Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Spirit, speaking of the officialness of Disney-related media, what is you opinion of the UG?>> Um ... is UG=the Unofficial Guide? Or are we talking about something else?
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<sorry, catching up after a week away - I have since read the explanation... I would say this has mostly to do with lines of credit not being extended to many buyers....>> Yep ... no doubt. But it still isn't good ... and could leave Disney holding the bag. All at a time when they have more inventory then ever out there for sale with FOUR resorts selling (three in FLA) and Oahu (and possibly DC) on the way. And that doesn't count the resale market either ... I can't imagine Disney is thrilled with folks buying points at huge discounts.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 To go back to current news since I've been away for a few days ... some more morsels: Disney has apparently been raising prices on food across the board for the summer season ... just noticed by checking menus. Some places are shrinking choices again, while others (Grand Flo Cafe comes to mind) seems to actually be adding items. Most places have increases of around $1-2 an entree. Orlando Sentinel had two interesting stories today. One directly Disney related and one more about the area and economy in general. Disney and GM are both being tight-lipped about sponsorship of TT. GM's 10-year contract expired in the spring, they are now in the midst of fighting to survive and sponsoring theme park attractions (prior contract was worth $100 million) isn't great PR when you're taking money from Joe The Plumber (a great American!) Also, both Honda and Toyota state they have no interest in taking over. And, gee, who wants a 10-year-old GM lemon anyway? The second story focuses on the Colonial Drive corridor and how there's a line of major chains (from TGI Friday's to Bennigan's to Uno's) that have shuttered in the last two years, again showing what a disaster the economy really is. Also, news on the holiday hours/entertainment front, but I opened a separate thread on that one.
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< And that doesn't count the resale market either ... I can't imagine Disney is thrilled with folks buying points at huge discounts. >>> That, generally speaking, doesn't happen. Disney has the right of first refusal on all DVC resales, so they can enforce a minimum price level if they choose to do so.
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< The second story focuses on the Colonial Drive corridor and how there's a line of major chains (from TGI Friday's to Bennigan's to Uno's) that have shuttered in the last two years, again showing what a disaster the economy really is. >>> Well, Bennigan's is a special case, as the chain went bankrupt nationwide.
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< No real media is going to cover timeshare openings or street party debuts and things like that ... but 'social media' will. >>> I don't know that that's a bad thing. A DVC opening or new WDW park parade really isn't a general interest news story, but it's of great interest to Disney fans. If the only media that is able to provide detailed coverage of these things exists online and was born of social networking / message board sites, so be it.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<That, generally speaking, doesn't happen. Disney has the right of first refusal on all DVC resales, so they can enforce a minimum price level if they choose to do so.>> Yes. But they don't appear to be doing that. I've been doing a bit of 'research' you might say ... and Disney ain't stopping the sales. One would guess that it may be better to sell points at $65-75 vs. $90-plus then to have them come back to Disney, which can't sell what it already has at retail. Don't matter. I ain't buying! (But I'll gladly rent from an owner for 50-70% off!)
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Well, Bennigan's is a special case, as the chain went bankrupt nationwide.>> True ... but just one example. And I believe one of the only units in the chain still operating is the one nearest WDW on 535 near Vista Way. Of course that one isn't company-owned and is always packed.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<I don't know that that's a bad thing. A DVC opening or new WDW park parade really isn't a general interest news story, but it's of great interest to Disney fans. If the only media that is able to provide detailed coverage of these things exists online and was born of social networking / message board sites, so be it.>> It isn't a bad thing, of itself. But when the only 'media' covering WDW isn't media at all, it's another story entirely. ... Because you aren't getting anything other than free publicity for the Mouse. Even Jim Hill has come around and gone from being a critic to being a namby-pamby fanboi typw, which likely has a lot to do with the fact he went from pariah to invited guest ... only Al Lutz sits on the sidelines and does what he wants. And Social Media has even tried to get him in their web ... I remember recently him remarking on the fact he was able to ask a question during a tele-conference. Disney knows exactly what its doing in that department after a decade of burying their heads in the sand and pretending these sites don't have reach ... they do!
Originally Posted By danyoung >Al, at least, is the best of the bunch.< I agree, but I still don't like it when he speaks for me. If there's a story in the L.A. Times that quotes Al, a lot of the time Al will say "this and this and this happened, and then Disney did this, and the fans didn't like it much". I just don't want him speaking for me like that.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<I agree, but I still don't like it when he speaks for me. If there's a story in the L.A. Times that quotes Al, a lot of the time Al will say "this and this and this happened, and then Disney did this, and the fans didn't like it much". I just don't want him speaking for me like that.>> Agreed. No one speaks for the Spirit ... but me ... and his multiple personalities!
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <And that doesn't count the resale market either ... I can't imagine Disney is thrilled with folks buying points at huge discounts.< That's the part that has got to kill them - that they can't control that piece. I actually bid on 150 points @ Vero on ebay ( reputatable selling group) - that eventually went for only $5100. I stopped at $3500 -- if I could have secured for $20 something a point I would gladly have taken it off their hands
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo >>>That, generally speaking, doesn't happen. Disney has the right of first refusal on all DVC resales, so they can enforce a minimum price level if they choose to do so.<<< So did MArriott for the 1st 25 years, but about 8 weeks ago, they appear to have stopped. I suspect the same will quietly happen to DVC too.
Originally Posted By MPierce >> Disney has apparently been raising prices on food across the board for the summer season ... just noticed by checking menus. Some places are shrinking choices again, while others (Grand Flo Cafe comes to mind) seems to actually be adding items. Most places have increases of around $1-2 an entree << That's great! That makes the DDP an even better deal. Look at how much more money you can save now. >> Disney and GM are both being tight-lipped about sponsorship of TT. GM's 10-year contract expired in the spring, they are now in the midst of fighting to survive and sponsoring theme park attractions (prior contract was worth $100 million) isn't great PR when you're taking money from Joe The Plumber (a great American!) << No just an average American, that asked the wrong question of the Media's man, and paid a price for it. >> And, gee, who wants a 10-year-old GM lemon anyway? << I know what you mean. Hardly anybody is interested in our 41 year old Firebird or 15 year old Corvette.
Originally Posted By MPierce >> No one speaks for the Spirit ... but me ... and his multiple personalities! << That's because nobody can get a word in edge wise with all of y'all.
