$4 a gallon... we aren't going...

[WildLodgeFan]

How much of that is due to taxes vs. how much it actually costs companies to buy the gas?

The reason our gas prices are low compared to other countries is because we don't have as much state or federal taxes on the gas. I live in Missouri (currently the cheapest state to buy gas according to our local news) and in the Kansas City Metro area gas ranges from about $3.89 - $4.09 a gallon. Kansas is right next door and they have a higher state tax so their gas is more expensive.

Gas prices fluctuate from area to area, country to country, based on how much it costs to ship, what taxes are in place, and the place you buy your gas. We have "chain" gas stores that can buy in bulk, once again lowering our cost. The independent gas stations have slightly higher gas prices.

So we can't really compare what a gallon of gas costs between the U.S. and any other country because of all these little differences, especially the added on tax. If you don't like spending that much on gas then find a way to lower the amount of tax you pay on it, but then that might mean giving up some federally funded programs. You can't have it both ways.

Hey to a fellow KC Disney fan! Got to admit that I didn't realize we were the cheapest state - the things you learn from boards. So I guess I can't complain about the cost.

 

[Sam02]

I am really late to this post, but I would surely LOVE to pay $4.09 a gallon. It hasn't been that LOW here in at least two years. As a matter of fact we have been paying over $5.00 for about a month and a half now. :brick:

Welcome to the Bay Area!!!

Like I said we have some of the lowest gas prices in the country. And if you go to the more rural areas of the state the prices are about 20 cents cheaper. One of the main reasons (as I'm sure you know) that California has one of the highest rates of gas is the special blends that are required by law. These blends are more expensive therefore you have to pay more for them. KC and St. Louis pay more than rural areas because we have to have special blends as well.

Isn't it all very "special" LOL.

 

[nibblesandbits]

Hey to a fellow KC Disney fan! Got to admit that I didn't realize we were the cheapest state - the things you learn from boards. So I guess I can't complain about the cost.

Yeah...I heard that stat a few weeks ago. I knew our prices were down, but didn't know how down.


And hello to fellow Missourians! :wave:

 

[WildLodgeFan]

I haven't traveled around the UK much and I can really only talk with any authority about Italy because I've spent a lot of time there. I don't know anyone who drives that much there. Their mass transit is outstanding - compared to ours, anyway.

So true, mass transit is not as well planned here in the States except for a few areas. I was just reading an article that in the last year, bus ridership as increased about 20 - 25% in the last year for our area. And bus mass transit is all we have.

One of the considerations is the size of our country and how many cities tend to sprawl into suburbs, etc. with the mindset that we have all this land that they don't have in Europe. Also the age of our countries - Eurpoean countries were extablished centuries ago and everything was built closer together witht he mindset that people were traveling by foot or with horses, where our country is younger. Up east I believe you might see more of the European approach to building cities, but as you move further west, you can see where things are spread out more.

Of course, that will probably bring up an interesting debate, but hey, I love throwing fuel into the fire.

 

[jmicro59]

With all this talk of gas I'm getting high off of the fumes. :ROFLOL:

You surely must all know that gas is a traded commodity and its price set by a speculative market. The price is not set by the oil companies.So with the constant fear that you Americans are going to invade Iran (you guys seem to do that a lot, invading countries that is) and over all tensions in that area of the world, it makes the market go up. And the falling dollar is not helping either. The U.S. economy is starting to hit the gutter and inflation will only make the price of a gallon of gas shoot through the roof. Now the oil companies are not off the hook here as well. As others have mentioned they have blocked other research in other forms of fuel and also no new refineries have been built in the U.S. for over 20 years. So get used to this. This is going to be happening for awhile and may be the norm when it’s all said and done.

 

[Cubs Brian]

I really like the fact that BIG OIL, which is demanding to open ANWAR, and other sites, is only drilling on 20 million acres of the 90 million acres that they have access to in the Gulf of Mexico.

meaning that they have 70 million acres that they could be drilling on. and THEY ARE NOT. what that means is that they DON'T WANT TO FIND MORE OIL. and that they are NOT MAXIMIZING the acres that they DO have access to.

granted, that some of this area may not have oil.. But right now, they aren't even TRYING. :shrug::shrug::veryconfu

but they are keeping the lie alive by saying that we "don't have any oil left in this country".

Even Pat Buchanan said that the Oil companies needed to start drilling in Texas.

but the source for the main story is this weeks CNNFN page.

First of all my apoligies if you thought I was attacking you. Now with this oil situation,the oil companies may have 70 million acres to drill on but the EPA will NOT allow any new refineries to be built which imho is one of the leading factors that has lead to this poor economy. The U.S.A has not built a new refinery since 1976 the ones here now are all in need of major repair and updating. I know there are other reasons but the EPA has done a lot to mess things up. Offshore and landbased drilling can be done with much less of an enviromental impact than years ago. The largest untapped oil deposit sit up in Alaska on barren wasteland and they won't let us drill there. that being said the oil companies do also have to take part of the blame, as do us consumers, we do waste a loy of fuel.thanks for letting me rant and again I was not trying to attack, just pointing out the cost diff. in the last 6mos. not 5yrs.

 

[Sam02]

Hey to a fellow KC Disney fan! Got to admit that I didn't realize we were the cheapest state - the things you learn from boards. So I guess I can't complain about the cost.

Hi back! :wave:

You can still complain. I guess just not as loud as others who pay more. My family has cut back on so much non needed driving. We spend a lot of days at home playing in the kiddie pool vs. driving to any other pools. My kids really don't notice the difference though, they are still having a blast.

 

[smk]

With all this talk of gas I'm getting high off of the fumes. :ROFLOL:

You surely must all know that gas is a traded commodity and its price set by a speculative market. The price is not set by the oil companies.So with the constant fear that you Americans are going to invade Iran (you guys seem to do that a lot, invading countries that is) and over all tensions in that area of the world, it makes the market go up. And the falling dollar is not helping either. The U.S. economy is starting to hit the gutter and inflation will only make the price of a gallon of gas shoot through the roof. Now the oil companies are not off the hook here as well. As others have mentioned they have blocked other research in other forms of fuel and also no new refineries have been built in the U.S. for over 20 years. So get used to this. This is going to be happening for awhile and may be the norm when it’s all said and done.

So sad but true....I feel a change coming tho so I refuse to "get used this".

 

[jmicro59]

So sad but true....I feel a change coming tho so I refuse to "get used this".

I know I feel the same way. Can't give in but at the same time there's is little we can do for the most part. We are feeling it here in Canada as well. We're paying $1.27 a liter and it's almost 4 liters to a gallon (1 US gallon = 3.78541178 liters) so that's roughly $4.68 a gallon. Within 20 miles of my home here in Edmonton they are stripping the land, acres and acers of it for oil. They take the sand and strip the oil out of it. Of course we sell it to America. We are after all, the largest exporter of oil to the U.S. hopefully we'll all get this figured out before it's too late.

 

[yankspy]

The oil companies are not who we should be frowning upon. The oil companies get 5 cents a gallon for producing a product. Pepsi/Coke, get a profit for producing there product. The doctors and nurse get a profit. Capitalism and Free Enterprise is what drives our nation and a profit is not a bad thing. Without Capitalism there would be no Walt Disney World or Disneyland, due to that Walt received sponsorships from corporations, not the government. The government recieves triple of what the oil companies get, and for what? Does the government drill for the oil? NO! Does the government transport the crude? NO! Does the government refine the crude? NO! Does the government transport the crude to gas stations or do anything to get the oil out of the ground and to your gas tank? NO! So why then are they making triple the amount of the oil companies, but they get no heat from it and the oil companies are shunned for producing a product and receiving profit.

Pepsi and Coke are not producing a product that is necessary for a modern society to operate. Furthermore, if you were paying four dollars for a coke that you you paid two dollars for two years ago, it might get your attention. I am only saying that it seems like an unfair comparison.

Uh, thanks for your lesson in grade-school capitalism, but it was unnecessary. Our government certainly has a part in this as well, that's obvious to anyone.

You have a right to your opinion, just as I do mine - and if you wish to defend the actions of oil companies, that is your choice. However, the situation goes far deeper than is going to be addressed here - including how the same oil companies that are gouging customers control many patents on, and have blocked with lobbyists, many alternative fuel sources, or how they have worked with the auto industry to make sure their product keeps them both mutually in business (cars are actually getting LESS fuel efficient and enviornmentally safe over time, especially when you factor in carbon cost - a hybird bought today is actually worse for the enviornment than a regular car from ten years ago because of the 30 pounds of nickel required for the batteries, etc.).

If you agree with their actions, again, you are completely entitled to do so - but the practices of that Industry, like the tobacco industry before it, have been allowed to go on for far too long in the opinion of many Americans because of greased palms in Washington, and it's finally starting to unravel.

Again, though, thanks for the "lesson" - and taking the time out of tracking your oil shares on whatever site you use to track your portfolio.

AEfx

Who exactly does not have a greased palm in Washington? No group can claim the moral high ground.

Anyone who has a retirement plan is probably interested in the profits of so-called big oil. This is a huge industry that many of us benefit from in some form or another. Most financial portfolios are somewhat tied to oil in one form or another.

I really like the fact that BIG OIL, which is demanding to open ANWAR, and other sites, is only drilling on 20 million acres of the 90 million acres that they have access to in the Gulf of Mexico.

meaning that they have 70 million acres that they could be drilling on. and THEY ARE NOT. what that means is that they DON'T WANT TO FIND MORE OIL. and that they are NOT MAXIMIZING the acres that they DO have access to.

granted, that some of this area may not have oil.. But right now, they aren't even TRYING. :shrug::shrug::veryconfu

but they are keeping the lie alive by saying that we "don't have any oil left in this country".

Even Pat Buchanan said that the Oil companies needed to start drilling in Texas.

but the source for the main story is this weeks CNNFN page.

Who exactly is saying this. I am not doubting that you heard this I am just curious as to who exactly made that statement. Secondly, Pat Buchanan's opinion is no more valid than the next person.

Lack of oil is not the problem. The current production is meeting the demand. We have a lack of refineries...not a lack of oil. And i hate to say this but Big Oil is not gouging us. Yes, they have record profits but they are only making a 7% return annually.

I am curious about the phrase "big oil". Who exactly are we talking about. There are many different entities involved. I am curious as to how that 7% figure was arrived at?

Im paying close to $12 but then I do get 50 to the gallon urban.

That is pretty good. However, at $12, that still has to hurt. Out of curiousity, how much driving do you do in a week.

First of all my apoligies if you thought I was attacking you. Now with this oil situation,the oil companies may have 70 million acres to drill on but the EPA will NOT allow any new refineries to be built which imho is one of the leading factors that has lead to this poor economy. The U.S.A has not built a new refinery since 1976 the ones here now are all in need of major repair and updating. I know there are other reasons but the EPA has done a lot to mess things up. Offshore and landbased drilling can be done with much less of an enviromental impact than years ago. The largest untapped oil deposit sit up in Alaska on barren wasteland and they won't let us drill there. that being said the oil companies do also have to take part of the blame, as do us consumers, we do waste a loy of fuel.thanks for letting me rant and again I was not trying to attack, just pointing out the cost diff. in the last 6mos. not 5yrs.

This is one thing that I have not heard. We are still using oil at a record pace.

One thing that I have hot seen in this thread yet. People forget that oil is in everything. Transportation does account for a lot of consumption but almost every product we use has petroleum in it or in the plastic that it comes in. I bring this up because while fuel efficiency or alternative fuels are a good start, we still need oil for many other things. As to the original question, I was there in March and I plan to go again in the near future. I believe that you can offset the extra cost by cutting some corners. Perhaps less souvenirs or less TS meals. Where there is a will, there is a way.:wave:

 

[minnie2000]

So true, mass transit is not as well planned here in the States except for a few areas. I was just reading an article that in the last year, bus ridership as increased about 20 - 25% in the last year for our area. And bus mass transit is all we have.

One of the considerations is the size of our country and how many cities tend to sprawl into suburbs, etc. with the mindset that we have all this land that they don't have in Europe. Also the age of our countries - Eurpoean countries were extablished centuries ago and everything was built closer together witht he mindset that people were traveling by foot or with horses, where our country is younger. Up east I believe you might see more of the European approach to building cities, but as you move further west, you can see where things are spread out more.

Of course, that will probably bring up an interesting debate, but hey, I love throwing fuel into the fire.

Sorry - but I can't really see the point of that argument. So European countries are smaller than the USA - yes - but Europe itself is pretty large - don't forget there are a lot of new Eastern European countries which are now part of the EEC. For us to drive there, is much the same as someone in the USA traveling to a distant state, but its not going to happen every day!

If we are discussing every day traveling, therefore our weekly petrol bill, it is quite common for people in the UK to travel an hour or more each way to their work. Within cities I think there are very good public transport services, but not everyone lives in a city. We live in a small town, and most people have to use their cars to get to work or college, as there is no suitable public transport.

You seem to be making the point that because the UK is so much smaller than the USA, we don't use as much petrol, but I disagree with you. I would say the average person in the UK would do much the same milage as someone in the USA. I am not taking into account people who drive lorries or drive long distances, just your average worker.

At the moment I don't do much milage because I am a stay at home Mum, but I used to live in Germany. My fiancé and I had one car between us, so I had to take him to work, and then go on to my work. We drove 180 miles every day, 5 days a week.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

That is pretty good. However, at $12, that still has to hurt. Out of curiousity, how much driving do you do in a week.

e:

Changed jobs in the autumn, then I was doing around 100 miles a day six days a week. Now I do 60 a day.

As for oil usage, Im sure I saw an article on Rueters that shows consumption of oil is actually falling. But Ovrall consumption including bio and LPG is rising

 

[Tiggerfanatic]

One thing that I have hot seen in this thread yet. People forget that oil is in everything. Transportation does account for a lot of consumption but almost every product we use has petroleum in it or in the plastic that it comes in. I bring this up because while fuel efficiency or alternative fuels are a good start, we still need oil for many other things. As to the original question, I was there in March and I plan to go again in the near future. I believe that you can offset the extra cost by cutting some corners. Perhaps less souvenirs or less TS meals. Where there is a will, there is a way.:wave:

Good point - have any of you farmers priced fertilizer yet? Out of sight! That along with the price of diesel and I can see food prices just soaring.

 

[disneydiva72]

This is not Disney's fault. But at $4 per gallon, the difference in going to Disney right now is unbelievable. The total gas cost difference for us is the price of our food for the week.

I would like to know if anyone else has decided that the price of Gas has put Disney out of the loop for this year.

Well, we don't drive but the cost of our airline went up DOUBLE (because of the gas prices) and if we weren't so excited about going on Xmas, I might have backed out this year and just did something on a smaller scale, going to Hershey park or something similar. We can afford the trip we are going on but I just HATE paying the price that we are, we can go on 2 trips for what we are paying this year, its a bit disheartening.

 

[disneydiva72]

Originally Posted by WDW Monorail
It disgusts me that people are not willing to pay $4.00 for gasoline but shell out $4.30 every morning for a cup of coffee and sugar.

Be realistic, thats ONCE a day maybe TWICE....not 15 gallons a day.

 

[sublimesting]

I am curious about the phrase "big oil". Who exactly are we talking about. There are many different entities involved. I am curious as to how that 7% figure was arrived at?



Big oil are the major oil companies. Their profit margin (% return after all costs are paid) is actually 9.7% today for all major oil companies...It was 7% about a month ago; never-the-less, Walt Disney Co. is 13.01% as of today. http://biz.yahoo.com/p/722qpmu.html

 

[kcnole]

While I wouldn't let 4.00 a gallon deter me from taking a once a year trip to Disney, it definitely has stopped me from going as often. There was a time when we visited one of the Disney parks about once every two months. It wasn't that expensive. We'd find a cheap hotel, hop down Friday night, visit the park on Saturday, come back on Sunday. It cost a couple hundred bucks at most and was a good time. Now that gas has doubled, it makes those spontaneous trips too expensive to do. So we only visit ever now and then now.

 

[sublimesting]

Be realistic, thats ONCE a day maybe TWICE....not 15 gallons a day.

Who uses 15 gallons per day?!? I use about 10 per week at $4.00....and by your quote 2 cups of Starbucks per day is 10 cups @ $4.00 so....

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

I can see food prices just soaring.

they are, thats why theres been rioting throughout the globe.

 

[bjlc57]

Forgive me for saying so, but I believe even if you were receiving health care for free, you would feel the gas prices would be too high. It does not appear to be an earings problem for you. You have a paid off suburban (not a cheap vehicle at all) you have little to no debt, and as you have said you have been a good steward of your money. What ever the cost of gas is, it would seem like you would have cash reserves saved up to deal with it. Having something else paid for certainly would not make that much of a difference. I personally would rather pay for my own health care than pay $11/gal for gas and/or let the govt. take over health care over.

wow, paying for your own health care.. Do you actually pay YOUR WHOLE AMOUNT EACH MONTH? I'll bet not. I would bet that your company is paying a good portion of your health care..

but if you do pay all of it, wait until something big happens.. or not so big. One of my daughters best friends was riding his bike to work and was hit by a car. a hit and run.

He had to go to the emergency room for stitches and what ever.. the bill is well over $1000. and they have NO insurance.

Do you have $1000 to pay for something like this? Do you know what nursing homes cost? Do you have the money to pay for any surgery?

You talk real smart.. Tell us that you can put your money where your mouth is.

if you were a millionaire, You couldn't afford a nursing home. why? because they charge based on ability to pay.. YOU got money.. THEY WILL TAKE IT. ALL OF IT.. and they won't look twice or feel bad once.

You had better start looking into what exactly you are talking about.
because right now you have no clue about truly paying for YOUR OWN HEALTH CARE.