Caitlyn Burke
Thousands of men and women have either lost their jobs or have been furloughed due to COVID-19, and Disney has been no exception. Despite reopening in early July, there are still thousands of Cast Members who have not been called back to work. In a recent email Cast Members at Disney Parks have been notified of an extended and indefinite furlough.
Walt Disney World and Disneyland Cast Members who have not been called back to work have been receiving emails, stating that they will remain on furlough until further notice. The email states that these are “difficult and uncertain times”. Disney initially estimated a short closure, but the email says that “business circumstances that [Disney] could not have anticipated” will likely push the closure to more than 6 months.
Disney goes on to say that they “hope that our businesses will be back up and running and that your furlough will remain temporary”. This doesn’t give any real assurance as to what a potential timeline could look like for Cast Members returning. It also points to more potential layoffs due to the closure and budget cuts. Either way, it seems as though it will be a while until Disney will return back to normal.
On the other hand, Disneyland Cast Members can remain hopeful because Orange County California has been removed from the state’s COVID-19 watchlist. This may allow Disneyland to reopen in the coming months. Disneyland has still cancelled all reservations through September 12th because they’re still waiting for state approval to reopen.
At Walt Disney World, thousands of Cast Members are still furloughed and the theme parks are going to be reducing operating hours in early September.
