WDW Laying off Cast Members

disneydata

Well-Known Member
I just heard today that two of my managers were walked out. No word on exactly why, but I work in a frontline position. We were originally told none of our managers were going to be affected by the layoffs. Could just be a coincidence, but I'll try to find out more.
Just confirmed. They were laid off. I was also told they're not done with layoffs yet, so expect more to come in the next days/weeks. I'm starting to get worried.
 

SeaBreeze

New Member
I'd say don't move until you have the job. That became my plan for moving down. I'm going the college program again which I'd rather have an Internship or something but its a job and an apartment I don't have a lease on.


A friend just updated her Facebook status saying she's worried and sad for her friends. I'm guessing it means that lower level management is getting let go now. I hope none of my friends get put on the choping block.

I have a friend that just put up a similar message :( I'm worried for all my friends there
 

sillyspook13

Well-Known Member
My sister found out today that, though she's currently doing the jobs of three laid off CMs in addition to her own, she's safe for now. A good friend of the family wasn't so lucky, however the loss of his job has motivated him to move on and follow his dream of moving to New York.:(
 

raven

Well-Known Member
I guess they are looking at manager standards making decisions based on that. Disney is also making lots of moves within the company and if certain managers want to stay on then they can be expected to move anywhere within the company. The company is trying to keep the 50,000 guest area positions working well so they started with the backstage areas. They will be making cuts through Friday though. I just got this info on FB from 2 friends that are managers. I'm expecting a couple of mine to be gone too when I return tomorrow.

Union members are being left alone.
 

BSikor

Active Member
A friend of mine who is, well, was, a manager in merchandise at MK got let go today. She had been with the company for a little over 10 years. She has given the impression that they are letting the ones with tenure go first.
 

disneydata

Well-Known Member
A friend of mine who is, well, was, a manager in merchandise at MK got let go today. She had been with the company for a little over 10 years. She has given the impression that they are letting the ones with tenure go first.
One of my managers that was let go was a manager for less than 2 years and the other only 3.
 

TP2000

Well-Known Member
A friend of mine who is, well, was, a manager in merchandise at MK got let go today. She had been with the company for a little over 10 years. She has given the impression that they are letting the ones with tenure go first.

With all due respect to your friend, as this is a sensitive time for anyone losing a job, the excuse that any layoffs were designed to go after "tenure" is almost always just that, an excuse.

When it's time for a company to lay off hundreds and hundreds of people, as Disney is now doing in Parks & Resorts on both Coasts, any reasonable company goes after folks based on a combination of strategic business needs and documented work performance. Any rational company working within established business practices very, very rarely nickel and dime the process by going after one person with 10 years of seniority because they make 12 Grand more per year than the person with 3 years of seniority.

It's very comforting for someone who was laid off with 10+ years of seniority to think they got the axe because of their higher salary range or extra two weeks of vacation per year. But the reality is almost always that those decisions were based on performance and strategic business needs that take in a much bigger picture than simply who was making what dollar amount.

It sounds to me like Disney World was very fat with lower and middle management if hundreds of people could be let go within a week. Perhaps these staffing cuts and restructuring was overdue? :confused:
 

mkt

When a paradise is lost go straight to Disney™
Premium Member
Union members are being left alone.

An hourly CM contact of mine, and verified by a salaried CM at casting... both told me that Union positions are being looked at for layoffs in case Disney cannot lay off enough non Union CM's.
:eek:
 

raven

Well-Known Member
An hourly CM contact of mine, and verified by a salaried CM at casting... both told me that Union positions are being looked at for layoffs in case Disney cannot lay off enough non Union CM's.
:eek:

Yes, but with 62,000 people working for Disney in Florida do you think that would happen? :shrug:
 

mkt

When a paradise is lost go straight to Disney™
Premium Member
Yes, but with 62,000 people working for Disney in Florida do you think that would happen? :shrug:
Honestly? Yes.

This is something that's beyond reason, and I expect the unreasonable to happen.
 

Orange Bird

Member
For the initiated, here is some info that seems to be lacking on these boards. For the purposes of my explanation let me offer an admittedly oversimplified classification of Cast Members.

1. Executives – Their titles are Director, Vice President, Senior VP, Executive VP, Etc. These people make $100,000+ per year.

2. Middle Management – Their titles are Manager, Guest Service Manager, Operations Manager, Etc. They make between $30,000 and $100,000 per year and are mostly former hourly CMs that worked their way up.

3. Hourly Cast Member- You know who these guys and gals are.

Only executives were offered the buyout package, which they had to accept by Feb. 6th. A small number of them took the package. After Feb 6th, a few were laid off but not many. Phil Holms keeps his job. Most of the decision-makers stay right where they are.

What we are seeing now are lay-offs of middle-level managers. Many people inside the Company were told that middle-level operations managers (managers that work in the parks, not in office buildings) were all safe. Most of these people were CMs just a few years ago, and they busted their butts to get where they are. NONE of them were offered the Voluntary Severance Package. The vast majority of them are very good, very hard-working people who have worked for Disney their whole lives and have no idea what is going to happen to them next.

Most of the hourly Cast Members are very sorry to see them go. And many of the hourly CMs are now asking, “Why work hard for this company? Even if you get promoted to manager the Company doesn’t care about you.” To say morale is low, is quite an understatement.
 

mkt

When a paradise is lost go straight to Disney™
Premium Member
Company doesn’t care about you

hammare.jpg
 

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