Effects of Coronavirus (COVID-19) On Entertainment & Tourism Industry

[Brian G.]

Yeah this is the Effect on Entertainment industry thread. There are general Covid threads if you want to discuss the statics of the disease.

Actually, there aren't. Which is why we deleted the comments.

But yes, this is the Effects on the Entertainment & Tourism Industry and why we're modding harder about it, especially after we had to lock the other thread.

 

[Tbad556]

Ugh.

1,600 people to be laid off from Orlando-based Hilton Grand Vacations timeshare company

After more than six months on unpaid furloughs, 1,600 employees are being permanently laid off from Orlando-based Hilton Grand Vacations, one of the country’s largest timeshare companies.

www.orlandosentinel.com

 

[Tbad556]

This is an absolute nightmare.




And so on. So many equity CMs getting let go tonight, unfortunately.

 

[Mad Dog]

Very sad...the Magic info/rumors from last week now stand true. Seems like Disney is now primarily four 'ride' parks. ...Hopefully Universal continues many of their street shows and live shows that use talent, as a contrast to the Disney near sweep of live talent.

 

[Nick]

This is an absolute nightmare.






And so on. So many equity CMs getting let go tonight, unfortunately.

Holy crap. That’s a blood bath. Somehow Voices of Liberty has survived this so far it seems.

 

[OhHaiInternet95]

Is this part of the announced 28K? Horrific either way you slice it.

We must do whatever it takes to keep another pandemic OF THIS MAGNITUDE (before anyone says "pandemics happen all the time") from happening again. Imagine if we meet a pathogen like this we can't get a vaccine for in roughly a year?

 

[Mad Dog]

I'm not an insider, and have no insider info. But I do recall that during the reopening, Disney had a very contentious negotiation with their Actors Equity Union. I had 23 years as a union head negotiating contracts and working conditions.
I would strongly 'guess' that this massive layoff of talent is payback, and a future management negotiating tool, in response to the difficult negotiations they had in the summer with Equity. I would guess that when things settle down in the future, that
Disney will demand considerable union give backs and work rule changes, to reopen any of these workplaces. It's a dirty way of doing things, but often used by managements that are not labor friendly. In a mostly anti union state like Florida,
with little state labor law protections, I would imagine the future of the Equity union on Disney property is going to exist in a much weaker state than they were previous to covid.

 

[OhHaiInternet95]

I'm not an insider, and have no insider info. But I do recall that during the reopening, Disney had a very contentious negotiation with their Actors Equity Union. I had 23 years as a union head negotiating contracts and working conditions.
I would strongly 'guess' that this massive layoff of talent is payback, and a future management negotiating tool, in response to the difficult negotiations they had in the summer with Equity. I would guess that when things settle down in the future, that
Disney will demand considerable union give backs and work rule changes, to reopen any of these workplaces. It's a dirty way of doing things, but often used by managements that are not labor friendly. In a mostly anti union state like Florida,
with little state labor law protections, I would imagine the future of the Equity union on Disney property is going to exist in a much weaker state than they were previous to covid.

Can Americans start waking up to the fact that large corporations do not in fact have the public's best interests at heart, like we have for the last forty years?

 

[Mad Dog]

Can Americans start waking up to the fact that large corporations do not in fact have the public's best interests at heart, like we have for the last forty years?

Kind of depends what part of the country you're living in. In many areas of the USA working families are aware of that. In certain other areas people embrace a different mindset. It's individual of course, but
largely falls on regional lines when talking about a majority of the people. This is a large nation with many divergent positions often depending on where you live.

 

[OhHaiInternet95]

I don't expect everything to be "back to normal" next year--and we shouldn't even strive for what was normal because normal eld to this--but I need legit improvement. I absolutely cannot survive another year at this level.

 

[RevFreako]

Holy crap. That’s a blood bath. Somehow Voices of Liberty has survived this so far it seems.

Isn't this more or less what Disney was gunning for pre Covid anyway? Kill off all the long term entertainment, go for shorter cheaper contracts, and also avoid fanboy fallout when a Mulch Sweat etc gets the cut?

 

[UNIrd]

But if the parks are starting to FEEL like they did at normal times, and will only continue to do so as they increase capacity further, how far off are we from needing some entertainment options to keep guests entertained? I'd say we've pretty much reached that point already.

 

[OhHaiInternet95]

But if the parks are starting to FEEL like they did at normal times, and will only continue to do so as they increase capacity further, how far off are we from needing some entertainment options to keep guests entertained? I'd say we've pretty much reached that point already.

I go back and forth between thinking we'll see not full but noticeable improvement next year (news about Oxford vaccine this morning) and thinking, well, that 2020 is how it's going to be for a very very long time (the most recent wave of Disney layoffs tonight).

 

[Nick]

Isn't this more or less what Disney was gunning for pre Covid anyway? Kill off all the long term entertainment, go for shorter cheaper contracts, and also avoid fanboy fallout when a Mulch Sweat etc gets the cut?

FotlK, Nemo, Hoop Dee Doo, etc are WAY better offerings than Mulch ever was and to just lose those is to lose incredibly unique live entertainment around the Resort sucks and hurts guest experience.

This is the complete Walmartization of WDW, now making it little more than themed up parks with rides. The extras that made WDW special are all disappearing before our eyes.

 

[OhHaiInternet95]

FotlK, Nemo, Hoop De Doo, etc are WAY better offerings than Mulch ever was and to just lose those is to lose incredibly unique live entertainment around the Resort.

This is the complete Walmartization of WDW, now making it little more than themed up parks with rides. The extras that made WDW special are all disappearing before our eyes.

Is Universal doing any differently? Not a rhetorical question, genuinely curious.

 

[Nick]

Is Universal doing any differently? Not a rhetorical question, genuinely curious.

I still love going to DS and the BW area, but I'm kind of feeling less of a desire to go to WDW parks lately.

Universal has less actual Equity type shows and tbh, most of the ones they had/have aren’t great. The only one I would miss is Horror Makeup Show.

 

[RevFreako]

FotlK, Nemo, Hoop De Doo, etc are WAY better offerings than Mulch ever was and to just lose those is to lose incredibly unique live entertainment around the Resort.

This is the complete Walmartization of WDW, now making it little more than themed up parks with rides. The extras that made WDW special are all disappearing before our eyes.

I don't disagree, and I now have zero regrets dropping my Disney AP, but my point is that this is likely what they were after anyway, they just get to do it quicker.

Universal has less actual Equity type shows and tbh, most of the ones they had/have aren’t great. The only one I would miss is Horror Makeup Show.

Animal Actors, Blues Brothers and all the Potter shows including the wand experience are all things I'd miss.

 

[Quint]

Sounds like Voices of Liberty, Savi's Workshop, Dapper Dans and Frozen show are the only ones to keep employment. Everyone else has been laid off. This is unprecedented. I've been in the amusement industry for over 30 years and NEVER have experienced anything like this.

 

[Nick]

I don't disagree, and I now have zero regrets dropping my Disney AP, but my point is that this is likely what they were after anyway, they just get to do it quicker.



Animal Actors, Blues Brothers and all the Potter shows including the wand experience are all things I'd miss.

I could do without Animal Actors, but it’s a good time waster. Blues Brothers is nice streetmosphere, whether you stop to watch or not. Same way with Beat Builders.

 

[OhHaiInternet95]

Universal has less actual Equity type shows and tbh, most of the ones they had/have aren’t great. The only one I would miss is Horror Makeup Show.

If HMUS goes away


As I said, I go back and forth on my outlook for tourism and the economy in general, and currently on the "absolutely hopeless of any future recovery" phase, ESPECIALLY if immunity doesn't even last.