Credit: DisneyYesterday, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products Chairman Josh D’Amaro announced that 28,000 Cast Members in the U.S. across Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort will be laid off from the company. Today, even more details regarding those layoffs have come to light.
OC Register reports that among the 28,000 Disneyland and Disney World employees being laid off, 411 are employees of Walt Disney Imagineering, otherwise known as Imagineers.
“Walt Disney Imagineering is the creative engine that designs and builds all Disney theme parks, resorts, attractions, and cruise ships worldwide, and oversees the creative aspects of Disney games, merchandise product development, and publishing businesses,” Disney states on the WDI website, Disney Imaginations.
Earlier today, we reported that so far around 3,500 unionized Disneyland Resort Cast Members are losing their jobs. Now, reports are coming out that state that while Disney has not announced now many Disneyland Resort CMs received layoff notices, early estimates predict that around 5,000 of the 28,000 laid off workers at Disneyland Resort employees. OC Register says that number is expected to rise.
For context, Disneyland Resort in California employs around 32,000 individuals; Walt Disney World Resort in Florida employs around 77,000.
Below is a breakdown so far of the effects of the layoffs on DLR Cast Members, courtesy of OC Register:
Disney announced 2,765 non-union layoffs in California due to continuing business impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic as part of the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, known as the WARN Act.
Disney made the WARN Act notifications in four separate filings on Tuesday, Sept. 30. It’s unknown if more notifications are to follow.
The WARN Act layoffs — mostly in Anaheim — include 2,050 employees of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, 129 who work for Disney Entertainment Productions, 95 at Disney Destinations and 74 at Walt Disney Travel Co.
The WARN Act filings also included 411 layoffs at Walt Disney Imagineering in Glendale.
It has not been reported what the long-term effects of these layoffs will be at Disneyland Resort.
We have received word of the thousands of Walt Disney World Resort Cast Members who have been laid off in Florida, as well. For more information, click here.
We will report back with more information as it becomes available. We extend our well wishes to all of those Walt Disney Company employees who are affected by these layoffs.
At this time, Disneyland Resort in California remains temporarily closed, as Disney continues to wait for the green light from California Governor Gavin Newsom (though many have expressed their want for the reopening of the park to be expedited). We will update Inside the Magic as soon as a reopening announcement is made.
Related: CA Senator and Former Cast Member Reacts to Disneyland Closure