July 29, 2024

Universal's Revenue Dropped, how much of a problem is it?

NBCUniversal Theme Parks division saw a 10.6% drop in revenue in the second quarter, and they’re attributing the drop to post-pandemic equalization; should we be concerned?

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NBCUniversal Theme Parks division saw a 10.6% revenue drop in the second quarter, and they’re attributing the drop to post-pandemic equalization; should we be concerned? Also, Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights announced the all-original haunted house, Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines, and Union members at the Disneyland Resort voted to authorize a strike against the resort.

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Okay, from our studios in Los Angeles and Tampa, back

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to our home studios. This is Green Tag Theme Park

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and thirty. I'm Philip and I'm joined as always from

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my co host Scott Swinston and Scott Swinson created development

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for another week. We break down what we feel are

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the top theme park stories and kind of discuss bring

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up some important questions around them and discuss why they

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might matter to you. And of course I think we

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talk about earnings a lot because because money is important,

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because money is important, because money is important.

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Job not a hobby, kids.

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Well, you know, hopefully it is.

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Okay, it should be a job, not a hobby.

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Kids. If you're not getting paid, then maybe well maybe

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don't go on strike. We'll get to that. But so

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Comcast earnings came out. It made some splashes because they

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saw an eleven percent revenue decline in Q two and

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never people talk about declines, you know, everybody talks about it.

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Okay, we are talking about Comcasts here, right.

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Yes, So yeah, So Comcast saw a eleven percent revenue

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decline in Q two. It said that its NBCUniversal Theme

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Parks division saw a ten point six drop in revenue

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with the decline being attributed to Orlando's lack of new

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attractions as well as sorry, as well as decreased attendance

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at its parks in California and Florida after the post

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pandemic surge. The company is optimistic about the future with

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the opening of several new attractions, including Epic Universe, Fast

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and the Furious roller Coaster, Universal Hollywood, and Donkey Kong

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Country in Osaka. They've also added a ticket discount to

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potential o sensibly to boost attendance in Orlando. In a statement,

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Comcast president Mike Cavanaugh said, going back to twenty twenty

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two and twenty twenty three, parks were clearly the early

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beneficiaries of substantial rebounds in tourism and travel after the pandemic,

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resulting in a surge in demand that contributed to us

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reaching record results in both those years. More recently, other

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travel options, including cruises and international tourism, given the strength

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of the dollar, have experienced their own surgeon demand, which

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cause visitation rates at our parks to normalize. He also

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talked about investments and blah blah blah. So to me,

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I think for listeners of our show, this is one

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of This is a story that is not a story

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because I think we have talked. We have said almost

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exactly what Mike said for years about the normalization. We

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also have talked about like a year and a half

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ago or whatever, we start talking about how this exactly

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this quarter is when everyone, Iyapa, all these people have

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predicted that is when we're going to see the slow down,

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like right now, this summer period before we go into holidays,

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so before the holiday bump is a slowdown period, and

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here it is. And we've said it's important to have

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new investment for the past year and a half. We

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have said new investment to launch as soon as you

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get the slow down. And I think Universal planned it

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perfectly for the most part. You know where they're really

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pushing horror nights this year, and they're pushing horror nites

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because of this slow down and because they're trying to

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bring in a strong quarter night a song horror night's quarter,

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and then that will lead into twenty twenty five with

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the new openings, and that should boost their twenty twenty

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five numbers. So I think they're right on track, and

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I think he said it perfectly, and I'm sure Wall Street,

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you know, everyone's always going to panic because everyone always panics,

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and not the news. I don't know what's going on,

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but I think otherwise it's it's pretty much according to plan.

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Am I missing something that's got no?

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So what's interesting is there is one other factor which

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I want to talk about in just a second. But

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I think the interesting thing is instead of a slowdown,

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I would like to think of this as a normalization. Yeah,

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because you know, when you have artificially inflated numbers and

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then you go back to where you should have been

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during those artificially inflated number periods, you kind of go, oh,

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wait a minute, I mean, think of it. Think of

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it like think of it like an ocean when the

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when the waves are coming in, they pull out, and

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after the waves hit then it ebbs back out, It

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ebbs and flows. So you can't compare the peak of

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the wave to the troth, you know, you can't. You

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can't say that, oh, we've had such loss. No, you

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have to find that normalization. And I think, as you've said, Philip,

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we are incredibly intelligent and we agree with so many

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other well okay, have gathered our information from so many

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other really credible sources that this is going to be

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the time where normalization happens, where we're not going to

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have you know, you're going to have that huge rush

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when everybody can go back post COVID, and then that's

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going to take some time and people and I know

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there are listeners out there who are going to say, Scott,

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COVID was forever ago. It's not. It's still here. But

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that's a whole other sort. But the the COVID shutdown

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was forever ago. But in the grand scheme of things,

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it's not forever ago. It's we're still seeing that. It

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was such a massive change that we're still seeing normalization

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from it, and it's happening right about now. The other

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factor that I wanted to throw in for Universal, especially

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here in Florida, is you have to take into consideration

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those people who are saying, you know what, we're not

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going to go to Florida to visit Universal this year

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because next year Epic Universe will be open. So there

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is that that sort of hesitation for tourism that happens

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whenever there's a huge announcement for a new a new

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park or an attraction. And the way Epic is, you know,

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handling the new the new park. The way Universal is

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handling the new park is their way, as we've discussed

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in previous shows, their way to adjust that that huge

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rush and that huge sense of disappointment guests will have

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if they try to get there and can't get a ticket.

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They're trying to mitigate that upfront. And I will say

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I was just at CityWalk this past week and for

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the first time got to see the model of the

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park and h and got to talk with some of

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my friends who are working in various capacities in the

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opening of said park. And it was really funny because

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maybe at the model going and there's a back road,

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there's a service road here, and there's a point out

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at a point here where that goes out there, and

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but you know, it's it's clear that they're doing Universe

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is doing everything they can to let people know that

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epic is coming, which is a double edged sort. It's

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great to have that that buzz prior to but it

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also will slow down your visitation while guests are waiting

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for the new thing to open. So I think that's

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a factor as well. And I think that's going to

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be a big factor simply because this is going to

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be Epic Universe is going to be such a gigantic park.

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It's going to be a major it's going to be

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a game changer in Orlando, and it may actually and

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will well, we'll put a pin in this for the moment,

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but we'll probably come back to it in the future.

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It may actually finally tip the tip the scales away

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from Disney for Orlando and into the world of Universal.

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But that's that's a topic for another show. But you know,

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I agree with you, Philip, it's kind of a non

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story simply because this is the trend that everybody's been

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saying was going to happen. I mean, all the industry

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experts were saying is going to happen, that we were

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going to hit this normalization phase where everybody would feel like,

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oh my gosh, what happened to everything? And you're right,

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new things need to come. I think Universal has done

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it right. I hope that Epic opens on time. I

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know that there have been some some challenges, and I'm

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not this is not insider information. These have been posted.

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There have been some challenges in getting everything completed for

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its projected opening day, But yeah, I think it's all

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just part of the game. I think it's all just

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part of the business and I think everything's going to

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be fine.

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Well the I agree with all that, and I especially

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the double edged sword thing, which I'm sure we will

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come back to, because it will be a h that

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would be something like to be determined how much of

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a double edged sword it is and what the expectation

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and managing all that. That's But it, like you said,

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it is, it's essential, just like everyone has said, and

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even in this statement, it's essential for them to hype

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up Epic to get people to plan for it so

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they can, you know, adjust after normalizing. But it is.

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But how much of a doublish short it is we

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will not know until they get closer to opening.

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But I but I think that's part of the reason

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that they that they've they've made it so that EPIC

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is only available as a multi park ticket. Yeah, of course,

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so they don't lose their so they don't lose their

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attendance at the other parks.

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Yep it's being it's it's helping to for now to

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tamper that or temper that edge, and then they can

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always add in the tickets if the numbers are not

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where they need to be. But yeah, no, it's a

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good strategy. I honestly, I am, like, you know, there's

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something wrong here. The takeaway I would, I would say

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for our listeners right now, for you guys, especially anyone

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at smaller attractions. I want to get Scott's take on

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this too. But to me, the takeaway is like, you're

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going to have people in your team, your leadership team

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probably are gonna have people that are going to see

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some of these normalizing numbers and start panicking. And I

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think it could be your job to bring up what

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we are saying and to kind of, you know, point

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to what this quote is from Universal, kind of point

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to the strategy and be like, this is normal. Everything

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is going to cording to plan and stop freaking out.

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We planned for that. Hopefully you plan for this. Hopefully

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you budget corrected and put some of that money, and

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now you're budget correcting for this year and you're expectation

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correcting and you have something new for next year. Hopefully

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you've you've all done all that and you can explain

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that to the team, because I know even at Gantum

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people are panicking, you know, and they're the people that

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don't pay attention to the wider industry. They're the people

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that watch the numbers and watch the sales and watch

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this and that, and they're panicking, right, And even the

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mainstream media people are panicking. I mean, like you know,

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whenever people read the headlines, they start panicking. And I

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think it can be our It can be helpful for

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us to go in and say, there's no need to panic.

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This is going all according to plan, and we will

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have something ready for next year after things normalize and

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we need to adjust our budgets.

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Well, mainstream media, they just things so people panic. I mean,

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that's we forget, you know, we often forget that mainstream

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media their job is not to report. Their job is

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to get viewers. You know, they're trying to They're trying

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to do the same thing that the parks are trying

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to do. So take mainstream media with a grain of salt.

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Number one. Number two, you're absolutely right, Philip. I agree

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with you one hundred percent, and that is that, you know,

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the biggest takeaway is to try to assuage those people

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who are thinking very short term, who are thinking, oh

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my gosh, we're not meeting our numbers from this month

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last year. Keep reminding them when you play the long game.

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You don't look year to year. You look, you know,

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decade to decade. Things kind of even out and and

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you know, we said it, We've said it forever. The

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pandemic was something that has unprecedentedly thrown a wrench in

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the way we do things, and it's going to take

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a long, long time to completely get away from that.

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I think, you know, we'll we'll just see what happens

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as we're coming you know, as we are in an

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election year. I think we're coming to a point where

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we're going to see if there's some political changes that

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are going to impact us. I think we're going to see,

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who knows, there could be another there could be not

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good that there isn't, but there could be another pandemic

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on the on the horizon. So just we just have

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to look at it. We have to play the long game.

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But the long game does not just mean plan for

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far out in the future. It's also make sure that

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you're making your recommendations based far enough back in the

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past so that you recognize, yeah, we're we're evening out here.

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You know, it's it's.

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Okay, Yeah, it's okay, it's okay, it's okay on this

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vein it. I think the next story ties exactly into it,

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and I want to just I'll explain the story first

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and then I'll explain the tie in. So Universal announce an

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all female haunt for both coasts. This is our most

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recent Halloween Hornit's Haunted House announcement, which is called Universal

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Monsters Eternal Bloodlines, and it's headed by an all female

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ensemble of classic Universal monsters that Brider Frankensteindrag close daughter

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she Wolf of London and a Mamma Fied Egyptian princess.

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And the story goes, it'll introduce guests to an all new,

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terrifying storyline as they find themselves in the center of

242
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the ultimate battle between two unexpected alliances of classic female

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Universal monsters. Fans will encounter I can't say these names.

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Van Helsing, Yeah of a new female huntress. She faces

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off with Dracula's daughter, Countess Marna Maria god Maria Maria Okay,

246
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who arose from the dead to seek avenge for her

247
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dead her father sorry and destroy Van Helsing bloodline with

248
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a mission to kill Dracula's daughter from the nineteen thirty

249
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six is Dracula's daughter forms a deadly alliance with the

250
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she Wolf inspired by the nineteen forty six film She

251
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Wolf of London and ak Su Namun from the nineteen

252
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thirty two film The Mummy, only to be intercepted Byska

253
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Saskia and an unlike Nama.

254
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That's how I know that. That's I know how to

255
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pronounce that.

256
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Okay, So this is the story, I think. I think

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the tie in here what we're talking about with them

258
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hyping up Epic is this is for that purpose. So

259
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my hypothesis here is that this whole all female thing,

260
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this sounds a lot like Dark Universe, especially the the

261
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center around the classic monsters and the female. Remember that

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Dark Unverse is going to feature a new female protagonist

263
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that is kind of the center of the land. I

264
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think all of this is I don't know if it's

265
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if the story will know later if the story's get

266
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tali in directly, I don't think it needs to. Honestly,

267
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I think all that's important is that they use this

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as a way to hype up people for Dark Universe

269
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in Epic Universe, and that they are using the same

270
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themes where they're like new stories using the classic Monsters

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that has a female cast bend to it, and it's

272
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the same thing they're going into. And I think stuff

273
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like this is brilliant. So now they are not using

274
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hornites just to push ips to reinforce views, but they're

275
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using hornites to push other lands that are coming out

276
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for their next thing. And it also again reminds people

277
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about epic coming up. It helps booth like it's like

278
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getting people to come now to like preview a sample

279
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of something that's gonna just make them want to come

280
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later next year. This is good And I don't know

281
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how much it's gonna tie in or how much they're

282
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gonna admit or not admit, but it doesn't matter because

283
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I think already it's on the same themes, so that.

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If I'm going to guess, if I'm gonna guess, there

285
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are there is a really smart There are two really

286
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smart reasons to do this. The first is, like you say, Philip,

287
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Dark Universe will have a female protagonist, and I think

288
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not even more so than just tying into or starting

289
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to prep I think it's for people who don't think

290
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about this kind of stuff in this kind of detail.

291
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I think it's just normalizing the classic universal monsters with

292
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a female counterpart. I think it is their attempt to

293
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normalize this because when the when the announcement was made,

294
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there was a great deal of pushback or at least

295
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gruffling about having an all female protagonist, like, well, wait,

296
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this is a classic story. Why isn't it still a guy?

297
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And blah blah blah blah blah. And and I think that,

298
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you know, for many reasons which we won't go into here,

299
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but I think it's a very wise choice to shift

300
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it up, to shake it up a little bit, and

301
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and shift it to a female protagonist. But there's a

302
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and so this is just a way to normalize that

303
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so that the guests it doesn't seem so strange to

304
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have a female Frankenstein relative. You know, It's just it's

305
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just normalization. It's it's a way to get the masses

306
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comfortable with a new concept. There's also something that many

307
00:15:54.399 --> 00:15:57.840
years ago I did out of necessity, while still working

308
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for Bush Gardens in Tampa, I actually created a haunt

309
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that was all female. It was based on a sorority

310
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and it was the Delta Epsilon Delta Sorority or Dead Ded.

311
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And the reason I did it as all female was

312
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for very practical reasons. I was able to cast women

313
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significantly easier than I was able to cast men. They

314
00:16:24.279 --> 00:16:25.679
were at the time, and I don't know whether this

315
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is still true or not, but at the time there

316
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were significantly more female performers than there were male So

317
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I did it strictly out of practicality to make it

318
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so that I could staff easier. So that may not

319
00:16:41.679 --> 00:16:44.120
have been one of their plans, but it's certainly going

320
00:16:44.200 --> 00:16:50.039
to make it operationally simpler for them to staff it

321
00:16:50.120 --> 00:16:53.519
on a regular basis, and as we say, it will

322
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normalize the female counterpart of the classic Universal monsters.

323
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So yep, I did good and a good Somebody is

324
00:17:01.360 --> 00:17:04.480
a thinking very hard over there Universal.

325
00:17:05.720 --> 00:17:07.799
I work for Universal. I'm a thinking.

326
00:17:08.079 --> 00:17:10.079
I'm a thinking. I don't know, I don't I mean,

327
00:17:10.160 --> 00:17:12.319
oh god, okay, all right, what's your job?

328
00:17:12.440 --> 00:17:13.160
I'm a thinker?

329
00:17:14.759 --> 00:17:16.839
Can you tell that I'm like wasted?

330
00:17:17.519 --> 00:17:18.240
You're a little punchy?

331
00:17:18.519 --> 00:17:22.599
Oh lord, okay, okay, our next story again, I'm not

332
00:17:22.599 --> 00:17:26.400
sure this even matters, but Disland cast members have approved,

333
00:17:27.359 --> 00:17:29.720
so I'll just say that the cast members are vote

334
00:17:29.720 --> 00:17:32.440
for a strike. So union members at the Disland resort

335
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have voted almost unanimously to authorize a strike against the resort,

336
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the Master Services Council has reported this past week. The

337
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Master Services Council comprises four unions representing fourteen thousand Disland

338
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Resort cast members. It asked its members to vote earlier

339
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this week on a workstoppage as the union's continue negotiating

340
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a new contract with Disney. So basically, all it is

341
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is they've just authorized a strike, so now they are

342
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allowed to strike when the final contracts come out. So basically,

343
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to me that this I'm not sure if it is

344
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a story because we've talked about the strikes before and

345
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to me, this seems more like a negotiating tool that

346
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will So basically, now Disney knows that they can walk out,

347
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and that's what they need. They need Disney to know

348
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that they could walk out, and fourteen thousand cast members

349
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walking out in September, which would be when the thing

350
00:18:23.680 --> 00:18:25.759
would come up, would be a big deal because, as

351
00:18:25.759 --> 00:18:29.759
we just talked about, the parks are really kind of

352
00:18:29.799 --> 00:18:33.559
hope banking on the Halloween season. That's why again, Disney

353
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has been pushing Halloween time a lot, and you know

354
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they've been pushing even the Haunted Mansion which we didn't

355
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talk about the Haunted Mansion opening early. It's already going

356
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to be in Honta mansion holiday. I mean, there's a

357
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lot of push going on here for holidays, and fourteen

358
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thousand people walking out in the middle of like okay,

359
00:18:50.559 --> 00:18:53.720
boogie bash is coould be a problem. That would be

360
00:18:53.759 --> 00:18:57.799
like a big problem. It's been forty ish years since

361
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the last major strike, and I think I think, just

362
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for context, many of them are making less than twenty

363
00:19:03.920 --> 00:19:07.359
dollars an hour, so basically they're they're they haven't kept

364
00:19:07.480 --> 00:19:11.960
up with the rising costs and it's about the same

365
00:19:12.319 --> 00:19:16.440
as the minimum wage requirements anyway, And I think their argument,

366
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I'm not sure about this part. I agree everything else,

367
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I'm not sure about the arg I just don't know

368
00:19:21.039 --> 00:19:23.079
it either way. I think everyone should be at twenty five,

369
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but that's not tenable for some businesses. But I you know,

370
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their argument is that it hasn't been keeping up and

371
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basically that you know, it's it's barely minimum and so

372
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other companies are more competitive. Basically, their arguments like, you know,

373
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our customers could just go any like a lot of

374
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other places to get a better, more competitive job. And

375
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I'm kind of like, well then you should. I mean,

376
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I don't know. I just I mean, I don't know.

377
00:19:49.640 --> 00:19:55.640
I don't want to be I'm not personally I do

378
00:19:56.880 --> 00:19:58.920
identify with them. I always think that cast members should

379
00:19:58.920 --> 00:20:02.440
be compensated because I do think that, especially at Disney.

380
00:20:02.720 --> 00:20:04.400
I think the cast members is kind of why you

381
00:20:04.440 --> 00:20:08.319
go like again, I mean like and that's their own fault.

382
00:20:08.480 --> 00:20:10.680
I mean again, it's just to me, it reminds me

383
00:20:10.720 --> 00:20:13.119
of like when you're going to, like any sort of

384
00:20:13.119 --> 00:20:17.559
boutique experience, like you're going to you're going to going

385
00:20:17.599 --> 00:20:20.640
to a designer boutique or something. I mean, like part

386
00:20:20.640 --> 00:20:23.200
of the experience is that you have a sales rep

387
00:20:23.240 --> 00:20:25.400
that goes around with you or that can help you

388
00:20:25.440 --> 00:20:28.039
with things. And I mean that's Disney has tried to

389
00:20:28.039 --> 00:20:30.480
position themselves as a luxury brand, and this is a

390
00:20:30.480 --> 00:20:33.200
problem of their own making. It's like, you can't have

391
00:20:33.279 --> 00:20:36.680
it every way. You can't design a luxury experience for

392
00:20:36.720 --> 00:20:38.920
people where they're going to have cast members and all

393
00:20:38.960 --> 00:20:43.640
this stuff, and then you know, make it so that

394
00:20:43.640 --> 00:20:45.920
the cust members could get a better job at Starbucks

395
00:20:45.920 --> 00:20:47.039
and it's like why would they be there? I mean

396
00:20:47.079 --> 00:20:50.200
that makes a lot of that part I disconnect. I

397
00:20:50.240 --> 00:20:54.039
think Universal has not put themselves into this box because

398
00:20:54.039 --> 00:20:56.720
they I mean, it's when you again, we go to Universal,

399
00:20:56.759 --> 00:20:58.880
it's not about the cast members. You know you're going

400
00:20:58.880 --> 00:21:01.359
to Universal and again it's the monsters to whatever. I mean,

401
00:21:01.359 --> 00:21:03.759
you don't even last time I was there, as I mentioned,

402
00:21:03.799 --> 00:21:05.759
I didn't even there wasn't even a cast member around

403
00:21:06.079 --> 00:21:07.839
and there was like a fight breaking out with no

404
00:21:07.839 --> 00:21:10.880
one to solve it. So it's believe, but it is

405
00:21:10.880 --> 00:21:13.480
what it is. They've got different problems, they have different problems,

406
00:21:13.519 --> 00:21:15.880
but the guests, I think, expect it like they're not,

407
00:21:16.759 --> 00:21:20.000
you know, at Disney, they're expecting that some a castmber

408
00:21:20.039 --> 00:21:22.079
will be there to help them solve a problem. You

409
00:21:22.119 --> 00:21:24.599
don't expect that at Universal, and they put themselves in

410
00:21:24.599 --> 00:21:25.119
that box.

411
00:21:25.880 --> 00:21:27.720
It's interesting that we have that, we have our bi

412
00:21:27.759 --> 00:21:30.480
coastal points of view, because you know, you've got you've

413
00:21:30.480 --> 00:21:33.559
got the Disney and the Universal in California point of view.

414
00:21:33.640 --> 00:21:36.640
And do I because I think I go to Orlando more, I.

415
00:21:36.599 --> 00:21:39.240
Think you go to Orlando more? Yes, but I do.

416
00:21:39.400 --> 00:21:43.559
I also believe. I also believe though, that people have

417
00:21:43.640 --> 00:21:46.880
come to expect the same from both at least anecdotally

418
00:21:46.960 --> 00:21:49.160
from the people that I know who are season pass

419
00:21:49.160 --> 00:21:51.319
holders to both. I mean, everybody who lives in Orlando,

420
00:21:51.599 --> 00:21:53.720
everybody I work with is a season passolder to both

421
00:21:53.759 --> 00:21:56.799
parks yea, and goes to them constantly.

422
00:21:56.880 --> 00:21:59.200
Yeah I do. I go to Universal Orlando more than

423
00:21:59.240 --> 00:22:01.279
Hollywood on but yeah.

424
00:22:01.279 --> 00:22:04.880
But again that point being, I think the expectation now

425
00:22:05.000 --> 00:22:08.640
is the same for both as far as a luxury brand,

426
00:22:09.200 --> 00:22:11.480
and at the very least, maybe not a luxury brand,

427
00:22:11.519 --> 00:22:14.319
but at the very least the expectation that the cast

428
00:22:14.359 --> 00:22:18.079
members or the team members are there to serve, interact,

429
00:22:18.440 --> 00:22:21.720
be part of the experience. I think that the other

430
00:22:21.759 --> 00:22:25.319
thing that we have taken into consideration here is I

431
00:22:25.319 --> 00:22:28.039
don't want anybody to think for a moment that either

432
00:22:28.200 --> 00:22:32.279
side seriously is planning on fourteen thousand people to walk out.

433
00:22:32.960 --> 00:22:36.759
That would be detrimental to both sides if it actually happened.

434
00:22:38.119 --> 00:22:40.720
So this is, as you said, Philip, this is just

435
00:22:40.799 --> 00:22:43.359
a negotiating tool. All it's saying is putting a little

436
00:22:43.359 --> 00:22:46.319
bit of teeth behind the well, if we don't get

437
00:22:46.319 --> 00:22:48.000
what we want, we're going to take our ball and

438
00:22:48.039 --> 00:22:52.880
go home. You know, I have very complex feelings when

439
00:22:52.880 --> 00:22:55.720
it comes to unionization, because I have seen times where

440
00:22:55.720 --> 00:22:58.960
it has benefited the employee immensely, and I have seen

441
00:22:59.000 --> 00:23:01.039
times where it has actually gotten in the way of

442
00:23:01.519 --> 00:23:07.400
employee benefits being moved forward. And so again, my relationship

443
00:23:07.440 --> 00:23:10.880
with union ideals are are very complex because I think

444
00:23:10.880 --> 00:23:14.000
it really comes down to who is the independent union.

445
00:23:14.000 --> 00:23:17.039
We're talking about, who are the members and how is

446
00:23:17.039 --> 00:23:19.599
the union serving them. What we have to remember is

447
00:23:19.880 --> 00:23:23.920
the union serves the employee, not the other way around.

448
00:23:24.240 --> 00:23:27.640
And so that's why I say this is if they

449
00:23:27.640 --> 00:23:31.079
would say fourteen thousand people, okay, fine, we're calling a strike.

450
00:23:31.079 --> 00:23:33.000
You've given us permit, or you've given us permission, we're

451
00:23:33.000 --> 00:23:36.640
calling a strike. So fourteen thousand people stop getting paid

452
00:23:37.119 --> 00:23:41.359
the park, the park itself gets bent over and spanked,

453
00:23:42.119 --> 00:23:44.000
and the union is the only one who's not who

454
00:23:44.039 --> 00:23:47.400
walks away uninjured. So you know, we've got to take

455
00:23:47.440 --> 00:23:50.599
that into consideration. The intent is not for a strike.

456
00:23:50.880 --> 00:23:55.519
The intent is to just have one more one more

457
00:23:55.559 --> 00:23:58.559
tool in the tool belt of le get let's get

458
00:23:58.599 --> 00:24:03.279
this resolution. Going back to what you were saying, Philip

459
00:24:03.319 --> 00:24:05.200
about you know, you think everybody should be paid twenty

460
00:24:05.200 --> 00:24:08.920
five dollars an hour. Let's also take into consideration what

461
00:24:09.000 --> 00:24:10.880
I refer to and have said many times on the show,

462
00:24:10.880 --> 00:24:14.720
the double bottom line. There is financial reward and then

463
00:24:14.759 --> 00:24:19.960
there is self worth or self satisfaction award. I know

464
00:24:20.039 --> 00:24:22.640
people who have so drunk the Disney kool aid that

465
00:24:22.720 --> 00:24:24.519
they would work there for five dollars an hour if

466
00:24:24.559 --> 00:24:27.079
they could just get behind the scenes. I know a

467
00:24:27.079 --> 00:24:30.279
lot of people in Florida who maintain a part time

468
00:24:30.319 --> 00:24:33.359
status with Disney because it's cheaper than buying a season pass.

469
00:24:34.319 --> 00:24:37.559
So it's just it's all about finding that balance. Yes,

470
00:24:37.720 --> 00:24:40.440
you could say we're going to pay you Disney as

471
00:24:40.519 --> 00:24:42.039
a as a cast member, We're going to pay you

472
00:24:42.119 --> 00:24:45.200
twenty bucks an hour, and here's a twenty five dollars

473
00:24:45.240 --> 00:24:49.000
an hour job. But you have none of the prestige

474
00:24:49.000 --> 00:24:50.720
of working for Disney. You have none of the benefits

475
00:24:50.759 --> 00:24:52.640
of being able to get into the Disney parks for free.

476
00:24:52.920 --> 00:24:55.559
You have none of you know, there's all those things

477
00:24:55.599 --> 00:24:58.759
have to be taken into consideration. All of that said,

478
00:24:59.359 --> 00:25:02.799
all of that said, I am always I am always

479
00:25:02.799 --> 00:25:05.519
in support of the frontline staff members, and anybody who's

480
00:25:05.559 --> 00:25:09.000
ever worked for me directly knows I will fight to

481
00:25:09.079 --> 00:25:12.880
get the highest payment I can based on the situation,

482
00:25:13.000 --> 00:25:16.480
based on the client, for the individuals who work for me,

483
00:25:16.759 --> 00:25:20.559
or for on projects that I work on. I've actually

484
00:25:20.599 --> 00:25:22.880
gone so far as to tell nonprofit organizations who are

485
00:25:22.880 --> 00:25:26.079
in competition with for profit organizations, I have recommended we

486
00:25:26.160 --> 00:25:29.880
need to outpay them because you don't have benefits of

487
00:25:30.640 --> 00:25:33.960
playing in a park, So we've got to got to

488
00:25:34.119 --> 00:25:37.319
out pay in order to get the same kinds of people.

489
00:25:38.079 --> 00:25:42.000
So I totally agree with proper compensation, but I don't

490
00:25:42.000 --> 00:25:43.920
think it should be just money. I think all things

491
00:25:43.960 --> 00:25:45.319
need to be considered, and all things need to be

492
00:25:45.400 --> 00:25:48.400
taken under advisement. Yes, people have to have enough to

493
00:25:48.400 --> 00:25:51.880
pay their mortgage and pay their car payments and all

494
00:25:51.880 --> 00:25:55.480
that basic living expenses. One hundred percent agree. There's going

495
00:25:55.519 --> 00:25:57.640
to be someone listening to this who's going to say, Scott,

496
00:25:57.680 --> 00:26:00.240
you're not being realistic. Everyone deserves to make more money,

497
00:26:00.240 --> 00:26:03.119
blah blah blah blah blah. And that's why I say,

498
00:26:03.440 --> 00:26:08.440
I firmly believe that everyone should be properly compensated. But

499
00:26:08.519 --> 00:26:11.519
as Philip just said, if you don't feel you're being

500
00:26:11.519 --> 00:26:14.960
properly compensated, and there's a place across the street that's

501
00:26:15.000 --> 00:26:18.480
going to pay you more go there. You know, would

502
00:26:18.519 --> 00:26:21.279
you rather work, would you rather be a barista, or

503
00:26:21.319 --> 00:26:24.960
would you rather take tickets at Disneyland those that's your

504
00:26:25.000 --> 00:26:28.279
decision to make. That's your decision to make. And yes,

505
00:26:28.559 --> 00:26:30.440
in this particular case, the union is there to help

506
00:26:30.440 --> 00:26:35.480
facilitate your voice when dealing with management. Totally agree with that.

507
00:26:36.480 --> 00:26:39.000
And if, by the way, if they are not representing

508
00:26:39.000 --> 00:26:41.920
your voice, get with your union rep. Because they work

509
00:26:42.079 --> 00:26:45.799
for you, the employee employee, not the employer the employee.

510
00:26:47.039 --> 00:26:51.519
I think that's an every brand. Yeah, well, I kind

511
00:26:51.519 --> 00:26:53.240
of think we've said everything we need to say on this.

512
00:26:53.279 --> 00:26:56.400
I think we've talked about this before, so more agnausium.

513
00:26:56.440 --> 00:26:59.440
I just it is a like you said, it's a

514
00:26:59.519 --> 00:27:01.079
very difficult topic.

515
00:27:01.279 --> 00:27:03.319
And cycle look, we got to talk about it again.

516
00:27:03.440 --> 00:27:05.960
Yeah, I know, God help us, just like the earnings.

517
00:27:06.000 --> 00:27:08.960
But it's such a it's a it's just a difficult

518
00:27:09.000 --> 00:27:13.880
topic because it's a little bit different for each individual person.

519
00:27:13.920 --> 00:27:15.839
And I also do think though Scott and I are

520
00:27:15.880 --> 00:27:17.440
not really the ones we have the authority to talk

521
00:27:17.480 --> 00:27:20.440
about it just because we're not in a like we

522
00:27:20.759 --> 00:27:26.680
have the privilege of being Americans who can choose to

523
00:27:26.759 --> 00:27:30.079
do work because we want to do the work versus

524
00:27:30.519 --> 00:27:33.319
having to do a thing to eat. And I think

525
00:27:33.359 --> 00:27:35.759
that that that's a that's a Also I want to

526
00:27:35.799 --> 00:27:39.519
acknowledge that we're in that perspective because the living wage

527
00:27:39.559 --> 00:27:44.400
Annaheim currently is twenty seven dollars, and so, you know,

528
00:27:44.440 --> 00:27:47.000
I just I think again, but again back to Scott's point,

529
00:27:47.000 --> 00:27:48.519
They're going to have to make the decisions for themselves,

530
00:27:48.519 --> 00:27:50.240
because there are going to be some people who, you know,

531
00:27:50.440 --> 00:27:53.200
like are in a situation where if they can live

532
00:27:53.240 --> 00:27:55.079
with their family, if they're if you're younger and you're

533
00:27:55.079 --> 00:27:57.200
still living with your parents and you don't have as

534
00:27:57.279 --> 00:27:59.400
much of a you don't need to make twenty seven

535
00:27:59.400 --> 00:28:02.240
an hour to be to have a living wage, and

536
00:28:02.319 --> 00:28:05.039
you can you're a privileged position, so you can afford

537
00:28:05.039 --> 00:28:08.119
to work for Disney, which is a I just me personally,

538
00:28:08.119 --> 00:28:10.279
I just think I'm not sure how sustainable that business

539
00:28:10.319 --> 00:28:14.079
model is if you are relying on your staffing model

540
00:28:14.119 --> 00:28:17.240
only works if you can hire enough privileged people because

541
00:28:17.279 --> 00:28:20.119
they all, like you know, have enough random money to

542
00:28:20.759 --> 00:28:22.519
be able to work there. I guess it's working. So

543
00:28:22.640 --> 00:28:24.880
you know, who am I? But I'm just you know,

544
00:28:25.160 --> 00:28:27.279
if you're a if you're trying to live as an

545
00:28:27.279 --> 00:28:32.079
adult in the Anaheim area, you know, twenty seven would

546
00:28:32.079 --> 00:28:33.680
be where you need to be at. So, but I

547
00:28:33.920 --> 00:28:36.839
to Scott's point, if that's where, if that's where you

548
00:28:36.920 --> 00:28:39.640
are and you don't have parents you can live with

549
00:28:39.720 --> 00:28:41.160
or whatever, and you need to be making twenty seven

550
00:28:41.160 --> 00:28:43.200
an hour at least, then you'll just then you'll just

551
00:28:43.240 --> 00:28:45.240
go said, we won't even consider disney'll just go somewhere else,

552
00:28:45.720 --> 00:28:47.359
you know, And maybe that's what they want. I mean,

553
00:28:47.400 --> 00:28:50.319
they only want, like, you know, the the people who

554
00:28:50.319 --> 00:28:51.200
have I don't. I don't know.

555
00:28:52.240 --> 00:28:54.119
I think they want people who feel as though working

556
00:28:54.119 --> 00:28:57.200
for Disney is part of the compensation. Yeah, so now

557
00:28:57.200 --> 00:28:59.160
you see why I have never worked for Disney.

558
00:28:58.880 --> 00:29:00.880
Yet, but at the cost of what I guess is

559
00:29:00.920 --> 00:29:01.240
my thing.

560
00:29:01.440 --> 00:29:03.480
But I'm not a Disney fan, but I know people.

561
00:29:03.519 --> 00:29:05.880
I know people who have, and you see it. Look

562
00:29:05.880 --> 00:29:09.039
at social media. Every day, if you have anybody who

563
00:29:09.039 --> 00:29:11.200
works in theme park industry, every day you'll come across

564
00:29:11.200 --> 00:29:13.200
at least one person who will say, Oh, I finally

565
00:29:13.200 --> 00:29:14.920
got my dream job, and there'll be a photo of

566
00:29:14.960 --> 00:29:19.160
their their Disney badge and their you know, traditions, schedule,

567
00:29:19.359 --> 00:29:24.119
and because I know so many, yeah, so many, and

568
00:29:24.160 --> 00:29:26.759
there's nothing wrong with that. That is my point. There's

569
00:29:26.799 --> 00:29:28.759
nothing wrong with that. If that's what you know, Philip,

570
00:29:28.759 --> 00:29:30.680
You and I've had this discussion about our work, your

571
00:29:30.720 --> 00:29:33.279
work and my work. Why do we do it because

572
00:29:33.400 --> 00:29:34.920
it's what we love, you know?

573
00:29:35.799 --> 00:29:38.000
But also we don't afford to do it because we're

574
00:29:38.079 --> 00:29:40.839
not like homeless we're starving on the streets or something.

575
00:29:41.160 --> 00:29:42.880
But if I couldn't afford to do it, I would

576
00:29:42.880 --> 00:29:45.920
do something else. I mean, I have I agree, I

577
00:29:45.960 --> 00:29:47.680
have my dream job because I'm able to pay for

578
00:29:47.799 --> 00:29:50.559
all of the lifestyle that I have doing what I

579
00:29:50.599 --> 00:29:53.359
love to do. Yes, I admit with that I am

580
00:29:53.359 --> 00:29:58.079
in a very privileged, a very privileged segment of our population.

581
00:29:58.319 --> 00:30:03.519
I acknowledge that. And I and I stated openly at

582
00:30:03.559 --> 00:30:06.200
the same time. If you are not in that position,

583
00:30:06.480 --> 00:30:08.559
but you are damn sure you're going to be part

584
00:30:08.599 --> 00:30:13.640
of the Disney cast, you need to rethink your own evaluation.

585
00:30:15.119 --> 00:30:17.400
Not I mean you have to make sure because not

586
00:30:17.440 --> 00:30:19.559
every job should be open to every should be open

587
00:30:19.599 --> 00:30:21.680
to every person, assuming that they have the skills to

588
00:30:21.680 --> 00:30:25.519
do it. Yep, But it doesn't necessarily mean that, you know,

589
00:30:25.759 --> 00:30:28.039
just because this is what I want to do. Well,

590
00:30:28.079 --> 00:30:32.079
you're not owed the job you want. Does that make sense?

591
00:30:32.119 --> 00:30:34.880
You're owed the job you can do, You're owed the

592
00:30:34.960 --> 00:30:39.119
job that you're right for. So I think it's important

593
00:30:39.160 --> 00:30:44.839
to recognize that if IF, and having said all of this,

594
00:30:44.880 --> 00:30:46.319
having gone off on this rant, I want to just

595
00:30:46.359 --> 00:30:49.880
sum it up by saying, I hope that Disney cast members,

596
00:30:49.920 --> 00:30:51.599
for the sake of them and for the sake of

597
00:30:51.599 --> 00:30:53.079
the well being of the company, because I agree with

598
00:30:53.119 --> 00:30:56.440
Philip in the longevity of this business model, I hope

599
00:30:56.440 --> 00:31:01.759
that this union negotiation we'll find a way where both

600
00:31:01.839 --> 00:31:05.880
sides feel as though they can live with this. And

601
00:31:05.920 --> 00:31:07.640
it's not going to be both sides get exactly what

602
00:31:07.680 --> 00:31:11.720
they want, because that's usually not possible. But I hope

603
00:31:11.720 --> 00:31:15.000
that the living wage for Disney employees or Disney cast

604
00:31:15.000 --> 00:31:17.240
members goes up, and I hope that it goes up

605
00:31:17.279 --> 00:31:20.640
to a level that Disney as an organization can continue

606
00:31:20.799 --> 00:31:24.079
to sustain itself and be the world class entertainment that

607
00:31:24.559 --> 00:31:27.880
it is and that it claims to be. That was

608
00:31:27.920 --> 00:31:29.839
my world class rant, and it's a good thing that

609
00:31:29.880 --> 00:31:32.160
it's over, because so is the show our time is up,

610
00:31:32.440 --> 00:31:35.480
and so on. Behalf of Philipernandez and myself Scott Swinson.

611
00:31:35.519 --> 00:31:37.839
This is Green Tag Theme Park in thirty and we hope,

612
00:31:38.359 --> 00:31:40.960
beyond all hopes, that we will see all of you

613
00:31:41.000 --> 00:31:41.440
next week