Parks being hit by the credit crunch.

[Pegasus928]

Further evidence - if it were needed - that the 'credit crunch' is hitting the parks.

"This week it was announced that the Disney World Company offered buyouts to 313 of their executives working in Orlando. There is the prospect of people being laidoff if not enough take up the offer.
The theme parks are being particularly hard hit with attendance figures down on last year. The theme parks are finding ways of making savings in the current slow season with some attractions closing temporarily. Disney’s Fantasmic has reduced the number of performances a week and Universal Studios is now charging for parking after 6pm.

Yesterday Universal Orlando announced it had laidoff 70 employees. This is not a big percentage of the workforce, they employ 13,000 people at the Orlando site, but there has been concern about the number of falling visitors to the theme parks and hotels and how they will effected through 2009. It has not been revealed which areas have seen the reduction in staff but it is thought it has been management and admin staff rather than theme park employees.

A statement from a Universal spokesman reads, "This has not been an easy step for us. But after much thought and review, we are convinced it is an important part of positioning our business for the future. We're doing everything we can to ease this process for those affected, and to help with their transition."


I hope that anyone affected by this manages to get themselves sorted out quickly.

 

[wifey]

We feel for the ordinary employees it's not nice to be made redundant at any time, we do feel though that lots of companies should significantly reduce the number of "executives" they have on the pay role. Many of them are over paid and sit around all day in "meetings" not hard labour like the staff out on the "shop floor" as it were. Seriously the needed to take a pay cut at executive level anyway during these hard financial times and set an example to others. Perhaps they should reduce the price of tickets into the parks too not keep putting them up.

Personally I think highly paid footballers should do it here too they are paid way too much compared to most folks and the recouped wages could help keep football clubs open and in the financial black books not the red books, not all fans can't afford to go to games at the moment, this would keep the cost of tickets down and still get seats filled up.

 

[wayneg]

Personally I think highly paid footballers should do it here too they are paid way too much compared to most folks and the recouped wages could help keep football clubs open and in the financial black books not the red books, not all fans can't afford to go to games at the moment, this would keep the cost of tickets down and still get seats filled up.

While I totally agree footballers earn too much nobody can blame them for taking it. Its all down to fans and sponsors. Last time I went to a game I paid about £29, a while later considered another game, gone upto £40. Not been to one since, that was about 5 years ago. I heard this week a ticket costs upto £60 now, could never pay that for football.

 

[natalielongstaff]

While I totally agree footballers earn too much nobody can blame them for taking it. Its all down to fans and sponsors. Last time I went to a game I paid about £29, a while later considered another game, gone upto £40. Not been to one since, that was about 5 years ago. I heard this week a ticket costs upto £60 now, could never pay that for football.

If your boss offered you a massive pay increase you would take it there are many things wrong in football but the players shouldn't shoulder the blame.

Man utd have just lost their shirt sponser and others will soon follow, change may yet arrive !!

 

[mark&sue]

I was wondering how much the parks will suffer from less visitors from the UK, including Disneyland Paris. A few days to disneyland Paris is turning out to be extremely expensive taking into account spending money. It was always very expensive but because of the exchange rate its going to cost a fortune just to eat and drink in the parks.

We have just ruled out a stay this year on our car journey back from Spain and have cancelled my friend's 40th next year as she feels it unfair to expect friends and family to fork out so much for her birthday.


susan

 

[Pegasus928]

While I totally agree footballers earn too much nobody can blame them for taking it. Its all down to fans and sponsors. Last time I went to a game I paid about £29, a while later considered another game, gone upto £40. Not been to one since, that was about 5 years ago. I heard this week a ticket costs upto £60 now, could never pay that for football.

I have just bought tickets for the Liverpool - Chelsea game next week and they cost me £38 per adult and £28 per child. I don't really see that as excessive - but I can see why some people would. I see a problem with paying the players so much when it directly impacts on the price of tickets, shirts and other merchandise - as it invariably will.
By the same token if my boss offered me a big pay rise - explaining that the only way to pay for it would be to charge customers more when they buy their fuel, would I take it??? Too right I would.

 

[Pegasus928]

FOR SOME REASON IT POSTED IT TWICE AND I CAN'T FIND A DELETE BUTTON - SORRY

While I totally agree footballers earn too much nobody can blame them for taking it. Its all down to fans and sponsors. Last time I went to a game I paid about £29, a while later considered another game, gone upto £40. Not been to one since, that was about 5 years ago. I heard this week a ticket costs upto £60 now, could never pay that for football.

I have just bought tickets for the Liverpool - Chelsea game next week and they cost me £38 per adult and £28 per child. I don't really see that as excessive - but I can see why some people would. I see a problem with paying the players so much when it directly impacts on the price of tickets, shirts and other merchandise - as it invariably will.
By the same token if my boss offered me a big pay rise - explaining that the only way to pay for it would be to charge customers more when they buy their fuel, would I take it??? Too right I would.

 

[misscrossbee]

I think football should be cancelled for two years and all money given to the DISboards UK Trip Planning Forum to visit WDW multiple times and get it back on its financial feet.

 

[FloridaSam]

I think football should be cancelled for two years and all money given to the DISboards UK Trip Planning Forum to visit WDW multiple times and get it back on its financial feet.

What a fab idea! I'm off to start planning now.

 

[Lizzybear]

I too feel for those on the 'front line' more than the executives. Hopefully something else will come up for those affected.

 

[Julia Ann]

I agree that the people at the top should be taking the cuts - surely 70 employees from the shop floor don't make that much of a difference. And parking/park tickets should be cheaper. We saw all this happen too when we visited 3 weeks after 9/11, so many americans had cancelled their trip it was a shame and the staff in the parks kept saying "thank you so much for visiting" they had closed a couple of the shows and there was talk of job cuts but not sure exactly wot happened after we left. We were at Seaworld and the "warm up act" man with the guitar (who sadly doesn't do it anymore) sang the song with all the states of america and asked people to call out when they heard their home town...well it was very quiet until he called out England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the stadium was an uproar, he stopped the song and said "thank you Brits!!!" it still send shivers down my spine thinking back. Us Brits who have such a passion for disney, unless you are unfortunately losing your jobs, will find the pennies and cut back on other non essential items to get to visit the magic, again and again. It will all work out in the end.....it has too!
By the way, i hate football so don't give a monkeys about that bit of the thread!

 

[T16GEM]

Funny but Disney was packed over Christmas! Nothing like nealy a 4 hour wait for Soarin to make you see how the parks are being affected by dropping numbers!

 

[Netty]

the parks are going to be badly affected in the next 12-18 months as the credit crunch /recession gets worse, over here and in the USA.. jobs are being lost everyday now and firms going under, people are having to think twice now before booking holidays in this unstable environment, Disney have to make cut backs, but should start at the top. But if they make cut backs on shows and fireworks -should ticket prices come down

 

[wifey]

We sat down and discussed DLPR compared with WDW for any future trips and while the weather may not be like Florida's we would consider going back to DLPR if the economy is still in a bad way in 2 years time.

Although the Euro exchange rate isn't good at the moment we would save every last bit we could to go to Paris again for a week if we had to to get our Disney fix. They have many of the same rides now and while we would miss Epcot and AK we would cope without them if we had to. We could catch the train into the city and do other things. Since we only have a family holiday every 2 years anyway we would still enjoy the stay. Our family time is precious to us we try to make it something to remember.

If things get really bad we can always save up for a few more years and take DS when he leaves school.

 

[Dimplenose]

But if they make cut backs on shows and fireworks -should ticket prices come down

If they need to make cuts to keep the parks running they will need to keep the ticket prices the same or higher for them to be effective.

I'm a little worried that park hours will be cut this summer. We went late August 2002 and the parks were closing early due to the reduced visitors following Sept11.