Josh D’Amaro, president of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, was spotted this afternoon at Disney California Adventure.
D’Amaro was seen taking a peek at the Hollywood Land area, which has seen a number of reopenings even after most of the Buena Vista Street extension had to be shut down after a regional stay-at-home order was everywhere inside and out closed the province.
The reopening of Buena Vista Street as part of the Downtown Disney District at one point showed promise for the overall return to normal at the shuttered Disneyland Resort, but recent rising cases of COVID-19 in California quickly slowed all progress. Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, originally slated to reopen on December 6, now remains closed indefinitely along with the rest of the resort’s hotels, and while third-party suppliers can fulfill takeout orders in Downtown Disney District, it is unknown when Disney will be able to restore its restaurants. It was also recently announced that Downtown Disney District would be closed on Christmas Day.
As head of Disney Parks, Josh D’Amaro has been at the forefront of some of the company’s toughest decisions in the aftermath of the pandemic, including the layoff of 32,000 Cast Members in recent months. The last wave of layoffs took place just before Thanksgiving. Last seen at Disneyland in early October, D’Amaro apologized to the cast members and aired on the recent events. Since Disneyland Resort is expected to remain closed until at least January 2021, it is not known if there will be further leave or layoffs.