Key Points
- Disney laid off 100 to 200 theme park employees, concentrated in Imagineering, after timelines shifted on various projects.
- Experiences generated more than half of Disney’s total segment operating income in fiscal 2025, even as third-quarter international park income fell on consumer softness in Shanghai and Hong Kong.
- The cuts follow earlier reductions in HR and tech under CEO Josh D’Amaro, who said in August that Disney was evaluating levers including reductions in labor.
Summary
Disney has cut between 100 and 200 jobs in its theme park division, with the reductions falling largely on Imagineering, the team that designs attractions, lands, and other offerings for the experiences division, according to a person familiar with the matter. The cuts followed shifts in project timelines and took effect Wednesday and Thursday. Disney declined to comment. The company announced in 2023 that it would invest $60 billion in experiences, including three new themed areas, four new resorts and additions, more than 18 new attractions, and more than 25 new entertainment offerings. Experiences remains Disney’s biggest profit driver, contributing more than half of total segment operating income in fiscal 2025, though international park operating income fell in the third quarter on what the company described as consumer softness at its Shanghai and Hong Kong parks. U.S. park visitation and per capita spending were up. The layoffs are the latest under Josh D’Amaro, who became CEO in March, after earlier rounds hit human resources, tech, and other departments, and after the company offered early retirement packages to select employees earlier this month. D’Amaro said in August that Disney was “highly focused on reducing costs across the enterprise” and was “evaluating a variety of levers, including reductions in labor.”
Source: skift.com
