Guests Arrive at Disney Park To Discover Employees Protesting, Dumping Waste on Floor
Guests entering one of the world’s most visited theme parks were met with an unexpected sight on Saturday morning.
Labor disputes are not new to the Disney ecosystem, though they remain relatively rare compared to other industries. When protests do surface, they tend to reflect broader conversations around wages, outsourcing, and working conditions within global entertainment companies.
Today’s events added a new chapter to a series of employee protests at Disney parks in recent years.
A protest unfolds at Disneyland Paris
Early Saturday morning, guests arriving at Disneyland Park in Paris encountered evidence of a demonstration already underway.
Images shared online showed paper and debris scattered across areas near the park entrance, with workers in reflective jackets standing nearby.
The day at Disneyland Park is starting with a protest for better working conditions by employees of third party cleaning company ONET which operates in most of the parks and hotels. The Resort has historically had a tumultuous relationship with the company.
The day at Disneyland Park is starting with a protest for better working conditions by employees of third party cleaning company ONET which operates in most of the parks and hotels. The Resort has historically had a tumultuous relationship with the company. pic.twitter.com/EVNzLyK4wL
— DLP Report (@DLPReport) December 13, 2025
DLP Report documented the scene as operations began for the day. The demonstration did not involve Disney’s directly employed cast members but rather workers contracted through a third-party cleaning company.
Those workers are employed by ONET, a company responsible for cleaning services across much of Disneyland Paris. According to reports, employees were protesting for “better working conditions,” drawing attention to ongoing labor concerns tied to outsourced roles within the resort.
“The day at Disneyland Park is starting with a protest for better working conditions by employees of third party cleaning company ONET which operates in most of the parks and hotels,” DLP Report wrote. “The Resort has historically had a tumultuous relationship with the company.”
DLP Report further contextualized the dispute, stating that ONET and Disneyland Paris have long been at odds over responsibility. “For years, all parties have been playing the blame game,” the outlet added, “with employees describing harsh working conditions, ONET saying Disneyland Paris insists on unrealistic goals, and Disneyland Paris saying they’re mostly not responsible for these employees.”
La manifestation de certains employés d’ONET, société sous-traitante de Disneyland Paris, est toujours en cours à l’heure actuelle.#DisneylandParis pic.twitter.com/8P9ZAspVRd
— DLP HELP (@DLPEntraide) December 13, 2025
Additional images from other guests began circulating shortly afterward. One photo shared by @DLPEntraide showed a clearer view of debris near Disneyland Railroad’s Main Street Station, a highly visible area at the park’s entrance.
“The demonstration by certain employees of ONET, a subcontractor of Disneyland Paris, is still ongoing at the present time,” the account wrote, alongside the images.
Video footage also emerged showing protestors dumping waste near the entrance of Disneyland Hotel — the luxury property that serves as a visual gateway to Disneyland Park. The footage, shared by @RadioRomaX, framed the action as a denunciation of working conditions.
"🚨 ALERTE MAGIE NOIRE à Disneyland Paris ! Ce matin, les agents de nettoyage d'Onet déversent des tonnes de déchets à l'entrée du parc pour dénoncer leurs conditions de travail indignes. Le 'plus bel endroit sur Terre' transformé en décharge… Soutien total aux salariés ! 💪🗑️… pic.twitter.com/eMbErwMkBw
— 🇮🇹 RADIOROMA (@RadioRomaX) December 13, 2025
“🚨 BLACK MAGIC ALERT at Disneyland Paris! This morning, Onet cleaning agents are dumping tons of waste at the park entrance to denounce their unworthy working conditions,” the post read. “The ‘most beautiful place on Earth’ turned into a dump… Full support to the employees!”
A Longer History of Labor Tension
While the protest was disruptive, it was not unprecedented. Disneyland Paris has seen multiple demonstrations over the past decade, involving both directly employed cast members and subcontracted workers.
In 2023, cast members employed by The Walt Disney Company staged several protests at the French resort calling for higher wages and improved working conditions. Those actions directly impacted entertainment offerings across Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park.
At times, guests were redirected away from Main Street, U.S.A. as demonstrations moved through high-traffic areas. The protests underscored lingering dissatisfaction following the resort’s recovery from pandemic-era closures.
Earlier labor actions followed similar patterns. In 2021, unionized cast members temporarily closed the park’s Hub area during a demonstration tied to understaffing concerns and working conditions after COVID-19 shutdowns.
Disney labor unrest is not limited to France. In 2024, cast members at Disneyland Resort in California protested during contract negotiations, highlighting wage disparities and cost-of-living pressures in Southern California.
One widely shared statement from that protest noted that “the lowest-paid cast member would have to work 550 years straight without a day off to make what Disney CEO Bob Iger makes in one year.”
Two years earlier, unionized workers at Walt Disney World Resort staged their own demonstrations, pushing for higher pay, healthcare support, retirement benefits, and child bonding leave.
ONET, meanwhile, maintains a public-facing image closely tied to large-scale leisure operations. While the company does not name Disneyland Paris directly on its website, it describes itself as “the partner of choice for the maintenance of Europe’s largest leisure complex, located near Paris.”
The company also states that it provides a “specialized team” dedicated to “[preserving] the magical experience of millions of visitors every year.”
As Disneyland Paris continues to evolve — including the ongoing transformation of Walt Disney Studios Park into Disney Adventure World, which includes the opening of World of Frozen and a Tangled (2010) next year, plus a Lion King (1994) land in the future — labor relations remain a critical, if often unseen, part of the guest experience.
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