Disney Shares Slide; Profit Declines 13% on Drop in Parks Profit

[The Interpreter]

http://www.reuters.com/article/industryNew...E4A58PN20081107

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=206...Jk&refer=us

[Avatar]

I am surprised this hit Disney this fast but I do anticipate that it is going to be a very rough road for Disney’s future. Disney has been deeply cutting their spending and have started to put their future projects on hold and even cancel some altogether. I think that is a huge mistake, at slower times theme/amusement parks rely on there season/annual pass holders and the local in there area to keep a cash flow coming in. The problem with Disney is they are not offering anything new to keep that fan base excited and saying to themselves I can’t wait to see/ride a new attraction /show offering. Give the people something to come back too. Sea World and Universal are cranking out new attractions and show, Sea World just opened a new 30 minute show and building a new coaster. Universal is scheduled to open a new coaster next year and a new park section of Harry potter. I myself question why go back to Disney when we go to Orlando, when there are new and exciting things going on right across town. I think Iger forgets consumers have choices and if you are not offering anything then the consumers will go else where. I also can not figure out why he delays these new projects, because one day the economy will rebound and Disney will even be more of the old same old same old while the others have been busy building during this time so when things get better they’ll be the better choice of the locals and yearly visitors. Everyone knows how Pro Disney I have been but watching some of these decisions make me scratch my head in disbelief. I would sell my Disney stock too right now. I don’t have the same information they do to understand what they are doing, but what information I do get has me disappointed with Iger.

Now for those who have wanted to go, Disney just announced for dates of 1/4/09 – 6/19/09 if you pay for a room and tickets for 4 nights, Disney will throw in 3 more nights and tickets for free. Additionally if you go before 4/19/09 they give you a gift card of $200.00 to spend at various places on property.

This is almost a 9/11 sale prices. In other words, As good as it gets.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/disneypackages.htm

[The Interpreter]

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9f51c26e-ac70-11...0077b07658.html

[RailRider]

Avatar I must agree with you on Disney's strategy of delaying or canceling new rides and instalations. To this day I am still shocked Expedition Everest was even installed. Disney hasn't added a major attraction to Magic Kingdom in a long time. Honestly can you count the Pirates upgrade, I wasn't that impressed with the additions. Disney has always relied on its name to pull the majority of its guests in, but now they need to really convince people to spend their money, Disney is not cheap. They are not convincing many folks at all right now.

The only reasson I am considering a Disney vacation right now is because prices are going down and my daughter loves Mickey Mouse. If not for her, we would have no reasson to go to Disney.

Cedar Fair stock currently sits only $3 less than Disney stock.

[XGatorHead 8904]

I liked the addition of Capt. Jack Sparrow to Pirates. MK's most recent addition was Monster's Inc. Laugh Floor which opened last year, which is a very entertaining attraction. They also refurbished Haunted Mansion last year, making some of the scenes/effects better.

We've gone to WDW for three years in a row now, but are seriously considering skipping next year. Instead we're thinking about doing a "Parks of Pennsylvania" tour, hitting some combination of Waldemeer, Idlewild, Kennywood, Hersheypark, Sesame Place, Dorney and Knoebel's. We would have liked to included Conneaut Lake too, which I just found out my wife went to quite a bit as a child, but that's looking extremely unlikely as it's headed the way of her other childhood home park, Idora.