4 ms·

I think the only way for the U.S. to go back to a sane system for international travelers is for people to stop visiting the U.S. for vacations. We won't chang

by skh 8y ago

I think the only way for the U.S. to go back to a sane system for international travelers is for people to stop visiting the U.S. for vacations. We won't change until large businesses like Disney take an economic hit.

nradov 8y ago
The Disney theme parks just raised prices again. They aren't lacking visitors.
- skh 8y ago
  Hence the call for people to stop coming to the U.S. for tourism. I'm not claiming Disney is hurting now. I'm suggesting that the best way to change the U.S. government's treatment of visitors is for companies like Disney to hurt.
  - coldcode 8y ago
    Once air travel in the US ceases to function, at least 30% of the guests will be unable to come to Disneyworld. That's a big hit. For example visiting Disneyworld is the biggest tourist attraction in Brazil and it's in Florida.
  - HillaryBriss 8y ago
    It's going to take a lot to accomplish that. Disneyland is super crowded on a huge fraction of the days of the year. There's just not a shortage of domestic customers. In the 1950's when Disneyland opened, California's entire population was (very roughly) 11 million people. Today, there are (again, very roughly) 11 million people in Los Angeles County alone. Since opening, Disneyland has expanded its ability to take in customers by cannibalizing its old parking lot, but there's not much additional, affordable room for expansion today. And there are precious few fair-weather locations that are also economically and politically suitable for "another Disneyland campus." It's also worth noting that the Disney Corporation, though large, has about 1/5 the stock market capitalization of Google.
lostgame 8y ago
Lots of Americans themselves go to Disneyland. I'm sure there's a degree of international visitors, but I used to live in Orlando, and found a lot of the tourists were from the USA.
- skh 8y ago
  International tourists make up a bigger piece of the pie at Disney World, where they typically comprise between 18 percent and 22 percent of total attendance. Foreign visitors spent an estimated $87.1 billion on U.S. travel and tourism-related goods and services between January and June. That includes spending on hotels, restaurants, entertainment, local transportation and airfares on U.S. airlines, though commerce doesn't break out how much of it was specifically spent on Magic Kingdom tickets or Disney Dining Plans. International visitor spending in June alone rose 5 percent from a year ago to $14.6 billion. http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2013-08-09/business/os-disney-international-attendance-grows-20130809_1_walt-disney-world-attendance-records-disney-dining http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2013-08-09/business/os-d...
scrooched_moose 8y ago
Or for other countries to start enforcing these same policies on US travelers. US citizens don't realize this is a problem because it doesn't affect them, so they don't try to change it. Get the entire EU to treat us as crappy as we treat them and there will be pressure to change it. I say all of this as a US citizen who travels abroad somewhat regularly.
- mikeash 8y ago
  That won’t help, because it won’t affect most of us anyway. Most Americans don’t even have a passport (there are currently 137 million American passports in circulation), and many of those who do are only using it to drive to Canada or Mexico.
  - scrooched_moose 8y ago
    No it won't affect most people but it will affect some; which is a whole lot better than none. Also, it would disproportionately affect upper class and business travelers who are frankly more likely to get things done. Make it a burden for Bezos and Zuckerburg to travel and they'll raise more than enough stink. Toss in my company getting pissed at how much time I waste on paperwork every time I do an overseas trip and things could move.
  - Markoff 8y ago
    you need passport to visit your neighbors? sounds odd from EU
- em3rgent0rdr 8y ago
  This is like the suggestion to reinstitute a draft to stop militarism. I don't think they're good ideas...they create momentum in the wrong direction. Let's focus on making things better instead. Do no harm.
spurgu 8y ago
Been doing this all my life, it hasn't helped.

by skh 8y ago

nradov 8y ago

The Disney theme parks just raised prices again. They aren't lacking visitors.

skh 8y ago
Hence the call for people to stop coming to the U.S. for tourism. I'm not claiming Disney is hurting now. I'm suggesting that the best way to change the U.S. government's treatment of visitors is for companies like Disney to hurt.
- coldcode 8y ago
  Once air travel in the US ceases to function, at least 30% of the guests will be unable to come to Disneyworld. That's a big hit. For example visiting Disneyworld is the biggest tourist attraction in Brazil and it's in Florida.
- HillaryBriss 8y ago
  It's going to take a lot to accomplish that. Disneyland is super crowded on a huge fraction of the days of the year. There's just not a shortage of domestic customers. In the 1950's when Disneyland opened, California's entire population was (very roughly) 11 million people. Today, there are (again, very roughly) 11 million people in Los Angeles County alone. Since opening, Disneyland has expanded its ability to take in customers by cannibalizing its old parking lot, but there's not much additional, affordable room for expansion today. And there are precious few fair-weather locations that are also economically and politically suitable for "another Disneyland campus." It's also worth noting that the Disney Corporation, though large, has about 1/5 the stock market capitalization of Google.

lostgame 8y ago

Lots of Americans themselves go to Disneyland. I'm sure there's a degree of international visitors, but I used to live in Orlando, and found a lot of the tourists were from the USA.

skh 8y ago
International tourists make up a bigger piece of the pie at Disney World, where they typically comprise between 18 percent and 22 percent of total attendance. Foreign visitors spent an estimated $87.1 billion on U.S. travel and tourism-related goods and services between January and June. That includes spending on hotels, restaurants, entertainment, local transportation and airfares on U.S. airlines, though commerce doesn't break out how much of it was specifically spent on Magic Kingdom tickets or Disney Dining Plans. International visitor spending in June alone rose 5 percent from a year ago to $14.6 billion. http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2013-08-09/business/os-disney-international-attendance-grows-20130809_1_walt-disney-world-attendance-records-disney-dining http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2013-08-09/business/os-d...

scrooched_moose 8y ago

Or for other countries to start enforcing these same policies on US travelers. US citizens don't realize this is a problem because it doesn't affect them, so they don't try to change it. Get the entire EU to treat us as crappy as we treat them and there will be pressure to change it. I say all of this as a US citizen who travels abroad somewhat regularly.

mikeash 8y ago
That won’t help, because it won’t affect most of us anyway. Most Americans don’t even have a passport (there are currently 137 million American passports in circulation), and many of those who do are only using it to drive to Canada or Mexico.
- scrooched_moose 8y ago
  No it won't affect most people but it will affect some; which is a whole lot better than none. Also, it would disproportionately affect upper class and business travelers who are frankly more likely to get things done. Make it a burden for Bezos and Zuckerburg to travel and they'll raise more than enough stink. Toss in my company getting pissed at how much time I waste on paperwork every time I do an overseas trip and things could move.
- Markoff 8y ago
  you need passport to visit your neighbors? sounds odd from EU
em3rgent0rdr 8y ago
This is like the suggestion to reinstitute a draft to stop militarism. I don't think they're good ideas...they create momentum in the wrong direction. Let's focus on making things better instead. Do no harm.

spurgu 8y ago

Been doing this all my life, it hasn't helped.