Disney Eyes Thousands of Layoffs in Push for 20% Cost Cuts

The Walt Disney Company is considering eliminating a significant number of positions as part of a plan to achieve a 20% reduction in annual costs, according to several media reports. These potential job cuts come amid challenges facing CEO Josh D’Amaro, including increased usage of artificial intelligence, lower box office earnings, heightened competition from streaming services, and a decline in attendance at Disney's theme parks outside the United States, reported Bloomberg.

While the exact number of affected employees remains unknown, Disney had a workforce of approximately 231,000 individuals at the close of the 2025 fiscal year. Despite multiple significant reductions in staff this year, the company has decided to reinvest the savings from these cuts into film and television production, technological advancements, theme park experiences, and cruise ship operations.

Recent layoffs of between 100 and 200 people within Disney's theme parks division were announced just last week. This decision emerged from a routine assessment of investments and upcoming projects, following Disney's offer of voluntary early retirement packages to executives in August as part of a broader cost-cutting initiative.

Chief People Officer Sonia Coleman acknowledged ongoing operational changes and a focus on reducing costs to support future growth in content, technology, and experiences. The company's previous cost-cutting measures included eliminating 1,000 roles in April and further staff reductions in July and September, mainly affecting tech and human resources departments. Disney has not yet commented on these latest reported layoffs.