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

This thread contains political discussion related to the original thread topic
lazyboy97o

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
kayaknc56 said:
Nope sorry, governments response has been to lock down, which has caused more pain than the actual threat. No balance or risk based decision-making at play. Lock downs as we have done have never been tried before and the data proves most of the lock down actions governments have taken have not worked. Sweden is exhibit A on what does work.
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So you think Walt Disney World should still be closed like it would be if in Sweden?
 
RSoxNo1

RSoxNo1

Well-Known Member
Any word on the following?
  • Jedi Training Academy - Trials of the Temple
  • UP! A Great Bird Adventure (I know there's an alternate show going on now)
  • Disney Junior Dance Party! (I believe this also has an alternate show going on)
  • Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show
  • Enchanted Tales with Belle
 
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UNCgolf

UNCgolf

Well-Known Member
Disney Analyst said:
Let me jump in, as someone in the performance industry:

Equity performers in general are all out of work. There are barely any equity contracts currently running/productions available. All performers (union or non union) in general are just screwed everywhere, unless you are in the film industry.

So we can hate Disney for how they handled this, but it was inevitable with the current situation.

But it seems all equity performers who worked for Disney will get 1st dibs when shows start remounting ( up to end of next year), and if they don’t take it, I guarantee a thousand other equity performers desperate for work will audition for the job.

Whoever starts hiring performers back first will have a huge pool to pull from, as almost every performer is currently out of work... and will be either career changing, or holding on for live performance to continue again.

And we can speculate until the cows come home what Disney will do, will they ever have performers again? But these are unprecedented times, and we just have to wait and see... and hope.

I personally don’t see Disney just never investing in performance / atmosphere performance ever gain.
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My non-insider guess is that shows will come back. Probably not all the same shows -- seems like Little Mermaid is done, and I could see them deciding to permanently shut down Indy as well -- but there will still be shows and possibly some new ones to replace ones that are closed.

Streetmosphere and other scattered entertainment in the resorts, though? The outlook there is bleak. I don't think the parks will be completely devoid of it, but they've been cutting back on it for years. There were already significantly fewer performers than there were in the past due to cuts. It seems like they look at that as an easy place to save money, and one that won't have any significant effect on attendance (and they're probably right). I don't expect something like the Grand Floridian Orchestra to return; they'd already shunted it off into a corner.
 
UNCgolf

UNCgolf

Well-Known Member
RSoxNo1 said:
Any word on the following?
  • Jedi Training Academy - Trials of the Temple
  • For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
  • UP! A Great Bird Adventure (I know there's an alternate show going on now)
  • Disney Junior Dance Party! (I believe this also has an alternate show going on)
  • Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show
  • Enchanted Tales with Belle
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Didn't they fire the Spirit of Aloha performers back in September when people like Yeeha Bob were cut?
 
Disney Analyst

Disney Analyst

Well-Known Member
UNCgolf said:
My non-insider guess is that shows will come back. Probably not all the same shows -- seems like Little Mermaid is done, and I could see them deciding to permanently shut down Indy as well -- but there will still be shows and possibly some new ones to replace ones that are closed.

Streetmosphere and other scattered entertainment in the resorts, though? The outlook there is bleak. I don't think the parks will be completely devoid of it, but they've been cutting back on it for years. There were already significantly fewer performers than there were in the past due to cuts. It seems like they look at that as an easy place to save money, and one that won't have any significant effect on attendance (and they're probably right). I don't expect something like the Grand Floridian Orchestra to return; they'd already shunted it off into a corner.
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Less, probably. But I do think they will bring back Streetmosphere to some capacity once the parks are in good standing again. I sincerely hope they do, and will hold on to that hope until we know one way or another.
 
UNCgolf

UNCgolf

Well-Known Member
Disney Analyst said:
Less, probably. But I do think they will bring back Streetmosphere to some capacity once the parks are in good standing again. I sincerely hope they do, and will hold on to that hope until we know one way or another.
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I agree. I do think there will be some; it will just be less than anyone is used to.
 
UNCgolf

UNCgolf

Well-Known Member
RSoxNo1 said:
That sounds right. I also removed the Frozen Sing-Along as that re-opened 10/5.
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Especially since the Polynesian isn't going to be open until next summer at the earliest (with as long as it takes Disney to do construction and the continued uncertainty around COVID, I wouldn't be married to that date). I'm not even sure if they actually fired them -- I think it may have been that their contracts were not renewed, which is a distinction without a difference, I suppose.
 
asianway

asianway

Well-Known Member
RSoxNo1 said:
Any word on the following?
  • Jedi Training Academy - Trials of the Temple
  • UP! A Great Bird Adventure (I know there's an alternate show going on now)
  • Disney Junior Dance Party! (I believe this also has an alternate show going on)
  • Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show
  • Enchanted Tales with Belle
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Enchanted Tales isn’t equity. There’s a “storytelling” exemption.

JTA I thought I read CXL
 
Y

YodaMan

Well-Known Member
TrainChasers said:
Dapper Dans. Voices return for Epcot holidays. Honestly frozen, dapper dans, voices, and light sabers probably add up to about 60.
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Sounds right. Frozen is 5 characters with 2 casts per day. That’s 14 shifts per week and at least 3 performers per character. Likely 4 if anyone ever wants a vacation or if someone gets sick. So that’s already 20 Equity performers right there.

Dapper Dans is 4 performers a day and 28 shifts a week so at least 6 performers would staff that. Probably 8 recalled to allow for time off.

Throw in however many from Voices of Liberty come back next week and however many staff Savi’s and 60 sounds about right.
 
tirian

tirian

Well-Known Member
monothingie said:
I live in NJ and it was the exact same way. We have some of the strictest restrictions in the country at present and yet our numbers continue to deteriorate. Yet we see more and more people not adhering to any sort of compliance measures. (And these non-compliers aren't the stereotypical knuckle dragging red-state neanderthals. It has been noted by the press here that often the biggest flouters of mask regs are the exact opposite demographic.)
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Many people are tired of the rules. There isn’t a clean political or ideological split, regardless of what TV news says.

I’m still following protocol as a personal choice based on science, but I have friends and coworkers all over the political spectrum who have decided if they get it, they get it. They’re tired of distancing. Again, I disagree with them.

Of course the financial impact from Covid is a factor in these layoffs, but Disney chose to ignore options because it was easier to shut everything down, save money, and blame California.
 

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