Orlando Attractions Area News & Developments

[HankStrong]

I love Disney.  Disney is the best!

[jrs2]

3 hours ago, I am Reality said:

Just how much Disney moved during contract negotiations:

Its first contract offer was for $0.50 more per hour.

The new contract is a HUGE concession on Disney's part.  The company deserves credit.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.vice.com/amp/en_us/article/xwma3q/when-working-in-disney-world-means-being-stuck-living-in-a-cheap-motel

good info, but shouldn't this particular topic be placed under another thread about Orlando Business News?

On ‎8‎/‎25‎/‎2018 at 2:14 PM, spenser1058 said:

I'm beginning to think that place is cursed...

….it just needs to become an outlet mall, tried and true, if you build it they will come...

[spenser1058]

HuffPost addresses another reality of the WDW raise: it's quite likely to resonate across the entire attractions area.

A rising tide lifts all boats and the incredibly low unemployment rate the local economy is already experiencing from billions of dollars in infrastructure improvements is only likely to get tighter as we move toward the 50th anniversary of the Magic Kingdom.

So long as the national economy doesn't implode, we should be in a good place.

https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5b8457c8e4b0162f471b7d44/amp

[aent]

So apparently these Disney raises are coming at a cost to the employees. They're losing holiday pay (which most Disney employees are expected to work holidays, those are the busiest days), they're losing the opportunity for overtime, and they're losing guaranteed scheduling for full time positions, full time employees can have their hours cut if they aren't needed and the day isn't expected to be as crowded, protections they previously had. So the take home pay might not be as much as the $4-5 raises they're being promised. It will still be a significant raise, no doubt, but the numbers aren't telling the full story, the union gave up other things (some of them effective immediately) just to hit that number by 2021. The removal of some of these benefits means the more immediately pay increases might not be significant for a little while till the future stages of the raise kick in.

Although as I do some hiring for some low-skilled jobs, its been very near impossible to find any significant amount of labor at minimum wage, or even $10/hr anymore, jobs I used to hire a few years ago at minimum wage now get $11/hr from the get go, probably for worse quality labor. I am curious what percentage of people Disney has even been able to hire at their "lowest" $10/hr wage. I know people would rather take Disney's job then what I hire for because of Disney's benefits, but even so, its tough to find people these days.

Latest stats I can find is in 2016, and for adults, age 25 and over, it was only 1.8% making minimum wage. I'm sure over the past 2 years, that number has dropped significantly with how well the economy is doing since Trump got elected.

[spenser1058]

The elimination of holiday pay was in the May offer. The current offer just says "simplifies" holiday pay and the STC wasn't grumbling about it being a cut. Do you have a source on that?

[dcluley98]

Sadly, there was a fatal accident today at the JW Marriott hotel being constructed. Two workers fell to their deaths and one held on and escaped with minor injuries after scaffolding collapsed during a concrete pour. 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2018/08/29/two-workers-die-after-falling-construction-site-near-disney-world-authorities-say/?utm_term=.e8de98410c05

[JFW657]

1 hour ago, dcluley98 said:

Sadly, there was a fatal accident today at the JW Marriott hotel being constructed. Two workers fell to their deaths and one held on and escaped with minor injuries after scaffolding collapsed during a concrete pour. 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2018/08/29/two-workers-die-after-falling-construction-site-near-disney-world-authorities-say/?utm_term=.e8de98410c05

Just saw the report on the news.

While talking about these buildings going up everyday, we tend to forget just how dangerous the job these people do really is.

Thoughts and prayers for their families and friends.

[jrs2]

[aent]

Universal really has demonstrated here how multiple theme parks and hotels can be laid out in a beautiful walkable campus. I love what they've done, I hope the south campus keeps the density and walkability up even though they got a lot more land now, and they don't turn more like Disney in that regard.

I heard someone telling me Volcano Bay's numbers actually weren't too good. The parks been hitting capacity, but I guess that capacity turned out to be lower then expected, and I guess thats the source of the delay of the expansion of that park, they're trying to figure out how to maximize the capacity increase with the little bit of land they have left.

Edited September 4, 2018 by aent

[Tim3167]

We stayed at Cabana Bay this summer for a few nights and I was surprised how disconnected I felt from City Walk and the parks. On the first days attempt we attempted a walkway with a bridge over that busy road to Sapphire Falls to catch a boat. It was a pretty long walk with no wayfinding signs at all. On the way back from the parks that day we decided to try a bus to the hotel and were sent to a third party Mears like bus. The experience felt disconnected and really fell short in my eyes.

We just decided the next day to literally drive over to the parking garages from the hotel because we just didn’t feel the transportation or walking options were intentional enough.

[jrs2]

21 hours ago, Tim3167 said:

We stayed at Cabana Bay this summer for a few nights and I was surprised how disconnected I felt from City Walk and the parks. On the first days attempt we attempted a walkway with a bridge over that busy road to Sapphire Falls to catch a boat. It was a pretty long walk with no wayfinding signs at all. On the way back from the parks that day we decided to try a bus to the hotel and were sent to a third party Mears like bus. The experience felt disconnected and really fell short in my eyes.

We just decided the next day to literally drive over to the parking garages from the hotel because we just didn’t feel the transportation or walking options were intentional enough.

I thought I've seen Universal buses at Cabana Bay...  I've done the bus thing to some of the resorts before and it worked pretty good.  One time at Royal Pacific, the bell boy felt bad for us and gave us a Limo ride back to the bus drop off...  But, Cabana bay is too far for a walk.  Imagine how it was before Sapphire Falls opened up with the boat slip...  

[Tim3167]

I was told they sometimes run out of busses and have to supplement with charter busses.

[WAJAS]

1 hour ago, Tim3167 said:

I was told they sometimes run out of busses and have to supplement with charter busses.

Meats runs Universal’s bus system. It used to be in house, but that changed when Saphire Falls was opened. You could notice the change when the Cabana Bay busses became the current generic UOR ones. The old buses were beach themed.

Mears prioritizes using the UOR specific buses, but they use the Mears branded ones during busy days.

[aent]

4 hours ago, Tim3167 said:

I was told they sometimes run out of busses and have to supplement with charter busses.

Thats common to all the parks. Infact, when I was at UCF dating someone who worked for Disney, they actually were using UCF shuttles during the summer to transport staff around the  Disney property (at the time, I believe both were operated by Mears at the time, I don't think UCF is anymore). If memory serves me right, a few had magnets saying Disney over the UCF logo, but it was still clearly a UCF bus, and they were sloppy putting them on.

[spenser1058]

The Legend of Zelda replacing The Lost Continent at IOA? Theme Park University thinks so:

https://themeparkuniversity.com/universal/nintendos-zelda-slated-to-replace-lost-continent-at-islands-of-adventure/

[jrs2]

6 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

The Legend of Zelda replacing The Lost Continent at IOA? Theme Park University thinks so:

https://themeparkuniversity.com/universal/nintendos-zelda-slated-to-replace-lost-continent-at-islands-of-adventure/

this is beyond huge. 

with all the money Disney is spending right now, it's like this:  Guy A shows up with a red Corvette to get the chick (or guy).  Guy B shows up with a big penis to get the chick (or guy).  At the end of the day, the chick (or guy) just wants to get laid.  Disney is Guy A right now.

My point?

Universal is showing up at this porn shoot and is making John Holmes self conscious.

Universal is Captain James Tiberius Kirk (in a room full of females with an hour to spare of shore leave).

I could go on.  In fact, I think I will...

Universal is The Death Star versus the planet Alderaan 

Universal is Agent 007 on a mission involving a woman (any woman).

Universal is Paul McCartney writing music..

Universal is Gene Simmons' tongue (and libido).

Universal is The Shaq under the basket with the ball in his hands.

Universal is Godzilla rampaging through Tokyo

...maybe I'm jumping the gun a little...

[spenser1058]

Walt Disney World Resort union workers overwhelmingly approve new contract to phase in $15 minimum wage
http://bit.ly/2oMVpnR

From the Sentinel

Non-unionized Universal and Sea World normally follow Disney's lead on wages to remain competitive.

The multiplier effect of so many workers with more money to spend (importantly, at this wage level it WILL be spent) will be good for the local economy, although price levels may also increase.

 

[jrs2]

16 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

Walt Disney World Resort union workers overwhelmingly approve new contract to phase in $15 minimum wage
http://bit.ly/2oMVpnR

From the Sentinel

Non-unionized Universal and Sea World normally follow Disney's lead on wages to remain competitive.

The multiplier effect of so many workers with more money to spend (importantly, at this wage level it WILL be spent) will be good for the local economy, although price levels may also increase.

 

good point.  they will probably offset this extra cost somehow.

[aent]

19 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

Non-unionized Universal and Sea World normally follow Disney's lead on wages to remain competitive.

 

TBH I don't think SeaWorld really can afford to match this right now. There spending needs to get them to get better rides up to date to replace the shows they've lost and never replaced years ago.

I've heard from friends who work at Universal they've been giving more frequent raises lately (purely anecdotal)

[jrs2]

^^

hearing the term "Teamsters" in Orlando just seems weird...

[aent]

On 9/6/2018 at 9:57 AM, spenser1058 said:

The Legend of Zelda replacing The Lost Continent at IOA? Theme Park University thinks so:

https://themeparkuniversity.com/universal/nintendos-zelda-slated-to-replace-lost-continent-at-islands-of-adventure/

Personally I can't imagine this being true. I think other then the announced/in progress stuff, all the focus will be on the new park until it opens. Legend of Zelda could possibly be a land in the new park though, along with Pokemon. I also was pretty confident among discussions I had about Nintendo World not going to KidZone except as a contingency plan if something went really wrong in the Stan Thomas suit on the delays as a result of this were just too extreme.

I'm not even sure if they'll do anything at all with Kidzone anytime soon, but I think there is a possibility something like Hello Kity replaces a section of it, but not the entire thing. But I personally think Kidzone is the last possible project before all of the focus is on the new park, and they leave the existing parks alone otherwise until the new park is operational.

I'm not even sure why people are so into Lost Continent or Toon Lagoon shutting down, I don't think they're bad lands. I get KidZone, but I don't think they'll shut it down as its the only area of the park targeted at that young of an age group. I think Universal wants to compete more with Disney on that age group, currently Universal has a bit of a rep as a bigger kids park.

[jrs2]

Ok, so those 2 hotels off of Westwood, the higher end Hilton and the high end 1,200 room hotel, still unnamed, the site they have been clearing is for the smaller Hilton hotel.  No movement on the site for the 1,200 rm proposed hotel.

[spenser1058]

8 minutes ago, jrs2 said:

Ok, so those 2 hotels off of Westwood, the higher end Hilton and the high end 1,200 room hotel, still unnamed, the site they have been clearing is for the smaller Hilton hotel.  No movement on the site for the 1,200 rm proposed hotel.

The "Unnamed Hotel" - imagine what naughties might take place!

Edited September 9, 2018 by spenser1058

[spenser1058]

We were posting the other day about modular construction and one of the most imposing examples is the iconic Disney Contemporary Resort.

Some photos of the rooms, which were built several miles away by a unit of US Steel, being lifted into the A-frame superstructure:

https://wdwnt.com/2018/09/the-importance-of-disneys-contemporary-resort/

From WDW News Today

[jrs2]

3 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

We were posting the other day about modular construction and one of the most imposing examples is the iconic Disney Contemporary Resort.

Some photos of the rooms, which were built several miles away by a unit of US Steel, being lifted into the A-frame superstructure:

https://wdwnt.com/2018/09/the-importance-of-disneys-contemporary-resort/

From WDW News Today

fantastic.  I had read about that several years ago.  fascinating stuff and bizarre at the same time...so different from what we're used to...