Abigail Disney Looking to Spark Change with Documentary
Abigail Disney, granddaughter of Roy O. Disney (Walt Disney’s brother) is looking to spark change with her new documentary: The American Dream and Other Fairy Tales.
This documentary, which has already been shown at film festivals around the US and Canada, will be released in select theaters this September.
The American Dream and Other Fairy Tales dives into the crisis of inequality in America today.
Starting with the Walt Disney Company.
The Early Days
According to the documentary, when Walt and Roy founded the Walt Disney Company, the corporation appreciated its employees and paid everyone a living wage at the time. Therefore, morale amongst Cast Members was high. Cast Members were happy doing their job and being the magic for guests visiting the park.
Abigail Disney believes that her grandfather and great uncle would have never tolerated employees going hungry at “The Happiest Place on Earth.”
Present Day
Fast forward to 2018, when Abigail Disney met Ralph, a Cast Member at Disneyland. In the trailer, we cut to a scene where group of individuals are sitting in a circle.
Abigail asks two important questions: “How many of you know an employee who had to sleep in their car?” and “How many of you know an employee who had to forego medical care because they could not afford it?”
Chillingly, all of the hands in the room go up.
Think about that for a second. Go back to a time where a Cast Member went out of their way to make your Disney experience more magical.
Now imagine that many of the Cast Members you encounter are making well below a living wage. Yet, they still were able to make your vacation more memorable.
Many of them wonder how they will afford to pay rent each month or how they will be able to support their families while doing a job that they love.
And it’s true. So many Cast Members love what they do everyday. They make a big difference in a guest’s vacation experience!
What Abigail Wants You To Know
Disney wants you to know that when she was growing up, an average worker at Disneyland made enough money to own a modest home, put food on the table for their family and had access to affordable healthcare. Abigail states:
“Today, three out of four of the people who smile when you walk in, who help you comfort that crying baby, who maybe help you have the best vacation you ever have, can’t consistently put food on the table.” She adds, “Disney has turned a pretty profit on the idea that families are a kind of magic, that love is important, that imaginations matter. That’s why it turns your stomach a little bit when I tell you that Cinderella might be sleeping in her car.”
A custodian working at Disney would have to work for 2,000 years in order to make what former CEO Bob Iger made in one. Disney CEOs are familiar with criticism from Abigail Disney.
In 2019, Abigail stated, “there is nobody on Earth [who is] worth 500 times his median workers’ pay.”
Something tells me that if Abigail had strong criticisms for Iger, she most certainly has stronger criticisms of current CEO Bob Chapek. Chapek has been accused of putting profits above guest experience since his take over.
The Walt Disney Company Is Just The Tip Of The Iceberg
The American Dream is that if you work hard enough, anything is possible. But so many Americans work so hard, yet still fall short of their American Dream.
Abigail Disney’s goal is to jumpstart important conversations about American Capitalism and how we can change it to work for everyone; not just the CEOs that make 800 times the amount of an average worker.
Abigail ends with, “it won’t be easy, but with imagination and courage it can be changed.”
Check out the trailer for The American Dream, and Other Fairy Tales here:
Next time you are in the parks, be sure to let those Cast Members know how much you appreciate the magic they bring to your family vacations!