Originally posted by gonga
WD Searcher, I was refering to airport security not singling someone out as far as the way they Look- everyone is treated the same, not comparing airport security with WDW security.
OK ... that wasn't clear to me from your post.
Today Disney stock (which I own) closed a bit higher but they are still struggling due to low theme park attendance. People do not feel secure and safe there.
Maybe. Or maybe they don't feel safe and secure traveling in general. If every other theme park or travel destination in the world had higher attendance post-9/11, then your point would be valid. But tourist destinations in general have suffered since 9/11. Why? Because people don't want to travel. It's not that they don't want to travel to WDW. They don't want to travel, period.
After being in WDW shortly after 9/11 the security was just as I described, without exaggeration. They were very old men, very nice, but very old men. Having them on the front lines of security was not a comforting sight.
But you still came into the parks, right? You may not have been reassured by the sight of four "very old men," but you obviously felt that there was other security in place that would keep you safe, or presumably, you would not have brought yourself or your family in. Especially after 9/11, when refunds were pretty easy to get and not a lot of fuss was made if someone wanted to trade in their tickets. That's my point. The people you see on the front line are not the only security people out there. Just yesterday, I was in the parks ... at MGM. The folks checking bags were pretty diverse in race, age and gender. To take what you saw on one day and assume that the entire security force is exactly the same as that is profiling of another kind.
I do not think WDW has to show that kind of security presence, but some would be nice.
Have you asked about the security presence -- what's there, how much? Have you e-mailed or written a letter or made a phone call and asked? If so, and you've received no info, then that's one thing. If you're just waiting for WDW to release an article detailing their security plans, that's probably not likely to happen. Remember that WDW is in the business of helping people escape from reality. They don't release a lot of stuff counter to that. If you asked specific questions, I believe you'd get an answer.
People are not willing to travel to WDW or anywhere for that matter.
My point exactly. It's not that they don't feel safe at WDW or that they don't want to travel to WDW. They don't want to travel anywhere. So you can't say that WDW's lack of info on safety is what's keeping people away.
And this is what money has to do with it. I am spending thousands of dollars in WDW during a time when most would not even think of it. What are they doing to protect their guests. Believe me I know that no place is 100% safe. I am not going on vacation to be safe, but I would like to know that I am, since I don't have to spend that money there at all. For instance I could go to the BVI on vacation. Its not a terrorist target, very safe. What do you think Disney should do to bring people back into the parks? I think they should make tham feel safe and comfortable.
But obviously you DO feel safe, or you wouldn't be spending thousands of dollars in WDW at a time when most people would not even think of it. As for what they're doing to protect their guests ... again, ask them. Then you'll know. But also remember that there are 55,000 cast members working at WDW, and they're not all packing up and moving out. They're not in panic mode. They're not hoarding gas masks. And if they feel safe enough to go to work every day, then I'm inclined to feel safe walking in the park too. I was in NYC on 9/11 -- I had flown in for the day that morning, landing 5 minutes before the first plane hit the WTC. I was stuck there for four days, and when we were finally allowed to fly back home, someone asked me, "are you okay flying?" I said, "Is the pilot getting on the plane?" She said, "Yes." I said, "Then I'm okay with it too." Same thing here. Are the cast members still going to work? Well ... then I'm okay with being there too.
