Magic United, representing about 1,700 Disneyland parade and character performers who unionized in 2024, is negotiating its first contract with Disney and reports contentious talks. The union says Disney's proposals could exclude benefits such as paid parental leave and reduce holidays and 401(k) matches. Disney counters that it is setting initial employment terms, denies plans to ban shift trades, and says it has proposed wage increases and delivered a 4% pay adjustment by December 2025. Negotiations are ongoing in high-cost Orange County, California.
Disneyland, New Actors' Union Clash Over Parental Leave, Pay and Benefits in First Contract Talks
The union to represent Disneyland's character and parade performers only formed recently after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Magic United, an affiliate of Actors' Equity that now represents about 1,700 parade, show and character performers at Disneyland, is negotiating its first collective-bargaining agreement with Disney — and talks have been contentious.
The characters and parades department voted to unionize in 2024 amid California's post-pandemic cost-of-living pressures. Because this is the unit's first contract, both sides disagree about how to characterize Disney's proposals and which existing benefits should be preserved in writing.
What's at Stake
The union says Disney proposed excluding benefits currently provided to cast members — most notably paid parental leave — from the initial contract, which the union argues would effectively strip those protections. Union representatives also say the company has floated cuts to paid holidays, reductions in 401(k) matching contributions, and limits on how often workers can give away shifts without managerial approval.
Jessica Jakary, a Disneyland Resort spokesperson, told Fox News Digital, "Disneyland Resort values its cast members, offers competitive benefits and is proud of its long history of working collaboratively with the unions that represent them."
Disney's Position
Disney argues it is proposing initial terms of employment for a newly organized bargaining unit rather than eliminating benefits. The company told reporters that comparisons to Walt Disney World in Florida are imprecise because California offers state disability payments that can support parental leave differently than Florida. Disney also said it did not propose banning shift trades outright — only limiting how often a cast member may give away a shift without managerial sign-off.
Disney noted it has proposed wage increases over the life of the agreement and cited a company figure that full-time and part-time members of this bargaining unit received a 4% pay increase as of December 2025.
Union Response and Context
"Disneyland is often presented as 'the ultimate family-friendly destination,' but that's no longer the case for 1,700 cast members in the characters and parades departments who create Disney magic," a Magic United representative said.
Al Vincent Jr., executive director of Actors' Equity, said: "When you propose to take away paid parental leave from those who work day in and day out to give other families great experiences, that's not family friendly."
Union leaders point to a 0% wage increase in the company's initial first-year offer and emphasize that Orange County, California — where Disneyland is located — is one of the more expensive places to live in the United States.
Disneyland is in California, one of the most expensive states in America to live in.
Current Status
Both sides say negotiations are ongoing. Disney says it values its cast members and has a long history of working with unions; the union says core benefits should be preserved in the first contract to protect workers' pay, leave and retirement security.
As bargaining continues, the dispute highlights broader questions that often arise when an employer begins negotiating a first contract with a newly organized group: Which existing practices become written guarantees, and how will benefits and scheduling rules be balanced against operational needs?
Negotiations are continuing in Orange County as both parties seek to resolve outstanding issues in the first contract for the character and parades unit.
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