Marriott, Hilton against Disney, Universal in Expedia tax battle

Some of the biggest players within Florida’s $60 billion-a-year tourism industry are at odds in a battle over how online-travel companies such as Expedia Inc. and Orbitz Worldwide Inc. should be taxed.
One on side are hotel heavyweights such as Marriott International and Hilton Hotels & Resorts, which are out to eliminate what they contend is a competitive advantage the online companies have in selling hotel rooms.

Aligned with the Internet companies are theme-park giants Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando, motivated at least in part by concerns that requiring Expedia, Orbitz and others to absorb higher taxes could jeopardize a tax advantage the resorts themselves now have when selling vacation packages.

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Related articles

• Florida Dispute over hotel taxes escalates (hospitalitybusinessnews.com)

Judge says Disney can't bar Anaheim hotel cabbies

SANTA ANA -- A judge says Disney Resorts can't bar cabbies from Disneyland, California Adventure, Downtown Disney and its three hotels.

Orange County Judge James Di Cesare on Wednesday granted a temporary restraining order until he hears arguments claiming Disney and Anaheim's Hilton and Marriott hotels are creating a monopoly by favoring one cab company. There are three licensed cab companies in Anaheim.

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Walt Disney World: New luxury pet ‘hotel’ is a sellout

The newest resort facility to open at Walt Disney World near Orlando, Fla., already has sold out its VIP suites every weekend until January, and spaces are filling quickly for next year.


That’s “VIP” as in “very important pet.”

The Best Friends Pet Care “hotel,” which is exclusively for cats and dogs and certain other creatures (but no humans), opened Labor Day weekend with 250 pets and received more than 600 reservations in its first week of operation, spokeswoman Deb Bennetts said.

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Disney workers to get $433,000 in back pay. Still can't wear religious scarfs

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts has agreed to pay almost half a million dollars in back pay to employees as a result of violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act, the U.S. Department of Labor announced.

An agency investigation revealed that inventory control clerks in the company's food and beverage department were not paid for work activities that occurred before and after their shifts, labor officials say.

Officials say the investigation also revealed that the clerks worked through meal times and from home without compensation.

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She wasn’t suspended, she was just taken off the schedule

By: Eric Hertha
Hospitality Business News

In the ongoing battle between Disney and Imane Boudlal, a Muslim woman who is fighting for the right to wear her religious scarf, it was revealed today that Ms Boudlal has been taken off the schedule.

The hotel workers union has cried foul and said that Disney has in fact suspended the employee without pay. According to Disney spokeswoman Suzi Brown the suspension claim is not true. According to Disney the employee has not been suspended, she simply is not being scheduled.

We look forward to the verdict.

Disneyland Paris falls well short

There's a huge boot print embedded in the tarmac, a balsa wood aeroplane of lifelike proportions sitting beside it and, up ahead, a giant U-shaped piece of Hot Wheels track which brings back fond memories of childhood.

It sounds like a scene from Gulliver's Travels but the screams from riders hurtling up and down the track in a roller-coaster car give the game away. This is, in fact, a theme park ride based on the hit Toy Story movies and it is one of three new attractions which opened last week at the Disneyland resort on the outskirts of Paris.

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Hanging body found on Disney property

According to the Orange County Sheriff's Office, the corpse was found hanging in a tree near the Double Tree Resort by the entrance to Disney off of Hotel Plaza Boulevard.

Police roped off a wooded area next to the resort Sunday afternoon after police received a 9-1-1 call about the hanged man at about 3:30 p.m. Officials said the caller left the scene after making the report.

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Disney hotel workers walked off the job

More than 200 Disney hotel workers walked off the job Friday in a one-day strike that is the latest in a series of job actions at the Anaheim resort.

Representing the striking workers is Local 11 of the Unite Here union, which negotiates on behalf of some 2,100 Disney employees who have been without a contract for more than two years.

Local 11, known for its activist stance, has staged numerous public protests in a bid to pressure publicity-conscious Disney on contract negotiations.

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Disney ready to work its magic at Ko Olina

"It's a visual affirmation that they're continuing to invest," said state tourism liaison Marsha Wienert, as the third floor of the resort started to emerge from a forest of pilings. "It confirms Disney's commitment to the Islands and the future of the Islands."
Disney expects to invest about $800 million in the project, completing the first phase in the fall of 2011 and eventually employing 1,000 people.

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Disney to expand Fantasyland at Walt Disney World

ANAHEIM, California (Reuters) - Mickey Mouse's house and his Toon Town world will make way next year for a vastly larger Fantasyland, in the biggest-ever expansion of the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Florida, Walt Disney Co said on Saturday.
The Fantasyland expansion, whose price tag was not disclosed, will open in two stages in 2012 and 2013 and builds on the popularity of the Disney Princess and Fairies franchises, which have topped $4 billion in global retail sales

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Disney Hotel Workers Overwhelmingly Vote to Reject Disney’s Latest Contract Proposal

A majority of Disney hotel workers voted to reject Disney's most recent contract proposal that would have made health insurance largely unaffordable for many of the workers employed at the three Disney owned hotels. The final count in yesterday's vote was 1,076 votes to reject Disney's latest contract proposal to 86 votes in favor of the contract proposal. 2,100 Disney hotel workers employed as restaurant servers, dishwashers, housekeepers, front desk agents, and bellmen at the three Disneyland Hotels, Paradise Pier Hotel, Disneyland Hotel, and Grand California Hotel, have been working without a union contract since February 2008. In their latest contract offer Disney proposed to increasingly shift the cost of health insurance to its employees and create a new "casual regular" status for employees who average less than 30 hours a week. "Casual regular" workers would be ineligible for health insurance benefits.

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http://ehotelier.com/hospitality-news/item.php?id=P16852

Euro Disney S.C.A. Reports Revenues for the Nine Months Ended June 30, 2009

MARNE-LA-VALLEE, France, July 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
- Nine-Month Year-To-Date Revenues Decreased 7% to EUR 867 Million, Reflecting a Decline in Guest Spending, in Real Estate Revenues and in Hotel Occupancy
- Third Quarter Revenues Decreased 7% to EUR 308 Million, Reflecting Declines in Guest Spending and Hotel Occupancy

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http://news.prnewswire.com/ViewContent.aspx?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/07-30-2009/0005068714&EDATE=

Hong Kong to Expand Stake in Disneyland

The Hong Kong Legislative Council Finance Committee on Friday approved an increase in Hong Kong government's equity in the joint venture with Walt Disney Co., through conversion of HK$6.25 billion ($806 million) of an existing loan to shares, for the expansion development of Hong Kong Disneyland in the next five years.In what local media called "a lucky break," legislators voted 28-5 with 10 abstentions to approve the unpopular proposal. Legislators who voted for the proposal said they were in a catch-21 situation and described the proposal as "being hijacked," adding that the expansion proposal "is only a slightly less bad amendment to a very bad agreement." Legislators project a HK$100 million ($12.9 million) loss within the five years before the expansion is complete.

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http://www.hdmag.com/hospitalitydesign/content_display/industry-news/e3ibc00472ddc77210beebff4f0d0eb2e08

Disney Resort Unveils Custom iPhone App

The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort, in partnership with Florida State University’s Dedman School of Hospitality, has developed an application for Apple’s iPhone and iTouch that allows users to access in-depth resort information from the handheld devices.Whether a guest is planning a trip to the 2,265-room property located in the heart of Walt Disney World Resort or currently staying there, users of the application can access items such as specific information on the resort’s guest rooms; investigate the various hotel dining options, navigate the property using a detailed map and experience the resort through a video tour.

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http://www.hotelsmag.com/article/CA6668506.html?industryid=47564

Disney to pump new funds into HK park

Walt Disney has agreed to finance a HK$3.63bn ($467m) expansion of its struggling theme park in Hong Kong to lure more visitors, following two years of “challenging” negotiations with the territory’s government.
Disney, which has a joint venture with the Hong Kong government to operate the park, will inject HK$3.5bn of new capital to fund the expansion. The US company will also put in HK$2.7bn by converting its loans in the partnership to equity.

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http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/25166828-6567-11de-8e34-00144feabdc0.html

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Euro Disney Loss Widens

Disney Says 1,900 Jobs Eliminated at U.S. Theme Parks