Disney is cutting as many as 200 positions in its Experiences division, with the Glendale-based Imagineering campus bearing the brunt of the reductions as the company reevaluates where it puts its money.
The layoffs, which were expected to wrap up by end of day Wednesday, are confined to the division that runs theme parks, resorts and cruise lines. They do not extend company-wide. The cuts emerged from what the company described as a routine review of investments, priorities and project timelines.
The timing lands awkwardly against attendance figures that show Disney’s marquee properties still drawing massive crowds. Magic Kingdom in Florida remained the world’s most-visited theme park in 2025, pulling in 17.8 million guests despite a slight 0.2% dip from the previous year. Disneyland Park in Anaheim held the No. 2 spot globally with 17.4 million visitors, up 0.4%, while neighboring Disney California Adventure matched that growth rate with 10.1 million guests.
Analysts keep close watch on these numbers because the Experiences division serves as a financial engine for the broader company. The parks and related operations have long been treated as a reliable profit center, one that helps offset volatility in Disney’s streaming and theatrical businesses.
Neither the Los Angeles Times nor Deadline, which both reported the layoffs, identified specific projects being scaled back or detailed why particular roles were eliminated. The review appears focused on structural reallocation rather than any single attraction or development.
Imagineering, the creative and technical arm housed in Glendale, California, has historically driven the design and engineering behind Disney’s most ambitious park expansions. Reductions there suggest the company is pulling back on future-facing work even as current operations hum along.
The mixed attendance picture offers some context. Growth at the California parks, however modest, contrasts with the tiny contraction at Magic Kingdom. That Florida property’s slip below prior-year levels, while marginal, marks a rare soft spot for a park that typically only climbs.
Disney has not publicly named the projects under review or indicated whether any announced expansions face delays. The company has pursued aggressive capital spending in recent years, including the multi-billion-dollar transformation of its Orlando campus and new cruise ship launches.
The current round of cuts follows a pattern of periodic workforce adjustments at Disney, though the concentration in Imagineering carries particular weight given that unit’s role in shaping the company’s physical presence worldwide. Employees there blend creative storytelling with engineering discipline, making their work difficult to replace or outsource.
No statements from affected employees or union representatives surfaced in initial reporting. The company itself has not issued public comment beyond acknowledging the review process that produced the layoffs.
The reductions arrive as Disney’s leadership continues balancing streaming investment against legacy businesses. Parks have been the steadier performer in that equation, which may explain why cuts are landing in planning and development rather than operations.
What comes next for the Imagineering staff who remain, and for the projects now under revised timelines, remains unclear. Disney’s next quarterly earnings call may offer more detail on how the review reshapes its Experiences spending.