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Unread 16-08-2001, 19:41
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Madison Madison is offline
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Money makes the world go 'round.

Perhaps I am being cynincal . . .

What's really the issue behind all of this? It's not about accomodating the growing number of teams. That can be done easily. It's not about outgrowing the physical space available at Epcot, or any Disney owned property. Epcot's huge, and it has an equally large parking lot. It's not about losing interest in a competition because there are too many competitors. . that's a result of the game, not the organization of the National Competition.

Colleen has said it again and again (perhaps in less abrasive terms). . .FIRST is a burden on Disney. It's that simple.

We occupy hotel rooms at discounted rates that could otherwise be filled with tourists. . . now, not all of them could be filled, but the hotels on WDW property tend to average about an 80% occupany rate. We require that they employ dozens, if not hundreds, of crowd control cast members that wouldn't otherwise be needed. That's extra payroll they wouldn't have without FIRST. We require that they set up those huge tents and that ampitheater and we require that they run all of that extra transportation (to hotels that are not even on Disney property, no less!)

The simple fact is that we don't make any money for Disney, and we don't do anything for Disney's PR at all. Disney is a huge corporation. . .massive beyond imagination. The FIRST National Championship means nothing to them. Nada.

Nationals will continue to grow uninhibitedly only if Disney and FIRST are willing to shell out the cash it takes to let it. That's the only condition here. It's not about designing a better stage or finding a new site. It's just about money.

What can we do about it? Well, the most obvious thing I can think is to tell FIRST that we'd be willing to pay more to go to Nats. That's the easiest solution, though I don't know what that'll do to teams whom already have tight budgets. But, if we pay more, we'll get more.
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--Madison--

...down at the Ozdust!

Like a grand and miraculous spaceship, our planet has sailed through the universe of time. And for a brief moment, we have been among its many passengers.
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