Oil Today Closed at $101.01

[GADVwow]

First ever close above $100. This is apt to have a major effect on gasoline prices, and also is likely to impact the regional theme parks in a bigtime way. . .

[PcMan]

Yes I woke up this mourning and turned on CNBC and seen that wholesale Gas was at $2.60
Up 9 cents overnight.
Are prices here average 40 cents above wholesale so look for Gas to be around $3.00 anyday now.
Just last week Gas (in S Jersey) was $2.68 now its $2.79 today.

THis was caused by a Texas Oil refinery explosion on Monday and gave the traders another excuse to run up the price of crude.

Just 10 days ago they said Gas would be dropping about .50 cents in March to to less consumption.
well that all changed.
I just topped of my tank today 

FYI they say there is alot of OIL off Cuba's shores and other countries are already getting in on it.
NOT US in the USA

[Dubya91]

Sigh....

I wanted to post something but rather Go to Google and type in Assume The Position Gas....

[GADVwow]

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/politics/blog/2008/02/oil_at_100_a_barrel_could_mean.html

$4 gasoline....

I wonder what THAT would do Mr. Shapiro's plans?  Or to Mr. Kinzel's?  This could be a very interesting, and difficult, summer.

[SilverBullet]

I think I'd rather ride my bike then pay $4 for gas.

[Dubya91]

Can anybody say, Walking Sneakers?

[Millennium Force 44]

I really need to get a job so I can buy some gas...

[PcMan]

I have read that people are still going to Parks or at least the Florida parks in the Last Quarter of 2007.
people still need to get out and about.

Just have to car pool 

Price will shoot up in the short term but I think it will drop again
about $40 of that price of oil is fear.

[Dubya91]

Although not a fanatic, the beauty of New York is that i can still get around without a car

This is gonna be really bad come time for me to drive, insurance will be bad enough as ill be under my own plan i think....

[SilverBullet]

Ugh.


At $7.15 an hour, my car is going to take every single cent from my paycheck.

[GADVwow]

Oil hit yet another record today:

http://money.cnn.com/2008/03/03/markets/oil_record/?postversion=2008030316

SIX and FUN both closed down markedly, though SIX was hurt far more than FUN. 

It's going to be a very tough year in the amusement park industry.

[WadeJ]

Unless your Park has a certain mouse for a mascot.  Somehow Disney has avoided all of this so far which is reverse to what should be happening.

[GADVwow]

When people cut discretionary spending, they often save the most special as long as possible.  A trip to Disney is a lot more special for most than a visit to ye olde relatively local park.  Still, as these oil prices ripple through the economy, domestic visits to Disney may go down.  The dollar is so weak, though; that international visitors may more than make up for any decline.

[Dubya91]

Those International Visitors are probably going to be going to places like the ones being built in Dubai and what not

[GADVwow]

As oil hits high after high:

...What happens as gasoline prices in particular increase? The fear is that Americans, forced to pay more money for gasoline and overwhelmed by other economic issues, will continue to hunker down.....

http://www.townhall.com/news/business/2008/03/08/oil_rally_may_be_economys_undoing?page=full&comments=true

I've said it before and I will say it again.  This is going to be a VERY, VERY tough year for the park industry.  Money that might well have gone to park visits is going to go, in many, many cases, into gas tanks and to pay the increased costs of consumer goods due to the higher transportation costs...and this doesn't even take into account peoples' job fears due to what widely now appears to be a recession.

[PcMan]

Unless your Park has a certain mouse for a mascot.  Somehow Disney has avoided all of this so far which is reverse to what should be happening.

Yes and in 2007 Universal posted its most profitable year ever

Universal Orlando touts its $92M 'best year ever'

Universal Orlando earned a company record $92 million in profit last year, more than twice what it made the previous year, the parent company reported Friday.

www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orl-universal2308feb23,0,1748865.story

people still need to get away and have fun 
good now they can build that New Rollercoaster  "Project Rumble"