Hi all, I found this article regarding Walt Disney and family reunions. After reading some of your posts it seems like many of you just don't go as one single family, but also includes grandmother, grandfathers, SIL, BIL, brothers, sisters, cousins, etc. You get the picture. Coming in October WDC will be rolling out "Magical Gatherings", which will cater to family reunions. Helping with things such as blocking rooms together, getting priority seating for large gatherings, and also even making space so large groups of family members can watch the parades. Read the article below, I hope this will help some:
LOS ANGELES, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co. is
about to roll out a welcome mat for big families, aiming to
lure still-hesitant vacationers back to its largest theme park
by making Disney World a hub for family reunions, the parks
chief said on Tuesday.
By doing so, the world's largest theme park company expects
to capitalize on one of the few bright spots in the travel
business and help assure moderate growth next year at its most
profitable unit, Disney Parks and Resorts President Jay Rasulo
told Reuters in an interview.
The attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, other global violence and
the weak economy have led many families to reach out to distant
relatives, Rasulo said.
"Here in the U.S., since 9/11 we have been seeing more of a
tendency for families wanting to be together and to vacation
together," Rasulo said. "Now we're trying to gear our business
around this trend."
Rasulo does not have high expectations for next year, given
the weak economy.
"I think we are targeting kind of sustained, moderate
growth in 2004," he said.
But the unit, which accounted for more than 40 percent of
entertainment conglomerate Disney's operating income in the
June quarter and had the fattest profit margin, is pulling out
the stops to take advantage of the move to multi-generation,
multi-family travel, he said.
In October, Florida's Disney World will roll out a program
for family reunions called Magical Gatherings that will help
book large blocks of rooms next to each other, prepare
restaurants for family dinners and even find space along a
parade route for a few dozen people to watch together.
"We think that we are doing everything that we can do to be
receptive to improving economics and improving geopolitical
situation and I think putting out messages and products that
can break through a lot of the hesitancy out there," Rasulo
said.
Disney has been building new parks around the world for the
last few years but now expects to cut capital expenditures
substantially. Deutsche Bank in a July report saw fiscal 2003
capital expenditure around $650 million, compared with an
average of $1.55 billion annually between fiscal 1998 and
fiscal 2001.
Rasulo said parks would return to classic themes and
stories, such as Mickey Mouse, more often in new attractions as
a less expensive way to improve the resorts.
I think some of my co-workers are going to start spreading rumors about me soon.......if you know what I mean 
