News Major Hurricane Dorian impacts to Walt Disney World 2019

LAKid53

LAKid53

Official Member of the Girly Girl Fan Club
Premium Member
beertiki said:
Most local businesses do not benefit. Cruise lines set up their own businesses - jet ski tours, snorkel boats, bus tours, ECT. Those cruise owned businesses are sold on the ship, the non cruise owned have to pay a percentage of their sales to the cruise ship to be advertised. Now all the cruise lines have private islands, there are no local bars and restaurants, no local fishing charters, just a few locals working low paying jobs.

We do enjoy cruises, they really do make for a nice vacation. How do I justify the conflict inside me about how they affect local businesses and treat their employees? I tip really well, I tip early. When the bar is 4 people deep and you see the bartender hand me a beer over your head, it's cause he got $20 cash yesterday, and the day before. We go to Atlantis later this month. I will be tipping heavy, you never know if the cab driver has family that is now living under a tarp. An extra $20 can really help some people.
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I've done a few excursions. I wish they were run by DCL. The one on St. Thomas was a joke.
 
Buried20KLeague

Buried20KLeague

Well-Known Member
Bocabear said:
That is true! We have a place in Key West, and most of the locals don't care for the cruise ship crowds...Some appreciate the business I am sure...but the island was successful and popular without the Cruise Ship visitors.
What Disney is building in the Bahamas will not affect the populated islands...except by adding jobs to the area.
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One of the articles I linked say that the island is inhabited and Disney wants to build their port at the other end. The fights the locals have been having are at government meetings ON that island. The island is populated.
 
Buried20KLeague

Buried20KLeague

Well-Known Member
beertiki said:
Most local businesses do not benefit. Cruise lines set up their own businesses - jet ski tours, snorkel boats, bus tours, ECT. Those cruise owned businesses are sold on the ship, the non cruise owned have to pay a percentage of their sales to the cruise ship to be advertised. Now all the cruise lines have private islands, there are no local bars and restaurants, no local fishing charters, just a few locals working low paying jobs.
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And not only that... They use fear to try to scare you into booking their tours rather than identical ones offered by locals.

"If you're on our tour we guarantee not to leave you behind"

"All the other tour companies are run by shady people not associated with Disney"

That sort of stuff drives me nuts. Because a LOT of the time, it's the EXACT SAME TOUR. BY THE EXACT SAME PEOPLE. They just want you to book it through them because then they can add their markup.

Last time we went on a cruise, I arranged a month in advance to basically have a cab all day to do what we wanted. I did my research online and found a trusted guy, emailed him, and he was sitting there waiting when we walked off the ship. We had an amazing day and went everywhere the locals go. Hardly saw any cruise people all day. And it was $150 for the entire day (plus whatever we bought as we went along).

I haven't taken a cruise sponsored tour in a number of years.
 
LAKid53

LAKid53

Official Member of the Girly Girl Fan Club
Premium Member
Buried20KLeague said:
And not only that... They use fear to try to scare you into booking their tours rather than identical ones offered by locals.

"If you're on our tour we guarantee not to leave you behind"

"All the other tour companies are run by shady people not associated with Disney"

That sort of stuff drives me nuts. Because a LOT of the time, it's the EXACT SAME TOUR. BY THE EXACT SAME PEOPLE. They just want you to book it through them because then they can add their markup.

Last time we went on a cruise, I arranged a month in advance to basically have a cab all day to do what we wanted. I did my research online and found a trusted guy, emailed him, and he was sitting there waiting when we walked off the ship. We had an amazing day and went everywhere the locals go. Hardly saw any cruise people all day. And it was $150 for the entire day (plus whatever we bought as we went along).

I haven't taken a cruise sponsored tour in a number of years.
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Other than Castaway Cay, port adventures booked through DCL are NOT operated by DCL. From the cruise line's website:

  • Port Adventures are operated by independent contractors that are neither agents of, nor supervised or controlled by, Disney Cruise Line. Disney Cruise Line does not maintain their facilities or modes of transportation and is not responsible for any injury or property damage/loss that Guests may incur in connection with a Port Adventure. All Port Adventures are subject to the Disney Cruise Line Cruise Contract. All Port Adventures are subject to availability and/or cancellation based on weather, itinerary changes, and attendance. Children under 18 years of age must be accompanied by an adult on Port Adventures except for specific "teen only" Port Adventures. All prices are subject to change without notice. Cancellations can be made up to 3 days prior to the cruise departure date, unless otherwise noted on the specific activity.
I've never been told by a DCL employee what you're alleging.
 
Buried20KLeague

Buried20KLeague

Well-Known Member
LAKid53 said:
Other than Castaway Cay, port adventures booked through DCL are NOT operated by DCL. From the cruise line's website:

  • Port Adventures are operated by independent contractors that are neither agents of, nor supervised or controlled by, Disney Cruise Line. Disney Cruise Line does not maintain their facilities or modes of transportation and is not responsible for any injury or property damage/loss that Guests may incur in connection with a Port Adventure. All Port Adventures are subject to the Disney Cruise Line Cruise Contract. All Port Adventures are subject to availability and/or cancellation based on weather, itinerary changes, and attendance. Children under 18 years of age must be accompanied by an adult on Port Adventures except for specific "teen only" Port Adventures. All prices are subject to change without notice. Cancellations can be made up to 3 days prior to the cruise departure date, unless otherwise noted on the specific activity.
I've never been told by a DCL employee what you're alleging.
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I didn't say DCL ran them. I said they were ASSOCIATED with them. They absolutely want you to buy the excursions they offer you on the ship, and they use fear and doubt to try to get you to do that, as opposed to doing something on your own.

Just like how in St. Thomas and other islands they try to send you to specific stores for shopping and so forth. They're ASSOCIATED with each other.
 
Andrew C

Andrew C

You know what's funny?
Buried20KLeague said:
I didn't say DCL ran them. I said they were ASSOCIATED with them. They absolutely want you to buy the excursions they offer you on the ship, and they use fear and doubt to try to get you to do that, as opposed to doing something on your own.

Just like how in St. Thomas and other islands they try to send you to specific stores for shopping and so forth. They're ASSOCIATED with each other.
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Not necessarily on board with your "fear and doubt" language, but as you know, this is typical in the cruise industry as a whole. For me, sometimes I book through the cruise line because it is easy and requires little work/research. Other times I will research stuff on my own and book outside. The main advantage I have always seen by booking with the cruise line (besides the convenience piece) is that they know where you are. The main advantage to booking outside, probably cheaper and possibly less cruise crowds depending on what you book.
 
LAKid53

LAKid53

Official Member of the Girly Girl Fan Club
Premium Member
Buried20KLeague said:
I didn't say DCL ran them. I said they were ASSOCIATED with them. They absolutely want you to buy the excursions they offer you on the ship, and they use fear and doubt to try to get you to do that, as opposed to doing something on your own.

Just like how in St. Thomas and other islands they try to send you to specific stores for shopping and so forth. They're ASSOCIATED with each other.
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I've been on 7 DCL cruises, will be going on my 8th in 3 weeks. As I said before, I've never been pressured, using fear, to book an excursion through DCL. Nor have I been directed to specific stores while in port to shop at.
 
Buried20KLeague

Buried20KLeague

Well-Known Member
Andrew C said:
Not necessarily on board with your "fear and doubt" language, but as you know, this is typical in the cruise industry as a whole. For me, sometimes I book through the cruise line because it is easy and requires little work/research. Other times I will research stuff on my own and book outside. The main advantage I have always seen by booking with the cruise line (besides the convenience piece) is that they know where you are. The main advantage to booking outside, probably cheaper and possibly less cruise crowds depending on what you book.
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Absolutely. I'm not suggesting this is a Disney thing. It's a cruise thing.
 
Buried20KLeague

Buried20KLeague

Well-Known Member
LAKid53 said:
I've been on 7 DCL cruises, will be going on my 8th in 3 weeks. As I said before, I've never been pressured, using fear, to book an excursion through DCL. Nor have I been directed to specific stores while in port to shop at.
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I'm not talking about only DCL. The post I replied to was talking about cruises in general and how locals don't make the lion's share of the money.
 
me_stitch

me_stitch

Premium Member
beertiki said:
$1,000,000 is a joke for a company that has made billions on Bahamas tourism. Just to show how small of an impact that is, if the 97 employees on Castaway Cay have lost houses, cars, personal property, or family's with injuries, it works out to $10,300 a person. You can't even get half a roof fixed with that. $1,000,000 is less than 25% of the stateroom revenue on just one cruise to the Bahamas.

For those that think cruise ships bring a large portion of the tourist money to the islands, they don't. Here in Key West, it was estimated to be less than 10%. When the chance to vote to spend money on widening our channel to allow for larger ships, it was defeated by a large margin.

We do enjoy going on cruises, but I will always spend my money at the local places, and not book my excursion on the ship where the cruise company takes a large cut of local businesses profit.
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Always someone that has to turn something positive into a negative 🙄
 
J

JeffAndKaren

Member
Looks like our re-booking saga is coming out alright. We were scheduled to arrive at MCO Mon afternoon and had a 14 day stay at Pop all set. Cancelled Fri evening (airline cancelled our flight Wed last week) and rebooked the flight, then worked on the room. So, pushed things back 4 days.

Since we had a room discount, we ended up with a split stay. Refund for 3 days applied to 2d stay (both at Pop). Added another day, since checkout would have been Thur.

Just did online check-in for the flight. Adjusted FastPasses and ADRs just fine, too. Now, to go pack....
 
J

jpeden

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
I'm more worried about this wave coming off Africa at the moment. If it develops and wants to come towards Florida, it will be at the cusp of our vacation in two weeks.
 
Rider

Rider

Well-Known Member
One death at Disney reported by Orange County as hurricane related. No other details given. https://www.orlandosentinel.com/wea...0190904-b3jzo6sc7vfqrh45oa3ojjduwy-story.html

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings reported three hurricane-related deaths: A 55-year-old Ocoee man died after falling 15 feet from a tree while trying to cut branches with a chainsaw. A 62-year-old man died apparently from a heart attack at his home on North Apopka Vineland Road. And a 57-year-old man died after evacuating to a Disney resort with his family from a nearby city, authorities said. All three deaths occurred Monday.
 

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