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Sunday, 10 August 2008 |
Disney World hikes admission prices
The cost of one of the Florida’s center for family entertainment just got higher. Last week the Kissimmee theme-park, Walt Disney World increased ticket prices for a one day ticket from $71 to $75 for adults and children over ten years. The price for children ages 3 to 9 has been increased from $60 to $63. Florida resident, on proof of their residency may buy advance tickets from participating agencies, by phone or over the Internet, starting at $67.50 daily, an increase from the former price of $63.70.
The price increase is not thought to be a result of the soft economy, but based on the Central Florida theme-parks practice of raising their admission rates (which includes all rides) annually. In the past these prices used to be announced at the end of the year or in early January. However most now announce them in late summer to meet publication deadlines for their guidebooks for the following year. Another theme-park, Sea World Orlando, announced a price increase on June 30. It is anticipated that Universal Orlando will also increase their rates, as that theme-park is is fierce competition with Disney World.
The president of International Theme Parks Services was reported as saying that he thinks the significant increase made by Disney World, means that there wont be another for a couple of years.
Florida could be already experiencing a recession
According to a Wachovia bank economist Florida’s economy shrank in the second quarter of this year, which signifies that the state is already in a recession. Florida’s second quarter Gross Domestic Product, representing the value of all goods and services produced in the state, and the method used to measure the growth or decline of the state, (and the nations) economy indicates decline in Florida’s economy.
This GDP data for Florida is based on estimates, as according to reports the state does not keep official quarterly data of its economic growth or decline.
The Wachovia economist, Mark Vilmer, has been reported as saying that the state’s GOP fell at an annual rate of 1.6 percent from March to June. Over the same period last year the state’s economy showed weak growth of 0.5 percent. One of the criteria of a recession is the decline in GDP for two consecutive quarters. Vilmer has indicated that he predicts another decline in the state’s GDP in September.
In the meantime economists from the state House, Senate, tax department and governor’s office announced earlier this week that the loss in market value of all Florida properties including houses and business, amounted to a loss of $153 billion between 2007 and 2008. This is a decline of 6 percent in the total value of the state’s properties, doubling estimates made last November.
University of Miami med school seeks to develop vaccine for lung cancer
It has been reported that a deal has been reached between the University of Miami Medical School and Seed-One Ventures, a Miami Beach company to create Heat Biologics to research and develop a vaccine for treating lung cancer. The development which will involve a series of tests will be based on technologies originally developed by Dr. Eckhard Podack, the head of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the university.
It is reported that Podack’s work is based on injecting genetically altered cancer cells into cancer patients. The injected cells, according to Podack’s theory, would activate killer cells that would attack the lung cancer. Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. and the disease affects thousands each year. However, as in the case of most other types of cancer no cure has been developed.
Several attempts have been made to develop a lung cancer vaccine, but to date no vaccine has materialized. Podack has been working on the vaccine, called gp-96, for several years. According to the reports Podack said he made several attempts at developing the vaccine but the development was hindered by regulatory issues. Now the university has regained control for the license of the vaccine which had been originally licensed by UM to another company. The university’s vice provost for technology advancement, Bart Chernov, says he is cautiously optimistic re the development of the vaccine but have to await the results of the clinical trials.
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