Disney Delays Moving Thousands of Florida Jobs Until 2026 – Update

Updated, 17:10: A little over a year ago, the Walt Disney Co. announced plans to relocate most of its Southern California work, which is not entirely dedicated to Disneyland in its parks, experience, and product department, to a new facility. regional in central Florida.

What a difference in a year.

Today, after a no less than ideal relationship with the state of Florida, a company spokesperson announced that Disney wants to “remain flexible with exiles, especially considering the estimated completion date of the campus is now 2026.”

The statement said: “Therefore, where possible, we are adjusting the transfer period to the end of the campus.”

Last year’s statement indicated a deadline of 18 months. Josh D’Amaro, president of Disney’s Parks, Experience and Products Division, also said the move was “in various stages of planning since 2019”.

So today’s news will take a step back from the mandate in about three years, depending on when the campus is finished in 2026.

Here’s today’s Disney announcement:

While an increasing number of our staff who will work on campus have already moved to Central Florida, we also want to continue to provide flexibility for displaced people, especially considering that the estimated completion date of the campus is 2026. Therefore, when possible, we will adjust the transfer period at the end of the campus.

One of the first reasons D’Amaro called the measure was “Florida’s business-friendly climate.” Meanwhile, Disney and CEO Bob Chapeck have been at odds with Florida officials, most notably Governor Ron de Sant, who signed a law in April that deprives Disney of the ability to control its own area, which includes Walt Disney World, after the company. Publicly contrary to the state law on parental responsibility.

The landing party, for its part, is considering the possibility of running for president. Meanwhile, he has announced his candidacy for governorship for a second term. If re-elected, he will work in Florida until 2026.

Before July 15, 2021The Walt Disney Company plans to relocate most of the Southern California-based work that isn’t entirely dedicated to Disneyland in its parks, experience, and product department to a new regional facility in central Florida, it said Thursday.

“I would like to share with you the news about an exciting project that is in various stages of planning starting in 2019,” wrote Josh D’Amaro, president of Disney’s Parks, Experiences and Products division, in a letter to the staff received. Deadlines. “This new project will create a dynamic environment to support our growing business: a brand new regional campus to be built in Lake Nona, Orlando, Florida.

“In addition to being a conducive business climate in Florida, this new regional campus offers us the opportunity to bring our teams together and be more collaborative and influential, both creatively and operationally,” he wrote.

Initially, the new campus will feature “more than 2,000 imaginative and collaborative artists,” D’Amaro’s letter states, “will further enhance collaboration and creativity and enable us to better integrate our business and functional teams.”

The new facility will be located in Florida near Orlando International Airport, approximately 20 miles southeast of the Walt Disney World Resort. While the California-based company is still determining which employees to move to, D’Amaro wrote, “We can’t wait for the DPEP (Disney Parks, Experiences and Products) professional roles based in Southern California to be fully dedicated. to Disneyland or, to some extent, for good measure. International park companies will have to move to this new Florida campus. “

D’Amrro said the relocation will take 18 months and relocation assistance will be offered to affected personnel. He also pointed out that Disney remains committed to California, “including continuing to invest in a Disneyland resort.”

The decision was made after the company announced last winter that it would lay off approximately 32,000 employees, mostly in parks, experience and products, “due to the current climate, including COVID-19 impacts and variability. environmental”.

City News Service contributed to this report.