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Unread 07-12-2002, 00:15
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Andy Baker Andy Baker is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by Paul Copioli
Comments please.

-Paul
I probably sat next to Paul as many of us questioned the logistics of Disney for the past couple of years.

I am happy for the move this year.

As for why it was moved... only those involved in both sides of the negotiations really know. However, I did hear that the negotiations went as high up as Kamen talking to Eisner.

My guess is that it really was about money. Due to the growth of FIRST (greater negotiating power by FIRST), and really bad timing of AP tests, Easter, and the lateness of the last regional, Disney could not get together with FIRST on a good weekend. Due to this bad timing, Disney must've felt the need to charge FIRST teams an extra cost that was much more than the $75 per person last year.

From what I've heard over the years, Disney Corp.'s cash cow is the WDW parks. They must not profit much from logical FIRSTers, I guess and they wanted to leave more space in their parks for vacationing families who spend more per person than FIRST team members do.

As for the FIRST tent city that Disney always put up for the Nationals/Championships, I always felt insulted when the Epcot executive stood up there and told us that they laid X acres or carpet, put up XX,XXX temporary seats, and made a air conditioned tent city for us to play in for 3 days. To me, it was always a waste of effort. The money spent on this temporary facility could easily rent a world class entertainment/athletic facility easily (at least I assume this).

So, as I've wondered why Disney put this up for FIRST every year, and then try to fool us in how great of a facility it is... I asked an Epcot events coordinator at kickoff why they put it there and not in Wide World of Sports. She said "to be next to Epcot, of course!" So... they thought that the simple draw of being next to Innovations and the Electric Umbrella would override the fact that we had to stand on chairs to watch matches on Einstein field.

To me, this seemed silly. I realized that no all FIRSTers shared this opinion, but the more many of us discussed it, most of us (adults) realized that we agreed on this issue... so we began to push it at the FIRST Forums over the past few years.

I'm sure that we will learn more. I will miss Disney this year, and it would be nice to go back. The parks are excellent, the food is great. The security of the parks and freedom of the students is second to none... but the cost was just too high and the competition facility was far less than world class. If Disney can coordinate timing and a better facility for the FIRST Championships, then I will be very happy to go back.

Just my opinions,

Andy B.