Walt Disney Co. is eliminating between 100 and 200 jobs in the division that operates its theme parks, cruise line and Aulani resort and spa in Hawaii, extending the entertainment industry’s cost-cutting wave into one of the company’s most important businesses.
The reductions are part of a recurring review of the Experiences division’s priorities, investments and project schedules, according to a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to speak publicly. Disney declined to comment. Employees affected by the move were expected to be notified by the end of Wednesday.
The layoffs are confined to the Experiences segment and are separate from other recent workforce actions at Disney. The company’s human resources and technology departments have also been affected by job cuts, while Disney offered early-retirement packages to older workers earlier this month. The company said the latest reductions are not connected to those earlier moves.
A central part of Disney’s business
The Experiences division is a major financial pillar for Disney, making the staffing reductions significant beyond the immediate number of jobs involved. In fiscal 2025, the segment generated $36.2 billion in revenue and accounted for more than 56% of Disney’s total operating income.
| Disney Experiences | Reported figure |
|---|---|
| Fiscal 2025 revenue | $36.2 billion |
| Share of total operating income | More than 56% |
| Planned job reductions | 100 to 200 positions |
Because the division contributes so heavily to Disney’s bottom line, analysts pay close attention to attendance at the company’s parks, including the role of visitors traveling to the United States from other countries. Disney executives previously cited pressure from overseas attendance at its domestic parks. During the company’s most recent earnings call in August, however, executives said those conditions had eased.
“International visitation headwinds”
The job cuts also come as Disney manages an unusually large number of projects connected to its parks and other Experiences businesses. The person familiar with the matter said Disney has more parks-related projects underway than ever before. Reviewing those plans, along with associated spending and timelines, gives the company a way to adjust staffing as it determines which priorities require the greatest investment.
A broader entertainment-industry reset
Disney’s actions are part of a larger consolidation across Hollywood, where entertainment companies are reducing costs and reorganizing operations. The company’s new chief executive, Josh D’Amaro, is seeking to sharpen Disney’s focus and make the business respond more quickly to changes in the entertainment market.
- The reductions affect Disney’s Experiences division rather than the company as a whole.
- The division includes parks, cruises and the Aulani resort and spa.
- The cuts follow separate layoffs and early-retirement offers elsewhere at Disney.
- Other entertainment companies are also preparing for substantial cost reductions.
Disney is not alone in facing pressure to streamline. Workers at Skydance, the name for the combined Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery, are also bracing for layoffs as that company pursues a plan to reduce costs by $6 billion over three years.
For Disney, the challenge is to control expenses without weakening the division that produces the majority of its operating income. The company’s review comes as it balances long-term parks investments, attendance trends and the changing economics of the broader entertainment business. The latest layoffs show that even Disney’s best-performing operation is being subjected to that discipline.
