I guess I see this different from some of you. She is worth 135 million dollars and couldn't put up less than $200 for a one day pass for her sister. That would have been nothing to her. I really don't think this had to be such a big deal. I'm seeing it though through the eyes of someone who is really tired of entitled rich celebs. Plus I was never a fan of her shows so that doesn't help me to see it differently.
When you read about all the various issues surrounding her departure (not just the most recent story), I think it’s pretty clear that she felt like she was giving more than she was getting in this employee-employer relationship, and (as other posters have mentioned) this was the “straw that broke the camel’s back.” If they can’t even listen to her/follow through on this, then what does that say about how they view her. I can’t imagine the executive’s quip did anything to smooth over the situation.
You may not like her shows (to be honest, I can’t say I’ve personally watched more than one episode of any of her shows) but our personal tastes don’t minimize that massive profits her projects contributed to ABC/Walt Disney Television. When we’re talking about employees at such high levels (especially at Disney), these types of “perks” are used in negotiation all the time. There are all sorts of special arrangements Disney has with high-level talent, senior executives, big-time investors and sponsors, members of the Board, and the like. I think we as non-company Disney fans forget that the parks are often treated as transactional benefits much like PTO or other employee perks and benefits that, if you’re “in demand” enough by the Company, are negotiable.
I think it’s easy to dismiss it as more “celebrity nonsense,” but the reality is that if your employer promises a certain benefit and then gives you difficulty/push back when you try to collect that benefit, I think anyone (rich celebrity or not) would be frustrated. Imagine if your employer agreed to cover 100% of your health care premiums and then turned around and said “nervemind, don’t you get enough?” Yes, there is of course a difference between healthcare and Disneyland access but if she was already not feeling respected by some of her leadership (which seems to be the cased based on all the previous reporting on this separation), then this incident certainly wouldn’t have done anything to quell those feelings.
I’m amazed that any executive (most of whom at Disney are known for expecting far more than an extra pass) — in the midst of contract negotiations — would respond with a quip like “don’t you get enough.” The arrogance doesn’t necessarily surprise me but the short-sightedness/tone deftness does. I’ll never forget the executive who made all the CMs at a popular attraction stay for an extra two hours after their closing shifts so s/he could ride said attraction with friends, only to never show up or alert management that s/he wasn’t coming. So I’m sorry, one of your top creators for the highest or second highest revenue-generating unit of the Company (depending on the year) wants an extra ticket for Disneyland and that’s a problem all of a sudden? Bull. GR prints comp tickets like there’s no tomorrow, so why now is an issue? One also has to wonder if the response would’ve been different if you replaced her name with, for say, Tony Baxter. Would anyone be complaining about him wanting to ”fulfill” a promised extra Disneyland pass? Good on her for putting her money where her mouth is and leaving.
