Skip to Content
Video

Mousetrap: This is What It’s Really Like to Work for Disneyland

[divider]L.A. TACO DOCS PRESENTS[/divider]

This video was originally released in September 2018. 

[dropcap size=big]I[/dropcap]t's the happiest place on Earth. That's what they say, anyway. But the truth — as discovered by directors Armando Aparicio and David Zlutnick, and producer Leighton Woodhouse — is that two thirds of Disneyland's workforce is underpaid and overworked.

Mousetrap, a special L.A. Taco Docs presentation, in collaboration with Adamant Media, follows the lives of two Disneyland employees who have to work multiple jobs in order to afford living in or around Anaheim. One of the workers, a makeup artist, has been homeless the majority of her time as a Disneyland employee.

The documentary comes at a time when Anaheim residents prepare to vote for a measure on the November ballot that would raise the minimum wage to $15 for hospitality workers, meaning those who work at the Disneyland Resort and the larger surrounding hotels. Pressure from the measure and public outcry recently forced the resort to negotiate an increase in wages to $15 starting in 2019. But that was only with a third of its workforce. In the most recent fiscal quarter, the Walt Disney Company made $2.92 billion in net income.

Watch Mousetrap below.

RELATED: L.A. Teachers Strike Vote Passes — With 98 Percent Support

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More Stories

The Seven Best Tacos in Lynwood, Ranked

Consider this your compa's guide. There are the best spots for cabeza, al pastor, and asada tacos in Lynwood. Plus, some neighborhood history, including its racist past.

July 14, 2026

Norway’s Subtly Sour Waffles Have Landed in L.A., Topped With Brown Cheese and Jam

“You are just happy to be somewhere new, experiencing everything L.A. has,” Vaffel&Venn co-owner Elin Mork says. “Then the longer you stay, the more you start to yearn for the food, for the people, for the feeling of home.”

July 13, 2026

“The Dreamy Side” Dives Deep Into L.A.’s 1950’s Era Of Local Soul, Blues Music

Molina has written a deeply personal book that will delight the many fans of the music he covers and invites us all to think about the songs that make up the soundtrack of our lives.

July 12, 2026

Community Members Hold Vigil for Houston Father Killed by ICE

Close to 60 people paid tribute to Lorenzo Salgado Araujo who was killed on the early morning of July 7 while on his way to work.

July 11, 2026

Despite the 3-2 Defeat, Mexico Finally Has Reason to Believe Again

In a turn-around from previous tournaments, there’s lots of positivity surrounding the men’s national team despite their recent loss. Rafa Márquez officially stepping in to lead them into 2030's World Cup has many fans hopeful.

July 11, 2026

We Spoke With a Mother Detained In the Glass House Raids, One Year Later

"There are times in the middle of the night when I wake up thinking I’m back in that same place, because it's terrifying," the Glass House Farms worker and mother tells L.A. TACO, one year after the raids.