Saturday, January 12, 2008

Momentum, marketing are key for parks -- with few new waves

Scott Powers writes:

Milman said those parks and the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau have developed successful marketing strategies for instilling confidence in tourists about the consistent value, safety and security of Orlando vacations -- and that should give the parks a buffer against travelers' concerns about gas prices and the economy.

Also, the weak U.S. dollar is encouraging American tourists to stay stateside while attracting more international visitors. Recent additions of international air service into Orlando are another hopeful sign, he said.

"These trends would probably enhance attendance in our local theme parks and attractions in the future," Milman said.

Disney World, which has extended its successful "Year of a Million Dreams" promotion into 2008, had strong advance bookings during its fiscal first quarter (which just ended), a trend it expects to continue.

"While these factors [gas prices and consumer confidence] could certainly impact our 2008 results, thus far our businesses remain strong and we have not seen indications of a downturn," Tom Staggs, Walt Disney Co.'s chief financial officer, said during a November conference call about corporate earnings.

Universal Studios' The Simpsons ride and Disney's Hollywood Studios' Toy Story Mania ride are the only two major attractions scheduled to open this year in one of Orlando's major theme parks.

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