Peter's thread of random, interesting, thought-provocative and sometimes entertaining stuff

[PeterAlt]

Just thinking...

Disney should do their part to help the Puerto Rican economy so that the U.S. commonwealth territory could be on a faster track to statehood.

What I mean is between Disney's cruise business, the Vero Beach resort, and WDW, there's a lot Disney can do in Puerto Rico. For starters, they can build a port for their cruise ships and a tropical beach resort similar in scope to the Disney resort in Hawaii. They can offer themed entertainment based on Pirates of the Caribbean as well.

I'm making this suggestion because I think there's business to be made there. It would be beneficial to Disney versus other Caribbean locations because there are no international hurdles to jump through or tariffs to be concerned about. In addition, Puerto Rico has the worst local economy in the nation, and the more companies do things like this the better their economy will get. The better their economy gets, the more attractive they are in opinion to the rest of the nation for granting them their desired statehood.

It's a win also for Disney Vacation Club members too. It's basically a win-win for everyone for a whole multitude of reasons on every level. Disney should really look into doing something like this!

 

[Gabe1]

Meh. I would be surprised if Disney opted to invest in Puerto Rico for the same reasons Disney pulled ships out of Mexico. There is just too much crime to drop anchor and let your passengers off. While some resorts are well corralled and some regions are better than others, the murder rate is still incredibly high along with the random muggings, abduction and rape rate. I can't see the draw for Disney or its guests until the country becomes more stable. As with Mexican Ports, Disney really doesn't look to invest big dollars to develop in regions that have unrest.

 

[Gabe1]

Very few people have.

We use to take two week trips in the fall. We almost daily were able to ride up front on the monorail. Sometimes we'd wait for the next monorail, but often it was available. We were not early risers and the monorail wasn't crowded in that season or at that time of the day. My son loved trains and he viewed the monorail as a train in the sky.So we tried to do it often during our trips.

What I didn't know at the time was how rare these front cabin rides were or that they would come to an abrupt stand still 10 years later. My DS oldest friend that he knew since they were 3 months old and continued through high school together was a Pilot on the MK loop the evening of the monorail accident.

 

[PeterAlt]

Meh. I would be surprised if Disney opted to invest in Puerto Rico for the same reasons Disney pulled ships out of Mexico. There is just too much crime to drop anchor and let your passengers off. While some resorts are well corralled and some regions are better than others, the murder rate is still incredibly high along with the random muggings, abduction and rape rate. I can't see the draw for Disney or its guests until the country becomes more stable. As with Mexican Ports, Disney really doesn't look to invest big dollars to develop in regions that have unrest.

That's sad. I hope they do something about it. And I wish people would stop calling it a "country" because it's a US commonwealth "state". It has a local state-like government, with a governor and a non-voting representative in Congress. They have asked Obama, in a recent non-binding referendum, to be granted full statehood. Obama said he will ask Congress to cover the costs for a binding referendum in the next election there (this year?). Congress has approved.

Yeah, crime, like any where, stems from a troubled economy. I guess it's a catch-22 situation...

 

[englanddg]

Meh. I would be surprised if Disney opted to invest in Puerto Rico for the same reasons Disney pulled ships out of Mexico. There is just too much crime to drop anchor and let your passengers off. While some resorts are well corralled and some regions are better than others, the murder rate is still incredibly high along with the random muggings, abduction and rape rate. I can't see the draw for Disney or its guests until the country becomes more stable. As with Mexican Ports, Disney really doesn't look to invest big dollars to develop in regions that have unrest.

When did Disney pull their ships from Mexican ports?

 

[englanddg]

That's sad. I hope they do something about it. And I wish people would stop calling it a "country" because it's a US commonwealth "state". It has a local state-like government, with a governor and a non-voting representative in Congress. They have asked Obama, in a recent non-binding referendum, to be granted full statehood. Obama said he will ask Congress to cover the costs for a binding referendum in the next election there (this year?). Congress has approved.

Yeah, crime, like any where, stems from a troubled economy. I guess it's a catch-22 situation...

They've been asking that for decades. It won't pass because of the imbalance it causes in the Senate and international political reasons, I suspect...but we'll see.

 

[Gabe1]

That's sad. I hope they do something about it. And I wish people would stop calling it a "country" because it's a US commonwealth "state". It has a local state-like government, with a governor and a non-voting representative in Congress. They have asked Obama, in a recent non-binding referendum, to be granted full statehood. Obama said he will ask Congress to cover the costs for a binding referendum in the next election there (this year?). Congress has approved.

Yeah, crime, like any where, stems from a troubled economy. I guess it's a catch-22 situation...

That is an over simplification. There is plenty of crime in Miami but have you checked out the home prices there? PR not only has a horrid economy it is also so much corruption that it fails to makes strides forward.

Blah. Yes you are right. PR is not a country. Yes I'm very well versed about PR. While you dislike my accidental referral of PR being called a country, I dislike the over all practice of people ferreting out anything and everything in a post to pounce on especially when they comprehend the overall point, the topic why I don't believe Disney will invest in PR in the near future, if ever. We all have our pet peeves, that is mine. And the topic changes from Disney in PR to PR politics. Very different topic.

 

[Gabe1]

When did Disney pull their ships from Mexican ports?

They did in 2011 when the violence escalated, 4 cruises cancelled I believe out of LA for the Rivera. Around the time when the Cruise CM disappeared without a trace. In 2014 Disney is starting to hand pick a few chosen ports and there is speculation for 2015 tip toeing slightly back into the market.

 

[englanddg]

They did in 2011 when the violence escalated, 4 cruises cancelled I believe out of LA for the Rivera. Around the time when the Cruise CM disappeared without a trace. In 2014 Disney is starting to hand pick a few chosen ports and there is speculation for 2015 tip toeing slightly back into the market.

Interesting. I was aware of the CM disappearing (there have been a few, from what I've read about, but I don't really know).

I did 2 Mexican ports in 2012. Cozumel and Costa Maya. That's why I asked.

 

[Gabe1]

Interesting. I was aware of the CM disappearing (there have been a few, from what I've read about, but I don't really know).

I did 2 Mexican ports in 2012. Cozumel and Costa Maya. That's why I asked.

I'm more fuzzy on which ports they dumped but they were tied if my memory is correct to the Riviera and like I said I believe those sailed out of LA. Yeah, it was international news about the the British CM that poof gone.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Rebecca_Coriam

 

[englanddg]

I'm more fuzzy on which ports they dumped but they were tied if my memory is correct to the Riviera and like I said I believe those sailed out of LA. Yeah, it was international news about the the British CM that poof gone.

That may explain it...dropping west coast ports. Things were pretty bad on the west coast (still are) in Mexico for a while.

 

[Gabe1]

That may explain it...dropping west coast ports. Things were pretty bad on the west coast (still are) in Mexico for a while.

And Disney is just visiting those ports, not investing and building out like they did in Hawaii. I can't imagine Disney having any interest in helping PR by building a resort like they did in Hawaii. Hawaii is a draw to the Asian market and is pretty upscale. PR, not so much.

 

[PeterAlt]

They've been asking that for decades. It won't pass because of the imbalance it causes in the Senate and international political reasons, I suspect...but we'll see.

We'll see... There's a proposal out there to make Washington DC a state at the same time to balance things out...

 

[englanddg]

We'll see... There's a proposal out there to make Washington DC a state at the same time to balance things out...

That's also been going on for decades, and DC does not need to be and never should be a state. Ever. Puerto Rico I'm fine with, Guam too, but never DC.

 

[PeterAlt]

That is an over simplification. There is plenty of crime in Miami but have you checked out the home prices there? PR not only has a horrid economy it is also so much corruption that it fails to makes strides forward.

Blah. Yes you are right. PR is not a country. Yes I'm very well versed about PR. While you dislike my accidental referral of PR being called a country, I dislike the over all practice of people ferreting out anything and everything in a post to pounce on especially when they comprehend the overall point, the topic why I don't believe Disney will invest in PR in the near future, if ever. We all have our pet peeves, that is mine. And the topic changes from Disney in PR to PR politics. Very different topic.

Gotcha. Every point you said, by the way, just shows there's a lot of work that needs to be done before it can become a full member of the club. Like Detroit, PR is part of this country. It cannot be ignored, though it is easier to ignore it because it is separated by a large body of water. What happens there is our responsibility. Just like Detroit, its economy affects the nation's economy because they are part of our economy. I may be wrong, but my opinion is that things will get better for them once (and if) they receive statehood status because they will no longer be discriminated against by companies. The economy would treat them no differently than Texas or California or New York or Florida or Michigan... Things, naturally, will then improve for them. That's all I have to and wanted say about it.

 

[PeterAlt]

That's also been going on for decades, and DC does not need to be and never should be a state. Ever. Puerto Rico I'm fine with, Guam too, but never DC.

I agree. What about the US Virgin Islands? Would the UK sell (or trade) their half of the islands to us and then we can merge the two and make it a state, with bridges connecting the islands and PR to create an interlinked economy for the two states?

For those just joining us, I love taking conversations into "new territory". Some may call it the Twilight Zone. I call it intelligent.

 

[englanddg]

I agree. What about the US Virgin Islands? Would the UK sell (or trade) their half of the islands to us and then we can merge the two and make it a state, with
bridges connecting the islands and PR to create an interlinked economy for the two states?

For those just joining us, I love taking conversations into "new territory". Some may call it the Twilight Zone. I call it intelligent.

The BVI trump the AVI...I'd much rather we sell them all back to the UK.

 

[PeterAlt]

The BVI trump the AVI...I'd much rather we sell them all back to the UK.

You lost me. What's BVI and AVI stand for?

EDIT

Never mind

British Virgin Islands
American Virgin Islands

 

[englanddg]

You lost me. What's BVI and AVI stand for?

EDIT

Never mind

British Virgin Islands
American Virgin Islands

Right.

 

[PeterAlt]

Right.

By trump, you mean what?