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Not So Magical: Disney Near the Bottom Of American Companies To Work For

Bob Iger at Walt Disney Studios
Credit: Disney, Thomas Hawk, Flickr

It’s no secret that 2023 was not a great year for The Walt Disney Company. From film flops to diminishing attendance at Walt Disney World to various lawsuits, Disney was happy to see the calendar turnover.

However, one of the most overlooked aspects of Disney’s terrible year was the issues it had with its employees and cast members. But now, those issues are taking center stage as Disney ranks near the bottom for places to work.

flamingo crossings cast members housing

Credit: Disney

Forbes Magazine released its list of America’s Best Companies to Work For, and Disney has dropped to the bottom third of the list. Out of 600 large companies, the Walt Disney Company ranked 419, in the bottom third.

Forbes spoke with 170,000 employees who worked for companies with more than 5,000 employees. The employees were asked to rate their employer based on their experience working for them and how likely they would be to recommend their employer to someone else.

The best company to work for was a biotechnology company, Novo Nordisk, in New Jersey. The top five were Garmin, Cook Children’s Health Care System in Texas, Children’s Hospital Colorado, and Delta Airlines.

All the way down at 419 was the Walt Disney Company, which was listed as having 166,000 employees in the United States.

Disneyland Paris meeting with Cast Members to avoid strike

Credit: DLP Report

The Walt Disney Company Faces Employee/Cast Member issues

The Walt Disney Company found itself at odds with employees across all divisions last year. In Hollywood, Disney’s actors and writers were on strike for months, putting a hold on producing new films and television shows.

However, while the actors and writers eventually settled on a contract, Disney theme park workers also struggled to agree with the Walt Disney Company.

In Central Florida, cast members at the Walt Disney World Resort took to the streets around Disney World to protest low wages. The Disney workers and the company eventually agreed to raise the minimum salary for a cast member to $18 an hour, with a raise coming every year until it hit $20.

SAG AFTRA Strike

Credit: Eden, Janine, and Jim, Flickr

At the Disneyland Resort in Southern California, a cast member lawsuit claimed that Disney violated the state’s Living Wage Law. Disney eventually settled that lawsuit, paid the cast members back wages, and raised their salaries.

However, the most disheartening event last year for Disney employees was the layoffs of more than 7,000 employees. Disney CEO Bob Iger told an earnings call that the layoffs were part of a cost-saving measure, eventually saving the company more than $7 billion.

These issues with employees clearly took their toll on Disney and its ranking on the Forbes list. On the 2023 list, Disney ranked 173 but dropped 246 slots this year. This wasn’t the culture change Iger sought when he returned in 2022.

What do you think about Disney dropping to the bottom third of the Forbes list? Let us know in the comments.

About Rick

Rick is an avid Disney fan. He first went to Disney World in 1986 with his parents and has been hooked ever since. Rick is married to another Disney fan and is in the process of turning his two children into fans as well. When he is not creating new Disney adventures, he loves to watch the New York Yankees and hang out with his dog, Buster. In the fall, you will catch him cheering for his beloved NY Giants.

One comment

  1. They are not done laying off employees shop Disney is no longer. All employees were laid off. Their positions will be taken over by employees who live in other countries. There was no empathy. No fore warning Just boom! Your last day is 3/25. So much for the Disney magic !

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