On layoffs, very bad attendance, and Iger's legacy being one of disgrace

[brianstl]

I am specifically referring to Disney...

It is pretty obvious at this point that if in fact there were layoffs yesterday, they weren’t among the frontline cast members. That would have been all over social media. If layoffs happened yesterday it was among the management ranks.

 

[SpaceMountain77]

I went to Epcot and Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios when in 2002/2003. They were offering veterans a deep discount to get them and their families in the park. I had many fond memories. Mission Space was brand new and we actually liked it. Disney advertised the heck out of Philharmagic for some reason

In September 2002, we stayed in a garden view, club level room at Disney' Polynesian Resort for $350 per night. At the time, the offerings at the club level lounge were so plentiful and varied that we did not have to eat many meals elsewhere.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

What I will say, some smarter ones stay part time on the weekends while working a full time "real" job outside of the parks, and leverage the glorious golden turd that is "The Walt Disney Company" on their resume for a job search in another state later on.

I once hired a young woman in part because her resume stated that she had been a boat skipper on the Tom Sawyer Island boat crossing.

In all seriousness...Disney is vastly more impressive outside their area than in. People that vacation there love to hire people from there. It’s weird but consistent.

It is pretty obvious at this point that if in fact there were layoffs yesterday, it wasn’t among the frontline cast members. That would have been all over social media. If layoffs happened yesterday it was among the management ranks.

Typically management is the first wave. It doesn’t get much pub

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

In September 2002, we stayed in a garden view, club level room at Disney' Polynesian Resort for $350 per night. At the time, the offerings at the club level lounge were so plentiful and varied that we did not have to eat many meals elsewhere.

That room is now $600 and there isn’t much on the buffet.

Drink the beer...by the case

 

[hopemax]

It is pretty obvious at this point that if in fact there were layoffs yesterday, they weren’t among the frontline cast members. That would have been all over social media. If layoffs happened yesterday it was among the management ranks.

Also, union layoffs, would come with a lot more press, I would think.

 

[TaylorHound]

Also, union layoffs, would come with a lot more press, I would think.

It would be very loud on social media in the event the front line (especially Union) cast members start getting laid off.

 

[UNCgolf]

They do NOT want APs descending on those parks. Don’t look for it to change. It doesn’t make financial sense in their market.

This makes sense to me. APs aren't buying tickets or staying in Disney hotel rooms (for the most part), nor are they spending a lot of money on other items in the parks. That means Disney would probably be hemorrhaging money on a day filled up with just APs.

Under normal circumstances that's fine because the parks are fully staffed etc. for regular crowds anyways, but that's not the case right now.

 

[brianstl]

Also, union layoffs, would come with a lot more press, I would think.

Plus, there is no real need to layoff someone who is already furloughed. Just avoid the bad PR and say you intend to bring them all back as soon as business improves.

 

[TaylorHound]

Plus, there is no real need to layoff someone who is already furloughed. Just avoid the bad PR and say you intend to bring them all back as soon as business improves.

If I had to take a guess the vast majority of these layoffs are going to be corporate, WDI, and potentially management within the parks. Front line shouldn't be hit too bad if hit at all

 

[brianstl]

If I had to take a guess the vast majority of these layoffs are going to be corporate, WDI, and potentially management within the parks. Front line shouldn't be hit too bad if hit at all

At least at first.

 

[peter11435]

At least at first.

Frontline can largely be reduced through natural attrition without resorting to layoffs. Also lack of CP’s takes care of a large portion of any overage. Frontline also has union complications that don’t exist with corporate, WDI, management, and other support roles.

 

[ParentsOf4]

Maybe they’ll take this seriously. A few screencaps from a project I’m working on. Shot by someone not a million miles from here, around two weeks ago, late morning on a nice dry day, in Disney’s new billion dollar flagship land.

Below are some photo's from my son's trip July 19-23 (Sunday to Thursday).

Multiple headliner rides were walk-on. He experienced Flights of Passage 5 times (was even allowed to cut through the FP+ line at one point), Smuggler's Run 5 times, Test Track 3 times, Space Mountain 5 times, Rock n Roller Coaster 5 times, Expedition Everest 5 times. For most, it was a matter of his group simply getting bored with the attraction and deciding to move on.

Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Train was the longest line, followed by Slinky Dog Dash. (This last because it was down for most of the day.)

Crowds were light throughout the trip, with Disney Hollywood Studios feeling the most crowded, by far.

As his photos show, it was possible to encounter moments of modest crowds but also see the parks nearly empty, with many of his contrasting photos taken within an hour of each other.

These give you a sense of what it was like for my son during his weekday trip in mid-July.

Epcot Sunday Evening:

Bridge Leaving Pandora Monday Morning:

Leaving Animal Kingdom Monday at 5:30 PM:

Magic Kingdom Tuesday Opening:

Walkway To Tomorrowland Tuesday Noon:

Waiting for Rise Of The Resistance Wednesday at 1 PM:

Galaxy's Edge 1 Hour Later:

Disney's Hollywood Studios Wednesday Afternoon:

One of the more crowded images of Disney's Hollywood Studios:

 

[HauntedMansionFLA]

Team Disney FL? Can you at least hint how the cast are being notified that are still on furlough (like me)? Phone call? email? certified mail? text? thanks for more anxiety...

First, Phone call from HR. If you don’t answer, you receive a certified mail for a return date.

 

[MaximumEd]

Our recent trip from July 12-22 was the same. I have a couple pics I took when walking into Liberty Square from FL. One each direction toward Frontier and Mansion. They were taken at noon and there’s barely anyone in the shots. One day the MK opened at 9. By 11 we rode Space, 7D, Pooh, Small World, Peter Pan, Mermaid, and HM. 2 hours flat.

 

[Captain Neo]

The problem at WDI is that the vast majority of the Baby Boomer generation of talent (Tony Baxter, Eddie Sotto, Tim & Steve Kirk) were either pushed out or moved on out of frustration to greener pastures while still in their prime and they never really had the opprotunity to mentor and facilitate the next generation (Gen X and Millenial) of talent at imagineering. So what you have left at WDI is mostly the mediocre remnants of the baby boomer imagineers (Kathy Magnum, Tom Fitzgerald, etc.) and under them a bunch of worker Bees who just treat imagineering as "just as job" and do what ever the corporation tells them to do. There is no passion, creativity, or craftsmanship left so laying off imagineers will be a mercy killing at this point.

We just don't get things like the 1967 Tomorrowland with all its interconnectivity, or big brand new ride system concepts, or rich theming, or creative ideas like Splash Mountain and its ingenious reuse of the America Sings animatronics. The glory days have been over for a long time

 

[mkt]

I once hired a young woman in part because her resume stated that she had been a boat skipper on the Tom Sawyer Island boat crossing.

For a few weeks I was a captain on the Mike Fink Keelboats, until I was forced transfered to Tomorrowland due to a staffing shortage there.

 

[Ronnie Sanford]

WDPR will save an enormous amount of expense once they officially sever ties with Actors Equity.

 

[mkt]

First, Phone call from HR. If you don’t answer, you receive a certified mail for a return date.

That's how you algo get terminated for no-call/no-show. You get a certified letter.

It happened to one person I know who got into a nasty car accident and was hospitalized for a week or so. When he got home, he received a certified letter notifying of the termination.

 

[mkt]

WDPR will save an enormous amount of expense once they officially sever ties with Actors Equity.

Why? It's one of the smallest unions at the parks. Also, if they do that, expect the studio to suffer backlash as well.

 

[asianway]

If I had to take a guess the vast majority of these layoffs are going to be corporate, WDI, and potentially management within the parks. Front line shouldn't be hit too bad if hit at all

It’s going to be a bloodbath