Disney Park Surpasses Pre-COVID Numbers For Cast Members

Despite rumors flying around of Disney struggling to match staffing needs, it appears that some Disney Parks have surpassed their pre-Covid numbers for the number of Cast Members working at the Park.

The Central Florida  Walt Disney World Resort and the Southern California Disneyland Resort are two of the best places in the world to enjoy a Disney vacation. The Disney magic is strong with these two Disney Resorts, and in particular, in each Theme Park fans can frequent. Whether it’s Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, or Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World or Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park in Disneyland Resort, the heart of the Parks are the Disney Cast Members.

Disneyland Resort Cast Members underwent tumultuous changes during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Over ten thousand Cast Members were laid off in 2020, and when the Disney Parks reopened, per all reports, Disney struggled to rehire. However, a new report from Orange County Business Journal puts forth that Disneyland Resort’s staffing shortages may not be as big of an issue as it seems.

According to the report, as of October 2022, the Walt Disney Company employed 34,000 Cast Members in Anaheim, Southern California. In fact, Disney Cast Members represent two percent of the Orange County workforce.

Per the Journal, Disney employed 32,000 Cast Members before Covid hit the United States in March 2020. The Journal spoke with Disneyland Resort President Ken Potrock, who said, “As Walt Disney once said, ‘You can dream, create, design and build the most wonderful place in the world, but it requires people to make the dream a reality. I’m grateful that we’ve welcomed back so many of our cast members since reopening.”

However, it’s worth noting that this report comes just a few days after Disney CEO Bob Chapek announced a company-wide hiring freeze alongside future layoffs as well.

Read More: Another Park Addition Announced Amid Disney’s Hiring Freeze, Cost Cutting

We at Disney Fanatic will continue to report on all the latest news from Disney as it comes to light.