28,000 jobs to be cut. Calif is being blamed

[Grumpy and Grandma 740]

The company blamed California for exacerbating its financial woes due to its “unwillingness” to lift COVID-19 restrictions that would allow Disneyland, which has remained closed since March, to reopen. Walt Disney World in Florida has been opened with limited capacity since July.

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/disney-cut-28-000-parks-205952547.html

[Travisma 1,317]

Grand Floridian Orchestra is going away, and so is Bob @ Riverside.

[Travisma 1,317]

6,700 non-union Disney employees in Central Florida among those being laid off

 

Among the approximately 28,000 Disney employees being laid off are nearly 6,700 non-union workers located in Central Florida.

A notice sent to the state Tuesday is the first indication of the impact that Disney’s layoffs will have on Central Florida.

The biggest chunk of this layoff is almost 6,500 workers based at Disney World, but there are also layoffs at other Disney locations in Central Florida, including at Disney Vacation Club in Celebration, and at Orlando International Airport.

Disney’s notice to the state says the job losses will start Dec. 4.

The company said Tuesday it is planning to lay off 28,000 workers in its theme parks division in California and Florida.

The company has been squeezed by limits on attendance at its parks and other restrictions due to the pandemic.

Officials said Tuesday that two-thirds of the planned layoffs involve part-time workers but they ranged from salaried employees to hourly workers.

Disney’s parks closed last spring as the pandemic started spreading in the U.S. The Florida parks reopened this summer, but the California parks have yet to reopen as the company awaits guidance from the state of California.

Amy Thomson worked at the Disney reservation call center juggling pandemic-related cancellation calls from guests.

Tuesday afternoon, she was one of tens of thousands that received the email from Disney announcing layoffs in the United States.

“The email essentially says earlier this year, in response to the pandemic, we were forced to close our businesses around the world. Few of us could have imagined how significantly the pandemic would impact us — both at work and in our daily lives,” Thomson said. “It was extremely shocking. I mean, whenever I first got it and I was talking to some of my other fellow cast members, we had tears in our eyes, some of us were crying because I’m like, we’ve just been sitting here for six months just waiting and waiting.”

The Service Trades Council Unions represent 43,000 Cast Members at Walt Disney World, and says they’re disappointed about the layoffs, but that they’re beginning negotiations with the company.

The Actors’ Equity Association which represents actors and stage directors at the parks says they’re also talking with Disney. They add, “In Florida, laid off Disney workers can only receive $275 in unemployment benefits, which is unconscionable. The Senate must help these workers.”

Orlando Representative Val Demings doubled down on the call for a COVID-19 relief bill, noting anyone in her district that needs help can contact her office.

 

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

19 hours ago, Travisma said:

Grand Floridian Orchestra is going away, and so is Bob @ Riverside.

I expect we'll sadly see a lot of this kind of entertainment eliminated right now. 

[djsamuel 322]

9 minutes ago, BradyBzLyn...Mo said:

I expect we'll sadly see a lot of this kind of entertainment eliminated right now. 

Also the Luau at the Polynesian.

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

I’ll say it again… Instead of cutting entertainment, employees, etc.

cut the prices of their tickets. They’re giving us a subpar product and still charging the same price. 
 

It will bring more people to the parks and those people will spend money on meals and merchandise

[LONE-STAR 370]

2 hours ago, h2odivers...Ray said:

I’ll say it again… Instead of cutting entertainment, employees, etc.

cut the prices of their tickets. They’re giving us a subpar product and still charging the same price. 
 

It will bring more people to the parks and those people will spend money on meals and merchandise

 But they don't need more people right now they just need there money. They need to cut cost that doesn't bring in revenue. That said I think Bod did make them money selling drinks.

[Travisma 1,317]

Didn’t they get rid of the Dapper Dans a while ago?

[djsamuel 322]

8 hours ago, Travisma said:

Didn’t they get rid of the Dapper Dans a while ago?

The Dapper Dans are back.  We watched them last weekend.  They are in their Halloween costumes as the Cadaver Dans.

[Grumpy and Grandma 740]

12 hours ago, h2odivers...Ray said:

It will bring more people to the parks and those people will spend money on meals and merchandise

People aren't traveling. due to COVID, it has nothing to do with WDW prices.  DIS took a big financial hit because DL is still closed and DCL is shutdown as well.  

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

32 minutes ago, Grumpy and Grandma said:

People aren't traveling. due to COVID, it has nothing to do with WDW prices.  DIS took a big financial hit because DL is still closed and DCL is shutdown as well.  

Agree. But lower ticket prices could entice more people to come to Florida.    There are a lot of people who are not afraid of traveling right now. 

look at universal studios right now.  They aren’t letting off tens of thousands of employees Go and universal Hollywood is still closed.   From what I read/heard they are staying pretty busy at universal. And the one thing they are doing that Disney isn’t is offering buy 2 days get 2 days passes.  We are considering a trip to universal this thanksgiving and not Disney.   For two reasons. 1.  Our Disney APs expire 10/20/2020. And there’s no way we are renewing them this year. 
and

2.  Buy 2 days get 2 days tickets at universal studios. 

[Grumpy and Grandma 740]

38 minutes ago, h2odivers...Ray said:

look at universal studios right now.  They aren’t letting off tens of thousands of employees Go and universal Hollywood is still closed.  

WRONG!.....They have been having layoffs in batches, they just aren't releasing the numbers.  

June 23rd.  Weeks after opening for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic struck Central Florida, Universal Orlando announced that it would need to lay off some of it's workers 

Aug 3, 2020 - ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Almost two months after reopening, Universal Orlando is laying off an undisclosed number of workers.

Universal Studios Hollywood recently announced in an email to affected Team Members that due to “this unforeseen continued impact of COVID-19 on our operations, some of our employees will be laid off starting September 11, 2020.”

Sep 16, 2020 - And an undisclosed number of workers were laid off this summer. As Universal works to recover from the pandemic, it has made a number of ...

A statement provided by the company didn’t give details on how many staff members will lose their jobs or from which parks they worked.

 

c

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

31 minutes ago, Grumpy and Grandma said:

WRONG!.....They have been having layoffs in batches, they just aren't releasing the numbers.  

June 23rd.  Weeks after opening for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic struck Central Florida, Universal Orlando announced that it would need to lay off some of it's workers 

 

c

Ok. Apparently they have let some employees go.  But why did you choose to ignore the fact that Universal appears to be busier than Disneyworld?
if people aren’t going to Disney because of covid19 , wouldn’t that mean they would be avoiding universal for the same reason

But why does it seem universal’s numbers are better then Disney’s?    Could it be lower ticket prices?

Report says Universal Orlando attendance recovery better than Disney parks  

 

here’s a link to the story. https://blooloop.com/news/universal-orlando-attendance-recovery-higher-disney/

 

And why would it be a bad thing for Disney to lower its prices?  Especially during this time of Disney cutting back on perks, entertainment, etc  

 

[Grumpy and Grandma 740]

54 minutes ago, h2odivers...Ray said:

But why does it seem universal’s numbers are better then Disney’s?    Could it be lower ticket prices?

I think some of it has to do with the logistics and the fact you can still go to both parks and not just price.  

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

27 minutes ago, Grumpy and Grandma said:

I think some of it has to do with the logistics and the fact you can still go to both parks and not just price.  

And why would it be a bad thing for Disney to lower its prices?  Especially during this time of Disney cutting back on perks, entertainment, etc  

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

1 hour ago, Grumpy and Grandma said:

I think some of it has to do with the logistics and the fact you can still go to both parks and not just price.  

You just reminded me of something.
A while back, when I was dealing with Disney about my AP,  I asked a CM when they would be allowing APs to park hop again. He said when the government allowed them to.  That the government  said if an infected person goes into one park they only have to shut down that park. If they allowed that same person to park hop they would have to shut down two or more parks. 
I didn’t think much about it till now.   If this is true.  Why and if I read what you’re saying correctly, why is universal allowing park hopping but not Disney?

[Grumpy and Grandma 740]

33 minutes ago, h2odivers...Ray said:

I didn’t think much about it till now.   If this is true.  Why and if I read what you’re saying correctly, why is universal allowing park hopping but not Disney?

Because Universal is basically one park since everybody goes through one entrance at City Walk.  If they shut down that is where it would happen.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Hey Ray-

two things:

1. Disney IS offering discounted tickets. Florida residents can currently buy a 4 day pass for $49 a day:  https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/special-offers/florida-resident-disney-magic-flex/?ef_id=EAIaIQobChMI47DX3I-U7AIVBo_ICh0akAspEAAYASAAEgIgrPD_BwE:G:s&s_kwcid=AL!5060!3!468198360657!e!!g!!disney world tickets&CMP=KNC-FY21_WDW_TRA_FL_W365_TKT_TCKC_Tickets_EVRGRN_Gold_Exact|G|5201013.RR.AM.01.01|MSHBVUJ|BR|468198360657&keyword_id=kwd-98099335|dm|disney world tickets|468198360657|e|5060:3|&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI47DX3I-U7AIVBo_ICh0akAspEAAYASAAEgIgrPD_BwE

2. No park hopping and restricting entry to APs frees up room for them to sell these cheap tickets.

Why doesn’t Disney do what Universal does?  Because Disney has more aggressive bean counters and they are squeezing every drop of revenue they can from Florida so they can keep their executives and shareholders happy.  Like Walt said- screw the guests and the castmembers.  Who needs ‘em?

TCD

 

 

[fladogfan aka Gretchen 259]

A friend of mine got fired from Universal last week for an infraction that would have only been written up before.  So yes Universal is getting rid of employees in many ways.  Wonder if WDW is doing the same?

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Unfortunately, TCD Twin #1 got the call last week that she is one of the 28,000. We are all gutted. Two college programs, both at WDW and DL, and three years of hard work since graduating from college, and she has been kicked to the curb so Disney can afford to pay their executives and shareholders and sit on billions of dollars of cash in hopes of buying up some bargains in the coming economic crisis.  

For now, Twin #2 remains employed in the Disney HR department, but she suspects that will only last as long as it takes to clean up the little messes caused by firing tens of thousands of employees. Then she will get kicked to the curb in another wave of layoffs.

They grew up foolishly believing that Disney would reward them for their love, hard work, and effort. 

It turns out that Disney is just another money grubbing heartless corporation. What a tough lesson to learn at 25. 

TCD

[Travisma 1,317]

45 minutes ago, Tri-Circle-D said:

Unfortunately, TCD Twin #1 got the call last week that she is one of the 28,000. We are all gutted. Two college programs, both at WDW and DL, and three years of hard work since graduating from college, and she has been kicked to the curb so Disney can afford to pay their executives and shareholders and sit on billions of dollars of cash in hopes of buying up some bargains in the coming economic crisis.  

For now, Twin #2 remains employed in the Disney HR department, but she suspects that will only last as long as it takes to clean up the little messes caused by firing tens of thousands of employees. Then she will get kicked to the curb in another wave of layoffs.

They grew up foolishly believing that Disney would reward them for their love, hard work, and effort. 

It turns out that Disney is just another money grubbing heartless corporation. What a tough lesson to learn at 25. 

TCD

I've been meaning to check with you about the girls since the announcement last week.

That's always the way, the upper levels look out for themselves and their close knit minions,  and screw the real workers that keep their companies in business.

Hope when things rebound #1 can get her job back (if she wants it) and #2 weathers the storm and not get fired.

 

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

1 minute ago, Travisma said:

Hope when things rebound #1 can get her job back (if she wants it) and #2 weathers the storm and not get fired.

Things can change, but I was surprised to hear from Twin #1 that she does not want to go back. Honestly, she and her fellow castmembers were not treated very well before this, and now the company has demonstrated quite clearly that they consider them worthless and expendable. What future is there in that?

TCD

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

I'm really sorry to hear that TCD. I've been in that "you gave a company your heart, soul and loyalty for years only to get dropped like a hot potato" seat before and it really does stings.  Throw the fact that the company is Disney and all that means to them as well, and I'm sure it hurts all the more.

I hope they're both able to put their skills and all they've learned over the years to use with new jobs and companies that will truly appreciate them.

`

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

27 minutes ago, BradyBzLyn...Mo said:

I'm really sorry to hear that TCD. I've been in that "you gave a company your heart, soul and loyalty for years only to get dropped like a hot potato" seat before and it really does stings.  Throw the fact that the company is Disney and all that means to them as well, and I'm sure it hurts all the more.

I hope they're both able to put their skills and all they've learned over the years to use with new jobs and companies that will truly appreciate them.

`

Thanks, Mo.

Yes, we will all get over it, but it really stings now. 

And, we need to keep things in perspective- millions of people have lost their jobs, and 200,000+ more families have lost a lot more.

One more thing- if any of you Disney lovers out there think this won’t affect you, think again. Disney is firing performers who are irreplaceable, and has decimated its Guest Relations staff. The things that distinguished Disney from a Six Flags amusement park are all but gone. The current management thinks guests won’t care.  We are all in for a rude awakening. 

TCD

[djsamuel 322]

23 minutes ago, Tri-Circle-D said:

T

One more thing- if any of you Disney lovers out there think this won’t affect you, think again. Disney is firing performers who are irreplaceable, and has decimated its Guest Relations staff. The things that distinguished Disney from a Six Flags amusement park are all but gone. The current management thinks guests won’t care.  We are all in for a rude awakening. 

TCD

So sorry to hear about this.  The layoffs are going far beyond the performers and Guest Services.  I have friends with 25+ years in at Team Disney in the same situation.  Other whole divisions have been completely wiped out and eliminated.  It is not a good situation at all.  If they don't get California opened soon, it is going to get much worse.