Rope Drop Chat | Disney Budget Cuts, MVMCP Sells Out More Dates, Rock 'n Roller Coaster, & More

Top 5 Trending Stories 1 Disney eyes thousands of layoffs, asks managers to target 20% cost savings Nov 3 (Bloomberg) The biggest story of the week, and it broke this morning. Walt Disney Co. is moving toward cutting thousands of jobs, with some managers asked to find 20% in annual savings through job eliminations and expense reductions. CEO Josh D'Amaro reportedly plans to reinvest a portion of the savings into film/TV, technology, and the parks and cruise businesses. Disney declined to comment. Note: the 20% is a budget target, not a headcount target — Disney has 231,000 employees worldwide. Comes six days after up to 200 parks division layoffs, with Imagineering hit hard. 2 13 of 25 Very Merry Christmas Party nights now sold out — Jollywood loses its first two dates Nov 1–2 The holiday ticket squeeze is real. MVMCP has 13 sold-out dates including ALL of Thanksgiving week, leaving only three November nights (cheapest available is Nov 15 at $194). Opening night (Nov 8, $199) held on until Oct 17 — five weeks later than 2025 — but sellouts have accelerated hard since. Over at Hollywood Studios, Jollywood Nights (Nov 7–Jan 5, $169–$199) has already lost Nov 7 and Nov 14. If you're planning a holiday trip, this is the week to stop deliberating. 3 Rock 'n' Roller Coaster's 'Obligatory Holiday Overlay' opens TOMORROW (Nov 4) Nov 4 – Jan 6 The Electric Mayhem takes over for the holidays. Four new tracks: 'Holiday Road' (ft. Kermit & Fozzie), 'Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)' (ft. Jennifer Hudson), 'Silver Bells' (ft. Cyndi Lauper), and 'Little Saint Nick.' The marquee attraction of the update is the first-ever Audio-Animatronics figure of Scooter, built using motion-capture of the actual Muppet. There's also a new ride vehicle — the Lengthy Immediate Motion Object (L.I.M.O.) — and penguin audio engineers. Three PhotoPass designs available Nov 4 through Jan 6. 4 Grand Floridian Cafe reopens today after 15-week refurbishment Nov 2 The flagship resort's reimagining wraps up. The cafe closed July 20 and returns with a brighter dining room (pale green latticework, brass-framed shelving, coral chairs, lemon topiaries) and a new menu. Four headline dishes: an Apple Butter Cinnamon Roll with cinnamon-caramel crumb, a rebuilt Club on tomato focaccia, a Cobb Salad, and Fried Green Tomatoes with remoulade. Hours: breakfast 7:30–11, lunch 11:30–2, dinner 5–9. This follows the Grand Floridian's main entrance reopening Oct 18 after 39 days of construction detours. 5 WWE's John Cena Classic is coming to Disney World on December 14 Announced Nov 2 on Raw A genuinely unexpected one. John Cena appeared on Monday Night Raw to announce the inaugural John Cena Classic will take place Dec 14 at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. WWE will air a Raw from Perth, Australia that day, then a second episode live from Orlando that evening where the tournament goes down. Cody Rhodes is the first announced entrant; Cena is handpicking the field and says a fan vote through Club WWE will play a role. Tournament size and format still unannounced. Quick Hits & Planning Notes • Jingle Cruise returns to Magic Kingdom TODAY (Nov 3), running through Jan 4, 2027. • Santa's virtual queue returns Nov 11 at Disney Springs — five daily enrollment windows (9a, 11a, 1p, 3p, 5p), NO standby line, must be physically at Disney Springs to join, one person can register up to 10 guests. • Christmas Tree Stroll also returns Nov 11 through Jan 3, with new Bluey, Monsters Inc., and Hallmark trees. • Three parks extended mid-November hours: Magic Kingdom opens 8 AM Nov 15 and closes 11 PM Nov 16 and 21. • ABC holiday special taping brings modified entertainment schedules to Magic Kingdom Nov 10–11. • Critically endangered Jamaican iguanas hatched at Animal Kingdom — four new additions to the AZA Species Survival Plan. • Free Jollywood Nights souvenir giveaway announced for eligible DVC members. • Impressions de France cuts to mornings only starting Jan 1, 2027 — evening showings gone entirely.