Tag: Theme Parks
The future of the distant creations blog
If you’ve been following Inside the Magic on Twitter, Facebook, or listened to Show 262, then you know that I’ve recently launched an all-new web site for Inside the Magic at http://www.InsideTheMagic.net.
If you didn’t know that already, consider this the announcement. :) Go check it out!
InsideTheMagic.net is now going to be home to all of my Disney and theme park related posts, thoughts, and coverage. That includes podcasts, videos, photos, news, articles, and more.
So where does that leave the distant creations blog?
This blog began as my own personal place to post my thoughts about whatever it is I’m doing at the time. Then it evolved into a place to post lots of news and links to random things around the Internet. Then it became somewhere for me to post videos, photos, and articles from the many theme park events I attend. Now… I’d like to bring it back to where it began.
“Distant Creations” was originally created as nothing more than a portfolio for me to show off my works. But since I rarely (read: never) updated it, it quickly became outdated. That’s when I added the blog with the hopes of posting more often. That notion has come and gone… and come and gone… and come and gone.
But now, while I keep regular business hours at my day job at Lanyard Lab, I need something to occupy my time during slower periods between assisting our customers. So my intention is to post any Disney and theme park-related items to InsideTheMagic.net and anything else I like here.
That means the distant creations blog is once again returning to being my own personal blog. I’ll be writing here and there about the usual topics that interest me, mainly music, movies, collectibles, and technology. But I doubt I’ll post here every day (not that I have ever really done that anyway).
So that’s where I’m going with this blog. I hope you continue to enjoy it. And (one more plug) be sure to head over to InsideTheMagic.net for the most interesting Disney and theme park topics.
TweetWalt Disney World Layoffs Rapidly Increase
On the heels of executive buyout offers followed by executive layoffs, The Walt Disney Co. is now eliminating what are being reported as hundreds of manager-level positions around Walt Disney World.
The Orlando Sentinel is reporting that as many as 450 jobs have been cut… and that it’s not necessarily over yet.
In addition, I have received a number of messages from Disney’s hourly cast members who, while they are safe, have reported that their salaried managers are suddenly being let go, some even after decades of working for the Mouse. One cast member even described the general feeling as “panicked.”
Walt Disney World departments reported to be receiving cuts include Attractions, Custodial, Food Service, and Entertainment. Anyone who is in a salaried position is at risk of losing their job.
It appears that those managers who survive the cuts will not have any new help in managing the same number of cast members and with the summer seasonal hiring blitz around the corner, these managers are going to have a lot more responsibility added to their jobs.
UPDATE: I’ve received word that Disney Historian Jim Korkis has lost his job at The Walt Disney Co. as a result of the ongoing “reorganization.” Yesterday, March 25, Korkis was asked to turn in his Disney ID and was escorted to his car, asked to return another day for his belongings. It also appears that some higher-paid employees were able to save their jobs by taking a pay cut or demotion, but not many.
UPDATE #2: One now-former Walt Disney World employee of 15 years in Learning & Development anonymously wrote to me stating that almost 30 have been fired in that department. He/she states that common words being used to describe the layoffs are bloodbath, massacre, and war zone, with morale around the company very low. And it appears that Human Resources will be among the next departments to receive cuts next week.
If you’re a Walt Disney World manager who has either been fired or fears losing your job, or if you’re a cast member who has been affected by the layoffs, you can use the contact form on this blog to tell me about what’s going on in your department so I can share the news here. Please feel free to remain anonymous.
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