Disney Just Cut Up to 200 Jobs at Imagineering — Even as Its Parks Mint Billions

Disney laid off between 100 and 200 employees in its Experiences division on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, with the bulk of the cuts landing at Walt Disney Imagineering’s Glendale, California campus — the creative studio that designs the company’s theme parks, rides, and cruise ships. The move, first reported by the Los Angeles Times and corroborated by multiple entertainment trade outlets, is the latest in a string of 2026 restructurings at a division that remains Disney’s single biggest profit engine. Here are the two stories we’re watching across the parks this Thursday.

Disney Lays Off Up to 200 in Its Experiences Division, Hitting Imagineering Hardest

The cuts were concentrated at Walt Disney Imagineering, the in-house studio responsible for conceiving and building Disney’s attractions worldwide. According to the Los Angeles Times, which cited a person familiar with the decision, Disney declined to comment on the specifics; trade outlets reported that teams tied to the Shanghai Disney Resort and the forthcoming Disneyland Abu Dhabi project were among those affected, though the Abu Dhabi build is reportedly not being delayed.

The timing is striking. In its most recent quarter, Disney’s Experiences segment posted operating income up roughly 20% to more than $3 billion on nearly $10 billion in revenue — the company’s healthiest business. Trade outlets reported the layoffs follow a voluntary early-retirement offer extended to director-level-and-above employees who are at least 50 years old with 10 or more years of tenure, and that the reductions are largely project-based.

This is not an isolated event. We’ve tracked Disney’s restructuring all year, and this round joins several that preceded it:

Layoff round	Scope reported
April 2026	~1,000 positions company-wide (marketing consolidation)
October 2025	~100 salaried roles at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim
October 28, 2026	100–200 in Experiences, mostly Imagineering

Disney’s full-year and fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings call is scheduled for November 17, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. ET, where executives will likely be pressed on how aggressive cost discipline squares with a parks business this profitable. For context on an earlier wave, see our coverage of Disneyland’s cut of 100 salaried roles.

”it’s a small world” Closes Today at Disneyland for Its Annual Holiday Makeover

Across the country in Anaheim, a far cheerier transition is underway. Today, Thursday, October 29, 2026, is the final day to ride the standard version of Disneyland’s “it’s a small world” before it closes on October 30 for its seasonal transformation. According to Disneyland’s official attraction page, the beloved “it’s a small world” Holiday overlay returns November 13, 2026 — the same day the resort’s broader Holidays at the Disneyland Resort celebration kicks off, running through January 6, 2027.

The holiday overlay is one of the most ambitious seasonal makeovers in American theme parks: the Mary Blair facade is draped in tens of thousands of twinkling holiday lights, and the ride’s classic children’s chorus weaves “Jingle Bells” and “Deck the Halls” into the familiar anthem. On our past December visits, the nightly lighting of that glowing facade has consistently drawn some of the thickest crowds on Main Street, U.S.A.

A practical note for anyone planning an early-November trip: the roughly two-week gap between October 30 and the November 13 reopening means the attraction will be completely unavailable during that window, so build your touring plan accordingly.

For a full breakdown of when to go and how to tour the resort during the busy holiday stretch, see our complete Disneyland planning guide.