News Reedy Creek Improvement District and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District

JMcMahonEsq

Well-Known Member
If this was the case, why did Disney settle with the whistleblower and pay the person $$ to keep quiet?
The same reason most employment suits, or PI suits get settled. It makes no financial sense to fight these things in court, and spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to be proven "right" at the end of the day. Settle out below your deductible and move on.
 

GoofGoof

Premium Member
This is not directly related to the RCID case, but part of the bigger picture overall. Reports from all 3 major operators in central FL show a potential slow down this Summer. We talk WDW here mostly and the slow down of business at the Disney parks but I’ve seen other sources discuss the other major parks being pretty dead so far this Summer too. Inflation and the overall economy are probably the major driver coupled with the drying up of Covid stimulus money for consumers. I think it’s hard to place too much of the blame on the political climate in the state, but it does have some impact. It’s also much easier to take shots at the leading player in your most lucrative industry when times are good. If this is the start of a swing downward for the tourism industry it would probably help if the state government worked with the major players instead of continuing to try to hurt one. How long will people support this if/when it starts hurting their wallets?

 

Lilofan

Well-Known Member
The same reason most employment suits, or PI suits get settled. It makes no financial sense to fight these things in court, and spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to be proven "right" at the end of the day. Settle out below your deductible and move on.
Even if the person creates a story on the company possibly. Nice payout to send the problem away. Like a settlement like where is that wet floor that the person slipped on? Pain and suffering.
 

Angel Ariel

Well-Known Member
I think it’s hard to place too much of the blame on the political climate in the state, but it does have some impact.
I agree that it’s hard to put a lot of blame there yet, but anecdotally I have personally seen some small impact.

A colleague approached me and another the other day asking if we wanted to consider submitting a presentation to a conference next year. Conference will be in Orlando. 2nd colleague responded that she didn’t want to attend conferences in FL right now given the climate - first colleague then agreed.

I’m eh on that - I would have gone, because I don’t think such actions will make any difference to DeSantis at all, and I would have enjoyed the opportunity (both professionally and to visit the parks). neither of these colleagues is extreme in their beliefs, though, so it wouldn’t surprise me if there are similar conversations happening among others. But I do agree that this isn’t a big part of the equation right now.
 

Vegas Disney Fan

Well-Known Member
If this is the start of a swing downward for the tourism industry it would probably help if the state government worked with the major players instead of continuing to try to hurt one.

It really is a lose/lose situation, this isn’t good for the parks, the state, or the residents.

The only people benefiting are the politicians and even that’s debatable at this point because the negative campaign press is equal to the positive campaign press.

If we really are heading into a recession, tourism tanks, and this starts affecting local jobs, this is going to bite all those politicians where the sun doesn’t shine.
 
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JoeCamel

Well-Known Member
If this is the start of a swing downward for the tourism industry it would probably help if the state government worked with the major players instead of continuing to try to hurt one. How long will people support this if/when it starts hurting their wallets?
You assume they care? Florida has bigger problems with the housing market and insurance plus the rise in auto insurance rates impacting the state economy and they have done little to nothing to address those.
 

Lilofan

Well-Known Member
It really is a lose/lose situation, this isn’t good for the parks, the state, or the residents.

The only people benefiting are the politicians and even that’s debatable at this point because the negative campaign press is equal to the positive campaign press.

If we really are heading into a recession, tourism tanks, and this starts affecting local jobs, this is going to bite all those politicians where they sun doesn’t shine.
International Drive in Orlando has the two different worlds. One part of I drive is for budget minded guests, with UK and Brazil tourists visibly present and Little Brazil dining shopping , the other part of I drive with the Orange County convention center with more upscale hotels, dining and nightlife. All would be impacted if this DeSantis drama prevails.
 

Lilofan

Well-Known Member
You assume they care? Florida has bigger problems with the housing market and insurance plus the rise in auto insurance rates impacting the state economy and they have done little to nothing to address those.
FL depends on with its two biggest industries which are low paying also - agriculture and tourism. What you have mentioned is also concerning with near impossible to get home insurance if one has their policy cancelled through no fault of their own or one trying to buy a home.
 

GoofGoof

Premium Member
Can stimulus talk die already?

I don't know about you.. but how far are people stretching $1400 bucks? That was 2 years ago now :)
For anyone who didn’t file for and receive the 2021 economic recovery program advance checks they got the benefit when they filed their 2021 tax return in April 2022 so there were still people paid in 2022 that could have used their check to fund part of a vacation last year. It has an impact when comparing 2023 to 2022.
 

GoofGoof

Premium Member
You assume they care? Florida has bigger problems with the housing market and insurance plus the rise in auto insurance rates impacting the state economy and they have done little to nothing to address those.
I don’t know if they care, but they probably should. Despite what the social media echo chambers want to pump out the number one issue for the majority of people is still the economy. When these culture war issues start impacting the economy I think a lot of the support for them dries up.
 

AEfx

Well-Known Member
State politics don't have anything to do with summer crowds who have booked many months ago.

What's happening at Disney is that the bubble is finally breaking. That's why they are rolling back some of the planning ridiculousness, because they know what is coming. It will likely help slow the loss a bit, but isn't going to reverse what has happened because it doesn't address the core issues leading to where they find themselves today.

Galactic Starcruiser wasn't an anomaly - it was the great big flapping screaming mynock in the coal mine.

It is just the most egregious example of why the parks are finally losing their audiences. The amazement we have had over the past few years at just how they manage to stay so packed at such prices, with such a lower level of - practically everything measurable when it comes to the park experience - is finally coming to a head. Those limitless people are indeed proving limited, it just took them a few years to work through them all.

The magic has all but gone. Yes, (some) of the classic, timeless attractions remain, but everything else - has just gone to heck in a handbasket. Anyone that remembers the mostly care-free days where you explored the parks, there was something going on around every corner, where at most you planned a dining reservation and picked up a fast pass or two as you went about your day. Before everyone spent 1/2 their vacations stuck on their phones, either out of need (all the FP+ nonsense) or because they are addicted and bored because the streets are no longer filled with entertainment and fun.

And then you have the prices. Disney has done everything they can for the past two decades since MYW to convince everyone that the only way to spend a week at Disney is on-site, or you miss out. The prices have skyrocketed so high that it just isn't the reach of the average family any more. They have depended on the upper-middle clients who were willing to spend the money Disney now demands - but given the state of the "magic" and their own preferences - it's not a place they feel like they need to continue going year after year. You can go countless destinations around the world for the price of a WDW vacation - and those people are doing just that instead of returning to WDW just to ride Pirates again.

The well of people who are well-off enough to go to Disney and just came for their Instagram-kicks and to say "yup we took our kids" is drying up, and those "lifers" like myself are just so disillusioned with the state of everything and put off (or unable to afford) what it costs to go now, the "base" - are not going in the nearly numbers that we used to be.
 

AEfx

Well-Known Member
Can stimulus talk die already?

I don't know about you.. but how far are people stretching $1400 bucks? That was 2 years ago now :)
LOL, I know, right? The idea that it suddenly led to years of disposable income that is just now suddenly drying up is just business talk trying to deflect from the real reason spending is down - the economy is tanking.
 

Tha Realest

Well-Known Member
You assume they care? Florida has bigger problems with the housing market and insurance plus the rise in auto insurance rates impacting the state economy and they have done little to nothing to address those.

If you think Florida homeowner insurance is out of control, you should check out the new State Farm and Allstate insurance policies for new homeowners in California - $0!!!!

Because they stopped offering homeowner coverage in California altogether.
 

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