Disneyland and Disney World lay off 28,000 employees amid pandemic struggles - OCR/SCNG

[Model3 McQueen]

An acquaintance who is a former imagineer (primary decorator of Trader Sam's) and had been there a while, stated that nearly every imagineer he worked with was let go.

I'm sorry for your acquaintance. Must be terrifying for them right now.

Can we speculate on what the imagineer layoffs means for future, incomplete blueprint projects like Splash Mountain, Marvel Land Phase 2, etc.?

 

[1HAPPYGHOSTHOST]

And every person involved in Batuu and SWGE. Let us pray.

#justiceforbatuu

In Chewies name, AMEN

 

[Stevek]

I'm sorry for your acquaintance. Must be terrifying for them right now.

Can we speculate on what the imagineer layoffs means for future, incomplete blueprint projects like Splash Mountain, Marvel Land Phase 2, etc.?

He actually left Disney a few years ago for Uni Creative but sad for him nonetheless.

 

[Stevek]

There have been talks over the last few decades of switching from a full time Imagineer staff to more of a consultant type structure, where Imagineers are brought on for specific projects.

I was wondering if that would be the model moving forward...hire some of these now displaced imagineers on a consulting/project basis only moving forward.

 

[Lilofan]

I was wondering if that would be the model moving forward...hire some of these now displaced imagineers on a consulting/project basis only moving forward.

Instead of hiring and firing just call them when you need them.

 

[Stevek]

Instead of hiring and firing just call them when you need them.

Yup, exactly.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I'm sorry for your acquaintance. Must be terrifying for them right now.

Can we speculate on what the imagineer layoffs means for future, incomplete blueprint projects like Splash Mountain, Marvel Land Phase 2, etc.?

Not really. Projects being cancelled and their teams let go is only one possibility. It could also be that people must now be responsible for more. You that newer projects were cancelled and people with nothing to do were let go.

 

[SirWillow]

Lots more calls going out today. And lots of non-union spots seem to be getting wiped out.

Photopass now is pretty much not going to exist on both coasts. There are a handful of admins left, and that's about it. So after Dec 4, not sure that there will be a photopass service. There aren't going to be many, if any, photographers left.

The Minnie Coup driving service also looks like it's being eliminated.
And what I'm reading everyone at the NBA Experience has been called.

other departments are getting hit very hard as well.

 

[TP2000]

It's not really surprising though is it? Quite honestly, I would have guessed they would be first on the cut list given most guests don't have access to the club. Also just read that Jenn Finley-Baker, Disney Parks Blog Leader and 19 year vet, was also let go. Nobody is immune to the cuts.

That name was familiar, and when I Googled her it all came flooding back. Jennifer Fickley-Baker, whattaname!

No one wants to see anyone get laid off, but she'll be fine. She only looks about 45 years old, and she's a schmoozy Social Media middle manager. Probably living in some cheesy stucco tract home in suburban Orlando, driving a leased car, curling her hair for the 'gram. So I'm sure she'll bounce back and be Tweeting from the corporate account of Rice-A-Roni or Round-Up Bug Spray or Hyundai a few months from now. She'll be fine.

That said, I'm impressed they are slashing the big names at the Disney Parks Blog. That outlet seems so vapid and fake, it can't be of any real use to anyone, can it? About it's only valid use is live-streaming the opening ceremonies for new lands or big new rides, but they shouldn't have to employ a whole wasteful office of cubicle drones in Celebration to do that every year or two.

The silver lining here is that Disney is slimming down a lot of things that desperately needed to be slimmed. If not eliminated.

 

[Figments Friend]

I was wondering if that would be the model moving forward...hire some of these now displaced imagineers on a consulting/project basis only moving forward.

There was a lot of talk about this several years ago.
Complete restructuring of WDI where it would operate in a way similar to this.

-

 

[SuddenStorm]

What's the hypothetical length of time Disneyland would need to be closed for the company to just throw in the towel and sell off the land? I don't think it would happen- but eventually there just isn't money.

The rest of the Parks division isn't exactly making money right now with the significant reductions in capacity and decline in travel that is expected to last indefinitely.

 

[SuddenStorm]

That name was familiar, and when I Googled her it all came flooding back.

No one wants to see anyone get laid off, but she'll be fine. She only looks about 45 years old, and she's a schmoozy Social Media middle manager. So I'm sure she'll bounce back and be Tweeting from the corporate account of Rice-A-Roni or Round-Up Bug Spray or Hyundai a few months from now.

That said, I'm impressed they are slashing the big names at the Disney Parks Blog. That outlet seems so vapid and fake, it can't be of any real use to anyone, can it? About it's only valid use is live-streaming the opening ceremonies for new lands or big new rides, but they shouldn't have to employ a whole wasteful office of cubicle drones in Celebration to do that every year or two.

The silver lining here is that Disney is slimming down a lot of things that desperately needed to be slimmed. If not eliminated.

The parks Blog is such a missed opportunity. It should be the forefront authority on all thinks Disney parks- with insight into their history, upcoming attractions, and regular spotlight posts on key members of the Disney organization, both past and present. They should be regularly pulling from the archives to find new material that outdoes what Disney fan blogs are able to do.

 

[el_super]

What's the hypothetical length of time Disneyland would need to be closed for the company to just throw in the towel and sell off the land? I don't think it would happen- but eventually there just isn't money.

5 to 10 years.

 

[SirWillow]

15 years? They aren't going to spend $2-4 Billion dollars, or more, to buy land elsewhere and rebuild the parks.

It's scary how many people believed the Uncle Walt's satire site about moving the parks. lol smh

 

[SuddenStorm]

15 years? They aren't going to spend $2-4 Billion dollars, or more, to buy land elsewhere and rebuild the parks.

It's scary how many people believed the Uncle Walt's satire site about moving the parks. lol smh

To be clear, I don't think Disney would sell Disneyland. But there is a certain point where they won't have a choice but to start selling assets- even if that point is years off.

 

[lazyboy97o]

15 years? They aren't going to spend $2-4 Billion dollars, or more, to buy land elsewhere and rebuild the parks.

It's scary how many people believed the Uncle Walt's satire site about moving the parks. lol smh

$2-4 billion isn’t nearly enough to move the Disneyland Resort. More like $15 billion, minimum.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

Huh. You guys are really good at determining costs of a completely unprecedented event.

 

[denyuntilcaught]

The parks Blog is such a missed opportunity. It should be the forefront authority on all thinks Disney parks- with insight into their history, upcoming attractions, and regular spotlight posts on key members of the Disney organization, both past and present. They should be regularly pulling from the archives to find new material that outdoes what Disney fan blogs are able to do.

That's long been a fight that the social media strategists within the company have tried to accomplish but the VPs of Marketing that typically come from PR backgrounds, and not the new and hot digital market, strike it down.

 

[TP2000]

The parks Blog is such a missed opportunity. It should be the forefront authority on all thinks Disney parks- with insight into their history, upcoming attractions, and regular spotlight posts on key members of the Disney organization, both past and present. They should be regularly pulling from the archives to find new material that outdoes what Disney fan blogs are able to do.

Thank you! You said that much more graciously than I did.

You are right. The Disney Parks Blog is/was a missed opportunity.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Huh. You guys are really good at determining costs of a completely unprecedented event.

SWL alone would be a billion.