Orlando Becoming East Coast Headquarters for Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products

[MrPromey]

I always hear about the brutal traffic on I-4, but the handful of times I've driven on it, it has always moved smoothly. I keep waiting for one of those massive traffic jams that are referenced.

My wife and I are driving down (from PA) with my parents this weekend. Hopefully this isn't the time we get stopped!

Where are you going on 1-4? If you're coming from the north/east and not going south of Disney (where you then have to drive back up at some point), that might be how you avoid it. It does still happen between Disney and downtown Orlando but for me at least, that's where I get stuck the least (although I must admit I don't drive further than Universal going north/east very often).

You see it on the side going south/west too but never as bad as going north/east unless there's an accident or someone pulled over or flashing lights.

Making the trip from Tampa Bay, I have not been able to avoid them multiple times (usually adding between 30-75 minutes to any trip) during literally any drive in daylight.

After 9, maybe 8pm: no problems but weekdays or weekends don't matter. It's been at least five years since I've made a flowing trip down that whole stretch of road in the direction of Orlando during the day.

 

[flynnibus]

It suggests that there is a connection between to things, despite, in this situation, there being none.

So glad you take public statements so blindly and fully.

Remember… disney is raising prices to improve your park experience too. There can’t possibly be more at play than just what their statements say right? Right?

 

[Lilofan]

I always hear about the brutal traffic on I-4, but the handful of times I've driven on it, it has always moved smoothly. I keep waiting for one of those massive traffic jams that are referenced.

My wife and I are driving down (from PA) with my parents this weekend. Hopefully this isn't the time we get stopped!

I-4 traffic is easy peasy compared to Washington DC, Northern VA highway traffic. Try driving 2 hours bumper to bumper traffic through Fredericksburg VA on I - 95 going only several miles. And that’s with no accidents.

 

[monothingie]

I would argue it implies precisely that - intentionally or otherwise.

Rather than questioning people's motivations and arguing about it, why don't you ask the man directly?

@wdwmagic would you mind clearing this up for Tony and others?

 

[flynnibus]

I-4 traffic is easy peasy compared to Washington DC, Northern VA highway traffic. Try driving 2 hours bumper to bumper traffic through Fredericksburg VA on I - 95 going only several miles. And that’s with no accidents.

When ppl complain about i-4… i say… that’s cute…

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Rather than questioning people's motivations and arguing about it, why don't you ask the man directly?

@wdwmagic would you mind clearing this up for Tony and others?

This isn't about Steve. It's about you making sweeping generalizations about the press, and me noticing that what you said can easily be applied to this very site.

Instead of taking the note, you and others had to drag it out for two pages parsing words because you have to be right.

Conversation over.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

Directly? Probably not. Indirectly?

In the last year, I've talked to 8 different acquaintances at WDI that were asked to move to Florida. 2 said yes and have already moved. Of the 6 that said no, 4 of them are still employed at WDI "waiting" for their roles to move. The number of people asked, who said yes to moving, is pretty low (25%), and certainly you can assume politics played some part in that.

I also don't think Disney was wanting to, or prepared to, shed over 70% of their WDI base due to this move. Not only is that a huge number of people and knowledge to lose in California, that is an daunting ask to replace from the talent pool in Florida.

By announcing that they are delaying the move publicly, as they have, they can now try to convince people in California to stay in their roles a little longer, delay the exodus that has already started, and maybe give them more time to find talent and people in Florida that to date, they haven't been able to find. It probably won't work because the damage has already been done.

It wouldn't be surprising at all if this just ends up fading out of the news, and Imagineers are allowed to stay past their "move date."

Universal Creative doesn’t seems to have problems staffing. I’m sure Disney wants to keep their talent but I suspect this delay is 98% construction related, 1% staff related, and 1% political sportsmanship. If there’s one thing Disney prioritizes over everything else it’s money, as long as moving to FL saves them money I can’t envision a scenario where they don’t do it.

One thing that liberal and conservative writers have in common is that they like to put food on their plates. Without mentioning the DeSantis thing, this story won’t get traction. Even Steve wants that moolah.

”Disney delays new office park over construction issues” doesn’t have quite the same ring.

 

[Heppenheimer]

I-4 traffic is easy peasy compared to Washington DC, Northern VA highway traffic. Try driving 2 hours bumper to bumper traffic through Fredericksburg VA on I - 95 going only several miles. And that’s with no accidents.

Thanks for the PTSD...

Oddly enough, when I lived in DC, traffic wasn't much of an issue, mainly because my daily commute was cross-town.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

I-4 traffic is easy peasy compared to Washington DC, Northern VA highway traffic. Try driving 2 hours bumper to bumper traffic through Fredericksburg VA on I - 95 going only several miles. And that’s with no accidents.

Unfortunately I think horrible traffic is an issue in most major metro areas, Los Angeles is an absolute nightmare, we were at DL and decided to spend a day at Universal and it took us 2 hours to get there (about 30 miles on the 5), and another 2 hours to get back. I’ve never heard anyone talk about a day trip to Universal Orlando resulting in 4 hours of driving from WDW.

 

[monothingie]

This isn't about Steve. It's about you making sweeping generalizations about the press, and me noticing that what you said can easily be applied to this very site.

Instead of taking the note, you and others had to drag it out for two pages parsing words because you have to be right.

Conversation over.

Yes so instead of actually wanting to find out the answer to your question, you go ahead and attack people who you disagree with for discussing it, then when you get thoroughly called out for it, you declare yourself the victim and declare the conversation over.

Bye!

 

[Disstevefan1]

I have no proof as so many want to remind me, but I have a feeling the reason Disney is delaying Lake Nona is NOT because of I4 traffic

 

[monothingie]

When ppl complain about i-4… i say… that’s cute…

View attachment 646247

I'll see your cute beltway and raise you one Cross Bronx Expressway.

I also have a BQE (Brooklyn Queens Expressway and a LIE (Long Island Expressway in my hand as as well.

 

[networkpro]

When ppl complain about i-4… i say… that’s cute…

View attachment 646247

I can laugh because the DC metro area is in my rearview mirror. I lived in Rosslyn for 5 years and will never return to NoVa to live.

 

[Lilofan]

Unfortunately I think horrible traffic is an issue in most major metro areas, Los Angeles is an absolute nightmare, we were at DL and decided to spend a day at Universal and it took us 2 hours to get there (about 30 miles on the 5), and another 2 hours to get back. I’ve never heard anyone talk about a day trip to Universal Orlando resulting in 4 hours of driving from WDW.

Had family work in downtown LA. To not deal with the 2 hour rush hour commute back to Newport Beach at 5pm, they just went to the bars and restaurants to eat drink and started their drive home at 7pm.

 

[flynnibus]

I'll see your cute beltway and raise you one Cross Bronx Expressway.

I also have a BQE (Brooklyn Queens Expressway and a LIE (Long Island Expressway in my hand as as well.

6 mile road total.. pfft

You want a view that includes the actual routes in/out of town too? 95, 66, 270, 295.. I just happened to have that one saved on my phone from a prior day where I was like 'f me.. doesn't matter where you are, this sucks'

Doesn't help that rush hour is basically 2:30pm to 7:30pm either.. Either way.. i-4 traffic is not life altering like other places that really have traffic grief.

 

[monothingie]

6 mile road total.. pfft

It took me 2 hours to get from the GWB to the Throgs Neck Bridge this morning.

 

[Heppenheimer]

I'll see your cute beltway and raise you one Cross Bronx Expressway.

I also have a BQE (Brooklyn Queens Expressway and a LIE (Long Island Expressway in my hand as as well.

If Toronto comes to the table, look out. He has the 401 up his sleeve, which is basically the Royal Flush of bad traffic.

I wouldn't bet against a hand showing the ring roads of Paris, Brussels or Antwerp either, along with the Dutch Randstad corridor, or anyplace on the German Autobahn network during a Stau.

Although, I get the impression I'm lucky to have never actually driven I4 around Orlando.

 

[flynnibus]

Lost in this debate over legit construction delays.. lets not forget the scale of this delay. Not 6m, not 12m, not 18m... they are delaying this THREE YEARS. For something they originally thought they were going to finish in less than 2.

That's not a 'delay' -- that's a pivot.

 

[el_super]

Orlando is rapidly becoming the center of the global themed entertainment industry. IAAPA is going to be there for the foreseeable future. UC is already there. It’s clear that WDI should expand their footprint in FL. I wouldn’t be surprised if WDW generates more OCF than all the other resorts combined.

I don't disagree that WDI should probably be expanding in Florida, but that idea doesn't negate the fact that there is still a huge pool of talent, within the entertainment industry as a whole, within California. Locking yourself out of that market is a huge mistake. It seems to me, that Disney felt these people would willfully give up their lives to move, and now that they aren't, the plans have to change.

Universal Creative doesn’t seems to have problems staffing. I’m sure Disney wants to keep their talent but I suspect this delay is 98% construction related, 1% staff related, and 1% political sportsmanship. If there’s one thing Disney prioritizes over everything else it’s money, as long as moving to FL saves them money I can’t envision a scenario where they don’t do it.

Yeah but that's just the thing.... this move ultimately will end up costing them money. Unless they are planning to sell off large chunks of land in Glendale (which comes with it's own problems now), it seems unlikely they would ever recoup the cost of moving people.

On top of the huge cost they were already planning for this new campus ($800M) and the potential for the price to go up due to supply issues and construction delays, they now also have to weigh this plan against the labor market's trend toward work from home options. Maybe in 2019 it made sense to spend so much on a collaborative on site campus, but in 2022 maybe it doesn't. If your Imagineers are going to spend so much more time at home, or out in the field, why build them an office at all, let alone spend $800M on it?

I wonder what the stats are on an office complex being announced 5 years in advance, ever actually coming to fruition.

 

[Heppenheimer]

What's the Disney equivalent of Kremlinology?