Disney+ Bundle Deal For Disney Cast Members Revealed. Jayne Parker, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer announced the news today via Disney’s Cast Member Only site referred to as “The Hub”. Here is Parker’s statement released to Cast Members as of today:
“Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Jayne Parker announced today that Disney employees will soon be able to customize how they experience the Disney magic.
Beginning in January 2020, eligible full-time and part-time employees will have the ability to select annually either the Disney Parks Main Entrance Pass or the Disney+ bundle, which includes Disney+, ESPN+, and ad-supported Hulu. Having this new option allows employees to choose the Disney experience they most value and what works best for them.
No matter which option is selected, eligible employees will continue to receive complimentary park tickets each year, and self-admission to U.S. theme parks will still be available.”
Let’s break this down real quick before the uproar:
In January 2020, Full Time and Part Time Cast Members will have the opportunity to surrender their guest passes that usually come with their self admission maingates. They can still use their self admission, but if they choose the Disney+ Bundle they will not get those guest passes that year. They are still eligible to receive complimentary tickets, usually presented at the holidays.
If you are not a Full Time or Part Time Cast Member, i.e. a participant in the Disney Internships and Programs, Seasonal Cast Member, or Contractor, you will NOT be eligible to receive this offer.
Cast Members, please be aware: The Disney Bundle ( Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu) is valued at approximately $156 USD annually. Guest maingates are valued at $507 USD for the equivalent of 3 guests with 1-Day Park Pass with Park Hopper Feature. The $507 value is just for ONE day of usage. Full Time Cast Members have the ability to earn 16 days worth of guest passes, equaling to around $8,112 USD annually in total benefits from having the guest passes. (Just saying)
With that in mind, it does make sense for Cast Members who do not frequent the Disney Parks to take this deal (i.e. Cast Members who work for The Disney Store, Walt Disney Studios, ESPN, ABC, etc), but for Cast Members who work in or close to the Disney Parks this hardly seems like a fair trade, and they can easily keep their maingates and pay for the streaming service or bundle on their own.
Disney is likely waiting to see if Cast Members would prefer other options, especially for those who may not utilize their full benefits, but this does seem like a drastic difference for those who choose to select the Disney+ Bundle over their guest passes.
What do you think of the Disney+ offer for Cast Members? Do you think it’s a fair trade? Or should Disney make a new offer to their hard working Cast Members? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
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What a joke, US$ 156.00/year… Most of Disney employees barely make US$ 13/h. Not enough even to pay the rent here in Orlando. It should be completely free because the wages are low and we already spend part of it at the parks and stores sometimes. What a shame!
I’ll take my guest passes. What could be done is ZERO, NONE, ZILCH NEVER have a time where cast member discounts are not applicable. No matter what day nor what time, cast members should. ALWAYS get their discounts. 20% or 35% always applies on everything except alcohol. That’s understandable.
Clearly it’s only a deal for those not using the other, or maybe where there is more than one cast member in the household. Not sure how giving them an option can be considered robbing them of anything.
This is the most asinine “deal” disney has ever made. How if this a fair trade off. Each disney ticket is about $100, and the disney plus subscription is a tenth of the price. This is the most ridiculous thing i have ever heard. Good job robbing your employees disney.