From Bradley Robertson on February 6, 2008 at 2:13 PM
The funny thing about recessions is you don't know you are in one until usually after the fact. The last time the US had a true recession (two consecutive quarters with negative GDP growth) was in 1982. However, when travel and tourism was down significantly in 2002 Disney Parks still had financial growth. I'm not saying they could pull off the same in a true recession, but I don't think they are stretched too thin either.

From Mark Hollamon on February 7, 2008 at 5:22 AM
I believe Disney will continue to post good numbers regardless of the overall economic picture. The strong foreign dollar will continue to bring in the masses and the excellent value Disney offers for family vacations makes them fairly recession resistent.

Disney has deep pockets and good shareholder equity. The construction will continue as planned and new ideas will go from storyboard to buildout without delay.

From Iris Hernandez on February 7, 2008 at 8:43 AM
"If you build it, they will come...."

Disney is on a roll right now. Especially with the new toy story ride opening this year in Hollywood studios. They will definetely not be in recession along with the rest of the country and they wont be for a long time(or at least until Universal opens up Harry Potter land). Its in times like these that I love those foreign dollars/tourists to come swamp Disney World.

From Mitchell Botwin on February 7, 2008 at 10:27 AM
Should Disney start accepting Euros? There are places in NYC that have put up signs to this effect.

From Olivier Sanguy on February 7, 2008 at 1:37 PM
As some posts argue about the euro/dollar, I can say you that, as a French citizen, when I came to Orlando in December 2006 it is true that I was very happy to buy "cheap" dollars with my euros (and one year ago, the euro was not as strong as it is now).
10 days with my wife and two children, a vacation homes for 7 (my wife's brother and parents were with us), transatlantic flights (on BA) and park entrances: all this was cheaper than a 10 days holiday in a ski resort in France!
So yes, the "low" dollar can be a strong incentive. However, even if the dollar would have been equal to an euro, this would have been a good bargain (holidays can be very expensive in Europe). For air travel, we bought non-refundable tickets: they are almsot half the price. I guess a lot of people are doing the same.

From Larry Zimmerman on February 7, 2008 at 2:43 PM
I bought some. I'll buy some more when it drops below $30.

From claudia maffei on February 7, 2008 at 8:22 PM
I think the entire country could go down and Disney would survive. People still went on 9/11 and after. Personally I was taken there by my mom a few months after my dad died when I was 9 and it helped. Then Last year when my mom died we had already planned a trip to Disneyland just a few days after she died and we went anyway because one of the last things she said was to go ahead and go. It made us feel a lot better even though I was one of the only people to cry during an entire Disney vacation. :)

From Greg Mills on February 8, 2008 at 10:07 PM
Damn, Claudia. I know how that is. Sorry to hear about that.

I dunno, I have every reason to believe Disney will outlast Armageddon. Probably have bomb shelters under that big castle...