Abigail E. Disney has already expressed her disapproval of the business that carries her name. However, Disney, the granddaughter of co-founder Roy O. Disney, has never before expressed her opinions in a film, the medium upon which the Mouse House was founded.
The Walt Disney Co. has lost its moral compass, according to Disney’s argument in the recent documentary “The American Dream and Other Fairy Tales.” With regard to pay equity and some theme park employees’ struggles to support their families on minimum wage salaries, Disney paints an unfavourable picture of the company in his capacity as one of the company’s most prominent and outspoken critics who also happens to be a member of the Disney family.
“They have essentially followed the path of every other corporation in this nation. They had a more expansive conception of themselves when they first started, according to Disney. The Walt Disney Company excelled. It was gentler and nicer. It was a human-run business.
Disney stated, “We have lost the plot.
Disney, a producer and activist, and the director Kathleen Hughes are behind “The American Dream,” which is currently showing in a few cinemas and will be available to see online starting on Friday. It was released soon after a string of tweets from Disney in 2019 criticising Bob Iger, the company’s former top executive, for receiving pay that exceeded $65 million in 2018. Tim Disney and Susan Disney Lord, siblings of Walt Disney, are also executive producers on the movie, which was created independently of the business.
“No one has contacted me. Frankly, I’m a little confused by that,” stated Disney. If they want to talk, I’m happy to do so. My support is with them. I adore this business. This is a devotional to the business. But you can’t remain silent when you truly, deeply love something and see it veering off course.
In the high-priced Anaheim, California, region, four Disneyland workers making $15 an hour struggle to make ends meet. Growing wage disparities between leaders and lower-level employees is a problem that Disney is aware extends far beyond the subject of her film. She refers to her desire for transformation as “a little Disney” at one point in the movie.
Disney said, “I realise that people assume that I’m just living here in an imaginary place. But the sensibilities must adapt, and abstractions matter a lot.
Some Disney employees have seen changes in their pay. By approving a contract that increased compensation from $15.45 to $18, the unions that represent 9,500 Disneyland employees prevented a walkout. Recently, a $23.50 per hour wage was agreed upon by the union that represents hotel workers at a hotel in Anaheim. (Disneyland was previously declared to be exempt from Anaheim’s $23.50 living wage requirement.)
A Disney representative responded with a statement in reaction to “The American Dream.”
The well-being of our incredible cast members, storytellers, and workers is our top priority since they are the lifeblood of Disney. We put a lot of effort into making sure that our team is supported so they can advance their careers, take care of their families, and thrive at work, which explains why so many people decide to stay for us their whole careers.
Additionally mentioned as employee perks by the representative were access to free higher education, medical insurance, and subsidised child care. The spokesperson stated, “We are committed to building on these effective programmes by finding fresh ways to support our cast members and communities all over the world.
The Disney family stopped being involved in the management of the business after Roy E. Disney, who founded it with his brother, Walt, in 1923, resigned from the board in 2003. Since Iger’s departure, Bob Chapek, who had previously overseen the company’s parks, has taken over, according to Abigail Disney’s documentary, which had its initial screening in January at the Sundance Film Festival. Another bone of complaint for Disney is the substantial increase in theme park prices at that time.
She stated, “I just don’t believe it’s a good idea for Disneyland to become into a luxury vacation that the majority of Americans can’t attend. I’m not sure how much longer the brand can endure.
Disney, however, received support from employees who opposed Chapek’s response to Florida law known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Disney saw the circumstance as a reflection of the company’s effort to maintain any type of moral authority in such divisive political times.
She asserted, “There is no such thing as taking no view on this matter. No neutral ground exists. It is a huge mistake to act as though you can remain motionless on a moving train.
In the end, Disney is less and less able to recognise the enterprise that for a large portion of her life was the family business. She claims that making a film about her displeasure was “exquisitely uncomfortable.” She hasn’t given up on the idea of a happy ending, though.
Disney says, “I genuinely do mean good. You can say anything you want about me, but I don’t mean it.