Disney plans hiring freeze, some jobs cut......

[Dan Deesnee]

Significant cuts would put Disney's total employee count back down to around where it was in 2013 or 2014. Think about that. Avatar wasn't open, Star wars wasn't open, they had less cruise ships, less resorts than they do now and they plan to operate at the same employee level.

That's why I don't think this will have a significant impact on the parks/resorts or cruise ships. You can already tell their understaffed and I was told recently they can't hire people fast enough.

Most of these cuts will be corporate bloat.

 

[Lilofan]

The bolded statement is a call to arms. Absolutely nothing is safe from scrutiny.

I would think if the boss tells you to cut then better be creative and slice dice and cut to produce savings results . Will us the guests notice it ? maybe yes maybe no but the quality or lack of it will be noticed. Do more with less comes to mind .

 

[Lilofan]

“We are limiting headcount additions through a targeted hiring freeze,” CEO Bob Chapek said in a memo to division leads sent Friday and obtained by CNBC. “Hiring for the small subset of the most critical, business-driving positions will continue, but all other roles are on hold. Your segment leaders and HR teams have more specific details on how this will apply to your teams.”

He added: “As we work through this evaluation process, we will look at every avenue of operations and labor to find savings, and we do anticipate some staff reductions as part of this review.” Disney has approximately 190,000 employees.

Savings idea - execs fly coach instead of first class

 

[coasterphil]

The current required qualification for new park cast - do they have a pulse?

(quoted by a current frontline CM and in no way disingenuous to existing cast)

It’s rare when that’s not the case. Do they have a pulse, can they fog a mirror, etc.

The whole Disney only hires the “best” thing was obviously true when they opened, but that’s long gone. I’d also say that only hiring size 2s that look nice in a skirt wasn’t exactly a great screening process back then either.

 

[yensid67]

Anywhere can be cut. The survivors may just have more on their plate to manage and just make it happen.

More work and no extra pay! THAT SUCKS!

 

[Smiley/OCD]

Savings idea - execs fly coach instead of first class

Well, Walt's plane WAS just refurbished...

 

[RobWDW1971]

. I’d also say that only hiring size 2s that look nice in a skirt wasn’t exactly a great screening process back then either.

It helped define and shape the "Disney Look" that made it a world famous, admired brand.

Just look at the Disneyland tour guides in the 60's and 70's where they (literally) did not have skirt sizes in double digits vs what you witness today.

I see more professional, fit, polished employees at the DMV. It's embarrassing for the brand.

The entire concept and image of the aspirational "Disney Look" has been obliterated.

If you see that as a benefit to the brand and parks, well, we just disagree.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Sure, but make the announcement after the holidays for the sake of those who will be laid off.

This wasn't an announcement, it was a memo to SVPs that leaked.

 

[Lilofan]

More work and no extra pay! THAT SUCKS!

Sucks is being laid off.

 

[castlecake2.0]

Chapek talked about 3 areas:

1. Content and marketing spending, i.e. stop spending a fortune on crappy shows that nobody wants and doesn't drive revenue.

2. Freeze on new headcount. This has nothing to do with frontline Parks.

3. SG&A costs. That's marketing, finance, accounting, HR, T&E, overhead, admin, miscellaneous supplies, IT. Again, NOT freaking ride maintenance and guest relations. Operational costs are the exact opposite of S&GA costs. We're talking about cubicle people, not costume people.

Thank you, that’s why I never like to get too far from a cash register or ride control panel, those jobs are always safest

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Savings idea - execs fly coach instead of first class

Execs aren't flying at all, travel is frozen. That's the whole point.

 

[kingdead]

It helped define and shape the "Disney Look" that made it a world famous, admired brand.

Just look at the Disneyland tour guides in the 60's and 70's where they (literally) did not have skirt sizes in double digits vs what you witness today.

I see more professional, fit, polished employees at the DMV. It's embarrassing for the brand.

The entire concept and image of the aspirational "Disney Look" has been obliterated.

If you see that as a benefit to the brand and parks, well, we just disagree.

If you look that good, you can make more money doing YouTube vids of you visiting the park than actually working in the park. Maybe somewhere out there there's that mysterious smoking hot, slim and trim worker who keeps themselves that way to serve food to crying kids for slightly above minimum wage, but something tells me that Disney will have to make do with dumpy old regular folk for 99 percent of the jobs.

 

[RobWDW1971]

If you look that good, you can make more money doing YouTube vids of you visiting the park than actually working in the park. Maybe somewhere out there there's that mysterious smoking hot, slim and trim worker who keeps themselves that way to serve food to crying kids for slightly above minimum wage, but something tells me that Disney will have to make do with dumpy old regular folk for 99 percent of the jobs.

You get what you pay for and demand.

Just another in the long line of examples of how the company is trading off the inherited goodwill of its predecessors.

If the Disney parks in their current state just opened today with this staff, appearance standards, service quality, lack of attention to detail and cleanliness, and hyper focus on revenue yield, they would never be associated with "magic" or "world class" nor would there be the brand halo of "Disney"

Just living off the standards and perceptions of the past.

Midgets standing on the shoulders of giants.

 

[Lilofan]

Execs aren't flying at all, travel is frozen. That's the whole point.

Believe when I see it. I do not. There is that saying - Do as I say not as I do.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Believe when I see it. I do not. There is that saying - Do as I say not as I do.

How would you even see it?

 

[JAN J]

Wide open availability as far as the calendar permits us to see, and, if you believe some reports, far below full “sailings” which has resulted in just one dining experience a night and reduced hours for CMs.

If they can’t sell this while other upcharge experiences like after hours parties and the like are selling out, how in the world is this going to be a profitable undertaking when those things soften?

I assume at $6k per group (just an average) the trips themselves might be profitable. But I agree with you, with the availability as open as it is and the huge investment to build that thing, investors will NOT be happy with it.

 

[Laketravis]

Travel not "frozen" and no definition of "essential". Use of "should" implies a suggestion:

"Chapek also told executives business travel should be limited to essential trips only. Meetings should be conducted virtually as much as possible, he wrote in the memo."

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Wasnt it insinuated there was going to be “bombshell” news as well regarding his abrupt retirement that never came out or even saq the light of day

The government/wall st assessments of Covid were worse than what happened…so he slithered away abruptly after news dump.

And still so many praetorians said it was “planned”

Horse

 

[Lilofan]

Thank you, that’s why I never like to get too far from a cash register or ride control panel, those jobs are always safest

Jobs always safest is a reach. When stores close early open late, shuttered and or attractions are not operating for various reasons etc., ride control panel and cashier jobs are affected.

 

[castlecake2.0]

Jobs always safest is a reach. When stores close early open late, shuttered and or attractions are not operating for various reasons etc., ride control panel and cashier jobs are affected.

Alright dude