On layoffs, very bad attendance, and Iger's legacy being one of disgrace

[DisneyDebRob]

All over for Orlando, hotels are laying off meeting and banquet staff. Many of those are very highend, career positions that pay significantly better then working in the parks for either Disney or Universal.

At Universal, the entire reason Royal Pacific and Sapphire Falls even exist is to serve convention and meeting business. The same can be said for the Hyatt’s, Hilton’s and Marriotts around town which include some of the largest meeting spaces in the country outside of Vegas. From first hand knowledge, many of these recent hotel layoffs are directly related to the complete evaporation of business travel. Leisure tourism is very much a secondary market for those properties.

At the moment, the buzz in the meeting industry is that we are starting to write off spring as well. When Covid hit in March, many of the Fortune 500 list put formal travel restrictions in place immediately through at least the summer. That was quickly extended through the end of the year. In the last few weeks, I’ve begun hearing and seeing ‘no earlier then April’ from some big names, and that’s if everything goes perfectly this winter. Conventions and meetings are typically planned 6-18 months in advance, so filling the calendar again is going to be a very slow process.

Obviously you haven’t been reading some of the posters here saying capacity, fireworks and even mask mandates are going away very soon. Don’t listen to the actual reports and buzz in the industry, you need to start listening to the keyboard warriors here!

 

[Disorbust]

So just back from moving my daughters home. One is furloughed and one has been back since mid July virtually. The one furloughed has a new position at home and was only going to be with the company thru September. Her new postion is virtual so they were both going to stay in Orlando but with so much uncetainty no one felt comfortable signing a lease.

They put their apartment in storage and that place was hopping with many others doing the same.

MCO was eerie, everyone who working loooked incedibly unhappy. They also looked like they had nothing to do and many were sitting on there phones.

Did Epcot on Friday, everthing was a walk on except Frozen. EVERYONE wore masks and socially distanced. Even though I'm not huge into the fireworks it really was missed, its just not the same without it. Ate at Via Napoli as a walk in and the restaurant was at best guess 25%. They did a great job spacing people out. It was the first restaurant I have been to since COVID. I have tried to eat out at home but it just was always to crowded for me and didn't feel safe. The cast at Epcot must have said "thank you for coming back" to us at least ten times, the CM in parking really went on about it.

I wear a mask 12hrs/day but I have to say the Disney masks completely suck. Literally the same texture as a double layer of hanes mens underwear. If you go use surgical masks.

My kids had to get cleaning supplies at Publix and the 20 something cashier, asked if they were Cast. They said yes, but they are furloughed and moving back home. She pulled back her vest she had on and pinned to her shirt was her Cast member name tag and she said, "well we are all in the same boat." That was hard to watch.

Driving 1200 miles home saw many uhauls reminded me of 2009.

Stopping thru Georgia for gas and saw a handful of face masks and they were probably out of state. Got the eye roll when I walked in wearing a mask. So Georgia you get what you deserve.

 

[marni1971]

All over for Orlando, hotels are laying off meeting and banquet staff. Many of those are very highend, career positions that pay significantly better then working in the parks for either Disney or Universal.

At Universal, the entire reason Royal Pacific and Sapphire Falls even exist is to serve convention and meeting business. The same can be said for the Hyatt’s, Hilton’s and Marriotts around town which include some of the largest meeting spaces in the country outside of Vegas. From first hand knowledge, many of these recent hotel layoffs are directly related to the complete evaporation of business travel. Leisure tourism is very much a secondary market for those properties.

At the moment, the buzz in the meeting industry is that we are starting to write off spring as well. When Covid hit in March, many of the Fortune 500 list put formal travel restrictions in place immediately through at least the summer. That was quickly extended through the end of the year. In the last few weeks, I’ve begun hearing and seeing ‘no earlier then April’ from some big names, and that’s if everything goes perfectly this winter. Conventions and meetings are typically planned 6-18 months in advance, so filling the calendar again is going to be a very slow process.

That aligns with a slowly dawning realisation in Europe, be it travel, working patterns, many industries etc.

 

[legwand77]

Obviously you haven’t been reading some of the posters here saying capacity, fireworks and even mask mandates are going away very soon. Don’t listen to the actual reports and buzz in the industry, you need to start listening to the keyboard warriors here!

You do realize capacity limits for the parks have been increased over the past week.

 

[techgeek]

Obviously you haven’t been reading some of the posters here saying capacity, fireworks and even mask mandates are going away very soon. Don’t listen to the actual reports and buzz in the industry, you need to start listening to the keyboard warriors here!

If all you’ve ever known is coming to Orlando to go to Disney, I kind of get it. The real business driving tourism in Central Florida isn’t on display or obvious, even if you drive by the big convention center on the way from the airport.

Disney picks up so much ancillary business related to conventions. People bring their families and tack on long weekends all the time. If international travel is a 10-20% share of the gate clicks at Disney, business travel accounts for equal that or more... not to mention all the money the mouse directly takes from corporate buy-outs and desert parties that make the ones offered for the tourists look cheap by comparison.

Illuminations was subsidized as much by corporate buy-outs at Italy, International Gateway, and other venues as much as it existed to drive general diner traffic to world showcase. No business money, less reason to roll that back in.

 

[Thelazer]

also, i dont believe they ever furloughed their full timers. I remember them saying they were paying 80% of their full timers salaries during closure. Now are most of those full timers still with the company after the two rounds of lay offs? Thats the question

The back of house blood letting has started.. front of house is on edge like you wouldn't believe.
Any day now.. HR is still processing stuff from the first two go arounds.

 

[Tha Realest]

Obviously you haven’t been reading some of the posters here saying capacity, fireworks and even mask mandates are going away very soon. Don’t listen to the actual reports and buzz in the industry, you need to start listening to the keyboard warriors here!

Government mandates (e.g., masks, social distancing, restaurant capacity) are separate things than what the corporate world decides are justifiable expenses in a world of Zoom and Webex meetings or fluctuating business needs. Don’t be silly.

 

[Lilofan]

So just back from moving my daughters home. One is furloughed and one has been back since mid July virtually. The one furloughed has a new position at home and was only going to be with the company thru September. Her new postion is virtual so they were both going to stay in Orlando but with so much uncetainty no one felt comfortable signing a lease.

They put their apartment in storage and that place was hopping with many others doing the same.

MCO was eerie, everyone who working loooked incedibly unhappy. They also looked like they had nothing to do and many were sitting on there phones.

Did Epcot on Friday, everthing was a walk on except Frozen. EVERYONE wore masks and socially distanced. Even though I'm not huge into the fireworks it really was missed, its just not the same without it. Ate at Via Napoli as a walk in and the restaurant was at best guess 25%. They did a great job spacing people out. It was the first restaurant I have been to since COVID. I have tried to eat out at home but it just was always to crowded for me and didn't feel safe. The cast at Epcot must have said "thank you for coming back" to us at least ten times, the CM in parking really went on about it.

I wear a mask 12hrs/day but I have to say the Disney masks completely suck. Literally the same texture as a double layer of hanes mens underwear. If you go use surgical masks.

My kids had to get cleaning supplies at Publix and the 20 something cashier, asked if they were Cast. They said yes, but they are furloughed and moving back home. She pulled back her vest she had on and pinned to her shirt was her Cast member name tag and she said, "well we are all in the same boat." That was hard to watch.

Driving 1200 miles home saw many uhauls reminded me of 2009.

Stopping thru Georgia for gas and saw a handful of face masks and they were probably out of state. Got the eye roll when I walked in wearing a mask. So Georgia you get what you deserve.

Getting eyerolls in GA? Not surprising to say the least.

 

[DisneyDebRob]

Government mandates (e.g., masks, social distancing, restaurant capacity) are separate things than what the corporate world decides are justifiable expenses in a world of Zoom and Webex meetings or fluctuating business needs. Don’t be silly.

You obviously misread my response.

 

[Lilofan]

The back of house blood letting has started.. front of house is on edge like you wouldn't believe.
Any day now.. HR is still processing stuff from the first two go arounds.

Whatever happens, no one should do anything foolish.

 

[Horizons '83]

Getting eyerolls in GA? Not surprising to say the least.

Hey now, a fellow Georgian here. We have nut jobs like the rest of the country, but near the metro, its a much different story then the rural areas off the highways.

 

[Lilofan]

Hey now, a fellow Georgian here. We have nut jobs like the rest of the country, but near the metro, its a much different story then the rural areas off the highways.

I agree on your statement.

 

[DisneyDebRob]

You do realize capacity limits for the parks have been increased over the past week.

Hours are being cut.. we are already into the spring of next year before some hotels are even planing on opening, if they do.. numerous insiders along with cm’s that have heard things say nighttime fireworks won’t be happening until next year sometime.. conventions and business meetings still being cancelled for the rest of the year in Orlando.. parks not even hitting capacity on most days except for on occasion the weekend. You can say what you like but if you just open your eyes and see what’s going on.. also listen to people more in the know then us here.. it’s very plain to see. Nothing wrong with having rose colored glasses on, that I’ll give you but it’s also bad to assume things. Just take a look around.
And this is all being done without knowledge of whether a “second wave” will hit. Could actually get worse .

 

[Heppenheimer]

If all you’ve ever known is coming to Orlando to go to Disney, I kind of get it. The real business driving tourism in Central Florida isn’t on display or obvious, even if you drive by the big convention center on the way from the airport.

Disney picks up so much ancillary business related to conventions. People bring their families and tack on long weekends all the time. If international travel is a 10-20% share of the gate clicks at Disney, business travel accounts for equal that or more... not to mention all the money the mouse directly takes from corporate buy-outs and desert parties that make the ones offered for the tourists look cheap by comparison.

Illuminations was subsidized as much by corporate buy-outs at Italy, International Gateway, and other venues as much as it existed to drive general diner traffic to world showcase. No business money, less reason to roll that back in.

Yeah, when I booked a conference at Disneyland last March, there is no way my wife and son were staying at home!

And since the conference ending up getting canceled after we arrived, that just meant extra time in the parks, before COVID shut them down too.

I think trade and professional conferences will eventually return once they become safe again (some interactions simply can't be replicated over the internet), but large business meetings within individual companies might remain virtual for the foreseeable future.

 

[legwand77]

Getting eyerolls in GA? Not surprising to say the least.

and yet Georgia, even with the "eyeroll" positive test and hospitalization, in schools without masks photos, etc. like Florida are on the same declining trend for the past month

 

[eliza61nyc]

[, post: 9416011, member: 6710"]
That aligns with a slowly dawning realisation in Europe, be it travel, working patterns, many industries etc.
[/QUOTE]
. My industry (chemical, R&D) got hit earlier than many others because so much of our stuff comes from China. So when all hell broke loose in December we knew it was going to be bad. We were furloughed in April and now they are talking reduced hours.
I admire folks who thought this was going to be over quickly.

 

[JoeCamel]

So just back from moving my daughters home. One is furloughed and one has been back since mid July virtually. The one furloughed has a new position at home and was only going to be with the company thru September. Her new postion is virtual so they were both going to stay in Orlando but with so much uncetainty no one felt comfortable signing a lease.

They put their apartment in storage and that place was hopping with many others doing the same.

MCO was eerie, everyone who working loooked incedibly unhappy. They also looked like they had nothing to do and many were sitting on there phones.

Did Epcot on Friday, everthing was a walk on except Frozen. EVERYONE wore masks and socially distanced. Even though I'm not huge into the fireworks it really was missed, its just not the same without it. Ate at Via Napoli as a walk in and the restaurant was at best guess 25%. They did a great job spacing people out. It was the first restaurant I have been to since COVID. I have tried to eat out at home but it just was always to crowded for me and didn't feel safe. The cast at Epcot must have said "thank you for coming back" to us at least ten times, the CM in parking really went on about it.

I wear a mask 12hrs/day but I have to say the Disney masks completely suck. Literally the same texture as a double layer of hanes mens underwear. If you go use surgical masks.

My kids had to get cleaning supplies at Publix and the 20 something cashier, asked if they were Cast. They said yes, but they are furloughed and moving back home. She pulled back her vest she had on and pinned to her shirt was her Cast member name tag and she said, "well we are all in the same boat." That was hard to watch.

Driving 1200 miles home saw many uhauls reminded me of 2009.

Stopping thru Georgia for gas and saw a handful of face masks and they were probably out of state. Got the eye roll when I walked in wearing a mask. So Georgia you get what you deserve.

Getting eyerolls in GA? Not surprising to say the least.

Hey now, a fellow Georgian here. We have nut jobs like the rest of the country, but near the metro, its a much different story then the rural areas off the highways.

That was my experience in Georgia a couple of weeks ago, southern they don't know what a mask is, northern much better compliance but the small towns really don't wear one unless you approach with one on then they might put one on.

 

[Seanual757]

All over for Orlando, hotels are laying off meeting and banquet staff. Many of those are very highend, career positions that pay significantly better then working in the parks for either Disney or Universal.

At Universal, the entire reason Royal Pacific and Sapphire Falls even exist is to serve convention and meeting business. The same can be said for the Hyatt’s, Hilton’s and Marriotts around town which include some of the largest meeting spaces in the country outside of Vegas. From first hand knowledge, many of these recent hotel layoffs are directly related to the complete evaporation of business travel. Leisure tourism is very much a secondary market for those properties.

At the moment, the buzz in the meeting industry is that we are starting to write off spring as well. When Covid hit in March, many of the Fortune 500 list put formal travel restrictions in place immediately through at least the summer. That was quickly extended through the end of the year. In the last few weeks, I’ve begun hearing and seeing ‘no earlier then April’ from some big names, and that’s if everything goes perfectly this winter. Conventions and meetings are typically planned 6-18 months in advance, so filling the calendar again is going to be a very slow process.

Business leaders in Orlando are already talking about 2021 being a wast and mid to late 2022 to see things starting to look positive but that depends on the economy after this mess.

 

[legwand77]

Hours are being cut.. we are already into the spring of next year before some hotels are even planing on opening, if they do.. numerous insiders along with cm’s that have heard things say nighttime fireworks won’t be happening until next year sometime.. conventions and business meetings still being cancelled for the rest of the year in Orlando.. parks not even hitting capacity on most days except for on occasion the weekend. You can say what you like but if you just open your eyes and see what’s going on.. also listen to people more in the know then us here.. it’s very plain to see. Nothing wrong with having rose colored glasses on, that I’ll give you but it’s also bad to assume things. Just take a look around.
And this is all being done without knowledge of whether a “second wave” will hit. Could actually get worse .

All those things are ifs and "rumors". Today in Florida less than 2000 positive test are reported (not cases as we have found out), yes it is a Monday but it is the lowest since 6/14 and CLI indicators are still dropping so hospitalization will continue to fall off fast.

While it will take longer for the conventions and meetings to spin up it will be faster than you are positing if the trend over the last month continues.

*If I got my news on here I would be thinking that by riding the Skyliner, I would die in heat inferno or the car would fall off and plunge to a horrible death.

 

[Tha Realest]

You obviously misread my response.

I didn’t. The poster you were responding to was discussing the broader trends in conventions and large meetings. Those affect the convention-reliant resorts s/he was talking about, which are planned months and years in advance. Local government’s decisions to adjust mask mandates (which are being done now) and WDW’s ongoing assessment as to hours adjustments and resumption of fireworks) which they are doing now) are completely decoupled from what large conventions or large employers may do in late 2021 or 2022. Stop conflating the two.