Layoffs within WDI

[disneynutz]

Joe Rohde wasn't let go he's still with the company. The rumor was false.

As for imagineering and Disney projects Disney has been outsourcing more and more projects which means there is less for imagineers to do. Imagineering still does the design but as for the build its outsourced.

Didn't the MB project get outsourced, I remember that imagineers and a vendor submitted designs for the readers and the vendor was less expensive so they got the business. Imagineers felt that it was a slap in the face.

Bill

 

[cmash95]

disney retirement age is 65-70 you dont retire at 62 to spend time with the family or persue other proects. That's disney speak for you have over stayed your welcome. or at least that is what those in management call it. Believe me there were lots of happy people when it was announced. Meg was one of the least loved people at WDW. She also wasn't the first person forced out to get a window.

 

[rteetz]

disney retirement age is 65-70 you dont retire at 62 to spend time with the family or persue other proects. That's disney speak for you have over stayed your welcome. or at least that is what those in management call it. Believe me there were lots of happy people when it was announced. Meg was one of the least loved people at WDW. She also wasn't the first person forced out to get a window.

I know she wasn't the most liked person in the Disney fan community but do you work for Disney? We don't know for sure whether she actually retired or was forced to. Also who else was forced out yet got a window?

 

[rteetz]

Didn't the MB project get outsourced, I remember that imagineers and a vendor submitted designs for the readers and the vendor was less expensive so they got the business. Imagineers felt that it was a slap in the face.

Bill

Part of it was outsourced yes. The technology was developed in house it they outside companies design the magic bands for example. The company that makes them is Frog.

 

[Budshark]

disney retirement age is 65-70 you dont retire at 62 to spend time with the family or persue other proects. That's disney speak for you have over stayed your welcome. or at least that is what those in management call it. Believe me there were lots of happy people when it was announced. Meg was one of the least loved people at WDW. She also wasn't the first person forced out to get a window.

I know she wasn't the most liked person in the Disney fan community but do you work for Disney? We don't know for sure whether she actually retired or was forced to. Also who else was forced out yet got a window?

At that level there is very little difference between retired, forced out, encouraged to move on, or whatever you want to call it. Very rarely does someone choose to go. At that level of performance, there's a bit of shall we say ego, and rarely (never) are they the first one to see its time to go. So, it all depends on who you ask whether someone was fired (never), encouraged or decided to leave. Typically a package is presented, rejected as offensive, trusted confidants explain a new direction is needed, some closed door meetings where questions are asked, veiled threats are made... a joint supportive statement is developed, and the person leaves with a nice package.

Did they say they wanted to leave? No. Were they fired? No. They decided to pursue other opportunities (after receiving a large amount of money and comments about legacy, new direction, and veiled threats of being put in a corner on "special projects").

So - technically, you both are probably right.

 

[rteetz]

At that level there is very little difference between retired, forced out, encouraged to move on, or whatever you want to call it. Very rarely does someone choose to go. At that level of performance, there's a bit of shall we say ego, and rarely (never) are they the first one to see its time to go. So, it all depends on who you ask whether someone was fired (never), encouraged or decided to leave. Typically a package is presented, rejected as offensive, trusted confidants explain a new direction is needed, some closed door meetings where questions are asked, veiled threats are made... a joint supportive statement is developed, and the person leaves with a nice package.

Did they say they wanted to leave? No. Were they fired? No. They decided to pursue other opportunities (after receiving a large amount of money and comments about legacy, new direction, and veiled threats of being put in a corner on "special projects").

So - technically, you both are probably right.

Good point.

 

[TheGecko]

Working in engineering these layoff events happen all the time. If a job is over or a contract is lost a pink slip is on the way. Most companies do not want to keep a large staff of "direct" employees anymore, and prefer to outsource as much as possible. Disney is no different. Until it hurts their bottom line from constant churn, they will keep doing it, even if the savings a questionable.

 

[disneynutz]

Part of it was outsourced yes. The technology was developed in house it they outside companies design the magic bands for example. The company that makes them is Frog.

I read somewhere that the readers designed by Imagineering were themed to match the locations were they were to be installed. When Iger did his DHS test lab walk through he decided to save money by going with the competing vendor and non-themed readers.

Bill

 

[rteetz]

I read somewhere that the readers designed by Imagineering were themed to match the locations were they were to be installed. When Iger did his DHS test lab walk through he decided to save money by going with the competing vendor and non-themed readers.

Bill

Yes imagineering threw a fit because they thought the readers wouldn't fit in thematically.

 

[jpeden]

Yes imagineering threw a fit because they thought the readers wouldn't fit in thematically.

As they should have. However, I believe a compromise was developed where the Mickey head part would always be the same but WDI was allowed to theme the housing/pole into which the reader was embedded.

 

[rteetz]

As they should have. However, I believe a compromise was developed where the Mickey head part would always be the same but WDI was allowed to theme the housing/pole into which the reader was embedded.

Correct

 

[jpeden]

Correct

And honestly, as long as the housing unit is themed, I'm fine with it. To make the system as easy to use as possible, I understand why all of the readers need to look somewhat the same. Even a small child can understand the concept of touching Mickey to Mickey.

 

[cmash95]

remember , imagineering designs and works up models and story lines for attractions , hotels, ships, basically anything having to do with disney theme parks. They don't do the actualy construction of the project. That is what is outsourced.Imagineers oversee the projects though

 

[webowl]

Several rumors have said that a bunch of imagineers have been let go within WDI. This includes big name imagineers such as Tom Fitzgerald (lead of Epcot) and Joe Rohde (lead of marvel and AK).

Personally I don't buy that they let joe go since he was just put in charge of marvel and made the announcement of guardians at DCA.

Im brand new to the boards and it looks like Ill be up reading for days, from the planning boards to the trip reports to the rumors, its all wonderful information. As to these rumors, although a little different. I remember reading a newspaper article a few years back about how Disney was letting go ALOT of people in the administration and offices of the Disney corporation to bring people in from over seas and that the people being let go had to train the new people coming in. Its been a few years but I do remember thinking to myself maybe we should boycott Disney in protest and hoping the story wasnt true. Boycott wont happen, we couldnt do that but we sure hope Disney is thinking about the greatness of the name and what it has become around the world and who helped them achieve that, and not just thinking about the green going into their bank account.

 

[rteetz]

Im brand new to the boards and it looks like Ill be up reading for days, from the planning boards to the trip reports to the rumors, its all wonderful information. As to these rumors, although a little different. I remember reading a newspaper article a few years back about how Disney was letting go ALOT of people in the administration and offices of the Disney corporation to bring people in from over seas and that the people being let go had to train the new people coming in. Its been a few years but I do remember thinking to myself maybe we should boycott Disney in protest and hoping the story wasnt true. Boycott wont happen, we couldnt do that but we sure hope Disney is thinking about the greatness of the name and what it has become around the world and who helped them achieve that, and not just thinking about the green going into their bank account.

That story you are thinking of is the Disney employees who were let go and jobs were outsources overseas. Those employees then had to train their replacements.

Boycotting wouldn't work but if we spend less money with the Disney company things will change for sure.

 

[manning]

That story you are thinking of is the Disney employees who were let go and jobs were outsources overseas. Those employees then had to train their replacements.

Boycotting wouldn't work but if we spend less money with the Disney company things will change for sure.

Blasphemy I say...blasphemy

 

[Josh Hendy]

That story you are thinking of is the Disney employees who were let go and jobs were outsources overseas. Those employees then had to train their replacements.

To be more precise, it was alleged that Disney laid off employees who were American citizens and replaced them with people brought into the USA with H1B temporary worker visas. The scandalous part of the allegation was that in order to have the H1B visas issued, Disney had to certify that (a) they could not find any US citizens to fill the jobs, and (b) that the foreigner workers brought in would be paid the exact same wages and benefits as Americans would be paid for doing the same job. The first part was apparently false because Americans were laid off to make room for the foreign workers and were even induced to train them to do the job "exactly the same" as their predecessors had been doing the job. Whether (b) was true or false is a matter of speculation but you can infer that the foreigners are being paid substantially less than their American predecessors because why else would Disney go to the trouble and up-front expense of importing the foreign workers unless they will realize big savings in the long run?

Nobody begrudges the foreigners for wanting to move to the USA and get a good job and a good salary ... but if the allegations are true then Disney management committed what would be a very serious federal crime (large scale organized immigration fraud) if anyone who wasn't a large and powerful corporation with a lot of congresspeople in their pocket tried the same thing.

 

[GaryDis]

brought into the USA with T1 temporary worker visas.

T1? Or H1B? Not that it really matters.

 

[Josh Hendy]

T1? Or H1B? Not that it really matters.

H1B. Thank you! Now corrected above.

 

[jade1]

but if we spend less money with the Disney company things will change for sure.

We? Not sure how much money you have made and spent at WDW, but hopefully we all spend disposable income on what makes the most sense/value for us. Trying to blend in company policy changes an individual prefers, isn't as simple as "you should just spend less money" IMO-and other changes could occur even less desirable, or compounding the issues.