Bacon
Well-Known Member
Cant take sarcasm can you?Check the rivers of light thread, almost everyone thinks it will open before Christmas, and very likely before thanksgiving.
Cant take sarcasm can you?Check the rivers of light thread, almost everyone thinks it will open before Christmas, and very likely before thanksgiving.
It would be safe to say that two of the people on this post are simply on it to rant and complain. You cant fix everyone's issues and negativity no matter how nice and helpful you try to be. I go to Disney every year and even with the lack of "new and exciting elements" I still seem to have an amazing time...maybe that's just me, myself, and millions of others.
Cant take sarcasm can you?
True story.The word on the street was the information had been leaked and Disney wanted to get ahead of it.
This was backed up by @marni1971 and I believe @Lee confirming they had heard the news a few days prior, but said nothing because they did not believe it.
I don't agree with this at all. 'Pennies on the dollar' compared to what? The companies were formed strictly to allow the purchase of land at the then fair market value - and not at ridiculously inflated rates. Had Walt shared to the world he was going to build a new attraction in central Florida, the price of land would have skyrocketed. Who would have more integrity - the person willing to buy lots of (then) useless swamp land and convert it into a booming business, or greedy people looking to take advantage? I don't find that dishonest... I call that good business. And it was good for the local economy. How many tens of thousands of jobs in the greater Orlando area can be directly attributed to the presence of WDW? Would we have Universal Orlando? Or Sea World? Maybe. But probably not. It is impossible to say definitively what affect significantly higher land prices would have had on what we now know as WDW. But I believe it is safe to say it would be a whole lot smaller...bjlc57- I like where your heart is, but don't tell the pseudonym real estate companies that were set up to buy WDW for pennies on the dollar in cognito that!
By the way... Walt and Roy approved of this deception. There are even windows on Main Street devoted to their slickery.
I have no dog in the fight only chiming in.
The Neverland BoyZ won't be happy about my posting this. No ma'am.
Just one more opinionated note... If Walt hadn't bought all that swamp land, Orlando would still be a one horse town and farming community. Almost 100% of the jobs that are currently in the Orlando area as well as the statewide revenue generated by that particular (pennies on the dollar) transaction could come down as one of the most profitable maneuvers ever accomplished to all that were involved. It is easy to put down a good deal for everyone when all one can think of is just what he paid for the wetlands. Thinking bigger and just a tad out of the box would be helpful in this case. At the time, it is probably safe to say that what he paid was probably above the worth at the time. His purchase is what brought the value up, before, that it was close to worthless.I don't agree with this at all. 'Pennies on the dollar' compared to what? The companies were formed strictly to allow the purchase of land at the then fair market value - and not at ridiculously inflated rates. Had Walt shared to the world he was going to build a new attraction in central Florida, the price of land would have skyrocketed. Who would have more integrity - the person willing to buy lots of (then) useless swamp land and convert it into a booming business, or greedy people looking to take advantage? I don't find that dishonest... I call that good business. And it was good for the local economy. How many tens of thousands of jobs in the greater Orlando area can be directly attributed to the presence of WDW? Would we have Universal Orlando? Or Sea World? Maybe. But probably not. It is impossible to say definitively what affect significantly higher land prices would have had on what we now know as WDW. But I believe it is safe to say it would be a whole lot smaller...
Would Walt and Roy have preferred to buy land for a fair price by being up front and honest with a handshake and a smile? I would like to think so - it would be consistent with Walt's personality. But either they, or wiser people around them, knew that was not possible.
Just one more opinionated note... If Walt hadn't bought all that swamp land, Orlando would still be a one horse town and farming community. Almost 100% of the jobs that are currently in the Orlando area as well as the statewide revenue generated by that particular (pennies on the dollar) transaction could come down as one of the most profitable maneuvers ever accomplished to all that were involved. It is easy to put down a good deal for everyone when all one can think of is just what he paid for the wetlands. Thinking bigger and just a tad out of the box would be helpful in this case. At the time, it is probably safe to say that what he paid was probably above the worth at the time. His purchase is what brought the value up, before, that it was close to worthless.
Yup, what Flagler did for the east coast and the Keys is what Disney did for Central Florida. And Disney didn't even have an ocean for a drawing point. I once stayed in a hotel on the eighth floor that over looked I-4 and since it has no natural hills or mountains gives a massive view all around. It is sobering to stand up there and look in 360 degrees and realize that none of what is there (call it urban sprawl if you want) would be there if it hadn't been for one man's dream. That is powerful stuff right there.Thinking bigger or out of the box seems to be an issue here.
Disney World has done wonders for Orlando, like you said, it basically is the reason for it's success as a city.
I'm going to give a shout out here to one of my favorite people in history though- Henry Flagler.
Florida's development and the success of so many places are due to decisions made by a few great decisions by men would chose to look outside of the box.
Except that for "millions of others", it isn't a repeat trip. I'd wager that it's the first trip for more than half of them. And just because you enjoy something doesn't mean they should sit on their laurels.
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