It's a smaller world for Disney World actors

ORLANDO, Fla. -- If you've been to Walt Disney World in the past decade, you may have caught Mark Lainer playing a character in the Indiana Jones show. Or he may have made you laugh in one of the improvisational sketches at Pleasure Island. \nUntil two weeks ago, Lainer was an actor at the theme park. \nNow he is a casualty of some of the toughest economic times Disney World has faced in decades. \nLainer and more than 100 other actors were laid off two weeks ago. \nLainer no longer goes to work each day to perform improv, play the character "Six Bits" in the Hoop-Dee-Doo show, or act the role of a movie director in the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular Show. \nInstead, he grew a beard, sleeps in late, works the phones to drum up some acting and writing jobs from conventions, and he plans for a move to Los Angeles with his wife and cats early next year. Lainer, who also directs, has been back to Disney to fill some substitute roles but finds that former colleagues treat him "like someone died." \n"It was such a shock," said Lainer, 39. "I was in a weird state of mind. It was surreal." \nSince February, Disney has laid off more than 180 of the 430 actors who once worked full-time at the theme park resort, or about 40 percent of its Actors Equity performers, according to Lainer. Disney spokesman Bob Jimenez disputed that number as too high but would not say what the actual figure is. \nDuring the latest round, the actors were given the option of working a service job in the park, in merchandising or custodial, but most refused. Lainer said such jobs pay only one-third to half of his $22-an-hour wage as an actor. \n"I'm an actor. Some people work for Disney because they want to work for Disney," he said. "I worked for Disney because it was a great place to be a performer." \nJimenez said half of the entertainers whose jobs were cut have accepted other positions at the park. \nOther Disney workers are also feeling the pinch. Most of Disney World's 15,000 part-time workers have had their hours eliminated. Hourly workers have had their workweek cut back, and salaried workers were given the option of scaling back their hours. \nWhile acting jobs have dried up in Orlando, he does not fear for his career. Lainer is a familiar face to Orlando TV viewers, having appeared on several local commercials and a few syndicated shows filmed here such as "The Cape" and "Sheena." He expects to find more work.