Politics 28000 Layoffs coming to Disney's domestic theme parks - statement from Josh D'Amaro

[TheGuyThatMakesSwords]

Welllll - trying to be kinder?
DW & I cancelled our APR 2021 trip, last night. Over many factors?

1) AIRLINES - not willing to load into a sealed can for 4 hours, until we are vaccinated, likely Mid 2021.
2) WDW transportation - not willing to load into a sealed can at all, until we are vaccinated, likely Mid 2021.
3) STAFF - there literally isn't any. When our dear CM friends are back? We will also be back. No staff? No money.
4) PARKS - there literally are none. No Parades, no FW - WDW tries, but we'll wait for a REAL Park.
5) RESTAURANTS... again, there are none. Not flying in with Military MRE's .

We will book for NOV 9, 2021 - 11 month DVC, home resort. For both DW & I (vaccinated), and my dear eldest son & DIL (vaccinated).
And we will still wear masks. All of this is NOT about WDW. GETTING to WDW, getting real FOOD at WDW, having a real vacation, rather than a survival exercise? That's why our family is waiting. And just OUR family... not suggesting anything for anyone else.

Repeating - "just OUR family... not suggesting anything for anyone else". Please, no hate mail .

 

[JoeCamel]

Welllll - trying to be kinder?
DW & I cancelled our APR 2021 trip, last night. Over many factors?

1) AIRLINES - not willing to load into a sealed can for 4 hours, until we are vaccinated, likely Mid 2021.
2) WDW transportation - not willing to load into a sealed can at all, until we are vaccinated, likely Mid 2021.
3) STAFF - there literally isn't any. When our dear CM friends are back? We will also be back. No staff? No money.
4) PARKS - there literally are none. No Parades, no FW - WDW tries, but we'll wait for a REAL Park.
5) RESTAURANTS... again, there are none. Not flying in with Military MRE's .

We will book for NOV 9, 2021 - 11 month DVC, home resort. For both DW & I (vaccinated), and my dear eldest son & DIL (vaccinated).
And we will still wear masks. All of this is NOT about WDW. GETTING to WDW, getting real FOOD at WDW, having a real vacation, rather than a survival exercise? That's why our family is waiting. And just OUR family... not suggesting anything for anyone else.

Repeating - "just OUR family... not suggesting anything for anyone else". Please, no hate mail .

I hope you are staying for M's B-Day? Don't miss the mickey in LM queue.

 

[Miss Bella]

Welllll - trying to be kinder?
DW & I cancelled our APR 2021 trip, last night. Over many factors?

1) AIRLINES - not willing to load into a sealed can for 4 hours, until we are vaccinated, likely Mid 2021.
2) WDW transportation - not willing to load into a sealed can at all, until we are vaccinated, likely Mid 2021.
3) STAFF - there literally isn't any. When our dear CM friends are back? We will also be back. No staff? No money.
4) PARKS - there literally are none. No Parades, no FW - WDW tries, but we'll wait for a REAL Park.
5) RESTAURANTS... again, there are none. Not flying in with Military MRE's .

We will book for NOV 9, 2021 - 11 month DVC, home resort. For both DW & I (vaccinated), and my dear eldest son & DIL (vaccinated).
And we will still wear masks. All of this is NOT about WDW. GETTING to WDW, getting real FOOD at WDW, having a real vacation, rather than a survival exercise? That's why our family is waiting. And just OUR family... not suggesting anything for anyone else.

Repeating - "just OUR family... not suggesting anything for anyone else". Please, no hate mail .

I'm confused about the restaurants? Disney Spring and Epcot restaurants are open. Many restaurants are open at the resorts and parks,

 

[sbunit]

Welllll - trying to be kinder?
DW & I cancelled our APR 2021 trip, last night. Over many factors?

1) AIRLINES - not willing to load into a sealed can for 4 hours, until we are vaccinated, likely Mid 2021.
2) WDW transportation - not willing to load into a sealed can at all, until we are vaccinated, likely Mid 2021.
3) STAFF - there literally isn't any. When our dear CM friends are back? We will also be back. No staff? No money.
4) PARKS - there literally are none. No Parades, no FW - WDW tries, but we'll wait for a REAL Park.
5) RESTAURANTS... again, there are none. Not flying in with Military MRE's .

We will book for NOV 9, 2021 - 11 month DVC, home resort. For both DW & I (vaccinated), and my dear eldest son & DIL (vaccinated).
And we will still wear masks. All of this is NOT about WDW. GETTING to WDW, getting real FOOD at WDW, having a real vacation, rather than a survival exercise? That's why our family is waiting. And just OUR family... not suggesting anything for anyone else.

Repeating - "just OUR family... not suggesting anything for anyone else". Please, no hate mail .

just curious as to why you would still wear masks I’m Nov 2021? Assuming mask mandate is dropped by then (fingers crossed)

 

[wannabeBelle]

I'm confused about the restaurants? Disney Spring and Epcot restaurants are open. Many restaurants are open at the resorts and parks,

The menus are reduced at the moment, but yes most places are open. Marie

 

[MarvelCharacterNerd]

Full employment is and never has been the goal for any company. In fact there is actually a limit on the number of employees available in the Orlando market. Disney and Universal have the desire to grow their customer base. That means more hotels, restaurants, gift shops and rides. But they can't hire that many more people, so they need to be more productive. That is why we have self checkin. remote food ordering and other labor saving things and WDW had still increased their number of Cast Members to over 70,000 before Covid19. Eventually, they will build more resorts and enlarge all 4 of their themeparks and have over 80,000 cast members but it will take 5 years or more to get there.

On another site I saw they're testing mobile self-checkout for merchandise in Downtown Disney. Worried that affects more jobs/callbacks.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

On another site I saw they're testing mobile self-checkout for merchandise in Downtown Disney. Worried that affects more jobs/callbacks.

With all the class of my local Wal-Mart!

 

[Miss Bella]

The menus are reduced at the moment, but yes most places are open. Marie

I was fine with it on our August trip. I don't really get how reducing menus helps with anything, but a lot of things haven't made sense the last 8 months..... so I just go along with it.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

I was fine with it on our August trip. I don't really get how reducing menus helps with anything, but a lot of things haven't made sense the last 8 months..... so I just go along with it.

Helps a lot when your executive chefs have either “retired” or been laid off. Also helps to reduce kitchen staff and inventory.

I haven’t been down there so I’m not sure how drastic the menu cuts have been.

 

[Shouldigo12]

I was fine with it on our August trip. I don't really get how reducing menus helps with anything, but a lot of things haven't made sense the last 8 months..... so I just go along with it.

I've only heard an explanation from one restaurant (in my town, not at Disney) and essentially they said a large portion of the kitchen staff was either laid off or quit, and those remaining didn't know how to make some of the dishes. I can't imagine that's the case for every restaurant with reduced menus but its likely a factor.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I'm confused about the restaurants? Disney Spring and Epcot restaurants are open. Many restaurants are open at the resorts and parks,

Yeah...but indoor dining is a bad idea.

It’s been in the news

 

[Polkadotdress]

I was fine with it on our August trip. I don't really get how reducing menus helps with anything, but a lot of things haven't made sense the last 8 months..... so I just go along with it.

Kitchens can be small spaces with tight working quarters, so to ensure the SAFETY of the Cast by not having them work within 2 feet of one another, certain menu items have been eliminated.

 

[FigmentFan82]

...we’ve seen them.

Let me put it this way: if blockbuster was still open, would you go rent finding Nemo and watch it tonight?

I rewatch movies I've already seen all the time (and used to do the same when I was younger with Blockbuster rentals) I have friends that prefer to only watch a movie or show once. We manage to coexist.

 

[FigmentFan82]

There’s a few hundred hours of legacy content still not available on the service. Hundreds of cartoons and episodes of the Disneyland show. Most of this content was restored and rereleased on the Disney Treasures collections in the early 2000s. There’s really no excuse for the absence of this content, and I feel like it would be an easy inclusion for consumers interested in the “Golden Ages” of television and cartoons.

The first Mickey Mouse cartoon and the opening day telecast for Disneyland aren’t even on it. To me, that’s just bizarre.

I see this simply as prioritizing which content to get up there first. Many of the older films and shows look like they are fresh digital versions, and that takes time and manpower to do. They'll add more of the older stuff. Now that the service is up and running there's really no rush

 

[NemoIncognito]

I see this simply as prioritizing which content to get up there first. Many of the older films and shows look like they are fresh digital versions, and that takes time and manpower to do. They'll add more of the older stuff. Now that the service is up and running there's really no rush

Yeah, but it’s been a year, and we still only have one week of the Mickey Mouse Club up. That’s the kind of thing that should be going out regularly, at least a new week every month. It’s legacy programming, so it doesn’t need to be produced fresh, just remastered. And it would be something that would always be “new.”

 

[seascape]

I spoke with a DVC Cast Members this morning and cancelled me December trip to Sarasota Springs. My wife loves that resort as its next to Disney Springs. I
changed to Animal Kingdom Savannah View for the last weekend in January. Our points will expire if I can't make it but that is the risk I took in September when I rebooked for December. People who complain about losing points now have no one other than themselves to blame. Anyway, if we get to go I only lose 1 point.

Getting back to why I am posting. I have contributed to the Cast Members Pantry and think everyone should but I would like to know is there a fund for Cast Member Housing that has started. I would love to help Cast Members with their rent and or mortgage payments and hope someone can provide a good charity for helping the best employees in the world, Disney Cast Members.

 

[FigmentFan82]

Yeah, but it’s been a year, and we still only have one week of the Mickey Mouse Club up. That’s the kind of thing that should be going out regularly, at least a new week every month. It’s legacy programming, so it doesn’t need to be produced fresh, just remastered. And it would be something that would always be “new.”

Like I said, all that requires time and manpower, it's not just "click a button" and poof it's up on the service. Also, and it may or may not apply to some of the very older content, but there are many rights and royalties issues associated with every piece of content that's created. Also, take note of what's been happening during this past year and ask yourself if Disney sees a priority in putting up very old (albeit probably very cool) content or focusing on new original content to lure new subscribers. I love watching the old Disney TV specials and cartoons, but they ain't bringing subscribers to the table. A Marvel TV show will. Regardless of whether you like that or not, it's just facts.

 

[Brer Oswald]

Yeah, but it’s been a year, and we still only have one week of the Mickey Mouse Club up. That’s the kind of thing that should be going out regularly, at least a new week every month. It’s legacy programming, so it doesn’t need to be produced fresh, just remastered. And it would be something that would always be “new.”

Canada doesn’t even have that. There’s no explanation why.

 

[Brer Oswald]

I see this simply as prioritizing which content to get up there first. Many of the older films and shows look like they are fresh digital versions, and that takes time and manpower to do. They'll add more of the older stuff. Now that the service is up and running there's really no rush

A lot of it was restored 18 years ago. It’s not much of an excuse to hold it back. I understand trickling an episode or two of the Disneyland show, or the old cartoons, once a month. But they aren’t even doing that. And some of the ones available on the US Disney + aren’t available in other English speaking countries, for no reason in particular.

It’s just laziness.

 

[FigmentFan82]

A lot of it was restored 18 years ago. It’s not much of an excuse to hold it back. I understand trickling an episode or two of the Disneyland show, or the old cartoons, once a month. But they aren’t even doing that. And some of the ones available on the US Disney + aren’t available in other English speaking countries, for no reason in particular.

It’s just laziness.

I don't know if it's a mandate or case by case, but many of the classic Disney films had fresh new restorations for Disney+. I know for a fact that Sword in the Stone is a new and far better restoration than what was released on Blu-Ray, which was hot garbage. Also you can pull great 4K transfers from film, something they weren't doing 18 years ago