Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 That's what Iger, Staggs, Rasulo, Weiss and Meg want you to believe after commissioning an inhouse study from a rightwing economic firm. Frankly, it reminds me of the BS studies done by NFL, NBA and MLB teams to justify taking public money for stadiums and arenas. Also, amusing to see the average WDW CM in 2009 supposedly made $30,000 a year. Now, I consider that an awful salary to begin with, but I just don't believe that is remotely accurate. As a friend once JOKED to me ''You shoot 10 CMs and chances are nine of them will be making Disney's minimum wage''. <a href="http://www.orlandosentinel.com/the-daily-disney/os-disney-economic-impact-20110413,0,7480432.story" target="_blank">http://www.orlandosentinel.com...32.story</a>
Originally Posted By fkurucz "The researchers found that Disney paid out nearly $1.8 billion in compensation to more than 59,000 workers in 2009. That equates to an average annual salary of approximately $30,508. Disney said the researchers did not determine the median — or midpoint — salary for its workers. The average salary can be distorted by a small number of exceptionally high or low earners; Disney's senior-most executives in Florida are paid annual bonuses that in some cases have exceeded $1 million in a single year." I suppose that if that if you have enough suits pulling down 6 figure plus salaries, plus skilled workers (engineers, mechanics, etc.) that the average wage could be skewed up to 30K. I'll bet that the median salary is the Disney minimum wage however.
Originally Posted By fkurucz "Frankly, it reminds me of the BS studies done by NFL, NBA and MLB teams to justify taking public money for stadiums and arenas." I hear you. They probably are preparing to demand some corporate welfare.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 figures lie, and liars figure stats can be made to say anything you want. I don't doubt what Disney is worth to Florida's economy- but $30K/ is awfully high unless they are counting benefits as well
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA <Frankly, it reminds me of the BS studies done by NFL, NBA and MLB teams to justify taking public money for stadiums and arenas.> Didn't work for the Maloof family. Good bye Sacramento -- Hello Anaheim!
Originally Posted By Bolna Very depressing article if you read. Al Weiss talks about the Art of Animation resort and then says that "he expects such projects will be the primary driver of Disney's growth in Orlando in coming years." And what impressed me was that the direct ecomic impact is $ 6.3 billion, but then the researchers do some magic and the final sum is $ 18 billion??
Originally Posted By wahooskipper I don't doubt the total economic benefit could be in the mulitiple billions. I spent $150 to put gas in my car a couple of weeks ago to get up to WDW. Plus the turnpike tolls, hotel, food, gifts, etc. It adds up. Then you figure all of the companies that service WDW and the money they spend...plus the wages they pay and the money their employees spend.... It can really get up there in a hurry. But, the average wage is an absoute mirage. A number of high end wage earners are certainly skewing that.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer ... Good for them? LOL Just more justification for their skewed and subpar business model.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<And what impressed me was that the direct ecomic impact is $ 6.3 billion, but then the researchers do some magic and the final sum is $ 18 billion??>> Ah, those are typical MAGICal numbers that are tossed around whenever such type of studies are done here in the States (and I suspect elsewhere). They are just extrapolating a conclusion to meet their own self-serving hypothesis. Kind of like why cutting jobs is the way to create them or why taxing individuals while not taxing corporations is the road to prosperity for all of us. I wonder how much business WDW costs Florida by utilizing resources and keeping wages at such a low level that corporations that don't have any $8 an hour jobs go elsewhere ... that would be an interesting study that no one is going to do.
Originally Posted By wahooskipper What incentive does WDW have to lie about the figures? Seriously? They aren't looking for government subsidies (ala arts groups, environmental groups, etc). I don't get what is "in it" for them to manufacture the numbers.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom <I don't get what is "in it" for them to manufacture the numbers.> It's called Ego Stroking. And ultimately power. Power to tell the Florida State Legislature that they are the all powerful Oz. And that if Florida doesn't do what Disney wants them to do, well Disney will just expand elsewhere.
Originally Posted By wahooskipper That is too obvious of a bluff. Disney's ego isn't so big that they would stop milking the cash cow. I know they are arrogant...but they aren't THAT arrogant. I can't think of any other infrastructure needs they have around the exterior of the property. Roads are built, the high speed rail is off the table. And really, I don't think the $18.2 billion is an outrageous figure. I have read research that states that Florida's three national parks have an economic impact of $197 million annually to Florida's economy. Considering what the national parks DON'T have that Disney does (high admission prices, accommodations, food, retail, large employee base, huge numbers of vendors, etc) it really does seem like that $18.2 billion would be attainable.
Originally Posted By leobloom It's all about power and domination, as Kennesaw Tom said: Control of Florida politics. Tax breaks. Maximizing profits. Paying low wages. Who can complain about their business model? They bring $18 billion dollars to the state each year.
Originally Posted By wahooskipper What should be the going rate for unskilled labor? And, I don't mean to ask that with contempt. I worked at Disney in addition to other amusement parks. I hear the low wage gripe regularly so I am inclined to ask...what should those cast members make? (Keeping in mind the FT cast member does have health and retirement benefits.) Of course Disney should maximize profits. They are, after all, a business. And, considering the role they play in Florida (and in Orlando in particular) why should they not be able to exert political influence? I didn't get paid much working the various amusement park jobs I had when I was younger but I had a heck of a good time and I'll bet I enjoyed the working years of my youth a LOT more than the guy working the Taco Bell stand at the mall.
Originally Posted By leobloom I dunno, but it makes a difference when you're talking about the larger employer in the area. Bunch of low-wage jobs is going to impact the community that Disney prides itself on supporting so generously(ha, right?). And maximize profits at the expense of what else? Profits shouldn't be the only thing the company is concerned with, though it seems like it is. Short-term gain at the expense of long-term reputation. That's how I see the company currently.
Originally Posted By wahooskipper Maximum profits isn't the only thing Disney concerns itself with. They have a long and well publicized history of community support. But, it is often forgotten about and it doesn't make for "sexy" debate. How much are housekeepers in ANY hotel in Orlando making? How much are the burger flippers on International Drive making? How much does the banquet server at UCF make? (And, how many of them have benefits comparable to a FT Disney employee?)
Originally Posted By Bolna <I don't get what is "in it" for them to manufacture the numbers.> My issue is more that nobody can really verify the numbers since it said in the article that not the whole study was published, only excerpts. And then what is "in it" for them to have the study done in the first place? I am sure that they had to pay quite some sum to get the study done. So there must have been a valid reason to spend the money. Maybe it was originally commissioned at a time when the high speed rail project was still going to happen?
Originally Posted By wahooskipper ^That might be the case. And, I suspect they may be arming themselves with data necessary to support tax incentives for moving some of their back of the house operations to other counties.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom I'm thinking this has more to do with taxes, and what Disney can get from the local counties and the State of Florida, than anything else.
Originally Posted By HMButler79 ""What should be the going rate for unskilled labor?"" W/ inflation taken into account. CMs should be making between $10-14 an hr.
