The wost is still comeing. More layoff's cutbacks, etc.. what have you @ WDW

[Thelazer]

Call it what you want, just don't call it good.

The resort A/V Teams (the folks who setup the AV for meeting rooms on Disney property) as well as the DEG group (the folks who produce all the large business meetings on property) are going to be outsourced starting sometime in January.

Rumor has it that a few folks have already been let go and there is much more of this to come. Mind you this is not something your average day guest might notice, but it affects a good amount of technicians and management.

 

[bruiser659]

sure will help the stock price.OUTSOURCE ,OUTSOURCE

 

[peter11435]

Call it what you want, just don't call it good.

The resort A/V Teams (the folks who setup the AV for meeting rooms on Disney property) as well as the DEG group (the folks who produce all the large business meetings on property) are going to be outsourced starting sometime in January.

Rumor has it that a few folks have already been let go and there is much more of this to come. Mind you this is not something your average day guest might notice, but it affects a good amount of technicians and management.

Thank you Mr. Over-Reaction. I feel bad for those who may be out of work. However I fail to see what is so bad about this. The fact is Disney needs to focus on their core business. Im sorry but conventions are not their core business. I for one don't really care if convention set up gets outsourced. Just as long as the important things stay great.

 

[mkt]

in all fairness, most hotel and convention centers outsource all of their AV work. The DEG people that will get laid off will almost certainly find jobs quickly in one of the companies that Disney will turn to for its AV needs.

 

[CTXRover]

I don't see the big problem with this either. Have we seen a dramatic downturn in the IT department when Disney decided to outsource to companies whose sole business is to operate these type of things? I don't think we have. Let Disney concentrate on what it knows how to do best and let the companies that know how to do things like A/V set-up do what they do best. I truly feel sorry for anyone laid off during this change. However, I don't know if its a good change or not, but its certainly not bad.

 

[SpaceRacer2003]

For once I agree with MKT. We had a guy at MK that did this convention type work, and when that position was eliminated he joined an outside company. He's doing the same work now but making at least twice as much.

 

[sliberatore]

Many of those A/V employees will find their way to the outside firms that prepare and make A/V presentations, and they will take with them the asset of having worked for Disney and knowing its preferences, standards, etc. And for those A/V employees who have even a little ambition, there is a wonderful opportunity to organize their own A/V presentation firms and secure for themselves those outsourced contracts. So, not only is all NOT lost, there are abundant opportunities available for those ready to act.

 

[wedway71]

Will this effect just a/v and technical jobs or marketing and sales as well for groups and conventions?

 

[wannab@dis]

Ok... just a little over board reaction... don't you think?

Many "non-core" business functions are (and should) be outsourced. Disney is not in the business of conference setup and most likely are not able to do as good a job as the outside company. In fact, they are probably increasing their capabilities and offering a better conferencing product by outsourcing. As for those people with the current jobs, more than likely, they will be picked up by the outside company and trained better.

You really need to start looking at things from the business side instead of crying wolf every time a decision is made. I bet this will improve their services and potentially increase their profitability of the conferences/conventions. :wave:

 

[Connor002]

The wost is still comeing. More layoff's cutbacks, etc.. what have you @ WDW

What's a "wost?":lookaroun

 

[KeithVH]

For once I agree with MKT. We had a guy at MK that did this convention type work, and when that position was eliminated he joined an outside company. He's doing the same work now but making at least twice as much.

OK. Think about this. If Disney was paying him HALF of what is probably close to industry standard (in his new job), why the heck couldn't Disney keep him/them on and then be profitable?

I still have this feeling at times that Disney could probably be very good at any business they take on and make money - it makes me wonder whether there isn't some corporate culture issues overall with financial mgmt (and I don't just mean at the top) and that's why they keep cutting corners. Maybe there's a lack of mid-level fiduciary responsibility that we not seeing?

 

[wdwishes2005]

You really need to start looking at things from the business side instead of crying wolf every time a decision is made. I bet this will improve their services and potentially increase their profitability of the conferences/conventions. :wave:

and maybe take a few spelling classes too.

 

[wdwishes2005]

What's a "wost?":lookaroun

or a comeing?

 

[Tim G]

and maybe take a few spelling classes too.

Errr... The spelling is not so wose... is not the wost I've seen... :lookaroun

 

[bruiser659]

thats why he got laid off.:lol:

 

[Mickey Rules]

I run an Internet business and over the last five years we have had to make tons of tough decisions like outsourcing, cutbacks etc. to survive. Now, because of those tough decisions, we are alive and thriving. We now employee twice as many people as we did when the difficult decisions had to be made. (Not that this one is all that difficult.)

At some point we have to trust Disney to make some tough decisions for the good and the health of the organization.

 

[billybluenose]

Verdict

I think it's safe to say that the vast majority of people won't notice and won't care about this. Furthermore, those affected will probably be better off within the next six months.

:sohappy: :sohappy: :sohappy:

I can't wait to find out what the "what have you" will be!

-Billy

 

[llrain]

with all do respect though to the orig poster. ....Conventions are pretty important imho and I dont believe are a disposable part of the business...
disney plays host to conventions that seem almost daily throughout the year.
Do u think these are free conventions. alot of income is generated from the conventions, the rooms the companies pay top dollar for, and im not talking the all star resort, the money the people are paying for passes,food and what have you. oh and those spots they rent out for fireworks every night that we cant get to as normal visitors, im sure those cost a few bucks. Oh and those companies that spend a ton of money to rent a entire park.
these companies that have the conventions arent exactly "small" companies.
Always see someone with a "hi my name is ....from so and so company" when i turn my head there. if it wasnt that big then there wouldnt be that many centers there

Outsourcing these conventions what ever it be for, disney should be careful in that whoever does do the work is able to do it to the Disney standards so that they still are able to attrack businesses from all over the country to still want to come there for their yearly convention. some outsourcing companies
seem to have a par or sub par affect on what they are hired for...these jobs are not like the IT layoffs/outsourcing at all because as an average person i do not know the IT operations and nor as a visitor do i see or recognize the results as much as i would attending a convention because in a convention I see the lighting, hear the audio and presentations but would not notice an IT change in back office functions unlike a convention.

it may not be their core business but its big business in the whole.

 

[socalkdg]

OK. Think about this. If Disney was paying him HALF of what is probably close to industry standard (in his new job), why the heck couldn't Disney keep him/them on and then be profitable?

I still have this feeling at times that Disney could probably be very good at any business they take on and make money - it makes me wonder whether there isn't some corporate culture issues overall with financial mgmt (and I don't just mean at the top) and that's why they keep cutting corners. Maybe there's a lack of mid-level fiduciary responsibility that we not seeing?

Its possible that one of the reasons Disney is outsourcing is the fact that the existing jobs weren't full time positions. Additionally you are no longer responsible for benefits, Social Secruity payments, Disibility, Unemployment, Workers Comp, Benefits, etc. By outsourcing you only pay when you need something specific done.

 

[Thelazer]

This affects planners, bookers, back office people, managers, etc. Right down the line.

Lets talk about those better wages someone mentioned. $18.00 an hour @ Disney. VS $8.00 an hour at the new AV company. Yes I said that correctly they offered a $10 PAY CUT if you wanted to work at the new company. Disney is well known for actually paying on the higher side of the market in this area.

For all the posters who are telling me that Disney needs to focus on its core business. Please tell me what that is? Is it the custodial folks who've been outsourced? Is it the IT people? Is it the A/V Techs? Is it imaganeering? The shops? The bus drivers? All those items as a whole make up what Disney is. Can we outsource making the magic sure but as you strip them away you loose those people and the magic they make. You replace them with people who are paid less and thus save you money (Isn't saving money the main reason a company outsource something?)

How much can you outsource before there is nothing left?