Dark side of the Magic Kingdom: Orlando motels outside Disney World are packed with people who have lost their jobs after the 'Disney Dollars' dried up when tourists stopped coming due to the pandemic

submited by

Style Pass

2024-03-30 00:30:08

Anthony, a single father of two, sits in a stairwell at the Palm Motel down the road from Disney World in Kissimmee, Florida. Anthony is a chef in Old Town, a tourist hub in Kissimmee but since the COVID-19 pandemic he has had his work hours go from full-time to just two days a week

Victor Augustin, 32, a father of eight, stands in hallway at the The Clarion Inn & Suites Kissimmee. Augustin has a cleaning company with his wife and he also worked in construction at Universal Orlando Resort. All of his work has dried up during the COVID-19 pandemic. He is currently living in motels for two weeks at a time with his eight children and wife

Barbie Austria, 58, the director of the Kissimmee Poinciana Homeless Outreach, works tirelessly and without pay to help place homeless families in hotels across Kissimmee

The Magic Castle Inn and Suites in Kissimmee, Florida was the set for Sean Baker's gritty movie The Florida Project, which told of the day-to-day struggles of two residents of the motel that sits just outside the Disney World Resort