There aren’t a lot of people that are too happy about the closure of Disney’s famed theme parks, as each park brings in a massive amount of business to the surrounding areas and employs enough people to populate a small town. Losing up to $30 million, if not more, per day is a massive hit for the Mouse House, and the worst part is that it’s not the only hit that Disney’s being dealt, as Ryan Scott of MovieWeb could tell you. The studios are also being forced to hold off on releasing any upcoming movies and have stopped production on several others. Whether or not they’ll send those movies that are ready for viewing to digital or streaming is hard to say since they don’t stand to make nearly enough money to recoup their losses, and it might even end up costing them more money if they raise the price for their streaming service in order to try and help curb a fraction of the loss. People are already being forced to prioritize just where their money is going, and Disney isn’t a huge priority for a lot of people since the costs that go into procuring their products are a little high sometimes. When weighing whether to pay for a subscription and other Disney products or buying food and paying the rent, it’s a hope that a lot of people would tell the Mouse House ‘tough luck’ and hope for the best when it comes to the future.
As of now there’s no way to keep the parks open simply because a gathering of more than ten would be violated by keeping enough people on the clock to keep the park running. But the greater impact than Disney losing this much money per day is the uncertainty being felt by the many employees and even those that are dependent upon the business that Disney brings to their city. When you think about more than just the corporation and the hurt they’re feeling at this point it’s easy to see that those people not making the massive paychecks are suddenly right to be very worried since their jobs and even lives are at stake now that they can’t report to work and can’t depend on the steady paycheck that the park offers them. Those that operate businesses around the park, such as hotels, restaurants, and other various spots, are no doubt feeling the impact as well since many of them are likely being forced to close their doors and rely on less business than usual not just because of the park closure, but also because of the mandate concerning social distancing. Everyone is feeling the hardship at this point, but those that have been reliant upon a steady job and a steady number of people frequenting their businesses, those that have to close and can’t weather that kind of loss per day, are bound to be hurting quite a bit more than the Mouse House.
Vindictive as it might sound there are those likely to be wondering if Disney is already starting to realize just what it’s like to be on downward slope at this time. While it could be that the coronavirus will be figured out eventually, the continual hit that the corporation will be taking as the days roll on could very well impact their place in society. For decades now Disney has been growing, expanding, and coming to lord over the entertainment industry in a big way, and has made just as many enemies as it has admirers, meaning that there have likely been plenty of people praying for their ruination. It’s mean-spirited, it’s hard to say, and it’s easy to see how some people might feel a certain way about this, especially those that will defend the Mouse House to the end. Rick Munarriz of The Motley Fool has more to say on this. But the truth here is that the fall of Disney, while not imminent, is bound to come about if the corporation can’t find a way to stop the bleeding and adapt quickly enough to save what is still left. Is it hard to feel sorry for them? To be realistic, it’s not hard to feel sorry for those that are truly hurting because of the closures, those that don’t have the millions in the bank to rely on. But as far as those that rest at the top of the mountain, those that have been grinning like the Cheshire as they’ve taken over Lucasfilm, Fox, and been looming large over so many other companies, it’s not that hard at all.
Disney’s time hasn’t come as of this writing and might not ever come as the coronavirus might be quelled just enough for the parks to hurriedly open and try to gather as many willing individuals to help their numbers climb once again. But until then, that hemorrhage isn’t bound to heal itself that quickly.
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