Labor cost cutting measures begin at Walt Disney World as the company enters Q1

[aaronml]

Anyone can cook.

Yes, but sadly not anyone can cook well. Ratatouille is still a great film though.

 

[Lilofan]

It says when you book that’s not available right now, hopefully again soon. My friend just stayed at pop and had hers made everyday, looks like they’re trying to get back to normal

The company is being very strict with this. Lots of leaders left this week as they refused to get the shot and resigned as it was their deadline this week.

Don't get that reasoning of resigning like that. Keep your job and claim an exemption or is that just for front line staff?

 

[Disstevefan1]

People notice dirty restrooms and over-flowing trash cans. Trimming a few greeters is one thing, but the place needs to be clean.

Agreed, but folks have been noticing this at WDW for decades..

 

[peter11435]

Don't get that reasoning of resigning like that. Keep your job and claim an exemption or is that just for front line staff?

Claiming an exemption is not as easy as just saying you are exempt

 

[Disstevefan1]

Isn't international travel opening back up? I wonder how many that could draw in.

I noticed about a week ago that availability on DVC rooms was strangely high for October but almost completely gone for just about everything in November and December.

Historically October has lower attendance and the end of November and December has higher attendance. I am guessing that would still apply.

 

[Lilofan]

Historically October has lower attendance and the end of November and December has higher attendance. I am guessing that would still apply.

Convention groups flying from all over come during the fall but that industry is near non existent.

 

[mikejs78]

The problem is, pleasing one group of guests drives away the other group of guests. The COVID-fearful want more restrictions so they feel safe. The COVID-fatigued want zero restrictions so they can feel normal. It's lose-lose.

Disney won't get the COVID-fatigued back until there's no more masking (including on the airlines) and they won't get the COVID-fearful until the pediatric vax is out, and maybe not even then.

Amen, brother.

People cancel pretty last-minute based upon the Covid situation. People are hoping for a pediatric vaccine by Halloween. Will that happen?

I'm not a fan of the labels Covid fatigue and covid fearful. That's inflammatory, in my opinion. I'm both sick of Covid and cautious, especially regarding my kids. Once they are vaccinated I'll feel a lot differently than I do now.

Also the reasons they aren't catering to those who don't want masks on planes is that they are in the significant minority of people according to surveys. Masks on planes gather something like 2/3s support among the American people.

Masks on planes weren't an issue during the summer. Travel was up, the recovery looked promising, then Delta hit.

 

[Patcheslee]

Anyone can cook.

My dad failed the ASVAB requirements to be a cook for Army

If I could cook like some Disney places I would have a hotel room with a kitchen and save money

Can Merch cast be trained as line cooks and housekeepers?

I was wondering the same thing. Union's usually have rules about such things. Even here no one can be required to perform work outside their assigned role without union agreement. And if a manager (nonunion) attempts to do union work a grievance can be filed.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Yes, but sadly not anyone can cook well. Ratatouille is still a great film though.

Not actually a problem. No one in the kitchen at most WDW restaurants cooks well to begin with! “Can you burn a hockey puck burger? You’re hired!”

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I'm not a fan of the labels Covid fatigue and covid fearful. That's inflammatory, in my opinion. I'm both sick of Covid and cautious, especially regarding my kids. Once they are vaccinated I'll feel a lot differently than I do now.

I wasn't trying to be inflammatory, just trying to use simple language to paint a picture. If you prefer "cautious" over "fearful," that's fine. That group of people, whatever label you pick, are predominantly not going to want to go to Walt Disney World right now regardless of indoor masking rules. So I think it's a fool's errand for Disney to try to draw them in. I think they'd be better off saying "welp, those people ain't coming anyways so let's focus on trying to get as many of the 'back to normal' crowd as we can."

Also the reasons they aren't catering to those who don't want masks on planes is that they are in the significant minority of people according to surveys. Masks on planes gather something like 2/3s support among the American people.

For the purposes of this conversation, I don't care how things poll among "the American people." I care how things poll among 1) people who travel frequently or semi-frequently and 2) families.

I don't care what a single woman who doesn't travel and has no kids thinks about masking policy on airplanes. I care about the mother of 3 from outside Harford who alternates between Walt Disney World and the Outer Banks every other year.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Not actually a problem. No one in the kitchen at most WDW restaurants cooks well to begin with! “Can you burn a hockey puck burger? You’re hired!”

The issue isn't QS F&B. Anyone can be trained to do that, and relatively quickly. The issue is at the "real" restaurants. The Ohana kitchen, for example, is on stage and requires some skill.

 

[ToTBellHop]

The issue isn't QS F&B. Anyone can be trained to do that, and relatively quickly. The issue is at the "real" restaurants. The Ohana kitchen, for example, is on stage and requires some skill.

I know. I’m being a smart a**…as usual.

 

[lentesta]

If I had to guess, this is a direct result of crowds not materializing post-Covid like they expected (or rather, Delta changed things). Hopefully some of these will return once crowds return, but my fear is that this will become the new baseline.

This. Exactly this.

 

[marni1971]

When does their first quarter begin? Did it start October 1?

Yes.

 

[Jrb1979]

If I had to guess, this is a direct result of crowds not materializing post-Covid like they expected (or rather, Delta changed things). Hopefully some of these will return once crowds return, but my fear is that this will become the new baseline.

I am trying to understand why people here care that it's not busy and want crowds to return.

 

[91JLovesDisney]

Cut labor costs how about cutting Bob salary by 90 percent for a start

Also, came across this lovely snippet of Bobby's childhood

 

[Lilofan]

The issue isn't QS F&B. Anyone can be trained to do that, and relatively quickly. The issue is at the "real" restaurants. The Ohana kitchen, for example, is on stage and requires some skill.

At $55 per person to eat in Ohana , those skilled chefs better be good!

 

[FantasiaMickey2000]

I understand people are going to roast them for this but as others have pointed out in this thread the cuts aren’t going to come from areas understaffed. I was in the parks over Labor Day and there were several times a day where I pointed out to another member of my party that there was a cast member or group of cast members standing around doing nothing or just talking to each other. They weren’t doing anything to help my guest experience and as a shareholder I don’t want the company paying them each $15 an hour to just stand there. Cutting the hours of cast members standing at the park entrance at 11 am or in the middle of the queue at Splash Mountain isn’t going to mean less housekeeping at your resort.

 

[AMDPhenomX4]

The day Disney lowers prices when they cut staff I will be fine with it. As a shareholder, I don't care about a few extra cast members. The massive increase in prices and decrease in benefits more than makes up for this.

 

[sullyinMT]

I don't think having international travel open up will have a huge impact. It's been open for Canadians to fly the whole time and it hasn't changed anything. The whole testing thing is making people have 2nd thoughts.

Yes, this. Fully vaccinated, we cancelled a trip to Mexico because we can’t afford a breakthrough infection “trapping” us in Cancún. It’s not COVID fear, but weariness of the testing, keeping us traveling stateside. And, WDW specific, we won’t go back until some level of service is back. We’ve been during the reopening phase, but will now wait for shows, housekeeping, and other intangibles to return.

Some things are coming back, like buffets in traditional settings, boardwalk and WS entertainers, and Casey’s pianist. I have hope that enough will return for my family, but this news is disheartening short term.