Parks and war

Do you think parks will suffer this summer if the US does decide to invade Iraq? Disney apparently is already planning for it. Do you think tourism will suffer greatly this year?

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www.leavingdaytona.com

Only if their are threats towards this country during the war, if its just U.S. bombing Sadamm or attacking Iraq then we SHOULD be alright, Except theirs always paranoid people.

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Im the #1 Canobie Lake Park Fan!!!These are my top 3 coasters:
1. S:RoS @ SFNE 2. Yankee Cannonball 3. Cyclone/B:TDK

Well tourism on a whole has suffered already, and it will suffer more. However I'm banking on the U.S. going in and kicking butt, and when the invasion is over, fears will be laid to rest. This will be a bumpy year but I'm confident we'll get through it well. Terror threats or not, I plan to travel alot this summer and enjoy myself :)

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Formally Suspended Andrew, proud member since May 2001.

I feel the same way, but in my personal opinion, I think this war is going to have more sides to it than are showing right now.

I am writing these observations from an airport in Hamburg, Germany, where I finished a tour with my band, Leaving Daytona. The amount of art here representing outrage at U.S. foreign policy is staggering. It's displayed on street corners, wall murals and in shop windows. It is so overwhelming that it is ALMOST embarrassing to be an American in Europe. Bush has made America the laughingstock of the world.

Most people I asked here said they will not even consider a trip to the US. Yes that doesn't mean much for the smaller parks who are fed by locals and US residents, however, I think big parks who have almost a 40% foreign visitor base (I.E. Disney, IOA, Universal) will suffer greatly this summer if this european opinion is as widespread as it seems.

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Fight war, not wars

I doubt Saddam Hussein will be bombing Disneyland. Simple terrorism like that led by Osama Bin Laden might think of it due to it's significancy. But in a case of war, it would be a waste.

Although, attendance may drop at parks, escpecially ones that pull in distant guests like Disney, and Universal.

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Kingbob wrote this.

Smaller parks should have the same, if not better results compared to last year. I'm wasn't paying attention to the parks in the first Gulf War, but the results should be the same. People want to get their minds off all the crap going on.

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Please visit the small parks. We don't know what's happening behind the scenes
Woodencoaster.com

One sided soldier, I don't think that laughingstock is the correct word. Lone wolf, maybe. The problem with current american foreign policy is that we've completely emasculated Europe. What other venue for showing this displeasure do they have? We're certainly not caring about their opinions diplomatically, and by the looks of it we're about to cut the UN out from under them by simply doing what we want regardless. No one likes to feel powerless.

I think most local parks will do well because just like every other war that America has had, most people will go.

Good they can stay at home, just shorter lines for us!

Smaller parks will continue to do well. I think more of it is the fact that people are rediscovering their childhood, and those little parks were a big part of that. They are friendly, inexpensive, less crowded, and fun.

As for war, one sided soilder, maybe you should pick up a history book. This European appeasement has gone on for centuries. Take a look at the Barbery Wars. The great European powers were content to pay tribute, while the US, with a pittifully small navy, stood up to them, eventually beating them down. It was not until the end that the Europeans got involved, after they relized they were being upstaged by this new nation. The same will happen again, after we go in and do the real work the Europeans will come in afterwards and say they were with us the whole time. And the UN will be proven onc3e and for all that it is irrelivant.

Well, I should get off my soapbox now, but I suggest you do some reading:

http://www.zianet.com/wblase/endtimes/barbary.htm

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"If you make it too smooth, it'll be like sitting in your living room."
-Bill Cobb - Designer, Texas Cyclone

The obvious effect of war, or even the threat of war, is a drop in tourism, particularly foreign visitors to the US. This lack of travel has little to do with a protest over US foreign policy, but general fear and anxiety related to international conflict. The immediate impact is to the destination parks, primarily in central Florida.

Don't discount the impact on local and regional parks either. People are less likely to spend money anywhere during a time of international turmoil. Fears about the continued decline of the economy and job losses are compounded by the unpredictability of war. Used to be that war would stimulate the economy. The world, and the economy, have changed.

Personally, I have already planned my second week-long trip to Orlando this year for April and will be grateful for the smaller crowds (fingers crossed) in and around WDW.

*** This post was edited by IBsteve 3/8/2003 4:07:03 PM ***
*** This post was edited by IBsteve 3/8/2003 4:07:51 PM ***

Well I meant that most parks will do well, if not the same, but I can almost guarentee that the cross country tourism dependent parks will suffer due to the war issue. I didn't have this opinion until I came here. The US media only shows you about 5% of how bad it is in Europe. And from what I understand, it's like that everywhere else too. I did a radio interview here and one of the questions asked was "How can the people of the US elect such a monster?" Fellow countries seriously believe that the US has become a scary place of terrorism. Tourism is going to suffer indefinitely.

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Moosh is my hero

Black 7. You make a very good point, however, it's irrelevant to the topic. The point I'm making is they're opposed now, not later when we take action. And what defines when we "take action?" Because that can be whatever you make it out to be. We're "taking action" right now by standing up to them.

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Moosh is my hero

The impending war will most certainly have an impact on the tourism industry this year & yes the theme park industry may suffer from it as a direct result.

Remember what happened in 02,after we got involved in the "war on terrorism" as Bush so blatently puts it the impact it has had both economically ,as well as the paranoia it generated in the overall US population was one of the major contributing factors that led to a rather dismal turnout in 02 especially for SF.

The problems are twofold,first off with the economy as bad as it is & war making it worse people will be more conservative when it comes to spending,secondly if people decide to spend money on a trip to even their local park they are still gonna be very worried about terrorist retalliation in opposistion to the war taking place at the park,who knows it may dawn on these terrorists to strike at theme parks where inoccent families are led to believe they are safe,after all we never thought or expected the events of 9 /11 would've happened,yet tragically they did. :(

Things will not get better in Orlando, that's for certain.

OSS: Not a bit surprised at the reactions abroad. In response to that question, you should've mentioned the alternative wasn't much better (but he did invent the Internet ;)).I for one see exactly zero point to going to war with Iraq. Obviously the rest of the world, save for the UK, feels the same way. I think it's a shame that so many people in the US are just blindly willing to go along with it. I'm still waiting for the proof that the moron in the desert is really a threat to us.

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com - Sillynonsense.com
"The world rotates to The Ultra-Heavy Beat!" - KMFDM

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kingbob said:
I doubt Saddam Hussein will be bombing Disneyland. Simple terrorism like that led by Osama Bin Laden might think of it due to it's significancy. But in a case of war, it would be a waste.

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Are you forgeting that Osama Bin Laden is backing up Saddam Hussein? Also, it would be great impact if they did take down a resort, especially a Walt Disney Resort!

Osama's original intentions were to bomb the Space Needle, Disneyland, and the Capitol Building. Don't be too sure that he wont attempt his original plans again.

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Lake Compounce-So Fresh and So Clean Clean

About the war, I think that "destination" parks and resorts will lose the most. This meaning the Florida parks and the Disneyland Resort.

On the other hand regional parks which attract mostly local visitors should remain fairly constant.

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Xcelerator- Put the Pedal to the Metal!

The destination parks are going to hurt, no doupt about it, and they are going to hurt for years to come. Six Flags is going to hurt because their parks pretty much suck, they are over priced and under kept.

Jeff, I think it is pretty naive of you to say that people are just going with the flow on the war issue. I think that most people are probably droning along, not really paying much attention to it. Sure, they get ten minutes of libral biased reporting on the evening news about it, but they never bother to delve into the facts. They don't care or don't have the time.

Then there that actually take the time to look into issues, to look past the headlines. That is one thing I think the US protesters are not doing. Take a look at this: http://www.brain-terminal.com/articles/video/peace-protest-qt-hq.html

And the Europeans, they are being typical Europeans. They don't like the US because, frankly, we are the biggest kid on the block. We have a history of getting things done and of pulling their butt out of the fire, over and over again, and they despise that.

I don't want a war, but I am not naive enough not to know that sometimes you have to go to war to have peace.

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"If you make it too smooth, it'll be like sitting in your living room."
-Bill Cobb - Designer, Texas Cyclone

I agree with Jeff here,Saddam isn't half as much of a threat as Bin Laden is & what's all this BS about N.Korea? it seems as if Bush is trying to form a back up plan in case he doesn't get the U.N. to sign his "permission slip" to go to war in Iraq.

Bush's attempts,or should I say desire to go to war with sombody,anybody is a cheap move to try to win re election,he foolishly believes or expects us to vote for him to serve a 2nd term in office by trying to act as a war hero.I've got news for him it didn't work for his father & it's not gonna work for him either.

Actually, this little crusade is anything BUT a cheap attempt at re-election. Bush knows all to well this could COST him the next election, but he's sticking with it. I'm not a big fan of Bush or his policies, but I DO have to admire him in a way -- he's sticking to his beliefs. I even believe that something should be done about the madman in the desert, but it's not the sole domain of the US to play policeman.

Anyway, yes, the resorts, like the Disneys, will certainly be hurt. Some Americans, like myself, just shrug and go about our normal lives. It's not worth being afraid -- if something happens, there's not much I can do to avoid it one way or another, so I won't let it bother me (on the other hand, I'm not about to book a ticket to Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, or Iraq...)

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--Greg, aka Oat Boy
My page
"Friendship -- more lasting than love, more legal than stalking."

I am with Greg on this one.

While I dont particularly think to highly of Bush, he obviously has his reasons to go to war with Iraq.

Saddam for the last 12 years has deceived the world and quite frankly, he is damn good at it. He has used his weapons on his own people, killed anyone that goes against him, tried to overtake Kuwait, set his oil on fire, etc. , etc.

However, this need for war now could have been prevented, if the job got completely done back in 1991.

While I respect everyone's opinion about not seeing a need for war, do we wait until something really bad happens to act? I would prefer to get rid of the cancer before it spreads.

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Arena football has arrived in the Windy City. Go "Chicago Rush"
*** This post was edited by Chitown 3/9/2003 12:09:10 AM ***