Cast Members looking to return to the magic on their days off will find that Cast block-out dates for Employee Self-Admission, One-Day Park Hopper Guest Tickets, and Main Entrance Pass have been lifted through September 3, excluding days at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Park attendance will be managed via the Disney Park Pass reservation system. To enter a park, both a park reservation and valid Cast Admission are required.
The Hospitality Days Pass is still reflecting a full block-out through October 2020. At this time, the Cast Member block-out calendar does not extend past October.
We’re thrilled Walt Disney World parks are open after COVID-19 closures. With social distancing guidelines, resort hotel closures, and shorter park hours however, thousands of Walt Disney World Cast Members remain on furlough.
As shared by OrlandoSentinel: In Central Florida, thousands of employees are sidelined even as the theme parks have reopened for business. Some are unsure if they will ever go back to their old jobs.
About 10,000 out of the 18,000 Disney hotel housekeepers and food/beverage workers in Unite Here Local 737 haven’t returned to work yet, said Jeremy Haicken, a leader of the union.
“It’s an enormous number. All of them are at the mercy of this horrible unemployment system. They’re now living at most $275 a week while the Congress and the president squabble. It’s unreal what people are going through,” Haicken said. “At the moment, there isn’t a light at the end of the tunnel.”
The theme parks, which once never had a slow time in the year, are cutting expenses. After a $2 billion dollar quarterly loss, Disney World plans to shorten park hours so some days in September the Magic Kingdom will close as early as 6 p.m.
At SeaWorld Orlando, the company has advertised to hire some new workers when it hasn’t recalled all the furloughed employees, several workers said, and they complained the company isn’t communicating with them. SeaWorld Orlando is no longer open seven days a week and delayed the opening of its newest coaster Ice Breaker to 2021.
At Universal, an undisclosed number of employees were laid off July 31.
The tourism-driven Orlando metropolitan area ranks as the No. 9 most vulnerable in the nation to job losses from the pandemic following behind other vacation destinations that include Las Vegas and Atlantic City. In June, metro Orlando’s unemployment rate reached 16.5%, the highest in the state.
At the Disney Parks, you may have seen Cast Members wearing a similar, blue-hued starry face mask. Now, the Disney Parks Blog has given us an inside look at the design process behind them!
From the Disney Parks Blog:
Today we’re excited to share a peek behind the magic and an innovative way our cast members are helping their fellow cast stay comfy and protected with stylish and functional new face coverings, designed for cast, by cast.
Designed in partnership across the Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World costuming teams – Disney Parks Live Entertainment, Worldwide Safety Services and Global Applied Technology – these face coverings were developed remotely through a bi-coastal effort between cast members at both resorts.
“Over the past several months, we’ve spent significant time and brainpower to provide our cast members with face coverings that are both functional and comfortable, and I’m proud of the incredible results,” said Dr. Pamela Hymel, Disney Parks Chief Medical Officer. “They fit well, feel great and can last for more than 50 washes.”
Drawing from their own experience, the project stemmed from a need for a more unified and breathable face covering. With the full support of their leaders at Disney, this group seized the opportunity to create the unique, reusable face covering, specifically made for cast members at Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World Resort and Aulani – a Disney Resort & Spa.
“The unified design speaks to the fact that we are still one unified Cast, one Disney ‘world,’” shared Yonit Olshan, Costume Designer, Disneyland Resort Costuming. “As a creative team, we gained so much from each other’s experience and exposure to different types of problems and projects.”
Offered exclusively for cast members in two styles, pleated and contoured, and in multiple sizes, the design team sourced and tested a wide range of fabrics, styles and features with a focus on comfort and function. Both styles feature adjustable spandex over the ears, extended nose pinch to the face, contoured shape under eyes, and lightweight, quick-drying material.
Drawing inspiration from classic Disney characters, films and television shows, the pattern unifies what every dreamer and cast member have in common – joy, magic, and a little pixie dust. They sparkle with pixie dust and Mickey constellations, recalling that the second star to the right shines in the dreamy night and reminds us to keep wishing upon that evening star.
We are now in the final days before the Disneyland Paris parks reopen their gates, following a lengthy four-month closure due to COVID-19. In preparation, the wonderful Cast Members have been busy preparing the parks and the hotels for guests’ arrival, and Disneyland Paris has just shared two magical and adorable new adverts, in dedication to their Cast Members and all their hard work in this exciting time.
The first advert shows Cast Members going about their day all across the Disneyland Paris resort, undertaking everyday tasks such as sweeping the streets, stocking the shelves, and laying the tables ready to welcome guests back. There’s pixie dust in the air, and the excitement in this video is palpable.
The second video is this amazingly fun, exciting advert, showing Cast Members swap their everyday clothes for their iconic Disneyland Paris costumes. From Guest Services to Custodial, Attractions Hosts to Resort Desk Services, everyone here is dancing, clapping, and ready to get on their way back to the resort to start work.
Both videos feature the magical new slogan for the resort: “There’s No Magic Without You”. This also featured in the brand-new TV spot advert which was released last week.
A Walt Disney World Cast Member tasked with issuing refunds to unhappy Disney guests is accused of misdirecting more than $100,000 into her and her friends’ bank accounts.
According to WESH2, The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said Jennifer Alejandra Insuasti, 32, of Kissimmee, is charged with one count of grand theft of $100,000 or more. She turned herself in on Monday in Osceola County.
Insuasti worked as a Guest Experience Services Coordinator at Disney. As part of her job, she would field complaints from unhappy guests and then offer them refunds, free tickets or free resort stays to resolve the issue. Investigators said Insuasti would directly issue refund money into her own bank account, or bank accounts belonging to her friends and family.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said Disney handed over records showing 41 fraudulent debit or credit card refunds and four fraudulent check refunds. Guests still received their refunds, but money was stolen directly from her former employer.
Investigators said the incidents of fraud occurred beginning in March 2016 and continued through July 2018. Investigators said that Insuasti would use old refund accounts as a cover when she redirected money into her personal account or the accounts of her friends.
The family members and friends who received some of the fraudulent refunds are also being investigated by the FDLE. Investigators said they have probable cause to prove seven other people committed conspiracy and grand theft.
Insuasti is being held at the Osceola County Jail on $100,000 bail.
