Wow.
67% of impacted employees are part timers. No breakdown by park (DL vs WDW) but I have to assume it’s more in CA since WDW is actually open.
Very sad.
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The hits keep coming.
Word on the street is zero entertainers from Poly will be back, and Yeeha Bob just posted on his FB in the last hour that he has been cut.
For the first time since all of this I am truly afraid for the magic… 
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I am waiting to see what they announce for entertainment cuts for December. I was so looking forward to the storytellers in EPCOT. On TP, it told me no Barn Santa in Norway when I had it in a plan created many months ago. What about the others? The storyteller made the Festival of the Holidays for me. What about the menagerie in AK? I wanted to see those.
I wish Disney would just rip the bandaid off so I could make an informed decision.
No gingerbread houses, Christmas Tree Trail not a trail (although I was not going to set foot in DS), just give it to us straight already.
All of these people losing their jobs is the worst, of course.
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I read somewhere there will be no Storytellers this year. I think maybe Kenny the Pirate reported it. It’s sad, they are so wonderful!
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Tim Tracker said no storytellers is what he was told by a CM in EPCOT. I guess I had blocked that out of my mind.
TP is still letting me put storytellers in my plans, except for Barn Santa. My DGDs would have loved that one. I imagine that TP is waiting for official word from Disney.
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I just read this. So sad for all those people. And it makes me wonder how easy it will be for Disney to open up more at WDW.
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Feel nothing but immense sympathy for all those laid off. Difficult to see positives in the future for the parks at the moment, or indeed generally at the moment. Hope the scientists can save us and we can all start getting back to normal.
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It is sad, and until crowd levels return to normal, I’m not sure how much choice Disney has in the matter if they want to stay profitable.
From the things I’m seeing that are cut so far, they aren’t revenue-generating. As sad as it is to see beloved employees go, such as all the musicians…the truth is, most people aren’t going to NOT come to Disney because those things are gone. It does certainly impact the magic, though, which may hurt Disney in the longer term. If enough of the magic disappears as people come to the parks, then planning future trips may be more sparse than before.
I think a lot of the layoffs are those who were already on furlough. So this is just the next step in the delayed reopening due to COVID. Furloughs are only ever meant to be short-term…and I think everyone had hoped this would be more short term than it really was.
In the meantime, Disney is also bringing back some furloughed employees, such as the Dapper Dans, and some recreational workers.
What is clear is this decision wasn’t easy for Disney. They really did seem to have held out as long as they could in keeping the employees furloughed.
Ultimately, though, what Disney needs is people to keep coming to the parks…and spending money once they get there!
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I dunno man. I suppose I’m not “most people” but this has seriously hurt my heart. These people are what make the magic, the atmosphere, the bubble-ness.
I fear for their future. And the Trolley people. And the Sunset Blvd people… the list goes on. These people are working “right now” but I am not at all confident that they will be kept on staff. They are not, as you say, revenue generating…
I agree this was not an easy decision for them to come to. Although I do find myself wondering if I’d feel differently if the message were delivered to us by Chapek (the devil) vs Josh Damaro (swoon). And I do think there is some element of politics to this, demonstrating to Cali that “look what is happening because you won’t let us open DL”.
If only this whole pandemic had been better handled from the start…
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This is in the back of my mind as well. 
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I mean, I don’t think it’s for show – I think it’s a real issue – but it will show Cali what’s happening to this company because of their choices (which I can’t say whether I agree or disagree with, not having followed especially closely but being in favor of being conservative with this whole pandemic)
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I continue to be amazed at the number of people who are still going to WDW despite shorter hours, reduced dining, no night time shows, no parades, no meet and greets. AND still pay full price.
It’s hard to guess at what point people say “not enough magic.”
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Of course, there will be NO magic if people stop going. In two ways. First, because you don’t experience ANY of the Disney magic if you don’t go, as a guest. And two, if people stop going, Disney stops making money, and further cuts become necessary.
At what point does Disney devolve to an amusement park?
With the missing magic, I think it is there or near there. .
Amusement parks are nice but they aren’t worth the Disney price tag.
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It’s a crazy balance. Maybe this will lead them into that boutique experience many have suggested was coming?
It is really still too early to make any reasonable predictions. There are so many who can’t travel right now. Many who are concerned. Many with reduced income.
But it’s a weird balance to work toward.
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You are right, this is the real deal. Having worked in HR before retiring, it hurt to read Disney’s announcement. If you dig into the details of what they said, this is affecting all levels of employees, including exec’s. And it sounds like they intend to talk to the union again about “next steps,” whatever that means. In my down moments I feel like the pre-covid WDW we all know and love is a little bit like Margaret Mitchell’s novel, “Gone with the Wind” … for guests and especially CM’s.
we’re going in 4 weeks because of some magic:
- ability to wear Halloween costumes in MK without paying extra for a party. My daughter is a cosplayer, so she loves this idea.
- room discount offered to residents of SC, NC, GA, and others.
- Halloween merch usually only available at the parties.
It is sad that the hours are so short and that we can’t park hop or have FPs. But those little things happening make it worth it to us. DH and I can barely ride any rides anyway. DD can wait in line, she doesn’t mind.
Plus, all the things we go to during the year (e.g., Highland games, Comicons, etc.) have been cancelled. We need a break, and we think Disney is doing pretty good in the way of COVID-19 prevention.
I am sad that so many people have lost their jobs, though. I hope the parks can recover. We need a bubble now more than ever.
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I agree. I have always thought Gov. Newsom dodged a bullet with COVID in CA. They closed down just in the nick of time. Although IMHO there is a great deal wrong with some individual regulations there, I think he avoided outright disaster. Credit where credit is due.
It may be time to open up, though. I found this in a Bloomberg article:
The situation has been exacerbated in California by the state’s unwillingness to lift its restrictions, D’Amaro (Chairman of the Disney Parks Division- ed.) said.
Nineteen California legislators sent Governor Gavin Newsom a letter Monday urging him to reopen the state’s theme park industry.
“Your administration has been rightfully reliant on data and science and, to date, the data and science do not point to theme parks as sources of transmission,” they wrote.
I think there is data to bear that out. And, of course, Disney is not the only theme park in CA. There are dozens of others, with tens thousands of other jobs at risk. It’s time.
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