Originally Posted By TDLFAN >>So, maybe there are some perks for still living in the UK rather than the US.<< Of course there is! You have Take That. We have nothing.
Originally Posted By fkurucz >>On the whole, we're probably about a break even. I know if something happens to me, my family will be taken care of. I do not think the same would be true if we were in the US. << There are Social Security death benefits for dependent survivors. My familiy would get about $3000 a month were I to kick off. Americans also tend to buy a lot of life insurance. I am currently insured for over $1,000,000. I have my own term policy, and I buy a boatload at work for a pittance as well. Also, if you die on the job you are often covered by additional death and dismemberment insurance. If your plane crashes there are other coverages as well (airline settlements, etc.). My family would probably be financially better off were I to go to the themepark in the sky.
Originally Posted By NikkiLOVESMickey <<You mean, the plan came totally wrapped and blessed???>> It also came with a pocket rabbi who sang "Hava Nagila" (sp?) if you flicked his nose .
Originally Posted By fkurucz >>3) 80% of orthodontics up to a maximum amount per year. But of course you always arrange with your orthodontist to split the bill over several years so you don't hit the maximum.<< That is very good. Many plans don't even offer orthodontic benefits at all!
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <I guess I'm pretty lucky. The dental plan where I work covers: 1) 100% of preventative care (cleanings, etc.) 2) 80% of restorative procedures (fillings, etc.) 3) 80% of orthodontics up to a maximum amount per year. But of course you always arrange with your orthodontist to split the bill over several years so you don't hit the maximum. < darn cushy university jobs--- j/k our % is not greater than 50% for anything and while they claim to cover the exam and xrays - the $50 / year deductible per person pretty much wipes a lot of that out
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <My family would probably be financially better off were I to go to the themepark in the sky< I think most of us are there ( sleeping with one eye open again tonight )
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 This thread has officially been switched to a discussion of 'What Disney Exec Would You Most Like to Do Major Dental Surgery On?' Discuss ...
Originally Posted By TDLFAN >>It also came with a pocket rabbi who sang "Hava Nagila" (sp?) if you flicked his nose .<< LOL!!
Originally Posted By ChiMike >>It shouldn't be. But I think while amount/level of service and amenities should certainly be higher at the Yacht Club compared to the All Stars, it NO way means you should be treated from a guest services standpoint any differently. Disney is Disney. The reputation is supposed to be that of the best. ... You exceed guest expectations whether you're paying $59 a night or $359. That doesn't mean the experience is the same ... just that the treatment is.<< And that is the crux of it. It is why I really didn't like Disney getting into the low-value motel business. You can't operate up to what Disney's standards use to be on only 20% of the revenue that the top-tier Disney hotels operate with. Doing so only hurts the standards and the goodwill value of Disney's service. This was my position when they started down this road and now seeing where we are in 2006 I, unfortunately, feel vindicated. Very good post Spirit.
Originally Posted By TDLFAN >>The reputation is supposed to be that of the best. ... You exceed guest expectations whether you're paying $59 a night or $359.<< That only happens at TDR lately... exceeding expectations that is.
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< You exceed guest expectations whether you're paying $59 a night or $359 >>> This is true, but the difficulty is dealing with guests that have $359 expectations when they're paying $59.
Originally Posted By TDLFAN Similarly to freeloading on a plane in Business Class, expecting a $2,500 product for virtually free???
Originally Posted By TDLFAN Depends where you go... but I am just using an average number here for a round trip. Fares vary.
Originally Posted By fkurucz >>Similarly to freeloading on a plane in Business Class<< I'm not sure that I would really consider this freeloading. The cost of loyalty miles is built into the cost structure of airfares, and airlines even sell them to credit card companies for good money. I understand your frustrations working for an employer that underpays you and takes benefits away (many of us are in that same boat). But a frequent flyer is a good customer (unlike cheapskates like me who always hunt for the best deal) who brings repeat business which all airlines desperately need. I don't understand why contempt is felt towards them. So they didn't pay full fare for their upgrade, but they rode in the cattle car section of your flights countless times, often on last minute business trips paying full fare. So these loyal, repeat customers (and yes, there are often loyal just so they can accumulate all their miles on the same airline) are just expecting what was promised to them. I won't disagree that perhaps the airline industry would be better off had loyalty programs never been invented in the first place(as they are a huge financial liability for airlines), but that is the status quo.
Originally Posted By ChiMike >>This is true, but the difficulty is dealing with guests that have $359 expectations when they're paying $59.<< Again, why Disney had no business operating areas in, say 1997, where a guest only pays $59. The Disney of 1978 would've been incapable of servicing a guest at that low, relative, price threshold. The only difference between 1978 and now is that the decision makers were fully aware of it. As someone recalled recently, Eisner felt he could be #1 in any market. Well, he was #1 in the Orange County motel market, only at the expense of other facets of WDW operations.
