Snow White, Chewbacca, Spider-Man and other Disneyland employees who work with Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars character performers will soon sit down with Disney negotiators to discuss union demands.
Disneyland character and parade performers have been officially unionized now that federal labor officials have certified the results of a union election held in mid-May, according to the Associated Press.
Disneyland’s 1,700 character and parade performers — calling themselves Magic United — will be unionized under the Actors’ Equity Association after voting 78.7% in favor of unionizing.
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“We respect our cast members’ decision,” according to Disneyland Resort officials. “We have a solid track record of working with the other unions that represent the majority of our hourly cast at Disneyland Resort and will work with Actors’ Equity Association as we remain committed to fostering a positive work experience for all.”
Equity has been circulating a list of key issues facing nonunion Disneyland characters and parade performers that include pay, annual raises, safety, costumes, scheduling, seniority and job security.
Disney princesses, Marvel superheroes and other character performers who work at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure make $24.15 per hour and an additional $4.75 per hour if they perform onstage, according to the Disney Auditions website.
Nonunion hourly employees like Disneyland characters and parade performers have received annual raises for as long as company records show, according to Disneyland officials.
While most of Disneyland’s 35,000 employees are represented by 26 unions, the park’s 1,100 character performers and 600 parade performers and support staff had not been unionized until now.
California’s minimum wage increased to $16 an hour in 2024 with the hourly rate set to rise to $18 in 2025. After a lengthy court fight, Anaheim’s Measure L boosted Disneyland’s minimum wage to nearly $20 an hour.
