Universal Orlando COVID-19 impact: 6 attractions temporarily closing, more layoffs

More workers at Universal Orlando Resort were laid off Friday, just a day after parent company Comcast reported a massive 94 percent drop in theme park revenue for its second quarter.

This is the second round of layoffs at Universal since the resort reopened in June. Like the June 23 announcement, Universal did not specify how many workers were let go or what departments were affected. No notice of the layoffs had been filed with the state of Florida.

“We continue to manage our business through challenging times, focusing on the health and safety of our guests and team members and working to remain as resilient as possible,” Universal Orlando spokesman Tom Schroder said in an emailed statement to Theme Park Tribune. “We are prioritizing daily operations and shorter-term projects and continuing our pause on longer-term projects such as Epic Universe as we allow the tourism industry to recover. We have again made the difficult decision to reduce our workforce to reflect current priorities and needs. As always, we are aware of the impact this will have on those affected by this decision and their families.”

Schroder’s statement noted that the company will provide now-former employees with severance pay, subsidized health benefits and reemployment assistance.

Universal Orlando’s parks have been reopened for nearly two months, but capacity restrictions within the park and larger fears about travel during the COVID-19 pandemic have kept crowds low.

“While attendance in both locations is much lower than our typical summer levels, we are still doing better financially than if we were closed, and even more importantly, our guest satisfaction scores are at record highs,” said Jeff Shell, CEO of NBCUniversal, during Thursday’s earnings call.

In addition to the layoffs, Schroder confirmed to Theme Park Tribune that six attractions in Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida will be temporarily closed beginning August 6.

The affected rides are:

A Day in the Park with Barney
Fast & Furious: Supercharged
Kang & Kodos’ Twirl ‘n’ Hurl
Fear Factor Live
Poseidon’s Fury
Storm Force Accelatron

“We’re working to move team members at these experiences to other roles within Universal Orlando,” Schroder said. Fear Factor Live has not been in operation since the parks’ June reopening, with the entrance area being used as a “relaxation zone” where guests can take off their masks while remaining physically distant from other groups.

Share this:

Like this: