In Disney Poll, Workers Say Park Quality on the Decline : Entertainment: Seven out of 10 employees rate Disneyland an “above average” place to work. Most take pride in company, but say it’s too worried about profit.

The first comprehensive survey of Disneyland employees in seven years found that nearly half believe that the park’s quality has declined and that guests aren’t being treated as well as in the past.

Disney workers say their pay could be better, that management talks about quality but doesn’t always make it a day-to-day priority, and that the company puts too much emphasis on profits.

But more than seven out of every 10 “cast members” rated Disneyland as an “above-average” place to work and said they take tremendous pride in working at “the Happiest Place on Earth.” A similar majority praises their health insurance and other benefits and they laud management for its willingness to risk failure and try new things.

The survey of nearly 7,000 employees, representing 68% of the park’s work force, was conducted last October. Commissioned by Disney, the survey was conducted by the Hay Group, a management consulting outfit based in Philadelphia, and elicited hundreds of comments on how employees--from dishwashers to vice presidents--view the park, their pay and their bosses.

Key findings have been presented to employees since January by Edmund Pinelli, a senior consultant in Hay’s Atlanta office. Hay has conducted similar surveys for the Walt Disney World resort in Florida.

Pinelli said Tuesday that Disney employees “are not only proud of their jobs, they are (so) proud of the organization” that their overall ratings are “off the charts” in terms of employee satisfaction.

He said the findings of the survey don’t necessarily reflect truth--only employees’ impressions. Those impressions, however, count for a lot--Disneyland officials said they will make improvements based on the report.

“It gives us very valuable information and that’s the mark of a (well) managed company,” said Judson C. Green, president of Walt Disney Co.’s theme park division, when contacted Tuesday for comment. “I found all the results very useful.” He declined further comment.

Disney’s biggest challenge in responding to the report will likely be in determining how to reverse the perception that its vaunted levels of quality and courtesy are declining.

When asked how Disneyland compares to “a few years ago,” employees replied that it had gotten worse at far higher rates than is generally found in other companies nationally, including those in the service industry, according to the Hay Group.

The park’s 30 vice presidents and top managers also thought there has been a quality decline: 50% said the park was not as good, 35% said it it is better and the rest said it was about the same.

Though employees overwhelmingly give the Anaheim theme park high marks for guest courtesy, they say levels have deteriorated. Of all worker groups surveyed, clerical employees were the most positive about guest courtesy, and only 17% of them said it had improved.

While Disneyland’s quality is perceived by many as having declined, most workers say that quality of the adjoining Disneyland Hotel has increased. The 1,131-room hotel is considered to have deteriorated in its last years under its original owners, the Wrather Corp. It was bought by Disney in 1988, and extensively renovated.

No explanation is given by Hay and Disney about why workers feel Disneyland’s quality has declined. However, many of the hundreds of employee written comments included in three phone-book sized volumes stated that too much emphasis is being put on profits.

The finding also shows up in one of the survey questions. When all employees were asked to rank what they believe were management’s top concerns, profitability came in first. Nine out of 10 employees said management is “very concerned” about profits.

Other top company concerns were believed to be improving courtesy, enhancing the quality of rides and attractions, operating efficiency and making sure patrons have a good time.

As for their own situation, more than eight in 10 employees say they have pride in their jobs--a figure that Pinelli said is “remarkable” and substantially higher than in other companies nationwide.

Most workers believe their efforts contribute to the success of the park, said they would come to work at Disneyland if they could do it all over again and believe they have high job security. On Monday, Disney dismissed 60 employees, less than 1% of its work force, its first non-seasonal layoffs in about two years.

More than two-thirds of Disney workers say their pay is “average” or “poor.” Only about one-third of the more than 4,900 hourly workers who participated in the survey rated their pay as “good,” with the rest saying it is average or poor.

When benefits are thrown in, and compensation is viewed as a package, most say they are pleased overall.

Most low-level workers say they generally have no chance to learn new skills, that their ideas are overlooked and that they have little latitude over how to do their jobs.

Angela Keefe, president of the Hotel and Restaurant Employees Union Local 681, which represents more than 1,700 Disneyland park and hotel workers, said the findings of the survey do not surprise her.

“Our members are very proud to work for Disneyland,” she said. But “the fact that they work for a multibillion-dollar company and make the wages they do is always an issue.”

A recent contract with the hotel, for instance, gave maids a wage of $6.81 an hour.

“It is the best-paid housekeeping job in Orange County, but it is nothing compared to the profits they pull out of that hotel and still leaves many below the poverty line,” she said.

The survey also found that Disneyland employees wish they had better communication with top executives.

Half say they depend on newspapers and the radio for news about Disneyland--information they wish they could have heard directly from their employer.

Disney Employees Speak

* The predominant feeling among Disney workers, regardless of their level, is that the park has declined in quality. How Disneyland rates now compared to a few years ago:

Better About Not as now same good Hourly/non-clerical 12 % 36 % 52 % Hourly/clerical 21 47 32 Salaried 14 37 49 Supervisor/manager 22 35 43 Vice president 36 14 50

* Nearly all Disney employees take pride in working at the park. Percent who agree/disagree with the statement: I take great pride in working at Disneyland:

Can’t Agree Disagree say Hourly/non-clerical 80% 9% 12% Hourly/clerical 86 4 7 Salaried 86 4 7 Supervisor/manager 96 2 3 Vice president 100 - -

Note: Some totals do not add to 100% because of rounding.

Source: The Hay Group