Something stinks here...

[WorldlyWise]

I keep seeing threads about Disney cutbacks and tourist dollars missing due to economy. I keep seeing the new reports that the economy is in the dump, people are lining up for days to get a chance at a job fair, construction is dead, the auto industry is dying, etc ad nauseum. Then, I take a look out my window -

DCL is still double every other cruise price. Everytime we go to WDW it is crowded. There are ALWAYS long lines for rides AND food AND transport. ALWAYS. When I try to buy construction supplies, the costs keep going up. When I try to hire workers, I can't find any. When I try to buy a car, or get a deal on a new house, I don't see ANY bargains.

Folks, my glasses aren't that rosey. Someone is blowing smoke somewhere!

 

[Poppins2000]

You know, my DH and I say the same thing...both of us believing the news media's REAL job is to scare the bejesus out of people by telling their slanted, twisted views of what they think is happening in the world. We went to the parks last month for a week and I have NEVER seen crowds like that in January. Yes I know, WDW was offering some great deals, incentives, etc. - it was still surprising, that's all.

On the flip side, something out there is happening to our economy. I think it depends on where you live and what you do for a living. My brother works in the credit card/financial industry, has for the last 20 years - he lost his job in December and has had no luck finding a new job. My sister and her family run their own business (nursery/landscaping) which has suffered tremendously and they are struggling, my DH's sister and her husband are walking away from their house for they have BOTH lost their jobs and there are other family members and friends with the same issues.

As you mentioned, DCL still charges alot of $$ for their cruises but there are deals to be had. We paid $1900.00 LESS for our DCL cruise in May by going through an agent vs. the DCL website. When we were at the parks last month, despite the crowds, we had no problems walking in or getting a reservation for a table service restaurant while the food courts were packed.

Again, it's just my perception and two cents worth - there are lots of people out there struggling, thru no fault of their own, and my heart goes out to them...

 

[JasonDVC]

I keep seeing threads about Disney cutbacks and tourist dollars missing due to economy. I keep seeing the new reports that the economy is in the dump, people are lining up for days to get a chance at a job fair, construction is dead, the auto industry is dying, etc ad nauseum. Then, I take a look out my window -

DCL is still double every other cruise price. Everytime we go to WDW it is crowded. There are ALWAYS long lines for rides AND food AND transport. ALWAYS. When I try to buy construction supplies, the costs keep going up. When I try to hire workers, I can't find any. When I try to buy a car, or get a deal on a new house, I don't see ANY bargains.

Folks, my glasses aren't that rosey. Someone is blowing smoke somewhere!

You are at the beginning stages of being awakened to the scam that been put on the American people. Keep doing research into what has been going on. WARNING: You will be schocked when you start to find the truth, but use that as motivation.

 

[Mouseaholic!!!]

A possible answer could be Disney is lucky enough to only have to fill TWO ships. Some of the cruiselines have 15 or more ships to fill around the world....some of them taking 3 or 4 thousand guests!

That's allot of bodies to come up with each week.


The one thing I DO know is castmember rates are GREAT for every sailng in the next 7 weeks. DH cannot remember the discounts so deep....and category 4 cabins....deeper than in past years.

Many guests backout at final-payment time. I bet if you try inside 7 weeks you may find many more very nice options to choose from. At least I hope so. DCL is a very nice option for a holiday.

 

[Condorman]

Disney parks have been more crowded in the past four months than in the same corresponding months in six years prior -- yes, due to so many deals and discounts being offered.

But the joke is on Disney. Even with double or triple the number of people as usual, they are still only breaking even or coming up short, and their 2009 quarterly reports will reflect this. They did it all wrong. They should not have offered 4+3 or 40% off pin codes, or anything of the kind. They should have kept prices and offerings as they were. Disney doesn't seem to understand its own allure. People who want to come to WDW will come anyway. Those who could always afford it were not going to be swayed by the economy. Those that have been swayed were not going to affect Disney's bottom line.

I can sail NCL, RCCL, HAL, and while their quality may vary, their product is pretty much the same. Disney is Disney. There is no other. Shame on them for disrespecting their own brand. They would be making all the money they need if they tightened the screws, not loosened them.

Maybe next recession they'll learn... if they survive. Their stock is 50% what it was six months ago. How will they turn a profit by slashing prices? They can't. And they'll need more than "Race to Witch Mountain" and "Up" to save them. Enjoy the low prices and get used to the crowds.

 

[lugnut33]

The parks made 380 million last quarter.

 

[vorpalswrd]

You are at the beginning stages of being awakened to the scam that been put on the American people. Keep doing research into what has been going on. WARNING: You will be schocked when you start to find the truth, but use that as motivation.

I am disappointed that someone actually feels like this. This is disrespectful and rude to those out there struggling. I work as a therapist in community mental health and have patients losing their jobs, homes, and vehicles during this time. My husband, a trained chef, has gone so far as to apply at the local KFC only to be told they are not hiring. Perhaps you need to re-examine your so called "truths" and "research" and find out how the middle and lower class are actually living.

 

[Uncleromulus]

Well-not bad in this part of Pa. The stores and malls are mobbed, we can't even get in to some restaurants because they are so full with people waiting outside the door.
Now I understand certain areas and individuals have been hard hit and that is clearly not good. But the bottom is hardly out of the tub just yet. I think the REAL national status is somewhere between the media hand wringing doom and gloom, and those who feel absoultely nothing is going wrong.

 

[Aburns8]

I hate to say it but the economy does suck. Those people you see have jobs. Both me and my husband are unemployed and have applied for jobs around the country with no replies. If I had a job right now I would be in Disney World, but you won't see me there any time soon.

 

[ophelia]

The economy is horrible right now. The only reason that Disney World is 'crowded' right now is because of the deals. There may be a lot of people there but they are not spending money like they used to.

 

[backyardponder]

Can we leave the political statements off these boards? I read and contribute to share my feelings about Disney. If you want to listen to political statements, I urge you to turn on Fox News or MSNBC.

 

[redrosesix]

Can we leave the political statements off these boards? I read and contribute to share my feelings about Disney. If you want to listen to political statements, I urge you to turn on Fox News or MSNBC.

Unless the thread is on the Community Board, which is where I'm guessing this one will be moved to.

But, I'd be interested to hear more about how DCL is doing, what it is doing -- we hear a lot about resort discounts and cut-backs but not much about DCL.

 

[wdwpins]

I am disappointed that someone actually feels like this. This is disrespectful and rude to those out there struggling. I work as a therapist in community mental health and have patients losing their jobs, homes, and vehicles during this time. My husband, a trained chef, has gone so far as to apply at the local KFC only to be told they are not hiring. Perhaps you need to re-examine your so called "truths" and "research" and find out how the middle and lower class are actually living.

I don't find what he said disrespectful or rude. I'd say he's more pragmatic than most of us. Read www.whatreallyhappened.com You'll be surprised. The webmaster predicted this housing crash years ago. After all, did some Americans really think they were going to sell their 2 bedroom 1950s rancher in Fort Lauderdale for $350,000? Yeah, but they were wrong.

As a former WDW passholder, I started seeing a decline in park attendance in the early summer of 2008, a time when all kids were out of school. I was walking onto headliner attractions or waiting no more than 10 minutes. CMs were telling me that it wasn't necessary to get a fast pass because they were waiting for guests "for the next show" or "to fill the next train," etc.

Surely Disney execs had to see this coming. If that is the case, then who decided it was appropriate to raise the price of a White Glove pin from $15 to $16.95, a pin which isn't even made in the US, providing a job to an American?

 

[WorldlyWise]

Can we leave the political statements off these boards? I read and contribute to share my feelings about Disney. If you want to listen to political statements, I urge you to turn on Fox News or MSNBC.

I actually wondered about posting to Community instead, but it was all the rumors related to cutbacks and closings that prompted the thoughts. I understand that people are unemployed and struggling to make house payments and I do feel for them.

I'm just saying that there is always some reason cited for WDW staff and service cuts but what I have observed is that it is always crowded.

It is just like the airlines, we are told they are losing billions and have to charge for baggage and can't even provide a freaking bag of nuts anymore. But I also remember when you could book a middle seat with the strategy that might make the row undesireable and you would get a whole row to yourself. When is the last time you saw an empty seat on a plane??? If they are all full (even overbooked) and still LOSING money, they have a failed business model that is unrelated to the economy. I'm just saying maybe we aren't getting the full picture.

 

[redrosesix]

I actually wondered about posting to Community instead, but it was all the rumors related to cutbacks and closings that prompted the thoughts. I understand that people are unemployed and struggling to make house payments and I do feel for them.

I'm just saying that there is always some reason cited for WDW staff and service cuts but what I have observed is that it is always crowded.

It is just like the airlines, we are told they are losing billions and have to charge for baggage and can't even provide a freaking bag of nuts anymore. But I also remember when you could book a middle seat with the strategy that might make the row undesireable and you would get a whole row to yourself. When is the last time you saw an empty seat on a plane??? If they are all full (even overbooked) and still LOSING money, they have a failed business model that is unrelated to the economy. I'm just saying maybe we aren't getting the full picture.

We have the same issue here with airlines, but it is the banking fees that get me. They tell everybody they have to add fees because they will lose money otherwise -- then when the annual reports come out they are doing better than any other type of company.

I agree. We aren't getting the whole picture. When you read the WDC Annual Report, it is apparent that most of their losses were not in the US, and that they may have overextended themselves in their accumulation of smaller companies.

 

[JasonDVC]

I am disappointed that someone actually feels like this. This is disrespectful and rude to those out there struggling. I work as a therapist in community mental health and have patients losing their jobs, homes, and vehicles during this time. My husband, a trained chef, has gone so far as to apply at the local KFC only to be told they are not hiring. Perhaps you need to re-examine your so called "truths" and "research" and find out how the middle and lower class are actually living.

I'm not sure what you find "rude" or "disrespectful". All I am saying that there are things going on that isn't covered by most of the mainstream media that is destroying the middle class.

Many people are sick of what is happening and are finally starting to want to know, and are finding out, why things have turned out the way they have.

I am sorry for what has happened to your husband. I am lower middle class and know exactly how we live but that doesn't mean I have to just accept what has happened to our country. I want to know why this has happened and the answers are disgusting.

I want to apologize if this thread has gone off topic. My original post was just to offer encouragement to an American that could tell something smelled fishy in this country. This will be my last post on this subject. I will be happy to discuss via pm or e-mail if you wish

 

[sbell111]

I'm thinking that anyone that doesn't see signs of economic ugliness isn't looking very hard.

Driving down the street in my suburban neighborhood, I see several houses that have been for sale for months when just a few years ago, it was strange to see a house on the market for more than a couple weeks, in my neighborhood.

Listening to the radio this afternoon, I noticed that Hyundai is giving away free cars when you buy an SUV. I suspect this is because they are having trouble selling cars.

Disney is offering huge deals to fill up their hotels, parks and cruise ships.

As part of my job, I am responsible for a call center. Last year, we simply posted new positions as they opened and filled them with high school grads just starting out. Currently, we have to jump through tons of hoops to fill our positions. When we finally get authorization to fill them, we end up choosing from tons of out of work college grads for these entry level call center positions.

As a state employee, I haven't received a raise in two years and won't get one this year. Further, the state recently shed thousands of jobs through buy outs and is threatening layoffs and furloughs.

My 401k continues to drop, quarter after quarter.

The economy is bad, and that's no rumor.

 

[btcrane]

Those who could always afford it were not going to be swayed by the economy. Those that have been swayed were not going to affect Disney's bottom line.

While I'm sure this is true for some, it's not the case for my family. We are fortunate enough to be planning two trips to Disney this year--unprecedented for our family. Without the deals we are able to take advantage of (4/3 and military discounts) we would not have even considered a single trip this year. If there's a few more in a situation similar to ours, I'd guess the bottom line might be swayed.

 

[bavaria]

It is just like the airlines, we are told they are losing billions and have to charge for baggage and can't even provide a freaking bag of nuts anymore. But I also remember when you could book a middle seat with the strategy that might make the row undesireable and you would get a whole row to yourself. When is the last time you saw an empty seat on a plane??? If they are all full (even overbooked) and still LOSING money, they have a failed business model that is unrelated to the economy. I'm just saying maybe we aren't getting the full picture.

You are incorrect. The airlines have severely cut capacity. There are fewer people flying, and fewer seats to fill. Yes, loads are up, but revenues and passenger miles flown are down significantly.

 

[CanadianGuy]

You are incorrect. (WDW) have severely cut capacity. There are fewer people (visiting), and fewer seats to fill. Yes, (park crowds appear) up, but revenues and (guest visits) are down significantly.

Fixed that for ya..