Disney cutbacks

This time it's the theme park division - and it's big: 1,400 jobs at Walt Disney World in Orlando, 300 at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, and 200 at the Burbank corporate headquarters. About 1,200 people are laid off and 700 positions are being left unfilled. This follows the company's reorganization plans announced in February. From the LAT:

"The recession, and the recent decline, has really hit the theme park industry, but it has hit the destination parks more than the regional parks," said Edward Shaw, an associate with Economics Research Associates, a consultant to the travel industry. "People are staying closer to home." Other Southern California amusement parks say they have avoided major layoffs. Six Flags Magic Mountain, Legoland and Knott's Berry Farm say they have had no job cuts in recent months, and Universal Studios spokesman Eliot Sekuler said the company laid off a few dozen workers at the theme park in December as part of an overall belt-tightening at NBC Universal.

Some in the travel industry are cautiously optimistic that Americans will start to take vacations again this summer, pointing to an improvement in the stock market and the initial returns from the federal stimulus package. That seems to be more of a hope than an expectation, but it's not out of the question.