@NJCoin said:
Charging anything at all for parking under such circumstances is nothing but a blatant money grab on the part of the convention center. It honestly should be included in the fees FUN pays to have them host the show, and/or FUN should seriously consider taking its business elsewhere.
So say the anti-capitalist numismatists of the world……………. ‘Oxymoron’?
@NJCoin said:
Charging anything at all for parking under such circumstances is nothing but a blatant money grab on the part of the convention center. It honestly should be included in the fees FUN pays to have them host the show, and/or FUN should seriously consider taking its business elsewhere.
So say the anti-capitalist numismatists of the world……………. ‘Oxymoron’?
There is capitalism, and then there is price gouging. Even capitalist societies have rules against gouging. Having a monopoly on parking in a particular location, and then charging far above the fair market value of that parking, is hardly "capitalism" and having a problem with it is hardly being an "anti-capitalist numismatist."
No law against it here. Especially since the local government is the perpetrator. But taking advantage of customers is no way to grow a business. Not even the FUN coin show business.
Springing this on people at the very last minute was a terrible look for FUN. Not the end of the world, and not going to change anyone's life, but a blatant, obnoxious, unnecessary money grab nonetheless. One that surely generated significant excess profits for Orange County above and beyond the cost of staffing and surveilling the lots.
I understand that it was out of FUN's control, but they really should look into doing whatever they need to do to make it right. Including potentially telling Orange County to take their parking lots and shove them, as they move the show to any one of several other very attractive Florida locations. Orlando is not the only metro area in Florida with an airport, a convention center, hotels, restaurants and parking lots.
Bad news. It might get worse. When the Universal theme park, Epic, opens, the convention center will need to raise prices to discourage people from parking there and walking over to the park. Universal is charging $30 now.
Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
@BillJones said:
Bad news. It might get worse. When the Universal theme park, Epic, opens, the convention center will need to raise prices to discourage people from parking there and walking over to the park. Universal is charging $30 now.
It's all nothing more than a money grab, because Universal can also just build parking into the cost of their tickets and allow their patrons to park for free. Like they do at CityWalk at night, when they don't want the cost of parking to discourage people from coming to eat or shop.
And like Disney does with its fancy parking decks at Disney Springs. It is not written in stone that parking has to cost, a lot, at tourist attractions, stadiums, arenas, etc.
They do it because they can. Not because they need to.
As I said in another post, it is entirely justified in a densely populated urban area, where the land for parking is expensive because it could otherwise be put to a higher value economic use, and therefore has to be paid for with parking fees. Not so much in the middle of nowhere, where the only reason people and cars are there is to visit the attraction.
Regardless of whether it's Disney World, Universal, a stadium, convention center, etc. Disney Springs is a perfect example of how charging for parking would turn people off and drive business away.
And how is isn't necessary, given how much money the property generates for Disney without needing to charge a dime to park. Even though they had to build an expensive parking deck to handle the volume of cars.
If Disney doesn't need to charge to park in its Disney Springs Parking deck, Orange County doesn't need to charge to park in its endless open air lots adjacent to its mammoth convention center. It does so because it has a captive audience. And because show sponsors don't negotiate it away.
In other words, unjustified money grab. By a governmental agency in a ruby red, pro business state with no income tax. I guess this is one way they choose to fund government services. Honestly, shame on them!
There are multiple ways to solve the Universal problem, and I am sure they will find one. Because otherwise they will have big problems when there are large conventions and big crowds at Universal, and they need to keep everyone in their own lane.
Comments
So say the anti-capitalist numismatists of the world……………. ‘Oxymoron’?
There is capitalism, and then there is price gouging. Even capitalist societies have rules against gouging. Having a monopoly on parking in a particular location, and then charging far above the fair market value of that parking, is hardly "capitalism" and having a problem with it is hardly being an "anti-capitalist numismatist."
No law against it here. Especially since the local government is the perpetrator. But taking advantage of customers is no way to grow a business. Not even the FUN coin show business.
Springing this on people at the very last minute was a terrible look for FUN. Not the end of the world, and not going to change anyone's life, but a blatant, obnoxious, unnecessary money grab nonetheless. One that surely generated significant excess profits for Orange County above and beyond the cost of staffing and surveilling the lots.
I understand that it was out of FUN's control, but they really should look into doing whatever they need to do to make it right. Including potentially telling Orange County to take their parking lots and shove them, as they move the show to any one of several other very attractive Florida locations. Orlando is not the only metro area in Florida with an airport, a convention center, hotels, restaurants and parking lots.
Bad news. It might get worse. When the Universal theme park, Epic, opens, the convention center will need to raise prices to discourage people from parking there and walking over to the park. Universal is charging $30 now.
It's all nothing more than a money grab, because Universal can also just build parking into the cost of their tickets and allow their patrons to park for free. Like they do at CityWalk at night, when they don't want the cost of parking to discourage people from coming to eat or shop.
And like Disney does with its fancy parking decks at Disney Springs. It is not written in stone that parking has to cost, a lot, at tourist attractions, stadiums, arenas, etc.
They do it because they can. Not because they need to.
As I said in another post, it is entirely justified in a densely populated urban area, where the land for parking is expensive because it could otherwise be put to a higher value economic use, and therefore has to be paid for with parking fees. Not so much in the middle of nowhere, where the only reason people and cars are there is to visit the attraction.
Regardless of whether it's Disney World, Universal, a stadium, convention center, etc. Disney Springs is a perfect example of how charging for parking would turn people off and drive business away.
And how is isn't necessary, given how much money the property generates for Disney without needing to charge a dime to park. Even though they had to build an expensive parking deck to handle the volume of cars.
If Disney doesn't need to charge to park in its Disney Springs Parking deck, Orange County doesn't need to charge to park in its endless open air lots adjacent to its mammoth convention center. It does so because it has a captive audience. And because show sponsors don't negotiate it away.
In other words, unjustified money grab. By a governmental agency in a ruby red, pro business state with no income tax. I guess this is one way they choose to fund government services. Honestly, shame on them!
There are multiple ways to solve the Universal problem, and I am sure they will find one. Because otherwise they will have big problems when there are large conventions and big crowds at Universal, and they need to keep everyone in their own lane.