Both Disneyland and Disney World are in the middle of unglamorous battles. I talked about Disney World's labor challenges and Disneyland is fighting Anaheim with the SOAR campaigh. Here are some interesting facts from our friends at SOAR:
- In a relatively short period of time, the Anaheim Resort District has more than doubled its TOT("bed tax") contribution to the City of Anaheim from $33 million to $80 million.
- The Anaheim Resort District is the nation’s fastest growing market for hotels including occupancy, average room rate, revenue per available room and number of guest rooms.
- Visitors to Orange County, the majority of them staying in the Anaheim Resort Area, increased their spending by $2 billion or approximately 40% over 10 years.
I hope the citizens of Anaheim realize how much they benefit from the Anaheim Resort District. I also support low-income housing because I understand Orange County is in a housing crunch. But those houses and future residents want a city with services such as police and fire protection, which the bed tax supports.
I hope both situations reach an amicable, mutually-beneficial conclusion. Then we can focus on more magical aspects of the company we love.