Disney Parks laying off 28,000 cast members

[DVC92]

We had been thinking of a resort-only stay next time.

Same here. With all the closures, long lines in light of no fast passes, no park hopping, reduced park hours, etc., why bother going to the parks. In light of all these cutbacks, when is Disney going to reduce the price of tickets?

 

[BadPinkTink]

Looking at all of this from a business perspective, its very obvious to me that Disney know exactly which type of guest is visiting WDW, which areas / rides / attractions are getting the footfall and what they are spending the money on. The data they are getting from guests who are currently visiting in the parks are driving the decisions.

Harsh as it may seem, all of you who are saying I'm done with WDW due to the cut in shows, entertainment etc are not the people WDW are focusing on right now. WDW know they need to cut costs in order to survive, so they will look at guest behavior in the parks and the low traffic, low footfall things will get cut. Watch the DISUNPLUGGED live streams from WDW in the last few weeks. Watch whats going on in the background and see the type of people who are in the parks right now.

Just like with price increases over the last few years, the guest demographic at WDW is changing. Just like many people said they were priced out over the last few years, many people will now feel the value is not there due to the cuts in entertainment.

You know what though, thats ok. Just like with the price increase, for every person that said they were priced out, 2 new people had their first WDW visit.

The same will happen now. For every person who says they are done due to the entertainment cuts, 2 new people will have their first visit, as the low wait times, low crowds, less kids makes it more appealing.

In business its called a customer life cycle. Its normal and adapting to changing guest demographics and the changing customer lifecycle is how The Walt Disney Company will survive.

 

[Moliphino]

Same here. With all the closures, long lines in light of no fast passes, no park hopping, reduced park hours, etc., why bother going to the parks. In light of all these cutbacks, when is Disney going to reduce the price of tickets?

But then what's the point of going to Disney at all if you aren't doing the parks? I'm someone who doesn't even do rest days, though, because I feel like it's wasting time.

 

[andyman8]

Looking at all of this from a business perspective, its very obvious to me that Disney know exactly which type of guest is visiting WDW, which areas / rides / attractions are getting the footfall and what they are spending the money on. The data they are getting from guests who are currently visiting in the parks are driving the decisions.

Harsh as it may seem, all of you who are saying I'm done with WDW due to the cut in shows, entertainment etc are not the people WDW are focusing on right now. WDW know they need to cut costs in order to survive, so they will look at guest behavior in the parks and the low traffic, low footfall things will get cut. Watch the DISUNPLUGGED live streams from WDW in the last few weeks. Watch whats going on in the background and see the type of people who are in the parks right now.

Just like with price increases over the last few years, the guest demographic at WDW is changing. Just like many people said they were priced out over the last few years, many people will now feel the value is not there due to the cuts in entertainment.

You know what though, thats ok. Just like with the price increase, for every person that said they were priced out, 2 new people had their first WDW visit.

The same will happen now. For every person who says they are done due to the entertainment cuts, 2 new people will have their first visit, as the low wait times, low crowds, less kids makes it more appealing.

In business its called a customer life cycle. Its normal and adapting to changing guest demographics and the changing customer lifecycle is how The Walt Disney Company will survive.

Who is this new demographic you're talking about? The parks at the moment are almost exclusively filled with AP holders, DVC members, semi-regular Florida Residents, and diehard Disney fans. One of the reasons things were so slow in July and August was that Disney was shutting APs out and leaving spots open for demand from Resort Guests that never materialized. Even these days, you can still see significant changes in visitation between weekdays and weekends, which is very bad news for WDW (which isn't built to do huge business two days a week and weak business the other five).

The Disney Resorts are still operating at historically low occupancy rates, especially on weeknights, which is why you see the ones currently open operating with reduced offerings (no Yachtsman Steakhouse, Citricos, Mercado del Coronado, Sebastian's, etc...) and Disney not in a hurry to open more (after Sunday, the next resort reopening won't be for at least a little over three months). For example, by this time last year, the only Deluxe room I could for NYE was a water view at the BC when every resort was open (and all values and moderates were sold out). This year, availability is still wide open for that period, even with reduced inventory.

This has always been their strategy for dealing with downturns in tourism and the economy: cut offerings (especially entertainment) and lure/incentivize more frequent visits from their highest affinity groups. Given the drastic business interruption, the cuts have been more drastic, but that's still the strategy. WDW isn't attracting new out-of-state Guests right now. It's just not, and given where things stand with this pandemic, I don't think they can expect to be attracting large amounts of out-of-state first-time visitors for quite some time.

 

[BadPinkTink]

Who is this new demographic you're talking about? The parks at the moment are almost exclusively filled with AP holders, DVC members, semi-regular Florida Residents, and diehard Disney fans.

This exactly. THIS is the new demographic. This is the change in guests, and a smart business looks at the data, looks at the customer behavior and adapts. Harsh as it may seem, Disney is going to change whats offered in WDW from what the out of state / international multigenerational family who stay for 7 to 14 are used to having, to things that will bring in AP holders, DVC members, semi-regular Florida Residents, and diehard Disney fans who day visit.

 

[Brett Wyman]

But then what's the point of going to Disney at all if you aren't doing the parks? I'm someone who doesn't even do rest days, though, because I feel like it's wasting time.

Different stokes for different folks. We recently did a 9 night resort only stay. We would have preferred to be in the parks, but we were playing it safe. But there is plenty to do at just the resorts. Outside of Disney people take resort only vacations all the time.

 

[hlrubin507]

Different stokes for different folks. We recently did a 9 night resort only stay. We would have preferred to be in the parks, but we were playing it safe. But there is plenty to do at just the resorts. Outside of Disney people take resort only vacations all the time.

I get that people take resort-only vacations all the time, but my issue is that Disney resorts charge a HUGE premium but the hotel properties are not necessarily higher quality (not refurbished as often), and without utilizing the theme park benefits, I don't think I would stay more than a couple nights if I wasn't visiting the parks. A 4-star resort at Disney will run $500-$700+ a night, whereas somewhere like the Hyatt Grand Cypress is $169/night or even the Universal 4-star hotels are $300/night. It just seems like a lot more money and the value for a longer stay isn't really there for me, without the theme park benefits.

 

[Moliphino]

Different stokes for different folks. We recently did a 9 night resort only stay. We would have preferred to be in the parks, but we were playing it safe. But there is plenty to do at just the resorts. Outside of Disney people take resort only vacations all the time.

I don't understand that, either. I'm incapable of taking relaxing vacations, they stress me out.

 

[rteetz]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1321543909319733248

 

[Dutch Inn '76]

... Outside of Disney people take resort only vacations all the time.

This is certainly true. I do it myself once a year. ...but when we do that, we go some place beautiful; a resort that has excellent service, known for it's four-star experience.

I love WDW. We're going back in December; but NONE of the WDW Resorts are four-star experiences.

 

[jkh36619]

Resort only at Fort Wilderness is fun and quite relaxing.

 

[jknezek]

Resort only at Fort Wilderness is fun and quite relaxing.

But about twice as expensive as similar resort type campgrounds you can find. The Jellystone in North Florida, the waterpark campground in Mississippi, some of the Myrtle Beach campground resorts, there are quite a few more when you look. They run $100-$150 tops a night and have great amenities like waterparks, movies, restaurants, lazy rivers, watersports, equipment rentals, etc. Basically everything The Fort has and sometimes more. I love Fort Wilderness, if you own an RV it's a great way to do Disney on property for less, especially if you eat at your RV, but you are paying a huge premium to be on property. I really don't get people that pay the premium and don't do the parks... but to each their own.

 

[Brett Wyman]

We are debating personal preference here folks : )

Nobody is right and nobody is wrong!

 

[tlmadden73]

This exactly. THIS is the new demographic. This is the change in guests, and a smart business looks at the data, looks at the customer behavior and adapts. Harsh as it may seem, Disney is going to change whats offered in WDW from what the out of state / international multigenerational family who stay for 7 to 14 are used to having, to things that will bring in AP holders, DVC members, semi-regular Florida Residents, and diehard Disney fans who day visit.

Sure .. I think you even saw that pre-COVID: Focus on special "exclusive" desserts. Another festival at Epcot. Instagram walls. Exclusive merch. The new "popular" color scheme every few months.

But at the same time, they are advertising heavily to the families and opening two value hotels here in the next few months. So they don't WANT to move away from the multigenerational family trips (because those bring in BIG bucks because of the quantity (several rooms, for 1-2 weeks) way more than selling desserts and merch to AP locals and Disney Fan vloggers.

But their actions seems to show they don't value entertainment for their guests (because it costs too much)

 

[hertamaniac]

Resort only at Fort Wilderness is fun and quite relaxing.

We've done it many times and are well within an hour's drive. Sometimes we'll rent an RV or just go for a cabin. I consider it the only resort onsite that I deem as not needing/wanting a theme park ticket.

Back to the layoff topic, it looks like Boeing just let go ~7K. Ugh.....

 

[Dean Marino]

The recent Employee Purge, for DW & I, has just about cemented cancelation of our DVC booked APR 2021 trip.

All personal opinion - our friends are gone, no restaurants, no fireworks ... pretty much "no nothing". No longer a COVID thing for us - far more "no legitimate vacation".

Being DVC owners? We have other issues. Planning on paying our 2021 dues, but seriously considering bailing on DVC, unless there IS a WDW to go to . 300 points sold at $1.00/point was always our exit strategy, given that we hit "break even" in 2018.

 

[wdw71]

The recent Employee Purge, for DW & I, has just about cemented cancelation of our DVC booked APR 2021 trip.

All personal opinion - our friends are gone, no restaurants, no fireworks ... pretty much "no nothing". No longer a COVID thing for us - far more "no legitimate vacation".

Being DVC owners? We have other issues. Planning on paying our 2021 dues, but seriously considering bailing on DVC, unless there IS a WDW to go to . 300 points sold at $1.00/point was always our exit strategy, given that we hit "break even" in 2018.

We just booked for Nov 2021 and I’m regretting it with the news of the live entertainment layoffs. With no fireworks no parades and now no live entertainment or shows the lines at other attractions will just be longer especially if they increase capacity. We have saved for our trip with Disney gift cards (lesson learned) so we will go at some point regardless but if at least some of these things don’t come back we will cancel for now and wait a few years I guess. Ugh.

 

[mshanson3121]

Is anyone else crying over this news? I feel silly sitting here crying but I am super sad. My kids are 4 and 6 and they love the shows! They are small and don't do "scary rides," so we are always doing shows, parades and character meet and greets. This is so sad for us. I am also so sad for these CM. I am sure this has shattered so many lives. We are going in a few weeks for a MK only trip (was going to do another park but just not even worth it for us). We were also going to go next November 2021 on a huge trip with all 4 parks but now I am not even sure that is going to work. These layoffs show me that the situation as bleak for Disney right now, and I can't imagine they will recover all of these losses in 12 months. Just awful!

Crying, no. Sad? Very. We were originally supposed to go next summer (June 2021). Obviously not going to happen now. Then, we were also supposed to go in 2022, as it was DDs birthday gift from her grandfather. I'm sure we'll be able to go then, but...will we want to? I doubt it. For us, Disney is ALL about the parades, fireworks, shows, entertainment, characters etc... Those are what make Disney magical, that's what makes Disney, DISNEY. If that stuff is all gone, or significantly cut back or changed... Then honestly Disney will be pretty much ruined for us, which makes me really sad. We really wanted to give the kids one more trip.

 

[rteetz]

Crying, no. Sad? Very. We were originally supposed to go next summer (June 2021). Obviously not going to happen now. Then, we were also supposed to go in 2022, as it was DDs birthday gift from her grandfather. I'm sure we'll be able to go then, but...will we want to? I doubt it. For us, Disney is ALL about the parades, fireworks, shows, entertainment, characters etc... Those are what make Disney magical, that's what makes Disney, DISNEY. If that stuff is all gone, or significantly cut back or changed... Then honestly Disney will be pretty much ruined for us, which makes me really sad. We really wanted to give the kids one more trip.

Some if not most of this stuff still be back because it does make Disney money. Fireworks especially. It’s the smaller things like streetmosphere that I and many are rightfully concerned about.

 

[Beachmom0317]

We just booked for Nov 2021 and I’m regretting it with the news of the live entertainment layoffs. With no fireworks no parades and now no live entertainment or shows the lines at other attractions will just be longer especially if they increase capacity. We have saved for our trip with Disney gift cards (lesson learned) so we will go at some point regardless but if at least some of these things don’t come back we will cancel for now and wait a few years I guess. Ugh.

We are also booked for November 2021 and we’ll likely postpone until spring 2022. I can’t imagine it’ll all be back in the next 12 months. I mean I think fireworks and the shows will all be back but I also like things like the storytellers at Epcot festival of holidays, and smaller entertainment like that