ORLANDO, Fla. – The Walt Disney Company has adjusted the timeline to move thousands of jobs in its Parks, Experience and Products division from California to a new regional campus in Orlando's Lake Nona area.
What You Need To Know
- Disney has delayed moving some jobs from California to Florida to 2026
- The company says the delay is due to the new timeline for the Lake Nona campus
- The relocation of 2,000 jobs in the parks division was expected to take place through the end of 2022
- RELATED: Bob Weis steps down as Walt Disney Imagineering president, Barbara Bouza named as replacement
The relocation, originally expected to be completed by the end of 2022, has been pushed back to 2026 to "align" with the completion of the campus.
"While a growing number of our employees, who will ultimately work at the campus, have already made the move to Central Florida, we also want to continue to provide flexibility to those relocating, especially given the anticipated completion date of the campus is now in 2026," Disney spokeswoman Jacquee Whaler said in a statement. “Therefore, where possible, we are aligning the relocation period with the campus completion.”
Disney first revealed plans to relocate about 2,000 jobs from its headquarters in California to Florida last July. Some jobs, those dedicated to projects for Disneyland Resort, would remain in California.
At the time, Disney Parks Chairman Josh D'Amaro said the move was based on Florida's "business-friendly climate" and the opportunity for the company to be more collaborative across teams.
"This new regional campus gives us the opportunity to consolidate our teams and be more collaborative and impactful both from a creative and operational standpoint," D'Amaro said in a statement in July.
Some Imagineers have left the company since news of the move was first announced, although it's unclear just how many.
The delay comes amid a very public feud between Disney and Gov. Ron DeSantis over the state's Parental Rights in Education legislation, dubbed "Don't Say Gay" by critics, as well as a law that would dissolve the company's Reedy Creek Improvement District.
In March, Disney CEO Bob Chapek denounced the Parental Rights in Education measure after the company faced backlash from some employees for not taking a public stance against it initially. The law bans instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade or where not considered "age appropriate."
The new Lake Nona campus, which will house Imagineers as well as other professionals in the parks division, will be located about 20 miles from Walt Disney World. In September, Disney purchased nearly 60 acres of land for the campus.
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