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Just wanted to plant this seed here, because I believe it's relevant to what is going on. Disney just laid off 28,000 employees...of which around 400 of them were imagineers. Back in the day, universal hired quite a few imagineers and it benefited them greatly. Now that Universal has paused work on EU but hasn't halted plans to move forward, as far as we know, does anyone else believe that lightning may strike twice and Universal offer these out of work imagineers a spot on the team? I sure do.
 
TheWalkingDad said:
Just wanted to plant this seed here, because I believe it's relevant to what is going on. Disney just laid off 28,000 employees...of which around 400 of them were imagineers. Back in the day, universal hired quite a few imagineers and it benefited them greatly. Now that Universal has paused work on EU but hasn't halted plans to move forward, as far as we know, does anyone else believe that lightning may strike twice and Universal offer these out of work imagineers a spot on the team? I sure do.
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To replace all the laid off Universal Creative staff?

If UC is hiring, why not hire back their own people?
 
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Happytycho said:
To replace all the laid off Universal Creative staff?

If UC is hiring, why not hire back their own people?
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Because a lot of “their own” still have to find jobs. There’s typically a shifting when something like this happens. People find jobs elsewhere and can’t/don’t return. Which leaves openings that are filled with new blood.

If Universal is smart, they’ll expand their force when the rehires start. Universal has a reason to steal a lot of talent, as long as they beat Disney back to the rehiring punch.
 
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Happytycho said:
To replace all the laid off Universal Creative staff?

If UC is hiring, why not hire back their own people?
Click to expand...
Could have cut dead weight. I know lots of businesses that furloughed employees, then only hired back the cream of the crop. UC may have cut the bottom 20% of their staff but now have the opportunity to hire better/younger/fresher talent. For most industries its an employer's market right now.
 
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lowbudget said:
Could have cut dead weight. I know lots of businesses that furloughed employees, then only hired back the cream of the crop. UC may have cut the bottom 20% of their staff but now have the opportunity to hire better/younger/fresher talent. For most industries its an employer's market right now.
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UC cut wayyyyyyyy more than 20% of its workforce. The place is basically a skeleton crew right now.
 
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Based on a lot of WDI's output recently, aside from a few top people, I'm not really sure UniCreative is all that interested in former Imagineers. I don't think they looked at the new BatB ride in Japan and said, "We gotta hire that talent!"

JungleSkip said:
UC cut wayyyyyyyy more than 20% of its workforce. The place is basically a skeleton crew right now.
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They still have quite a few people in Beijing. My friend George posted pics over the weekend celebrating his birthday at a roof top bar in Beijing. I went to Full Sail with him in '93. I'm a little jealous.
 
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I think I heard that some folks from UC were actually rehired recently, but it really depends on where they need people right now. As for Epic Universe, I still don't think we'll see any movement on the creative side until the end of the year, at the earliest. If lots of new people are needed for it, and things get back on track, I could see former Imagineers being picked up sure. Like @Legacy said, you hire who's available when you need people.
 
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I have no issue with them hiring former imagineers, but I don't see there being some great strategic opportunity here either. The entire theme park industry is reeling and creative staffs have been decimated to save any money possible - nobody will be hiring just to steal or secure talent. It's going to be a rough few years just trying to build back up to where UC was before the pandemic, and we should be celebrating any hiring they can do, regardless of background. I just don't believe the "Universal is going to steal Disney's talent" narrative in this environment.

I also don't like the
Disneyhead said:
I don't think they looked at the new BatB ride in Japan and said, "We gotta hire that talent!"
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mentality, but that's not germane to this thread so I won't say any more.
 
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JungleSkip said:
UC cut wayyyyyyyy more than 20% of its workforce. The place is basically a skeleton crew right now.
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I've got no idea how much they cut. Just pulled 20% out of the air.

But if they've cut way back like that it leaves the opportunity to really pick and choose who comes back, and who they hire from the outside. Start from the ground up and build the best UC they can with the best talent on the market.
 
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