice the difference but I know what the spectacle is supposed to look like and it's depressing."
Tama Gandega, 43, is an assistant manager in one of the large Disney hotels. He said: "All the pleasure of service is gone. Some days we have to do 3,500 breakfasts with half the staff we had a few years ago. No wonder everyone is ready to drop."
Sandrine, 39, is part of the team which makes up the Disney princesses in the parades. "Sometimes they are so exhausted with working six-day weeks they can hardly move, never mind smile," she said. "But they are obliged to smile, because that is the magic of Disney."
Much more in the Article from the Independant:
//http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/the-dark-side-of-disneyland-paris-1964505.html
Thoughts :?:
Thats no surprise for me!
If you see how alarming they save at maintenance and service "inside" the park then what do you think does it look like behind the scenes.
Disneyhotels are the most expensive at the whole area and have the most worse service and state. How long do they think can they do this?
The thing is though, the same can be said of many customer/service businesses at the moment. Business models have had to change incredibly over the past 2 years and that means employees are feeling those changes as increased demands, with less resource, for less money. I work in the NHS which has been told to save 20%, whilst demands increase and staff say very similar things to the above. Its not 'disney' whatever that is, but it is business, and Disney is above all else a business. I just hope they DLRP can save enough money to see them through the next few years until markets recover. I don't think we can really call it their dark side, unless we expect them to be unconcerned with profit. Many businesses are simply going under at the moment, and markets like Spain and Ireland are beginning to get into trouble. I'm just pleased each day when I see it's still open!
The fact, that other companies do it the same way is no excuse!
They had record attendances last year and aren´t able to make profit. Its a management problem.
And all these "people-don´t-spend-enough-in-the-park" excuses bore me. If they would give their guest high qualitiy merchandise, then they would buy more.
And why are the selected hotels able to keep standart and maintenance but Disney not??!!
Quote from: "SkySurfer"The fact, that other companies do it the same way is no excuse!
They had record attendances last year and aren´t able to make profit.
I always thought they could not make a profit because they have so much high debt payments to pay off ?
That whole thing is not only at Disney. I work in the hotelindustry in Germany. If somebody retires or leaves, we don't employ somebody new. So we have only half of the stuff we had a couple of years before but still the same amout of work to do.
Disneymom
That really made me quite sad reading that (thanks for sharing though!). It must be hard for the loyal employees to see the standards slip in front of their eyes on things they really care about (refering to the first part of the article). Hope things pick up for them, bring the magic back for everyone.
tori x
i would like to add that in France your working week is limited to 35 hours and you get 25 days holiday and public holidays, the general attitude to what we here in Britain would think of a days work is not the same in France. i think its sad that the employees are feeling like they do but i always think there maybe another side to the story
One of the comments on the article...
QuoteI worked there for a summer job in order to improve my French. It was, and still is the worst job I've ever had. The way I was spoken to, the way staff were spoken to was horrendous. It was quite apparent from listening to/watching my permanent full-time colleagues that they were either intensely delusional or heavily depressed. The former would be convinced by management that the possibility of becoming a 'team leader' was within their grasp even if they had failed the appropriate exams more than a dozen times due to crippling delinquency. The latter, I saw in smoking areas where It wouldn't have been uncommon to see a member of your team crying.
I left after 5 weeks (once I had been paid) without any regrets. After one brief conversation with HR for the department she explained that she was totally understaffed and would be leaving a few days later as she could not provide the support to the workers she was employed to work with. She had tears in her eyes.
It wasn't that management were unaware of these problems, or even chose to be oblivious. We were constantly informed about how the park continually fails to make money. However the reason for this is apparent, it sold off most of it's property around 1997 and pays high rent to contractors and property owners in order to run the park. We were told this as if to assume that our pain will be greatly appreciated once the park begins to make money, something it never will). The contractors, proprietors and landlords know that Disney are willing to spend to protect the brand so as soon as revenue increases so do the overheads.
Sounds awful :?
Sorry to spoil the magic a bit but this isn't "The dark side of Disneyland Paris", its the dark side of any business that strives to make money. Nearly every company is losing money in one way at the moment and it has to be combated.This is all that is happening at Disneyland.
^ But Disney is about the 'magic', loose that and they'll lose the custom. So they need to pull their fingers out, regardless of money. Major loss of guests would hurt a lot more than spending mone on putting more effort into the parks cosmetics!
Quote"When I look at the illuminated night parades, I see scores of gaps where bulbs have failed and not been replaced. Visitors may not notice the difference but I know what the spectacle is supposed to look like and it's depressing."
Its good see the cast members feeling like that to be honest, at least it shows they care about their work place.
Yes, Disney is about the magic. But sadly at Disneyland Paris that magic has rarely turned a profit. And the company is heavily discounting to get people to go, 40% off if you booked by the end of April. That's quite a saving. We took advantage of the offer and are going in November for Disneys bonfire night. Last year EuroDisney lost over 60, 0000 Euros, and I think this year could be much worse. I hope I'm wrong. Never mind gaps where bulbs should be on floats. They still have to pay off all their huge debts, and run this big resort.
Quote from: "ed-uk"Yes, Disney is about the magic. But sadly at Disneyland Paris that magic has rarely turned a profit.
Disney without magic is like McDonalds without burgers.
What would you say, if McDondals stops selling burgers because french fries are cheaper to produce.
I can´t understand why people still defend everything what Disney does. No matter how bad it is!
You're right of course about what makes Disney special SkySurfer, but it only exists within a business. Like it or not, Disney the man and the company are exactly that. If they don't make enough money from something they won't carry on to keep the fans happy, they'll stop doing it. Disney as a business actually has a very corporate perhaps ruthless reputation. But you can look at it this way, what they make is magic, and it'smeant to be enjoyed as that, and being an effective business enables them to take that magic in to parks all over the world, and produce hugely expensive media and hopefully to continue to do this. Its not about defending everything they do, its just that without operating as a business, they won't be able to do it.
Yes, and at EuroDisney their finances are on a knife edge thanks to this terrible recession we're going through. EuroDisney has faced bankrupcy twice in the past, and has had to be baled out by the WDC and shareholders. But it's not because the company has been badly run, it's because they have high levels of debt to pay off. I guess it's too big for them to walk away from, thank goodness. And DLP is at the high end of the resort market, McDonalds is not. McDonalds is a fast food chain, they produce cheap burgers and chips. They probably do OK in a recession because they're cheap anyway. DLP is not.
Quote from: "ed-uk"Yes, and at EuroDisney their finances are on a knife edge thanks to this terrible recession we're going through.
Discussion would be more effective if you wouldn´t claim things,that look a bit different in reality.
Travelindustry is one of the parts, that is least affected by the "teribble recession".
Means, just a deficit of 3% in Europe!
Don´t make the recession responsible for everyting. I just had a look. Europaparks Hotel occupancy was never better then the last year. Same at Centre Parks.
So don´t tell me, its not Disneys fault.
I don't agree with you. I think the recession would have made a negative impact on Disneyland Paris. It was doing much better before. Ah Europaparks hotel. I didn't know Europaparks had a hotel. Just the one? According to the TEA attendance fiqures for 2009. Disneyland Park Paris number 4 1n the World with 12,740, 000. Europa Park coming in at number 24 with 4, 250, 000. I can see which theme park is more popular. It's a pity for Disney that so many people go and they still make a loss.
Spend/visitor has gone down. Uk guests have poorer exchange rate and other Non-French markets have been hit, these markets are important to DLRP as non-domestic guests tend to spend more.
Besides, 3% contraction is a huge deal to any western economy, look at unemployment figures, and you can't deny the impact the recession has had.
But anyhoo, it even says in the article that the reason is that the park wasn't making enough money. So what would people have, increase prices or reduce costs? You would be hard pushed to increase prices with a 3% negative growth
Hi all,
It's true the global economy is suffering and dlrp will have to weather this storm too. It's debt make it all the harder but business is business and all companies are suffering. I feel sorry for the staff and their families having to keep visitors dreams alive in this condition. They all do a great job.
The cast members ALL make my kids dreams come true ! :D
Mr_B
dont know if you have seen this but there is also been a 'press release' from DLP
http://corporate.disneylandparis.com/CO ... ployee.pdf (http://corporate.disneylandparis.com/CORP/EN/Neutral/Images/uk-2010-04-23-chsct-measures-employee.pdf%22%20onclick=%22window.open(this.href);return%20false;)
talking about employee well-being
Quote from: "ed-uk"I didn't know Europaparks had a hotel.
Well informed like always! Europark has 5 Hotels and a camping resort
Quote from: "ed-uk"Disneyland Park Paris is number 4 1n the World with 12,740, 000. Europa Park coming in at number 24 with 4, 250, 000. I can see which theme park is more popular.
Finally you see the problem =D>
Europapark is able to make more profit with less visitors.
Quote from: "SkySurfer"Well informed like always! Europark has 5 Hotels and a camping resort
Four hotels, a camping resort and a 'Gästehaus', actually... :roll:
Quote from: "SkySurfer"Quote from: "ed-uk"I didn't know Europaparks had a hotel.
Well informed like always! Europark has 5 Hotels and a camping resort
Quote from: "ed-uk"Disneyland Park Paris is number 4 1n the World with 12,740, 000. Europa Park coming in at number 24 with 4, 250, 000. I can see which theme park is more popular.
Finally you see the problem =D>
Europapark is able to make more profit with less visitors.
No doubt, they make more profit, due to the smaller park, not forgetting that Europa Park is much older than Disneyland Paris ;) . Disneyland also has to pay off its debtors, also it may have blown past you, but Disney will also employ many more people than Europa.
I can't get excited about Europa park, I'm just not interested in it. One hotel or six hotels, I'm not really interested. I hope that explains why I'm so well informed on Europa park. No doubt British theme parks make a profit on 2,0000 or 3, 0000 visitors. And I wouldn't make a comparison between them and DLP. I'm a DLP fan and a Disney fan, that is why I post on this forum. I'm more likely to go to a British theme park than Europa park.
Have you ever been at Europa-Park?
i obviously haven't been to Europa Park. I would have thought that was clear from my post. Have you ever been to Alton Towers?
I love people who judge about someting but obviously never have been there! What a great basis to discuss :?
i'm not judging it. I'm just saying I'm not interested in it. Maybe if i was staying in the area on holiday I would go. But i wouldn't make a special trip for it. Anyway i thought we were discussing "the dark side of Disneyland Paris", whatever that means? I have now visited Europa Parks web page, and I wasn't that impressed with what I saw. But clearly some people like it and that's fair enough. I'm not saying it looks bad. It doesn't look as good as a Disney Park to me.
i made a trip especially to visit europa park and loved every minute. the hotel was brilliant and the staff helpful and friendly. i have also had many enjoyable holidays at alton towers and numerous other theme parks in the uk and beyond. i loved "eurodisney " and still love dlp but i feel that whether a theme park company is making profit or loss it should remember that staff attitude reflects on customer happiness. although i am a dlp addict i cannot be blinkered to the fact that standards have slipped and the feel good factor is not what it was. if cast members are being treated badly then they cannot be blamed for being unhappy, but if their justifiable negativity spills over into work attitude then in turn guests will have no desire to part with their hard earned cash in making return trips. cut backs leading to overworked staff is an unfortunate financial fact but surely it costs nothing for the hierarchy to treat cast members in a kind and curteous manner so that in turn they can truely share the magic that makes disney so special to us all. p.s. i will probably be chewed up and spat out for saying this, but i have come across the very rare cast members whose attitudes stink and would probably be the same what ever their work conditions. just because we all love disney doesnt make everything and everyone in it perfect !!!! pps my philosophy is if you havent visited a park ask for opinions from those who have and respect their information .
You pay your money and take your choice. People should try different theme parks I'm sure. But I'm a Disney theme park fan, and that's where I'm coming from when I post on the forum. That is not to say I think everything is always perfect at Disneyland. And that includes the CMs and some of the guests. But on the whole my experiences have been good, otherwise I wouldn't keep going back to DLP.
Quote from: "DopeyDad"The thing is though, the same can be said of many customer/service businesses at the moment. Business models have had to change incredibly over the past 2 years and that means employees are feeling those changes as increased demands, with less resource, for less money. I work in the NHS which has been told to save 20%, whilst demands increase and staff say very similar things to the above. Its not 'disney' whatever that is, but it is business, and Disney is above all else a business. I just hope they DLRP can save enough money to see them through the next few years until markets recover. I don't think we can really call it their dark side, unless we expect them to be unconcerned with profit. Many businesses are simply going under at the moment, and markets like Spain and Ireland are beginning to get into trouble. I'm just pleased each day when I see it's still open!
I have to agree here with DopeyDad, I have first hand experience at maintaining a business in difficult times, by reducing staff and still trying to maintain the professionalism and high standards of the running of it. These are recessional times and everyone is buckeling down. Disney cannot afford more staff at these present times, but it would be even worse if they had to cut services and operating times in the parks and lose even more revenue to already present losses. I only hope we get over the global economic crisis quicker than expected, and when we do it will be better for everyone, including everyone involved at Disney.. :|
QuoteDisneyland Park Paris number 4 1n the World with 12,740, 000. Europa Park coming in at number 24 with 4, 250, 000. I can see which theme park is more popular.
You try to discuss the sucess of 2 different parks but you have no idea what one of the parks is like :?
All of us here are big DLP-Fans. Otherwise we wouldn´t post here. But most of us are objective. Thats the point to start a good discussion!
Quote from: "Javey74"The thing is though, the same can be said of many customer/service businesses at the moment. Business models have had to change incredibly over the past 2 years and that means employees are feeling those changes as increased demands, with less resource, for less money.
You are right! Things are difficult at the moment. Its the same at the firm where I work!!! But I see one difference.
Disneyland Paris always had financial problems. But the old management was always able the keep the standarts despite of these problems. But the new management doesn´t get it. And I think thats the main problem!
I can express a view cant I ? I made it clear what I thought about Europa Park and whether i wanted to go or not. I have only made the point that DLP is much bigger. They have two theme parks to manage for a start. 7 big hotels, including the Ranch. A golf course. Disney Village. I'm sorry but it doesn't seem to me that Europa Park is the same in this regard. That's the only piont I was making. I'm I wrong then?
And Disney management aren't idiots, they do get it. They run the most popular theme parks in the world. So they must get it. If 12,0000 people go to DLP and 4,0000 go to Europa Park I would conclude from that, that DLP is more popular. That's all I'm saying.
Quote from: "ed-uk"And Disney management aren't idiots, they do get it. They run the most popular theme parks in the world. So they must get it.
I talked about DLP management. Not the whole Disneymanagement
I don't suppose much happens at DLP without the whole Disney Management knowing about it. The WDC is the main shareholder. The big Disney jobs are in America. It seems to me if DLP was just 1 theme park and 4 hotels like Europa park, DLP would be making a profit. No Disney theme park could do well and be called a success on 4,250,000 visitors like Europa Park can.
Then please tell me why all DisneyParks make profit, except DLP :roll:
DLP released their half year results last week. Maybe you should read it on their Web site. Hopefully they can explain it to you better than me. Whether you will want to except their explanation or not is another matter of course.
Would be great and definitely interesting to hear the explanation from you...
...I think things are starting to get a bit personal in here :shock:
soooooo, everyone agrees DLP not doing too well, so perhaps little wonder staff may feel things compare unfavourably with before. Now, how about something less controversial, ToyStoryPLayland anybody? :twisted:
Quote from: "DopeyDad"Now, how about something less controversial, ToyStoryPLayland anybody? :twisted:
HAHA^^
yeah!
Lets talk about it :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:
Just had to laugh loud when I read your post :mrgreen:
This story does not surprise me in the slightest. I have been commenting on this for about a decade now, and many so called "fans" do not seem to notice or care. DLP has not performed like a true disney resort in at least 15 years (though the ones in the US are not as good as they used to be either). And it is also as I predicted when they started discounting the trips too. Let's see if things improve for the 20th.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world ... _multiline (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/the-dark-side-of-disneyland-paris-1964505.html?fb_action_ids=10151025134440147&fb_action_types=news.reads&fb_source=other_multiline%22%20onclick=%22window.open(this.href);return%20false;)
Perhaps they have to discount the trips to get people to go. We are going through the worst economic slowdown since the 1930s. Even the future of the Euro seems in doubt, if that was to happen it would be a miracle if EuroDisney survived. They lost 64,0000 Euros last year. How to they employ more CMs in an enviroment like that? Search me.
there is also an elasticity of demand on resourcing and customer good will. There are parent companies, bonds etc to consider. There is also debt reprofiling. The reality it, DLP is a much lesser experience than it once was, while it's competition is improving year on year. DLP needs to be able to compete.
Yeah, EuroDisney needs to compete, that's probably why they have to discount. They employ over 14,000 people. thinks are getting tough at the moment, unemployment is going up.
Why do you always defend their mediocrity?
Well hold on I'm not defending anything. If people don't like working there I don't have the answers. EuroDisney has been saved from bankrupcy twice, and TWDC has put more money into it. Are you saying they should borrow more then, because the company is struggling to pay back what they already owe. Has Disney ever paid well if you're a CM?. Not that long ago some people tried to persuade us that Robert Iger was about to sell off the theme parks, when what happend was he handed in his notice.
I always thought that the work hours were shocking, but I never realised that it was that bad. :o
I've never worked for Disney so i can't say what it's like, but there are people on this forum going for jobs with EuroDisney. "Disneyland Paris jobs-casting news and tips"
"A large part of the problem is that the present Disneyland management has no strategy – and apparently no desire – to get the best out of its workforce," Mr Barbier said. "Most people here still love Disneyland and what it stands for. They want to enjoy their work.
Now that is very distressing :(
"When I look at the illuminated night parades, I see scores of gaps where bulbs have failed and not been replaced. Visitors may not notice the difference but I know what the spectacle is supposed to look like and it's depressing."
I certainly have noticed and for a regular visitor it has become somewhat annoying, how difficult is it to maintain at least the park and show lights :?:
"All the pleasure of service is gone. Some days we have to do 3,500 breakfasts with half the staff we had a few years ago. No wonder everyone is ready to drop."
And I'm afraid it shows :o
Sandrine, 39, is part of the team which makes up the Disney princesses in the parades. "Sometimes they are so exhausted with working six-day weeks they can hardly move, never mind smile," she said. "But they are obliged to smile, because that is the magic of Disney."
I actually thought this side of things had improved with cm's being far more responsive these days, perhaps I won't be so critical next time I'm not greeted with a great big smile :|
Jeff Archambault, the Eurodisney vice-president for communications, said yesterday: "Because of the kind of business we run, the happiness of our employees is very important to us.
All companies say this........I take that with a pinch of salt :roll:
This is clearly a distressing report for those of us who love DLrP but it does help us to look beyond the illusions that sometimes cloud our judgements.
I love DLrP and very often I forget what DLrP is.........it's a company that has to answer to its shareholders and fight off the increased competition from other european themeparks.
However, it is my firm belief that it can do that by returning to the principles that helped make 'Disney Themeparks' throughout the world such a success 8)
Ignoring the glorious history of Disney will result in DLrP becoming 'Just another ThemePark', and what a shame that will be :cry:
Well it can't be easy playing a Disney Prince or Princess, having to wave and smile from a parade float, to have a picture taken with a child and being forced to smile. And then to really ruin your day a bulb goes. I must admit with stress and worry like that I'd rather dig up the road in the middle of winter, or work for the AA.
Hang on, this article is 18 months old and there's already been a topic on it hasn't there?
I'll try and find it, I remember someone making a very good point about how stories like this just make good print, the whole Disney is supposed to be happy but look, isn't life ugly angle!
I remember it particularly as it was in the run up to industrial action throughout France with the Unions involved and the first stages of an economic crisis. If I was at all cynical I'd say the miseries of ordinary people, some of whom even work at DLP, mean suicides happen (even thought they work at Disney). A Union is trying to make political capital out of it, papers are trying to sell copy, DLP fans bicker about and we carry on happily avoiding discussing mental health.
Thank you for pointing out the age of the article, it does look familiar. I remember it now.
Also comparing it to the other worldwide Disney parks is also a tad unfair, French labour laws, tax law and business in general in France is a lot more expensive than America, China and Japan, however it does in some ways offer a better quality of life to those working/living in France. The culture is very different overall, the US, China and Japan all live to work, where as in most of Europe (especially the UK, France, Germany) its the opposite and its work to live.
I had an intrest in working for Disney, although not really in entertainment, from reading up on the inner workings they're a lot better than most other companies.
[strike:368ld37z]Absolutely no need for this topic discussing a questionable and 18-month old article.
Closed.[/strike:368ld37z]
Topic now merged with original discussion of this article from 2010.
I'm actually pretty shocked to read that report as I know a lot of CM's who love working at Disney and continue to go back even after their contracts expire. But I also know a few who were unhappy and left.
I usually try to not read things like this because it just makes me feel a bit sad that even though it may be the happiest place on earth for vistors its not the case for some of the staff.
Quote from: "SkySurfer"The fact, that other companies do it the same way is no excuse!
They had record attendances last year and aren´t able to make profit. Its a management problem.
And all these "people-don´t-spend-enough-in-the-park" excuses bore me. If they would give their guest high qualitiy merchandise, then they would buy more.
And why are the selected hotels able to keep standart and maintenance but Disney not??!!
I agree - we used to come back from Eurodisney with an extra suitcase filled with shopping - now it's Dsneyland Paris, we don't buy any merchandise - it's all plastic rubbish!
Have to agree with that. On my recent trip I bought myself a fridge magnet and calendar - both out of habit as I've been doing so for 10 years. The merchandise is generic and cheap, and getting worse. Back in the day I used to be able to buy shirts I could wear to work such was the subtlety of the brand placement and quality of the goods. These days the clothing they sell would only be welcome at a 1990 rave revival weekend. So from me they are losing literally hundreds with every visit.
Back in the day, I would spend a fortune on good clothes for me, t shirts like the one I bought on opening day are still bearable Jnew ones look old after a couple of washes), the toys were durable (the new ones break, i don't allow the kids to buy them anymore) and you could get things like fine china (which we would buy a little more each trip). While not cheap, everything was good value.
Now, it is a magnet and maybe a pin and that is it. To think I used to budget a min of 500 for a trip. Now last year i think we spent 10 to 20% of this. And it is the same at wdw too.
And don't get me started on the dubing down of the restaurants. Now we tend to eat in val de europe more than the disney village.