Condolensces RE: SG's on president's visit

[avengador1]

The Brazilians are certainly a noisy group of people. I came up with a nickname for the tour groups, I call them flag people. ;)

[Cheshire Figment]

Side Note - On Thursday at AK Gate we were told that non-park-hoppers that got a "Crossover Not Allowed" indication were to be given an override to allow the Guests into the Park.

[Epeyon]

The easier travel from China and Brazil was already announced last week by the State Department. I guess they just needed a big showcase to get it any attention.

I wish he would've talked about an increase in wages for workers, not just more jobs. This whole underemployment issue in Orlando is becoming epidemic.

[hobie16]

I wish he would've talked about an increase in wages for workers, not just more jobs. This whole underemployment issue in Orlando is becoming epidemic.

With high unemployment higher wages are not, in general, going to happen. Right now it's a buyers (employers) market. Wanna work? Here's what I'll pay ya. Don't like it? There's ten people behind ya that do.

[Mr. D.]

There are very few events for which the President belongs on Disney soil. One is the Fourth of July, swearing in the new citizens. That is very cool, and it happens before the park opens, early in the morning. I will never have a problem with it.

Don't he also come unveil the new AI on the HoP?

[Big Wallaby]

Don't he also come unveil the new AI on the HoP?

Not for the current administration. He was too busy.

[seeing_eye_child]

The easier travel from China and Brazil was already announced last week by the State Department. I guess they just needed a big showcase to get it any attention.

As much as I love WDW, I'd have to say it didn't even really qualify for "big showcase." All that disruption happened so the president could have a tourist-y backdrop for what...2 or 3 clips of 5-10 sec of footage to be edited into news reports? It's called a green screen! Ok, so maybe not appropriate for a press conference. But the light would've been just fine for the same shots in the early AM before park opening.

Caveat: I am largely a bleeding heart liberal, with only a few strong conservative streaks. I'm not in the Newt Gingrich fan club, and I don't think his remarks were terribly classy, but...

I found Newt Gingrich's much smaller press conference this week vastly amusing. He pulled no punches (spared no shame? it's late) in calling Obama on the carpet for disrupting park operations.

[Shorty82]

As much as I love WDW, I'd have to say it didn't even really qualify for "big showcase." All that disruption happened so the president could have a tourist-y backdrop for what...2 or 3 clips of 5-10 sec of footage to be edited into news reports? It's called a green screen! Ok, so maybe not appropriate for a press conference. But the light would've been just fine for the same shots in the early AM before park opening.

Caveat: I am largely a bleeding heart liberal, with only a few strong conservative streaks. I'm not in the Newt Gingrich fan club, and I don't think his remarks were terribly classy, but...

I found Newt Gingrich's much smaller press conference this week vastly amusing. He pulled no punches (spared no shame? it's late) in calling Obama on the carpet for disrupting park operations.

How many millions of dollars of taxpayers' money was spent to fly him here plus the disruption completely closing I-4 and numerous other roads caused just so he could speak for 15 minutes? He should have at least flown into the park to avoid closing all the roads. I'm sure the amount of space his motorcade took up backstage could have easily fit Marine One, which fits into the same cargo plane that carries his motorcade.

[Big Wallaby]

I'm sure the amount of space his motorcade took up backstage could have easily fit Marine One, which fits into the same cargo plane that carries his motorcade.

The motorcade doesn't need a 150' diameter area to land. I don't know any place backstage at MK that I can look around and see 75' of clear space in all directions, that doesn't have something else that makes it really dangerous flying. Plus, I assume the planning happens a ways out and they have to plan around any and all possible weather. Now, if they had put a barge out in front of the Magic Kingdom for him to land on surrounded by Lake Patrol boats, that would have made an awesome picture.

[kurtisnelson]

The motorcade doesn't need a 150' diameter area to land. I don't know any place backstage at MK that I can look around and see 75' of clear space in all directions, that doesn't have something else that makes it really dangerous flying. Plus, I assume the planning happens a ways out and they have to plan around any and all possible weather. Now, if they had put a barge out in front of the Magic Kingdom for him to land on surrounded by Lake Patrol boats, that would have made an awesome picture.

They could probably have landed in Park 1, but they needed that space for the bypass.