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

[Brer Oswald]

Is every post of yours always going to be about Splash Mountain?

Probably.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Yeah we know the the FL governor will never do anything. Orange County is a more likely scenario of any imposed shutdown, but I still think very unlikely at this point.

It would be very hard for them to close - two big reasons...

But it is also hard for them to limp along for six more months. Locals are overvaluing what they will/can spend...it isn’t much.

Gotta admit.... I'm beginning to sense a death spiral .

1) Disney lays off major numbers of CMs - customers chose to not come, due to severely reduced staff...
2) Disney notes the lack of traffic.... and fires more staff ....
3) Repeat.

Not sure this will end well, for Disney....

It’s not covid at this point...it’s the prolonged recession and fundamental changes to travel that the pandemic has now guaranteed that’s gonna cause the problems.

Here’s a interesting question: Disney has 5 conventions centers in Orlando...what do they use them for now?

Disney+, Hulu and Hotstar will more than make up for the loss of business from the parks. The 3 alone will also be worth more than the Netflix's marketcap. Hulu, ESPN+ and Disney+ currently have annual revenues of over $13 billion but that leaves out Hotstar and its hundreds of million streaming customers in India and Indonesia, plus they are expanding and even have customers in the US paying $44.99 a year. The future of streaming and the company's profits are in Asia even if China refuses to open up its streaming market. That is the real reason Disney sent all that money on Fox, the crown jewel was Hotstar and Fox's business in Asia.

You’re pointing to the Apple when Disney has to sell a whole fruit basket.

Can't agree with this. Last I saw disney is approaching capacity for the upcoming Christmas season. There is no spiral, people are simply accepting no entertainment or extras. For every person like me who will not go back with the costs and lack of offerings, 3 are taking my place. I keep hoping something will bring it back, but it just seems to keep going further out.

The consumers are failing - which is a prediction I always get right - but the pandemic is keeping the bulk away. Normally there are 3 to take your place...right now there aren’t enough to open the hotel blocks. It’s bad. Killing grandma appears to break even the gluttonous Disney impulse.

The RPU is straight from the reports.

Dusney+ is $4.53
ESPN+ is. $4.59
Hulu is. $12.59
Hulu with TV is $71.90

The customer count
Disney+ 73.7 million
ESPN+ 10.3 million
Hulu. 32.5 million
Hulu w TV. 4.1 million.

Now hotstar isnt reported separately and I wish I had those numbers. I can tell you I gave a friend a yearly subscription for $44.99. It also only cost $1.00 a month in India for the plain Hotstar service. All the number I gave are public except how much Disney+ pays the studios.

On to their saying Disney+ would lose money until 2024 when they expected 60 to 90 million customers and would reach profitability. They said in their conference call they ended the quarter with 73.7 million customers and would provide an update in December at their media day. They had already been marketing in Latin America for their opening of service there. Those numbers will be given shortly. Disney should announce at that event that Disney+ is now profitable after only 1 year of service. Now, I know they lost money i. their first 12 months of service, everyone knows that. What I have been saying in from October 2020 onward, it is clear unless they completely lied about their expenses that Disney+ is profitable on its Division accounting and that compared to what Netflix was paying Disney it was additive to profits earlier.

They has 73.7 million paying customers at the end of the quarter. They have had many more because there have been some that dropped the service.

It’s a streaming service...and a successful one it appears...but you gotta stop overstating what it means to the bottomline. I think I’m paying $3.85 a month?
Not exactly “bank”...and with all streaming services, people will drop and add and the numbers will flatten out.

It’s not the path to fortune and glory you’ve convinced yourself of.

They need those other huge segments to come back and they are locked in a bad position now and maybe for awhile.

A reputation that he, to be honest, doesn't deserve.

And didn't Iger return to the company back in May? Perhaps even earlier? He's the one pushing for the Splash Mountain retheme, right?

Iger is still calling the shots...it doesn’t take Scotland Yard to figure out “I think you should say this, Bob” is a frequent “suggestion” in the dopey suite

 

[HauntedPirate]

D+ needs the original content they announced last year or people will start dropping. Mando alone isn’t going to keep people subscribed for a full year.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

D+ needs the original content they announced last year or people will start dropping. Mando alone isn’t going to keep people subscribed for a full year.

Indeed...everyone and their brother has a streaming service (or two) now...original content is now the race/game changer...especially with movie theaters in big trouble and cable declining rapidly

 

[MisterPenguin]

D+ needs the original content they announced last year or people will start dropping. Mando alone isn’t going to keep people subscribed for a full year.

If it wasn't for the pandemic, there would be a lot more on D+ right now. We would have already had one Marvel series before Mando with another set to begin in December when Mando ended.

What's in production now is... a lot.

Also, D+'s library is constantly growing as older Disney TV content is prepped and released, and licenses for Disney and 20thC properties on other streamers expires (e.g., D+ doesn't have all the Ice Age movies available... yet).

 

[Disstevefan1]

And yet they still have the money for the Splash Mountain rethemes. Yeah, that makes sense.

There is always money for social justice

 

[techgeek]

Since March, The Walt Disney Company has understandably been under a pretty tight hiring freeze. If you've been keeping an eye on the Disney Careers site throughout the pandemic, it's been pretty thin - but that of course doesn't mean there's a total lack of job postings... even in the wake of 30k+ announced layoffs. You expect to still see the occasional posting to fill an essential position, or bring talent into key teams relevant to streaming and production.

On Wednesday, the same day additional cuts were announced across the company, there was a rare block of domestic Parks, Experiences, and Products opportunities posted for Orlando and California:

From the posting for "Digital Employee Communications Manager":

Job Summary:​

At Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, we bring the magic of Disney into the daily lives of families and fans around the world to create magical memories that last a lifetime. Our talented team of Cast Members, Crew Members, Imagineers, and employees deliver unparalleled levels of service, entertainment, and imagination, bringing a range of authentic and immersive stories to life across the globe.

As part of the Employee Culture & Connections team, the Digital Employee Communications Manager is responsible for advising, coordinating, auditing, and distributing digital employee communications for assigned site and business client accounts of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products.

This role will contribute to building a team that is nimble, creative, optimistic, disruptive, and develops fresh ideas.

Responsibilities:​

• Partnering closely with site and business communications teams, oversee the day-to-day management of digital platforms for assigned client accounts, including content integration, calendar management, and digital distribution.
• Provide ongoing guidance, support, and auditing of digital communications for assigned content ownership groups that fall outside of the communications organization, ensuring defined user experience and product design principles are maintained across digital platforms.
• Regularly connect and collaborate with assigned client accounts to understand site and business priorities, and coordinate appropriate amplification across DPEP.
• Advise content partners on digital communication best practices and opportunities within our platforms to extend the reach and enhance effectiveness of content.
• Provide leadership for a digital distribution specialist, who assists in providing content distribution services, auditing, and some platform troubleshooting.

It would seem that the "Employee Culture and Connections" team of P&R is very essential, and that there will be increasing focus on cultivating the kind of social media feeds we've come to associate with key figures in the company.

 

[Brer Panther]

Is every post of yours always going to be about Splash Mountain?

Look, just because YOU think that the retheme is a great idea doesn't mean that EVERYONE on this site does.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Look, just because YOU think that the retheme is a great idea doesn't mean that EVERYONE on this site does.

Look, just because YOU don't like it doesn't mean you should post about it non-stop. I don't randomly bring up how I like the retheme all the time.

 

[Disstevefan1]

...no threat...ever.

I feel like that’s been said. And it was always true.

Here’s the difference: little brother up the street has cut into market share over the last 10 years.
Orlando is changing...it used to be about growing the “pie” and everyone making more off the same cut.
Now it’s going to transition to fighting for the same pie...because the consumers will not become increasingly wealthy...the opposite according to all indicators, actually.

I agree, Locally there is now competition; Universal Orlando normally not a threat to WDW, but now with the limited capacity and limited vacation dollar caused by COVID the playing field is somewhat leveled.

It will be interesting to see after everything is back to normal if those folks WDW lost to Universal come back.
That said, it will be interesting to see what our new normal will be.
The economy was unbelievably great before COVID and WDW was the most MOBBED I had ever seen it in 30 years.

We are in unknown territory. It will be interesting to watch how this plays out.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I agree, Locally there is now competition; Universal Orlando normally not a threat to WDW, but now with the limited capacity and limited vacation dollar caused by COVID the playing field is somewhat leveled.

It will be interesting to see after everything is back to normal if those folks WDW lost to Universal come back.
That said, it will be interesting to see what our new normal will be.
The economy was unbelievably great before COVID and WDW was the most MOBBED I had ever seen it in 30 years.

We are in unknown territory. It will be interesting to watch how this plays out.

The fans will probably all come back, but like myself, it will no longer be the only vacation location for a trip. I have cut way down on the number of days that I go to WDW and have picked up the number at Universal. And that was before the Pandemic. I found that Uni had a lot to offer that either equaled or exceeded Disney attractions.

 

[Mr Mindcrime]

There is one “major” North American League that simply wont be able to play this year...they don’t have the corporate revenue to overcome the loss of gate. It’s not gonna happen...they’d have to borrow/ mortgage their assets to operate.

....He shoots......He scores.......

 

[Jrb1979]

Espn sucks. It has for multiple reasons for along time.

Sports as a whole are undergoing a transition. Lack of appeal to youth is driving declining incentive for companies to invest in sports in media.

And the slow death of broadcast cable/advertising...doesn’t help. Leagues and media companies (cough) lived high on that hot for decades...it’s declining fast.

There is one “major” North American League that simply wont be able to play this year...they don’t have the corporate revenue to overcome the loss of gate. It’s not gonna happen...they’d have to borrow/ mortgage their assets to operate.

It will be a great shame if the NHL doesn't play this year. It may come off rude but that I blame on Americans. If they would get into like they do other major sports it wouldn't be in this problem.

 

[Mr Mindcrime]

I’m all for wiping out all world debt and starting again

So that "might" solve the immediate crisis...or at least help. But it does nothing for the bigger picture. It is the same discussion I had yesterday with family about the push in the US to forgive all student loans. Sure it makes some folks super happy (and some super mad) but it doesn't address the reason we got into a mess in the first place.

You wipe out the debt now, means you mortgage your country's future, which means you push today's problem into future generations. But the bigger problem to me is fixing what got us into these messes in the first place: borrowing and spending and not living within your means. We want more....and we want it now......and we'll figure out how to pay for it later. And when later comes we want a reset which means we will deal with it even later. This vicious cycle will never have a good ending.

 

[Pirate Magic]

And this kind of plays into what I have been saying. Why would you cut certain CM's who are part of what draws people to your vacation destination as opposed to others who may not be critical in that regard? Cutting wholesale like they appear to be is dangerous in that if you dilute the product enough, people wont be buying it as much, if at all. The savings looks great for this quarter for Wall Street, but doesnt contribute to the long term health of the company. Marie

These CM’s who go the extra mile are what “Disney Magic” is all about, not some executive sitting in a room with no idea of what is going on in the outside world only their bottom line for themselves and their shareholder. If Disney continues to go down this very bad road (high prices with nothing for the guest) I feel it will not be pretty. Those CM’s are the backbone of Disney’s success with their theme parks. That extra “kindness” that we have all either seen or experienced at Disney. That can bring a smile or a tears to you eyes.

 

[JoeCamel]

So that "might" solve the immediate crisis...or at least help. But it does nothing for the bigger picture. It is the same discussion I had yesterday with family about the push in the US to forgive all student loans. Sure it makes some folks super happy (and some super mad) but it doesn't address the reason we got into a mess in the first place.

You wipe out the debt now, means you mortgage your country's future, which means you push today's problem into future generations. But the bigger problem to me is fixing what got us into these messes in the first place: borrowing and spending and not living within your means. We want more....and we want it now......and we'll figure out how to pay for it later. And when later comes we want a reset which means we will deal with it even later. This vicious cycle will never have a good ending.

Same as personal bankruptcy to discharge credit card debt. If you don't change the underlying spending problem or increase the income it just kicks the can down the road so you get to do it all over again in a few years.

The other thought about resetting the debt is we tell the foreign nations holding our paper "too bad so sad" on 7 trillion dollars? How does that work, we took the money for the paper.

 

[Mr Mindcrime]

Iger and Chapek are managers, not leaders or visionaries.

Agree 100%. Helped you a little here...

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

It will be a great shame if the NHL doesn't play this year. It may come off rude but that I blame on Americans. If they would get into like they do other major sports it wouldn't be in this problem.

Not to tangent...but blame Bettman in the 90’s...killed it through bad management.

But they are gonna play...2/3 of the owners wont flinch in cancelling the season if they don’t get their Normal gate revenue...and that is 1000% impossible

 

[crispy]

I agree, Locally there is now competition; Universal Orlando normally not a threat to WDW, but now with the limited capacity and limited vacation dollar caused by COVID the playing field is somewhat leveled.

It will be interesting to see after everything is back to normal if those folks WDW lost to Universal come back.
That said, it will be interesting to see what our new normal will be.
The economy was unbelievably great before COVID and WDW was the most MOBBED I had ever seen it in 30 years.

We are in unknown territory. It will be interesting to watch how this plays out.

We just spent 5 days at Universal and it was packed! They really did a great job with balancing entertainment and social distancing. Universal hotels are far superior to Disney with a much better price point. We stayed in a two room suite at Endless Summer for less than a regular room at Pop Century...a lot less. I expected it to be terrible, but it was an awesome little hotel with a nice look, a gym, Starbucks, and great transportation. We didn't do any Disney parks, but we had dinner at House of Blues on Wednesday night. Disney Springs was a ghost town especially compared to City Walk. Of course, that is purely anecdotal.

Also, Hagrid's is our new favorite ride. They knocked it out if the park with that one.

 

[Brer Oswald]

Look, just because YOU don't like it doesn't mean you should post about it non-stop. I don't randomly bring up how I like the retheme all the time.

What I’m getting from this conversation is that you should randomly talk about Penguins all the time.