Disney will require all salaried and non-union Cast Members to be vaccinated against COVID-19

Jul 30, 2021 in "The Walt Disney Company"

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Posted: Friday July 30, 2021 4:31pm ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

The Walt Disney Company is stepping up the challenge to fight COVID-19 and will follow the guidelines of Orange County by requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for its Cast Members.

All Cast members at Walt Disney World will soon be vaccinated against COVID-19

In the first phase, all salaried and non-union hourly employees in the U.S. working at any sites will need to be fully vaccinated. Any employees who are not currently vaccinated will have 60 days to comply. In addition, all new employees will need to be vaccinated before starting with the company, and discussions are underway with the unions for those existing Cast Members who are represented by a union.

In addition, Disney is delaying its return-to-office timelines with remote workers who are currently working from home.

An Executive Order has been signed this week by the Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, declaring a local emergency. He pleaded with businesses, including the theme parks, to mandate vaccinations for employees and that both employees and patrons wear masks when indoors.

Disney has been very quick to respond to the mayor's requests for help, with masks being enforced as of today at Walt Disney World, and the process beginning to enforce vaccination of Cast Members.

Signs at the front of Magic Kingdom remind guest that masks are required indoors as of July 30

Neighboring theme parks Universal Orlando and Sea World have decided not to enforce any mask use amongst its guests.

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SirwalterraleighJan 28, 2022

All the “capitalists” around here would tell you the market determines the fit

Tony the TiggerJan 28, 2022

Wages fit the gig.

SirwalterraleighJan 28, 2022

hey! You know we have a strict policy against common sense round here!😡 Yeah…that looks like a genius policy more everyday but this would be Anaheim - of course.

lazyboy97oJan 28, 2022

Orange County, California. Disneyland Resort is moving forward with requiring employees to be vaccinated.

donsullivanJan 28, 2022

Florida law prevents Disney from implementating vaccine mandate in the state.

el_superJan 28, 2022

I don't think it will hurt. Orange County is over 70% vaccinated, so why not appeal to the majority now? Tout the vaccine mandates as a safety measure and a sign that you take employee health seriously.

SirwalterraleighJan 28, 2022

That’s bonuses…which are a diversion wages are higher…I guess…so that’s a start

Tony the TiggerJan 28, 2022

Already did that.

SirwalterraleighJan 28, 2022

Universal is open…as is sea world 👍🏻

ThelazerJan 28, 2022

Guests: You Will PAY MORE and YOU WILL LIKE IT! Employee's: You WILL VAX and MASK and You WILL LIKE IT!

SirwalterraleighJan 28, 2022

I agree…and Disney is compensating by charging 125-150% of pre-pandemic pricing 👍🏻

MisterPenguinJan 28, 2022

Staffing shortages have been prevalent in all industries in all areas way before any talk of vaccine mandates, but especially in the service industries, and especially more so in hospitality industries. Can mandates exacerbate that? Sure, but in most businesses, the loss of employees who refuse to be vaccinated when their job is on the line usually turns out to be only 1-5% (usually closer to 1%). Protests by Disney employees have drawn only a few dozen employees. Compare that to the totality of their workforce. So, Disney's only going to be back at 85% capacity rather than 90% capacity for a while. The park reservation system makes sure they're not overwhelmed with guests, and keeping certain stores, restaurants, and entertainment venues closed for a while will continue to take place. Many business are experiencing slow downs and temporary shut-downs due to lack of employees and employees out sick with COVID. Don't forget that for WDW, the international pool of workers is still mostly not available yet and their college program has only restarted this past Fall. Expecting Disney parks to be firing at 100% of pre-pandemic is an unrealistic expectation, even if there were no vaccine mandates. Tyson Foods found they became *more productive* once they mandate vaccines for their employees because it significantly reduced employee sick days.