Layoffs underway at Walt Disney World

Pixieish

Pixieish

Well-Known Member
NearTheEars said:
It’s current incarnation is just to be a lifestyle center. And it appears to be a mildly successful one. Folks wanting it to be a free, park-like experience will obviously be disappointed. I hope people don’t really dedicate full, or even half days to going there while on vacation. But if they enjoy it, more power to them.
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That's kind of what I'm saying though...back when PI was open, we WOULD spend time browsing the shops and stuff (especially ones that featured Disney merch.) because we knew we'd be spending at least a few hours there anyway for PI.
 
GoofGoof

GoofGoof

Premium Member
CherylM said:
I'm not a big shopper. I miss Pleasure Island...it was a blast. The whole "outdoor mall" thing is just feeling weak as being part of the WDW experience. We stop into the Lego Store for our boys, and hubby used to love Planet Hollywood, but outside of those 2 spots, there's really no reason we'd ever set foot there.
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I would trade Disney Springs today for DTD with PI any day of the week. PI was great, but it’s gone and it’s never coming back. Nightlife at Disney Springs pales in comparison to the PI days.

The one way that Disney Springs is far superior than its predecessors is in dining options. If you prefer food courts and quick service restaurants or if you are on the dining plan and don’t want to waste 2 credits for a signature than it’s not much better than before but if you are looking for a nice meal out the options are pretty solid and much more extensive than the past versions of the area.

It’s interesting to me that people were complaining that Disney Springs isn’t Disney enough, lacking characters roaming around or other things that scream you are in a Disney theme park. Just like spending time at the resorts I kinda enjoy a break from the sensory overload of the parks. It’s great with kids eating at a place like Chef Mickey’s or one of the restaurants in the parks but it’s also nice to go to Disney Springs and enjoy a more subtle and relaxing dining experience (unless you go to a place like T-Rex or Rainforest). It’s also one of the things I loved about PI. At the end of the night adults could go there and unwind without the hustle and bustle of the parks. It was a pleasant contrast. I wouldn’t dedicate days of my trip to going to Disney Springs but we do at least one evening there for a nice meal and a leisurely stroll around.
 
W

WDWTrojan

Well-Known Member
GoofGoof said:
The one way that Disney Springs is far superior than its predecessors is in dining options. If you prefer food courts and quick service restaurants or if you are on the dining plan and don’t want to waste 2 credits for a signature than it’s not much better than before but if you are looking for a nice meal out the options are pretty solid and much more extensive than the past versions of the area.
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This. Unfortunately once the dining plan came out it allowed Disney to dumb down menus, homogenize ingredients, offer inferior quality cuts of meat and a host of other cost-cutting initiatives. All this because they got you to prepay for your food at a discount and don't need to offer as high-quality of an experience. It's staggering to me today what people will accept just because it's a "Disney" restaurant. Breakfast at nearly every Disney buffet ('Ohana is the worst offender) is nothing but warmed Sysco products - no different than you'd find at any airport snack bar - yet people rave about it, because they think its Disney so it must be good. There are a few exceptions to this rule, of course - new restaurants usually and places where cash payments still reign supreme (i.e. some signature restaurants). These are few and far between, though.

Given that most of the restaurants at Disney Springs are operating participants, they are forced to offer a higher-quality product, especially when its a lot of cash paying locals and Disney executives from across the street who eat there regularly. Disney Springs brought real, high-quality food on property in a way that hadn't been seen in quite some time.
 
Disone

Disone

Well-Known Member
While I will agree that there are other places that are similar to Disney Springs, calling it just another mall is not accurate. It's like calling Disneyland just another amusement park. Sure that is technically accurate but it does not do Disneyland any justice. Calling Disney Springs another Mall also does not do it justice. Is a genuine shopping, dining, and entertainment complex. And it does have a lot of entertainment. There is a lot of live musicians playing at Disney Springs all free for the listening. They are varied and they are plentiful. There are movie theaters, there are experiences (star wars, characters in flight, couple of children's rides).... calling it just another mall is trying to dismiss it as something that is just down the street from every house USA. That is just not the case. Just as Disneyland is not just another Six Flags, Disney Springs is not just another Mall.

Please do not over read into my example, I'm not saying Disney Springs is to malls what Disneyland was to amusement parks. I'm just saying it's more than just another Mall.
 
Sirwalterraleigh

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
mikejs78 said:
And there's nothing original coming out of the Animation Studios' for the rest of the decade. Just look at the lineup:

Wreck It Ralph 2: Ralph Wrecks the Internet
Incredibles 2
Frozen 2
Toy Story 4

All sequals. There are no original stories currently announced now that Gigantic is gone.
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That sounds like a company run by a guy who just wants to retire...

All bank, no chances...

Ironically the only thing they want to do "original" is have this Star Wars guy start over again...
...which is ironic considering that it's a demanding fanbase that wants things THEIR way...not necessarily the way a big, powerful, studio wants to take it...
 
ford91exploder

ford91exploder

Resident Curmudgeon
Disone said:
Ford! The article is very clear it is 145 people worldwide total. Not daily. There is no talk of daily. There is no mention of they're going to do this daily, or if so until what date for a grand total of how many.

I give up on you Ford, I used to think you were just a little overly negative but still adding value to this forum. Now I realize you're just a troll.
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There have been several posters on this thread who have noted the layoffs are continuing and they work at WDW and that more are planned for the next couple of months. I have to assume they know what they are talking about.

All I can comment on is apparent managment failures leading to the layoffs when it's obvious there are too few employees to provide guest service to DISNEY standards.

Love WDW absolutely despise how its being run into the ground for the sake of short term profit. Until that changes. I will not be returning

I'm long term DVC, since the days when you got park admission with your stay im selling soon because im sick of the quality and service cuts while my MF's increase.

So i dont see a return to quality anytine soon.
 
Disone

Disone

Well-Known Member
Sirwalterraleigh said:
It was stale, overpriced, not the right market for it...and not a particularly great cirque show.
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La Nouba is a pretty great show. I've seen O, Mystere, Ka, Varekia, Ovo, and La Nouba is my favorite of those.

It has the absolute best finale I've seen of any Cirque shows I have see. The energy and good natured fun of La Nouba's finale is awesome.
 
GoofGoof

GoofGoof

Premium Member
ford91exploder said:
There have been several posters on this thread who have noted the layoffs are continuing and they work at WDW and that more are planned for the next couple of months. I have to assume they know what they are talking about.
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In case anyone hasn’t reading the whole thread, here is the correct info from someone who works for the company:
PandoraPreview said:
I'm nervously scanning this thread each day for "insider" news on if my job is safe come January, and I have to read through arguments on Disney Springs. Frustrating, but I get it, I guess. Not everyone is in my position.

For what it's worth, there were more layoffs after the original 145. They are done from now, at least all GEMs across property were told in meetings last week. I fear there is much more to come in January.
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MisterPenguin

MisterPenguin

President of Animal Kingdom
Premium Member
mikejs78 said:
And there's nothing original coming out of the Animation Studios' for the rest of the decade. Just look at the lineup:

Wreck It Ralph 2: Ralph Wrecks the Internet
Incredibles 2
Frozen 2
Toy Story 4

All sequels. There are no original stories currently announced now that Gigantic is gone.
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True... but...

You are conflating two studios. That list of four movies is two movies each from two studios for the next two years.

Disney Animation has Ralph 2 in 2018 and Frozen 2 in 2019. The last sequel DA did was Fantasia 2000 in 2000 and before that Rescuers Down Under in 1990. That's a very long run without sequels. The shelving of Gigantic was indeed unfortunate (or, a symbol of the problems hinted at). Additionally, Lin-Manuel Miranda is working on an unnamed animated musical project (in addition to starring in Mary Poppins 2 and helping with Live-action Little Mermaid).

Pixar Animation has Incredibles 2 and Toy Story 4 coming out in 2018 and 2019. After that, there are two new animated features scheduled for 2020, and then two more new ones that are in early stages. So, after TS4, comes four non-sequels. [see here]
 
GoofGoof

GoofGoof

Premium Member
MisterPenguin said:
True... but...

You are conflating two studios. That list of four movies is two movies each from two studios for the next two years.

Disney Animation has Ralph 2 in 2018 and Frozen 2 in 2019. The last sequel DA did was Fantasia 2000 in 2000 and before that Rescuers Down Under in 1990. That's a very long run without sequels. The shelving of Gigantic was indeed unfortunate (or, a symbol of the problems hinted at). Additionally, Lin-Manuel Miranda is working on an unnamed animated musical project (in addition to starring in Mary Poppins 2 and helping with Live-action Little Mermaid).

Pixar Animation has Incredibles 2 and Toy Story 4 coming out in 2018 and 2019. After that, there are two new animated features scheduled for 2020, and then two more new ones that are in early stages. So, after TS4, comes four non-sequels. [see here]
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Plus Coco this year for Pixar is original. Pixar historically has a pretty good mix too. I’m actually surprised they aren’t considering a sequel to Inside Out. It just seems too easy to not do.
 
Sirwalterraleigh

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
Disone said:
La Nouba is a pretty great show. I've seen O, Mystere, Ka, Varekia, Ovo, and La Nouba is my favorite of those.

It has the absolute best finale I've seen of any Cirque shows I have see. The energy and good natured fun of La Nouba's finale is awesome.
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Matter of personal choice...we can disagree on that...

...but all my other points still hold. Particularly "not the right market"
 
Sirwalterraleigh

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
MisterPenguin said:
True... but...

You are conflating two studios. That list of four movies is two movies each from two studios for the next two years.

Disney Animation has Ralph 2 in 2018 and Frozen 2 in 2019. The last sequel DA did was Fantasia 2000 in 2000 and before that Rescuers Down Under in 1990. That's a very long run without sequels. The shelving of Gigantic was indeed unfortunate (or, a symbol of the problems hinted at). Additionally, Lin-Manuel Miranda is working on an unnamed animated musical project (in addition to starring in Mary Poppins 2 and helping with Live-action Little Mermaid).

Pixar Animation has Incredibles 2 and Toy Story 4 coming out in 2018 and 2019. After that, there are two new animated features scheduled for 2020, and then two more new ones that are in early stages. So, after TS4, comes four non-sequels. [see here]
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I think you know that's semantics - while technically true.

It's an oligarchy...which means all the marching orders come ultimately from the same corner office between sneezy and bashful...

There are different "parts" of the studio business...but all are ridiculously tightly controlled by the emperor
 
MisterPenguin

MisterPenguin

President of Animal Kingdom
Premium Member
Sirwalterraleigh said:
I think you know that's semantics - while technically true.

It's an oligarchy...which means all the marching orders come ultimately from the same corner office between sneezy and bashful...

There are different "parts" of the studio business...but all are ridiculously tightly controlled by the emperor
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It's still not a "all sequels all the time" deal. Both studios have had recent non-sequels and after these four, more non-sequels in the queue. That's the point.
 
Sirwalterraleigh

Sirwalterraleigh

Premium Member
MisterPenguin said:
It's still not a "all sequels all the time" deal. Both studios have had recent non-sequels and after these four, more non-sequels in the queue. That's the point.
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I think the key there is to look at what's on the docket moving forward...because of the long lead time on animation...

What do we have that isn't a sequel coming from either?
 
A

AidenWDW81

New Member
Hi, another GEM nervously and anxiously reading this thread for real information pertaining to jobs and layoffs. Can we open a new thread for the ongoing discussion over Disney Springs?

The people on these boards do a good job at posting all sorts of rumors and speculation. Please remember that this is also a place of employment and many people read what you write and there is a lot of anxiety right now because of what’s being posted on here. These are people’s jobs and livelihoods you’re talking about.
 

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