Coronavirus and Walt Disney World general discussion

[Andrew C]

great! for the time being, his pay will exactly match all the cast members that are furloughed...

Considering the majority of the company's revenue has stopped coming in, don't think that is how it will pan out...

 

[DCBaker]

Link to story

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/coronavirus/article241609941.html

 

[wishiwere@wdw]

Well, Six Flags has officially held off the season until mid May.

 

[Andrew C]

Have any other huge companies reduced salaries yet?

Yes. Many have taken a path similar to the one Disney just announced.

 

[PrincessNelly_NJ]

Email from Bob Chapek:

[...]

In light of this, we are going to be implementing a variety of necessary measures designed to better position us to weather these extraordinary challenges. Among them, we will be asking our senior executives to help shoulder the burden by taking a reduction in pay – effective April 5, all VPs will have their salaries reduced by 20%, SVPs by 25%, and EVPs and above by 30%. I will be taking a 50% reduction in my salary. This temporary action will remain in effect until we foresee a substantive recovery in our business. Our executive chairman, Bob Iger, has chosen to forgo 100% of his salary.

[...]
Best,
Bob


Shared the relevant part from a letter to CMs a friend posted on FB

I'm actually shocked. This is a welcomed surprise. I do hope that furloughs won't be necessary.

 

[GoofGoof]

I would actually think you'd want the queue to be outdoors as much as possible if you were to do something like this. Especially in Florida in the potential opening time frame. Aside from the air outdoors "diluting" the virus particles, the heat outdoors will kill/deactivate the virus more quickly than indoors and the humidity will cause the particles to fall to the ground faster.

That’s what I said. Any ride without an outdoor queue would get a virtual one. that’s just about all rides at WDW

 

[Polynesia]

Some people find the need to find negativity in absolutely everything Disney does around here. SO far, all other cast members are still receiving their full paycheck at least until the 18th of April

I agree. They could have furloughed the US workers but didn’t. Thank goodness. If the June 1 date holds cast members should be ok. I never have understood the strong dislike others have for Disney. I think it’s more jealousy than anything.

 

[Andrew C]

I do hope that furloughs won't be necessary.

If I were a betting man, I would say they definitely are going to be necessary.

 

[DCBaker]

More news on the vaccine front -

 

[Andrew C]

They could have furloughed the US workers but didn’t.

That may be the next step...

 

[Patcheslee]

This virus is very scary and the severe disease is horrible. We should absolutely be doing these measures now and it will save countless lives. Here is what needs to happen to have everything return to normal:

-Widespread testing, ideally every American should be tested once the antibody test is available so that every American knows where they stand in these categories:

Antibody -, Antigen -: You do not have Covid and never have, if you get symptoms you need to be tested immediately and continue to be vigilant.

Antigen +, Antibody -: You are in the early stages of the disease and need to be on the lookout for symptoms. Quarantine yourself now, retest in 7 days if no symptoms present

Antigen +, Antibody +: You are in the later stages of the disease and if you don’t have symptoms you likely won’t, retest in 3 days. Quarantine until then.

Antigen -, Antibody +: You’ve had the disease and are immune, live your life as normal

-An extremely low incidence of active disease such that the CDC can track down all contacts and test/quarantine individuals who need to be

-Ideally we have treatment

I do think we will at that point by June.

My 11yo actually asked me the other day if we could get tested to find out if we have already had it that way she can go back to school . Just don't think the capacity is there to do it though.

 

[PrincessNelly_NJ]

If I were a betting man, I would say they definitely are going to be necessary.

I'm sure... but I want to hope otherwise. So many cast members in this thread & elsewhere are hanging in the balance.

 

[Polynesia]

That may be the next step...

I hope not. Trying to stay positive. Too much negativity already being posted.

 

[Lilofan]

I'm actually shocked. This is a welcomed surprise. I do hope that furloughs won't be necessary.

Furloughs and layoffs no one hopes for, annual raises though is just dreaming especially when management takes pay cuts..

 

[Josh Hendy]

I guess all the other senior executives are just "too poor" to forgo 100 percent of their salaries......

Hey show a little sympathy. It is so embarrassing to have to buzz in a repo guy through your private gate so he can tow away your Porsche.

 

[Andrew C]

I hope not. Trying to stay positive. Too much negativity already being posted.

My opinion on this is solely based on what other large corporations in similar situations have already done/just done. Not any sort of inside information.

 

[Kevin_W]

You can put you own interpretations on the stats since we lack so much data, but I find this graph somewhat encouraging. The talk for weeks has been "flattening the curve", and this indeed looks like it is flattening. The worst-case of Italy has been flat in new cases for 5-6 days now. and all this in spite of increased world-wide testing, so the flattening might actually be a slight decrease.

 

[GoofGoof]

If I were a betting man, I would say they definitely are going to be necessary.

I‘m at about 50/50. If they really think a June 1 opening is possible then they won’t furlough most workers just to save a few weeks of pay. If by mid-April the realization hits that June 1 isn’t happening then it is a lot more likely. So much changes every day. In 2 weeks we will know a lot more.

 

[Lilofan]

Yes. Many have taken a path similar to the one Disney just announced.

Macy's announced they will furlough 125K staff members.

 

[Patcheslee]

I like this idea but it will be difficult to get children to properly use the sanitizer.

Put pixie dust in the kids sanitizer, they'll get it EVERYWHERE needed plus some