The Walt Disney Company is reportedly preparing another major round of workforce reductions as management seeks to cut annual expenses and redirect savings toward entertainment production, technology, theme parks and cruise operations.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
BURBANK, Calif. — The Walt Disney Company is preparing to eliminate thousands of jobs as part of a sweeping cost-cutting initiative under Chief Executive Officer Josh D’Amaro, with some managers instructed to identify ways to reduce annual expenses by 20%, according to reports published Tuesday, Nov. 3.
The proposed reductions could affect Disney’s television networks, film studios, theme parks and other operations, although the cuts are not expected to be distributed evenly across the company’s divisions. Management is examining both layoffs and reductions in operating expenses as it seeks to improve profitability while financing new investments.
According to a Bloomberg News report citing people familiar with the internal discussions, D’Amaro plans to reinvest some of the savings into film and television programming, technology development, theme park attractions and the company’s expanding cruise business. The report did not specify the exact number of positions targeted, when employees might receive layoff notices or how the proposed reductions would affect individual departments.
A Disney representative declined to comment on the reported plans. The 20% savings target was reportedly assigned to certain managers and should not be interpreted as a confirmed companywide reduction of 20% in spending or staffing.
The restructuring discussions come as Disney faces changing consumer habits, declining revenue from traditional television and increasing competition from streaming platforms and digital entertainment companies. At the same time, the company is investing heavily in its theme parks, cruise ships and new entertainment technologies, creating pressure to control expenses elsewhere in the business.
Disney employed approximately 231,000 people worldwide at the end of its 2025 fiscal year. The workforce includes employees across its entertainment, sports and experiences divisions, ranging from television and film production personnel to theme park workers and corporate staff.
The company has already eliminated thousands of positions through previous restructuring initiatives. Under former CEO Bob Iger, Disney announced approximately 7,000 layoffs in 2023 as part of a plan to achieve $5.5 billion in cost savings, with reductions affecting ABC, ESPN, Pixar, the film studio and other operations.
Additional layoffs followed in subsequent years. Disney eliminated several hundred positions in 2025 and approximately 1,000 jobs in April 2026, while further reductions affected its human resources and technology departments in September.
The latest reported plans suggest that management believes additional savings are necessary despite those earlier efforts. Disney has projected double-digit growth in adjusted earnings per share for the current fiscal year, making cost management an important element of its financial strategy.
The company’s traditional television business remains a particular concern. Cable television subscriptions have continued declining as consumers shift toward streaming services, reducing the revenue that established networks historically received from advertising and distribution agreements. Disney’s television properties have also faced competition for audiences from online video platforms and entertainment services operated by major technology companies.
An October report from The Wall Street Journal indicated that Disney was considering a restructuring of its television division alongside workforce reductions in its legal and global affairs operations. The newly reported cost-cutting targets suggest the review could extend more broadly throughout the company.
Disney President Dana Walden acknowledged the industry’s changing economic conditions during Bloomberg’s Screentime conference in Los Angeles on Oct. 1, emphasizing the need for entertainment companies to continually reassess their organizational structures.
“There is a need to constantly evaluate how you’re structured and how big is the organization. Technology set their sights on our business and we must survive and thrive and grow, and that’s what we’re going to do,” Walden said.
The statement reflects growing competition between established entertainment companies and technology businesses that increasingly produce or distribute films, television programs and other video content. Amazon and Apple have expanded their entertainment operations, while YouTube and other online platforms continue attracting audiences and advertising revenue.
Artificial intelligence is also changing parts of the entertainment industry, offering new opportunities to automate business processes, improve production workflows and develop digital content. Those technologies have prompted companies to reconsider staffing requirements and investment priorities, although Disney has not publicly identified AI as the direct cause of the proposed layoffs.
The broader restructuring would occur under D’Amaro, who assumed Disney’s chief executive role earlier this year after previously leading the company’s experiences division. His background includes oversight of Disney’s theme parks, resorts, cruise operations and consumer products businesses, which have become increasingly important to the company’s long-term growth.
Disney’s experiences business has benefited from strong consumer interest in its attractions and cruise offerings, but expansion requires substantial capital investment. The company has committed significant resources to new attractions, resort improvements and additional cruise ships while continuing to fund film and television production.
The reported plan to redirect savings toward those operations indicates that the company is seeking to prioritize investments expected to support future revenue growth rather than distribute reductions uniformly across its businesses.
Disney is not alone in reducing employment as the entertainment industry adapts to new financial pressures. Netflix, Sony Pictures Entertainment and the Paramount and Warner Bros. operations under Skydance have also implemented layoffs and restructuring measures amid shifting audience behavior and pressure to improve profitability.
According to Reuters’ report on Disney’s proposed reductions, industry challenges include slower streaming subscriber growth, weaker theatrical revenue and changes in attendance at international theme parks. These pressures have encouraged media companies to reconsider operating costs even as they continue investing in programming and technology.
The reported layoffs could have consequences for employees across Disney’s extensive operations, particularly in Southern California, where the company maintains major production facilities and corporate offices. Workforce reductions in television and film production can also affect supporting businesses and contractors, although the precise economic impact will depend on which operations are ultimately affected.
Disney has not announced a final restructuring plan or confirmed how many employees would lose their jobs. The company is scheduled to report its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings Nov. 17, when investors may seek additional information about management’s spending priorities and outlook.
For now, the reported initiative represents another significant effort to reduce costs while repositioning Disney’s businesses for changing entertainment markets. Whether the proposed savings targets translate into thousands of layoffs, and how those reductions would be distributed, remains uncertain pending further company disclosures.
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