Cinderella is homeless, Ariel ‘can’t afford to live on land’: Disney under fire for pay

Activists protest Disneyland’s low wages saying it contributes to homelessness, after custodian living in her car was found dead outside gym where she showered

Paulina Velasco in Anaheim, California
Monday 17 July 2017 14.53 BST

A woman dressed as the Little Mermaid walked past a sign that read: “Ariel can’t afford to live on land!” A young girl stared at bright-pink posters proclaiming “Disneyland pays poverty wages” and “No home for Cinderella in Anaheim”.

During a day of protest on Friday, tourists and Disney fans in the streets surrounding Disneyland were confronted with protesters condemning working conditions at the Los Angeles-area resort. The place that prides itself on being “the happiest place on earth” is, in their view, anything but for employees struggling with homelessness and low pay.

“Disney, we feel, is a contributor to the homeless problem here in Anaheim,” said protest organizer Jeanine Robbins, a longtime local resident. “There are Disney employees who live on the street. They live in their cars. They live in unstable housing.”

Occasionally, there are consequences of the most tragic kind.

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