In another string of rash news tonight, it seems Bob Iger, Executive Chairman of The Walt Disney Company, has quit Governor Gavin Newsom’s economic recovery task force.
From The Sacramento Bee:
Walt Disney Co. Chairman Bob Iger has quit Gov. Gavin Newsom’s economic recovery task force, a Disney spokesperson confirmed Thursday evening.
The spokesperson would not say why or precisely when Iger left the task force, but the news comes as the Newsom administration is preparing to release guidance on theme park reopening that the industry is criticizing.
Earlier today, it was announced that California would be issuing theme park reopening guidelines sometime this week—Disneyland wasn’t as eager about the sudden announcement. The California Attractions and Parks Association, on behalf of Disneyland, has actually asked state officials to not finalize plans just yet—not before conferring with park operators and modifying certain protocols before officially issuing guidelines.
It seems the parks have been given a chance to overview a draft of the guidelines, and are not happy with what can only be assumed are strict or overly restrictive guidelines, considering the note about a “reasonable” reopening plan. Guidelines will reportedly vary between counties, possibly limiting who can visit the parks in order to discourage long-distance or out-of-state travel.
On Wednesday, Disney announced it would lay off 28,000 Cast Members across its Disney Parks, Experiences and Products segment.
