WDW Taking a Hit Over Gator and Massacre ...

[jaklgreen]

I don't understand why anyone would cancel their vacation. Are they expecting a horde of alligators to attack now? I don't get it.

 

[GoofGoof]

I don't understand why anyone would cancel their vacation. Are they expecting a horde of alligators to attack now? I don't get it.

Cancelled trips are probably a lot more related to the shooting than the gator attack.

 

[scout68]

You can stay at a high end resort for that price or slightly more. $99 is still a crazy price for a Disney motel. Those are $49 rooms. They always have been and always will be.

I just received the AP email offer $74.00 Allstar (still too much). Despite the killer reptiles and random violence we are headed down in September and staying On/Off site at Bonnet Creek in a giant 2 bedroom suit for $84.00 a night.

#keepyouroverpricedmotel

 

[DManRightHere]

I also forgot about the lone terrorist shooting. That itself seems like it would cause many to cancel Disney vacations (especially since there was speculation he was scoping WDW), the gator event is definitely an extra blow to the gut.

 

[asianway]

I am going to assume you are joking. And one would hope so.

Louis had been doing meet n greets on the Twain but he's not on the app today

 

[danlb_2000]

Which still raises the question of "why" considering the massacre was at a location 20 minutes from WDW. Funny what people will do when their sense of safety is shattered.

You are trying to apply rational thought to the situation, and fear is often not rational.

 

[CJR]

Cancelled trips are probably a lot more related to the shooting than the gator attack.

It's a collection of everything all put into the stew. The shooting takes up a good part of it.

Cancelled trips are only a small fraction of the problem too. The real problem is all the trips that were never booked and never will be (or at least delayed). Not only are people pulling out of already booked trips, but I bet that people who were thinking about booking no longer are looking.

Sad part is I bet the cast will feel the burn more than anyone. Disney will find some way to manipulate the stats.

 

[jrogue]

Which still raises the question of "why" considering the massacre was at a location 20 minutes from WDW. Funny what people will do when their sense of safety is shattered.

One reason why that I overheard that weekend was because someone who had a trip booked to wdw wanted to switch their vacation to a less known place "where the terrorists won't go"... So maybe then since three tragedies in 5 days hit Orlando they thought of it as too much of a hot spot?

 

[HarrisburgMouse]

With Disney announcing the beaches are reopen until an hour before sunset with CM staffing them, I'm wondering what authority CM will have. Did Disney actually learn from this? Will they be able to approach guests who are doing dumb things on the beach or in plain site on the bungalows?

As for the $ amount suggested... The high end of the range offered seems high if actually litigated. Florida operates under a pure competitive negligence standard. This means that whatever amount the family was negligent, the recovery will be limited by that amount. For example, if a jury finds the family to be 30% negligent, then their damages will be decreased by 30%. But to Spirit's point on the range; Disney will likely pay a larger amount to avoid the PR nightmare that lawsuit would bring.

 

[ANJ]

Ahhhhhhhhhhh another polarizing thread by 74, so much to say so little time. I happen to agree with 74 on this one. Although he is doing the same thing as Disney on the matter of " dones" I will get to that in a minute. As to weather Uncle K will get fired or should be. He should be. You are the top dog and it starts and ends with you big guy. But like I said in another thread ( which everyone seemed to ignore, what gives? no one touches me with a ten foot "like" ). Georgie will be gone before the big cheese makes his exit. But he will retire to Golden Oak with his golden parachute intact. The grand opening couldn't have come at a better time, huh Bob? Don't worry bobby boy your luck is running out.

As far as attendance and occupancy at WDW? That was sliding way before the two incidence occurred. It just pushed others over the proverbial line. Remember when the big cheese said discounts were on their way out? ummmm yeah, keep watching. 74 mentioned a fire sale, or was that the Ford guy? Anywho wait for a few months and see what the rate is post Christmas. All you pixie dusters will be loving life. BTW, Brazil's economy is in shambles. It can not guarantee the safety of athletes for the Olympics. Local police forces are asking for toilet paper donations. Think the Olympics are ripe for a terrorist attack? How about you 74 you going? Their economy was built on oil prices, we seen where that went and its not going to get any better soon.

Now about those "dones" Problem is 74 that criminals don't care about any laws. And no I am not a gun nut. I just don't see how passing any law short of a complete ban ( which you and I know will never happen ) will prevent anything. Oh and IMO your wrong about the Pulse tragedy as well. To many facts to prove other wise. Do a search on his father and his upbringing. There you will find the source of his hate. But its all just an opinion. Take care my friend.

 

[SorcererMC]

You are trying to apply rational thought to the situation, and fear is often not rational.

The fear induced from these events is particularly difficult to gauge, so when people have heightened awareness about what is or is not perceived as safe, they react. Due to the rarity (or common-place, depending on your perspective), people can't adequately judge what is a true threat to their safety or not, or what they may or may not do that is actually putting them in harm's way (this is why terrorism, and hate crime for that matter, is so effective). They can't judge rationally if a 'freak accident' could happen to them (even when it likely never will).

This is what Disney has to contend with - the 'Disney bubble' has been burst by these tragic realities, and how much can they really put it back? (I never even knew there was such a thing as the Disney bubble until I started reading these boards several years ago, and to think of how this image is reinforced through their marketing is interesting). It will take time, and my own feeling is that they are behind the curve.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Which still raises the question of "why" considering the massacre was at a location 20 minutes from WDW. Funny what people will do when their sense of safety is shattered.

You can't obsess or try to rationalize the Why of these things because most times, the why never makes sense.

 

[VJ]

Thanks. And there's a lot of back and forth blather on the gator float in the EWP, which just isn't important (no matter how you feel about the issue ... I believe removing it right now was the right thing and that putting it back in in another 10-14 days is about right.)

Currently on page 5 and having to wade through that very discussion. My view on all that is Disney is majorly overreacting. The only thing I'd consider to be potentially offensive enough to be worth removing is the Jungle Cruise joke, the rest is just "alligators/crocodiles = death and doom" on Disney's part.

 

[Nubs70]

It is still ridiculous. People always pay different rates. I just stayed at Cabana Bay at UNI. I paid $50 a night as the friend of a TM. When you fly an airline you may be paying $278 for your seat and on one side of you is someone who is paying only $212 and someone else who is paying $511. It is the nature of the business.

Not discounting distressed inventory is just plain stupid. Disney can sell a room at the Poly for $99 a night and make a profit much like they can sell a LE pin at an outlet store for $1.99 and make a profit. It's all about the size of the profit.

If you can sell what would be an unsold room at a price that just covers fixed costs, that's simply good business practice.

 

[wendysue]

"The Faithful" have been looking for reasons for not returning to WDW. The lack of new compelling attractions and the skyrocketing prices have made people seriouly reconsider their entertainment options but their addiction is strong. Having park guests being eaten by a dinosaur at WDW flagship resort is just the shove these addicts needed.

We decided to cancel last week, but not because of the gator, as we have seen several over the years. It was because of the many upcharges and price increases as well as their knee-jerk reactions to everything. Just had enough and am ok with going somewhere else.

 

[CinematicFusion]

Thought about putting this in my Spirited thread, but I feel it is important enough to not be buried in 200-plus pages. And it isn't specifically about the gators and bad parenting and whether George Kalogridis should be fired (he should), so I'd respectfully ask the mods to not bury this when the inevitable complaints due to who is writing it here come in.

From a trusted and well-placed source:

First, in what has been a very lousy summer (no, I don't care that there were 300 minute waits for Frozenstrom as we all know why that is and what it means) for WDW and O-Town in general, things are about to get worse in the $$$ department:

"The Grand Floridan has seen a huge surge of cancellations and requests to be moved to other resorts. There have also been a larger than normal request of refunds for Guest choosing not to visit at all due to the events on property and off."

Second, the ridiculous (and @WDWFigment wrote a nice blog post on his own site about this) and knee-jerk reaction of WDW in making it seem like gators don't exist in any realm, even fantasy ones are the rule of the day. In other words, who knows whether parade floats or foamheads will ever be allowed to return because one child died in 44 years.

I also forgot somehow that Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach both have alligators as mascots. One wonders if they'll rip out the fiberglass versions and change the maps because THAT will address the problems, not properly warning Guests these animals are present and properly warning them that they will be subject to fining, trespass and banning if they or their children feed gators.

Playing pretend is always so much better. From the source again:

"Marketing has been reviewing every single piece of collateral and pulling anything that shows or depicts an alligator or crocodile in addition to showing beaches in resort photos and listings as amenities.

Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon had a whole summer campaign featuring their respected gator mascots that was pulled at the last minute."

If anyone wondered how WDW would handle a crisis, you are now seeing it in full view and it isn't pretty at all.

There is always a grieving period. Everyone responds in different ways. Disney hides the gators, families cancel reservations. But, it will all pass...as tragic as that story is....it will pass. Life moves on and Disney will be Disney.

 

[dennis-in-ct]

I just received the AP email offer $74.00 Allstar (still too much). Despite the killer reptiles and random violence we are headed down in September and staying On/Off site at Bonnet Creek in a giant 2 bedroom suit for $84.00 a night.

#keepyouroverpricedmotel

Link please. I want to check it out.
We stayed at the Hilton Grand at Tuscany Villages near the outlet mall by downtown Disney for 99. a night. Also very nice.

 

[Crazydisneyfanluke]

Do you know where 80% of WDW's Guests come from? I'll give you a hint it starts with a U and ends with an A.
Do you know the No. 3 (formerly the No. 2) market of WDW is? It starts with a U and ends with a K and is full of people wearing socks with sandals and not knowing what sunblock is.

My only point is the majority of WDW Guests (some would say VAST majority) come from places where freshwater doesn't equate with dangerous critters.

ive done that before

 

[me_stitch]

Not to sound cold or like I don't care but in time no one will even remember the gator incident. As for people cancelling reservations and stuff, GOOD, I'll be there in August and hopefully the lines aren't crazy bad. I go to Disney World every two or three years and yes the prices keep going up but honestly it hasn't been enough to make me reconsider my travel plans. I stay at a moderate resort and park hop all week and will continue to do so hopefully until I'm an old man.

 

[zooey]

Why we're treating a tragic incident of nature 45 years in the making as an epidemic is beyond me. There's so many other things to worry about... Other suffering, injustice, and inequality. Mourn the loss, but don't forget to use your head, too.