| # | Author | Message |
31
| bobbelee9
Tue 12/2/2008 2:43p | I would love to hear your report, MPierce. I'm sure it would be accurate. Would you mind sacrificing yourself and going there to inform us? |
32
| MPierce
Tue 12/2/2008 2:50p | Just for you bobbelee. |
33
| fkurucz
Tue 12/2/2008 2:53p | <<If we're getting down to numbers that low, then get ready for the bread lines and soup kitchens a la the Great Depression.>>
This would be true if most people were financing these expensive WDW vacations out of real cash flow, as opposed to home equity loans and CCs.
Now that the Home ATM is closed until further notice a lot of people are beginning to realize that a WDW vacation involves "real money".
<<I have about as negative outlook on the economy as you can have, but don't see anything quite that dire yet.>>
Auto sales are in free fall. Even mighty Toyota and Honda saw 30% declines from last year.
The bottom line... most people are broke. And they are going to be that way for a while. And without access to cheap, easy home equity credit the spending spree is finished for now.
|
34
| bobbelee9
Tue 12/2/2008 2:54p | That's so sweet of you. Do you need company, someone to carry your note books or tape recorders for you? |
35
| fkurucz
Tue 12/2/2008 2:56p | The truth is that a WDW vacation is a luxury. Luxuries get cut back on during tough times, and these are especially tough times.
As far as soup kitchens and bread lines, today we have public assistance. If we didn't there would be a lot more people in line at the local food pantries (which have been picked clean anyways). |
36
| bobbelee9
Tue 12/2/2008 2:56p | Oops, what fkurucz said wasn't sweet at all, more like depressing. #34 for for MPierce. |
37
| MPierce
Tue 12/2/2008 3:00p | >>That's so sweet of you. Do you need company, someone to carry your note books or tape recorders for you? <<
Sure come on down bobbelee. It could be a pleasant escape from those New England winters.
Bring you husband, he could show me some of his hot dog fishing techniques! :-) |
38
| MPierce
Tue 12/2/2008 3:02p | >> Now that the Home ATM is closed until further notice a lot of people are beginning to realize that a WDW vacation involves "real money". <<
I'm trying to get a 3rd mortgage on my tool shed!
|
39
| Sport Goofy
Tue 12/2/2008 3:04p | For what it's worth, Disney reported an occupancy rate of 88% for their 2nd Quarter FY08 last year (that would include January). January is the slowest month of that quarter, but 35% is a tremendous decline in an occupancy rate. As fkurucz correctly points out, auto sales are down about 30% year over year. Home sales are down by a similar amount. Where do vacations fall in the mix of expenditures that families cut back on in hard times? They're certainly not the major purchase of a home or automobile.
So, let's just guess that maybe January occupancy is closer to 75% than 88% -- what's a 30% drop in that? Maybe you get down to 50%? But it's really hard to see how you get to 35%.
I'm sure the occupancy numbers are abysmal looking forward into the new year. But let's be realistic and look at figures in a manner that actually compares them with real data in the surrounding economy and with previously reported data. |
40
| MPierce
Tue 12/2/2008 3:10p | >> I'm sure the occupancy numbers are abysmal looking forward into the new year. But let's be realistic and look at figures in a manner that actually compares them with real data in the surrounding economy and with previously reported data. <<
Very true, Sport Goofy. I know we are both season veterans of many an orbit around the Sun, but we don't really have a period like this to compare it to. I guess the time following 9/11/01 would be the closes thing. |
