Just weeks after fully reopening, Universal Orlando Resort has laid off an undisclosed number of employees in their Parks & Resorts department.
The parks remain under limited capacity, and with the exception of Volcano Bay, which has reached capacity regularly over the past few weekends, Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure have experienced low crowds as the theme park industry in Central Orlando struggles to recover in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It’s unknown how many employees were laid off, and Universal is offering affected employees severance packages. In a statement to Spectrum News, a Universal spokesperson stated:
“We have made the difficult decision to reduce our Parks & Resorts workforce across multiple locations and business units. This decision was not made lightly, but was necessary to prepare us for the future.”
Universal Orlando Resort opted to keep many of its Team Members employed at a 20% pay reduction throughout the closures in lieu of mass furloughs. In May, it furloughed its part-time Team Members due to the ongoing closures.
Maybe they shouldn’t have opened in the middle of a deadly pandemic as numbers are rising in Florida.