The Most Corporatized Place on Earth

I'm sure you've heard about the "Happiest Place on Earth." Actually, I'm sure you've probably visited the "Happiest Place on Earth."

Disneyland invites thousands of guests (literally, from anywhere between 30,000-70,000 a day) through its gates to have a fun-filled day with long lines, mediocre food and blazing 90 degree weather.

Well then, is it really the "happiest place on earth" like the PR campaign says so?

Maybe for the guests who don't mind cramming their way through crowds and crowds of people-- but not so much for the employees (excuse me, I mean "cast members").

I have recently become a cast member myself this summer to fulfill what I would call my "secondary dream" in life by becoming a cast member at Disneyland.

Disneyland was always my special place; it easily outnumbered my hometown or even a vacation to Hawaii. There was something magical about the place while growing up that I couldn't seem to grasp but always made me want to go back.

And I'm not the only one.

Many of the cast members I have talked to so far about their experience working at Disneyland have said that they applied and took the job for the same reason -- it was a dream of theirs, and Disneyland had a special place in their heart too. But now Disneyland is far from their favorite place, which is only to be expected. Like one of my co-cast members said, "That's what you think. But now you see the real truth."

And I have seen the real truth. Disneyland is more depressing than happy any day, far from what they advertise to the guests. Practically all the cast members I have talked to are lost in life, and working at Disneyland is their security blanket (please note that this is a generalization, and just what I have witnessed and felt so far as an employee). I have heard multiple times the same answer to why they work there: "Well, I have a college degree, but I hired in here and never left."

I've even heard from others that they want to quit before they hit the three year mark so they don't become what Cast Members call a "lifey" (i.e. one that stays employed at Disneyland he or she's whole life). The whole Walt Disney Company is based on the concept of "seniority." So, if one is a "new hire" like myself, you barely get any hours and are stuck with all the closing shifts because you have low seniority. Thus, they practically want you to become a "lifey" because by gaining those three years of seniority you will be able to pick your work schedule and hours. In other words, it's like Mickey Mouse's mouse trap.

The reason why I am blogging about this subject is because their PR tactics are far from having anything to do with social good, unlike Walt Disney's beginning PR tactics in the summer of 1955 when Disneyland opened (please excuse the very long post).

Walt Disney envisioned a magical place that was fun, educational and embraced cultures from around the world and America. Employees were part of this magic, and really made a difference by helping educate the guests.

For example, call this PR or not (Walt Disney tried to make a relationship with the guests when Disneyland opened by making the situations in Disneyland real) but the Rivers of America used to be river water from all the famous rivers in America. Also, It's a Small World (you know, the extremely beautiful but yet repetitively obnoxious ride) opened with children from all around the world and all different cultures adding water from their homeland into the ride to show that it "really was a small world."

Likewise, Disneyland had animatronic presidents that would talk to kids about American history. The park also used to have a ride that would take you through a microscope and into the human body. And the old Submarine Voyage taught children about the aquatic ecosystem and nature under the sea.

But what's the Submarine Voyage now?

A "Finding Nemo" ride -- all geared towards the little kids who love Finding Nemo and will do anything to see Nemo.

Does that have ANY educational purpose? Watching Dori chase Nemo on an underwater projector? If you think so, maybe you should take another biology class.

That's just one example of how Disneyland has become more corporatized than "happy" and how working there really doesn't have as much meaning as it would have back in the 50's and 60's.

Oh, I forgot to mention. The newly renovated "It's a Small World" that opened up last winter now has actual Disney characters incorporated into the ride like Ariel and Alice in Wonderland. Will someone PLEASE tell me what that has to do with the concept of "it's a small world" and cultures coming together? Isn't Alice in WONDERLAND, not the actual world? What does Alice in Wonderland have in common with a Native American, Muslim, or Asian culture? Absolutely nothing. Get her OUT of the ride!

I have to stare at Remey from the movie Ratatouille in the window of my restaurant every day. If I remember correctly, New Orleans Square is part of Disneyland because it was one of Walt Disney's favorite places and was one of the most interesting places in America that he wanted to teach people about. But I guess for some reason now it's an advertising place from the movie Ratatouille. Anything to make people want to spend more money in the park, like a little kid saying, "Oh mommy, there's Remey! Let's eat at New Orleans Café!"

No matter how much Disney changes and molds into a profit hungry beast, I will still love it. But I would like to confirm that working for Disney's PR team (as my father has suggested to me many times) will NOT cut it. The park does not have its educational purpose anymore. Connecting with the public by submitting press releases about the new "Finding Nemo" Submarine ride, or announcing in a press conference that Johnny Depp will now be featured as an animatronic character in the Pirates of Caribbean ride (which, may I please remind you was Walt Disney's favorite ride that they completely butchered by commercializing it with Jack Sparrow) does no good for society except persuade them to spend about $90 to visit the park. If kids can't learn from it, it is not doing society any good. If only Disney's CEOs now realized that it isn't all about profit, but rather education and magic like Walt Disney did in the beginning then maybe I would have a different opinion. But for now, I'd like to call Disney the most "corporatized place on earth" instead of the "happiest place on earth"; I think my fellow Cast members would agree.

At least some of us will always remember Walt Disney's original ideals.