About 1,700 Disneyland character and parade performers have bargained since 2024. Their union says Disney’s latest offer has no raise, while Disney says it isn’t cutting benefits.
Disneyland’s character and parade performers are taking their contract fight to the street corner this weekend.
The union for about 1,700 Disneyland Resort performers will hold a rally on Saturday, Oct. 17, at 10 a.m., WDW News Today reported on Thursday, Oct. 15. It’s set for the northwest corner of Harbor Boulevard and West Katella Avenue, near the resort.
The workers call themselves Magic United and are represented by Actors’ Equity Association. They’ve been bargaining with Disney for a first contract since October 2024.
Here’s KTLA’s report from May 2024, when the performers voted to unionize:
Why are Disneyland performers rallying?
They say Disney’s offer falls short. Disney’s most recent proposal didn’t include paid parental leave, eliminated a paid holiday and reduced how much Disney matches 401(k) contributions, according to WDW News Today.
The union also says Disney presented a contract with zero percent wage increases. It says there’s been some progress on health and safety issues.
“The message you will hear at our rally is that despite Disney’s actions to date, we remain willing and able to bargain with the company to reach a fair contract for the character and parades workers who are the public face of Disneyland and who make a visit to the park rewarding,” said Al Vincent Jr., Equity’s executive director.
What does Disney say about the contract?
Disney says nothing is being cut. This is a brand-new bargaining unit setting its first contract, so no existing benefits are being taken away, Disneyland Resort spokeswoman Jessica Jakary told the Los Angeles Times in August. Proposals can also change during talks, she said.
“Disneyland Resort values its cast members, offers competitive benefits and is proud of its long history of working collaboratively with the unions that represent them,” Jakary said.
Jakary also told the Times that the proposed 11 paid holidays match what more than 80% of Disneyland Resort employees get. Disney has kept giving annual raises while talks continue, she said, and workers in the unit got a 4% raise last December.
What benefits are in dispute?
Paid parental leave is the big one. Disney currently offers up to eight weeks, and the performers had it before they unionized, under terms Disney set on its own, the Times reported.
An April 6 email from a Disney labor relations manager said, “Our proposal does not include Paid Parental Leave,” according to the Times. The proposal also cut paid holidays for full-time workers from 12 to 11 by dropping Easter.
Unionized character performers at Walt Disney World, represented by the Teamsters, have paid parental leave, the Times noted. Jakary pointed out that Florida doesn’t offer state disability pay for parental leave the way California does.
Shift trades are another sticking point. Disney’s proposal would limit how often a worker can give away a shift without a manager’s approval, the union said.
“It feels like the benefits and the perks that we have enjoyed for a long time keep vanishing,” Todd Stubbler, a pageant helper who has worked at Disneyland for close to 35 years, told the Times.
How much do Disneyland character performers make?
Pay starts at $26 an hour for parade and pageant helpers and $28.25 an hour for stage scheduling assistants, according to the union. About 60% of the unit works part-time.
The unit includes the people behind Disneyland’s parades, shows and character appearances, the Times reported, including some who perform as Mickey Mouse, Snow White and Cinderella.
When did Disneyland character performers unionize?
In 2024. Here’s how it went, according to BlogMickey and WDW News Today:
Feb. 13, 2024: performers announce plans to unionize with Actors’ Equity as Magic United
April 17, 2024: the group files with the National Labor Relations Board
May 18, 2024: workers vote 953 to 258 to unionize
Oct. 23, 2024: bargaining starts
Saturday’s rally lands almost exactly two years after that first bargaining session.
Will the rally affect Disneyland parades or characters?
Nothing announced so far says it will. The union has billed Saturday’s event as a rally outside the resort, and WDW News Today’s report didn’t mention any change to park entertainment.
Both sides say they plan to keep talking. The rally starts at 10 a.m. at Harbor and Katella.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
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Hat Tips:
WDW News Today, Shannen Ace (Oct. 15, 2026), the rally and Disney’s latest proposal
Los Angeles Times (Aug. 5, 2026), parental leave, holidays, pay and both sides’ statements
BlogMickey (Aug. 5, 2026), the unionization timeline
WDW News Today, Shannen Ace (Oct. 23, 2024), the first bargaining session
KTLA 5 on YouTube (May 18, 2024), the union vote report
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