So, hi there… I got handed the link here and figured I’d weigh in my 2 cents since my name got mentioned (and made me get all misty eyed!!).
For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Julia the soon-to-be-former blog manager and social media director for TouringPlans. My apologies for my profile picture being ancient. I’m much older than when that picture was taken. The itty bitty kid in there? She’s now almost 12 and taller than me. 
Speaking only for me, here’s the few things I hope that I can help clarify. I had started as just an occasional blogger back in 2014, and eventually worked my way up to all sorts of responsibilities and full-time contractor work. Managing the blog was a big part of it, but I also did content for Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. I may have even tried my hand at making a TikTok, but I won’t say which one!
Along the way, I got to work with amazing people on the social side of things (Daisy, Erin, Angela, Chrissy, Ivonne, Dani) and so many incredible bloggers…plus Derek. 
We were making good growth over those years, and although our blog and social media side never fully got to be in the same zone as some of the big Disney media powerhouses like WDWNT and DFB, we had incredible accomplishments and I’m so proud of every single member of the team.
And then March 2020 happened. I remember having a meeting with Len to talk about how the news was getting troubling – we actually had an unofficial wager about whether or not the domestic Disney parks would close for a time. Len didn’t think that we’d get to the point where all Disney parks were closed. I was worried they would. Sadly, I “won”.
It was incredibly, incredibly hard to keep blog and social media interest in Disney parks when the parks were closed. Some of you may remember that we did movie nights. We had people write in little stories about why they love Disney. We covered Disney crock pots for sale on Hot Topic or some other site. I think we even covered what I had on my desk. If I hadn’t had gray hair before, the summer of 2020 would have done it to me.
What kept a lot of us going was the idea that COVID would be a short-term hiccup, and within a month or two, we’d be back to normal life. I don’t need to tell any of you that’s not exactly what has happened, even now.
I’m not in a position to discuss financials, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to guess that when parks are closed, people aren’t looking to buy things to help with the Disney trip they can’t take to the level that they would if parks were open. When vaccines started to roll out, it sounded like we’d be back to a better way, and we did bring on a bunch of bloggers to really try and hit the ground running.
Dani ended up needing to leave TP in May 2021, and that whole thing isn’t my story to tell, but she’s done amazing in a new role for herself since. We tried to make a go with more blog content. Although the content was amazing, it just wasn’t a good business move and so by November 2021, I was requested to let go most of the bloggers and cut back the content. I went from full-time to part-time, and we did have to make cuts to the amount of content on the blog and on social media.
In business, sometimes you gotta just pull back to the core, and Len made the decision that I know was painful for him to let me go, along with some other folks. Brian has made a public statement as mentioned above. I’ve been public about it. Ivonne from the social media side has also made a public statement. I believe that’s everyone who has shared publicly, so I’ll leave it at that.
There’s still a group of really amazing bloggers like Erin and Joe…and yes, Derek as well… who are staying on at this time. Chrissy has really stepped up to keep the incredible social media stuff going. The things you love about TouringPlans aren’t going anywhere – there’s still lots of work going on to make sure everyone has the best tools for vacation planning, and even some stuff that will hopefully bring a smile to your face.
Speaking only for myself, although I’m sad to be leaving TouringPlans on 12/31, I’m also incredibly excited at the opportunities I’ve got on the horizon. I have only the best wishes for Len, and everyone at TouringPlans. They’re cool folks, and I’m happy to have hung out with them and been paid for it for such a long time.
That said, I know it’s going to be a time with a lot of…is “shrinking pains” a thing? There’s going to be a lot of adjustments as people take on new responsibilities and try to find that perfect balance. So please give 'em all lots of love and support and know that, at least from my view, everyone on all sides of these layoffs are going to end up doing well for themselves. Change is as inevitable as Level 10 crowds on New Year’s Eve.
Hope that helps clarify at least my perspective on this – but I did want everyone to know that (again, from my perspective) this has been handled the best way possible by everyone involved, and there’s no hard feelings. Well, I do have a lot of anger at COVID because it truly sucks. I think that’s something we can all agree on! 
