As many businesses struggle, we are starting to see the ramification of the pandemic. Disney is no exception to this. We are seeing the people that make the magic in the parks affected by this. There have been many layoffs or furloughs within the past 6-8 months but this continues to worsen. It had been previously reported that there would be layoffs of over 28,000 cast members in September. It seems like this new round is part of the Disney layoffs 2020 from last month. From what has been seen, Disney has been slowly sending out emails to the cast members affected.
Most recent layoffs
What we are seeing now is the second round of Disney layoffs 2020 that is focused on Disney World entertainment. Disney has not released any information or statements with regard to the layoffs this week but we can see information spread across social media. According to multiple sources the areas that will be impacted are as follow:
- Beauty and the Beast DHS
- Citizens of Hollywood
- Citizens of Main Street
- Disney Junior Live Dance Party
- Festival of Lion King
- Finding Nemo
- Grand Floridian Society Orchestra
- Green Army Men
- Hoop de Doo
- Indiana Jones
- Jedi Training Academy
- Mickeys Royal Friendship Faire Dancers
- Move It, Shake it Singers
- Monsters Inc Laugh Floor
- RunDisney Announcements
- Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge First Order Encounter
- Turtle Talk with Crush
- Voyage of the Little Mermaid show
We can not completely verify all of these shows being affected but it seems likely. Many of the areas are difficult to continue with social distancing but certainly possible in most. It is also important to note, that these layoffs may not include the full staff for each show.
What does this mean?
Many of the shows have not been open since the start of the pandemic. It is unlikely that the shows would reopen in the next few months due to rising cases. However, this could also create more of a headache when the shows do reopen. The announcement of the layoffs is done ahead of the Q3 earnings report that comes out on November 12th. It was already announced several weeks ago that Disney will start to shift their focus to streaming with Disney Plus and this could be the start of this. Many of the cast members being let go are members of the Actors Equity Association. Which there had been a fairly public negotiation this past summer to get some of the members back to work.
It is likely that many of the shows will be brought back in the future but the timeline is unknown. There is some concern that the travel industry will continue to struggle until at least the second quarter of 2021. This is due to the continuing rise of cases in the country including new record cases for new cases within the past week. It also should be noted that the pay cuts taken by Disney world executives ended at the end of August. It is not known whether this was a coincidence and this was part of a long-term plan or if this was due to unforeseen struggling business in Quarter 3. Hopefully, the cast members will find employment quickly but it may be difficult with the current state of the country.
How can you help?
Cast members are part of the magic in the parks and a lot has been lost. Many people have reached out on how they could help the cast members. The biggest thing that can be done is donating to the food pantry to make sure that no one goes without food. If you would like to help cast members, check out this article by Disney Tourist Blog, who breaks down the best ways to help and donate. They have done an amazing job of helping cast members that have been let go – raising enough money to fund 90,000 meals for cast members! If you would like to know more, check out the link above. Any donation would be helpful and go to a good cause to help those affected by the Disney layoffs 2020.
It is likely the shows will return in a timely manner when we reach some level of normalcy. What shows will you miss the most? Let us know in the comments below!