Walt Disney Co. plans to layoff 151 workers across the entertainment giant’s Experiences segment based in Glendale by the end of December, with another eight job cuts coming by Feb. 28, 2027, the Burbank-based company said in a regulatory filing this week.
The experiences segment includes all of Disney’s theme parks — not just the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim — its cruise line fleet, Aulani resort and spa in O’ahu, and its Imagineering campus in Glendale involved in creative design at theme parks, resorts and attractions.
Jim Bowden, Disney’s head of employee relations, wrote in an Oct. 27 letter filed with the state’s Employment Development Department that the layoffs are permanent, and affect employees who “take direction from its offices” in Glendale.
A Disney spokesperson was not immediately available to comment on how widespread those layoffs are across the region.
The layoffs affect a range of workers, including landscape architects, project engineers, technical directors, ride development engineers, show set control engineers and designers, according to the EDD filing.
The layoff filings were made as part of the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act — commonly referred to as WARN, which are required when an employer lays off more than 50 employees.
The layoffs come on the heels of other company layoffs and early retirement buyout packages offered this past summer to certain executives.
That offer came amid ongoing layoffs, with the elimination of 1,000 roles announced in April, followed by a round of hundreds of job cuts in July. Disney Chief Executive Officer Josh D’Amaro and Chief Financial Officer Hugh Johnston told investors in early August that more may be coming.
In October 2025, Disneyland in Anaheim laid off 100 salaried employees as Orange County’s largest employer recalibrated its business ahead of the busy Christmas holiday season.
The company filed multiple layoff notices over the past year with the state’s Employment Development Department. In April, Disney filed one notice regarding 53 layoffs at its Disney Entertainment Operations in Burbank.