Disney's Energy Crisis of 1973

[@DavidWasman]

I was very much alive during this time. My Uncle was a Cast Member. He was one of the layoffs and rehires. Also, I remember sitting in long lines for gas. HOURS. We didn't have iPads to keep us busy or air conditioning to keep us cool. Still, Disney kept up their appearance and standards. You never knew, walking into the parks, that there was any strife. Oh, and yeah...the cows. Boy did that area smell.

[@xtalvt]

Very interesting video (as are all of yours)! I was born in Canada in 1962. I dreamed of going to Disneyland growing up and watching Disney on TV every Sunday night (we lived just over the boarder and watched TV from Buffalo). We had never been on a real vacation ... just a day or two away. My dad owned a small family shoe store on Main Street in Welland and had no one to run it if we left for a week. Finally (I think it was in the spring ... March probably .... of 1974), my dad decided to trust the store to his two part time workers and go on a one week vacation. We flew to Disneyworld in Florida. I still remember climbing off the plane down an open set of steps in Orlando. We rented a car and stayed at a Days Inn (don't know why I keep thinking it was 8 Days Inn) on International Drive just outside the park. We spent one day at the Magic Kingdom (the only park at the time), a day at Kennedy Space Center, a day at Bush Gardens. We went to Tarpon Springs, Cypress Gardens and a couple other places. My parents use to say "you can rest when you get back home" ... I feel sorry for my wife, I am still like this today, see all you can while on vacation, rest when you get back home. The one thing I vividly remember is my dad going out at 4 each morning to get gas! He would drive to a station, wait in line to get 5 gallons. If he had time, he would then go back to the end of the line and wait again for another 5 gallons. He did this every day of our vacation. It was great for us but I it could not have been a lot of fun for my parent. Still they did what they could to make it an experience my brother and I would not forget.

[@MikeKobela]

"Tracing back to poor decisions the company made..." ((cuts to footage showing Michael Eisner)) ....Rob, you cheeky little

[@MidwaytoMainStreet]

It was my Kevin Perjurer moment

[@DavidWasman]

@@MidwaytoMainStreet At least we're getting the original Tomorrowland back. Good riddance Eisner's Puke.

[@SirBlackReeds]

@@DavidWasman Technically, we're not.

[@missybarbour6885]

I KNEW you were possessed by Kevin in that moment

[@sonicman1282]

Ha ha ha

[@livingbold1030]

I am currently at Disney world!! No shortage of guests here!!

[@72marshflower15]

Have fun, but remember that Disney exploits love and sentiment for profits...

[@brakemanben6772]

72marshflower15 I bet your fun at parties....

[@somename842]

Ben Carroll he speaks facts, time for me to go back to watching anime

[@mariecarie1]

Hi, I'm from the future. I'm at Disney, too, or what's left of it after months of low attendance. Tell me, what are these "guests"? Did they all die in the Great Plague of 2020? There's no one here but me and some Disney princess being carted around in her own private parade float like a weirdo.

[@redcoltken]

Can you do the sequel - the 1979 oil crisis? Then complete the cycle with the 2000s energy crisis. On second thought this is a trilogy that does not need completing

[@MidwaytoMainStreet]

Keen thinking! The plan actually was for next week to cover the 79 crisis and how that impacted Disney as well.

[@andrewarmstrong7310]

All a bunch of lies. The USSR gained the world market with the Iran-Iraq conflict cutting their supplies and immediately artificially inflated the price for oil and natural gas. Oil was $30 a barrel on the world market and $6 here in the USA. The Carter administration moved pretty quick on this, unlike Nixon in 1973. Here in the USA we had more than enough extra capacity and had spent the last six years filling reserves with domestic and imported oil and allowed us oil field workers to do what we are best at, drilling wells. The same thing again happened in 2002, that was all greed and an administration who had no problem with oil needing to be over $100 a barrel. I just read an article a few weeks ago the Chase bank had finally sold off its 100 million barrel hedge it acquired in early 2003, for a loss. The over $100 a barrel only did one thing, it made the "Gold Diggers" rush in and pull some good deals and upset some old handshakes away from long-established oil companies and their land leaseholders resulting in inflated prices to drill, refine and supply.

[@UmmYeahOk]

Rob Plays next video: The Swan and Dolphin Conspiracy, or How RobPlays was Given Hush Money to Keep Quite About One Light. 😏😉

[@UmmYeahOk]

Ken Valderrama there was an energy crisis in the 2000s? My state (TX) has its own grid and we were fine, but I only heard of CA having problems. FL seemed fine, and we traveled there serval times a year. Had relatives and a rental. I think the only real problem with the tourist industry in the 2000s was the effect of 9/11. But if you visited during xmas/New Years, you wouldn't have noticed.

[@redcoltken]

@@MidwaytoMainStreet awesome! As a kid of the 70s I knew something was up with Disney

[@ModernMouse]

This story went poltical and DEEP!!!! Great job Rob! A pretty awesome anecdotal story. -Josh

[@SunflowerSpotlight]

Can I just say, that script was extremely well written? I’m a nitpicker. I pick nits in writing. I’m an editor, writer, and pedant. I don’t mean to be one much of the time, but I get taken out of videos or books all the time by little errors I snag on. You usually have good stuff, solid work. But this was just extremely well done. Keep rocking.

[@Yadiney24]

Great Video! Interesting and well done as always! Keep up the good work Rob!

[@philrabe910]

I grew up near D-world during all this. It was a tough time. I remember mom and my big sister not being able to find gas. Dad had a company car with it's own gas supply. Which was a company benefit back when companies had them.

[@trentwerner7398]

This is a fantastic video Rob! I appreciate the more in-depth videos despite them being longer than your average 5-6 minutes ! Thank you as always!

[@Tman0517]

Disney probably owns oil rigs now lol

[@garcia1177]

I wouldn’t be surprised if they are in the trade of oil. Disney is so deep into things now days I’m sure they have millions of ways and procedures to prevent the park from drastically suffering.

[@brianc1701]

I was a new(ish) cast member during this period, being hired the previous summer. Had a 90 mile commute with three friends, and getting gas for our weekend shifts was often a challenge. We were what Disney termed "Casual Regular" (CR), working weekends, holidays, and summer. I clearly remember having issues with getting enough hours for a short time. FWIW, gas was selling for around 35 cents a gallon pre-crisis, and you could buy a brand new Volkswagen Beetle for 2 grand.

[@SaturnCanuck]

I was around too and I had never thought of this. Thanks for bringing this out Rob.

[@djmetcalf3815]

Imagine buying Disney stock for $37.

[@AdriAsTheSiren]

Adjusted for inflation (1973 to 2019) it's $205. (which still isn't bad at all!)

[@kodyeldridge5847]

I bought disney stock for $38 in 2010. Wish I had bought more.

[@jacksonplaysgames2422]

@@kodyeldridge5847 don’t we all don’t we all...

[@1210starshine]

Great video Rob! Im fascinated by the subjects you cover! Thank you for your hard work!

[@JeffFrmJoisey]

Yup. Gas lines and Odd and Even Days were lots of fun! This happened just before I got my Driver's License.

[@christinecrawford]

OMG! Bill Bonds was a Detroit area news icon for many, many years! It was so cool to see him from about 45 years ago! 😃

[@hazellightinthedark1412]

Their intricacies and there functionary, came from life lessons and experiences. Not by intellect, nor luck. It's shows that how much, they have grown to understand the importance of resources in all forms, especially at its basics

[@1magicalmike]

Great storytelling and production value. Thanks, Rob!

[@EASpaceTime]

I think this was your best video yet, so well researched and fantastic production. Love to see your content only getting better and better. Really interesting to learn about the ways Disney tried to diversify. While they are more diverse today I wonder what would happen today if similar events impacted the theme park and media industries I wonder how they would react. Perhaps now more thought has been put into having strategies in place based on certain types of scenarios. Thoughts?

[@MidwaytoMainStreet]

Thanks! I appreciate the kind words! I think the biggest difference today that would help them in a situation like this is that Parks and Resorts makes up about a third of their revenue compared to 1973 where it was closer to 66%. So just on a dollar-to-dollar level, it'd be less of a risk for them. On top of that their parks division in '73 really just consisted of Florida and California. Today with four resorts overseas, I'd imagine the division impact would be even further lessened since an energy crisis might not effect every country the same way it did ours. Beyond that I imagine it'd be similar with regards to putting projects on hold. Disney is in such a period of growth right now that I think another crisis like this would just mean putting a stop to that growth and weathering the storm while their media branch picks up the slack.

[@EASpaceTime]

@@MidwaytoMainStreet Makes sense, thanks for the insightful reply. You are spot on the first thing they or really most companies would do is reduce CAPEX spend which they have a ton now and second streamline OPEX e.g. reduction of labor force, less refurb / maintainence etc. Being way more diverse and having more of a global footprint will go a long way as you mention. On a separate note it would be interesting to see what Disney world, land etc. would be like if the energy crisis or even more so if Euro Disney /Disneyland Paris was successful when it first opened. Would we have a Disney Sea equivalent or a WestCot in SoCal? What else may have happened during the Eisner era...and beyond

[@DanielGonzalezL]

Damn, I love your videos

[@simonw5851]

Thank you. Your videos are really interesting and entertaining. Good job.

[@pablodokken]

I love your videos Rob! Always an interesting topic about my favorite place in the world!

[@ChrisBryantVideo]

Man SUCH a great video and amazing channel! Stellar research and old footage that you pulled to tell the complete story. After watching your channel, I won't look at WDW the same way! Thanks! =D

[@abrandenburg10]

This was a really great video Rob

[@Joe-qk5ry]

These videos have me hooked. Very interesting good job

[@carolinecordani5371]

Another awesome video Rob! All the hard work you put in definitely shows!! Can you make a video about Song of the South? I know people have started to speculate about it being released on Disney+, and I would love to hear your opinion on whether it should be released and how it can be done with minimal backlash. (I'm currently writing a paper for school about how Disney can reissue the movie). Thank you for working so hard and making such high quality videos!

[@thetreblerebel]

You can tell central Florida is still jam packed of motels and hotels of days gone by. Reduced to weekly flip houses. Really sad vibe actually. Cause u can see if u squint that it was a tourist paradise at one time..

[@SupremeLeaderKimJong-un]

USA: Did I hear *_oil_*

[@wakanda9985]

I think they need freedom

[@UmmYeahOk]

Have you done an episode about 9/11 yet? The day of, how they evacuated, the safe full of "just in case" unexpired tickets that were distributed to those evacuated guests, the days following, and the years following?

[@atropos0754]

Thanks Rob😀

[@Matt_mill3r]

Love your videos, Rob! I would love to see one that highlights Disney’s Living Character Initiative from the early 2000s with Lucky the Dinosaur, Muppets Mobile Lab, Wall-e, etc. Why did they stop doing things like this? Do you think characters like Kevin walking around AK is a new version of this? Thanks and keep up the great work!

[@aflyingpumpkin1073]

As a Floridian I need to say sea world is amazing as a one day vacation.

[@reesemalo]

This just reminds me of the scene in F is for Family where he was smugly riding past the gas station and all the people without gas were yelling at him😂😂 The timeline fits too

[@tateorourke4598]

I'm actually doing a research paper on the OPEC Oil Crisis right now and this video was actually really helpful, I'm just wondering where you got your sources. And by that I don't mean what are your sources, but where did you access the newspaper articles?

[@MidwaytoMainStreet]

I have a Newspapers.com subscription, which has digitized copies for tons of papers that date back as far as the late 1800's

[@RaiJolt2]

@@MidwaytoMainStreet I didn’t even know that was a thing.

[@raphaelmarquez9650]

It's why it's important to keep up to date with politics because you'll never if whatever issue may end up affecting your favorite theme park indirectly.

[@garywidom]

How about doing something on the airstrip just outside the Magic Kingdom parking lot that is now used as a parking lot itself?

[@srayj]

I wonder if Disney will ever revisit the idea of the Asian and Venetian resorts? I know they won’t be able to go on the lagoon, but maybe somewhere else on Disney property. As they always say, at Disney, a good idea never dies.

[@unclepatrick2]

My Parents had planned to take my Family to Disney World in December of 1973. We did not go because of the Oil Crisis. It would not be till 1979 that we made it to Disney World.

[@cowboyfrankspersonalvideos8869]

I had an interesting incite during that energy shortage. My family lived in the Washington DC suburbs. That area suffered much higher shortages and longer lines than any other part of the US. Partly because all the stations were restricting customers to a maximum of 5 gallons a shot which meant everyone had to visit the gas station 4 times a week instead of once. At that time, my Mother was a secretary for Gulf Oil at the regional distribution pipeline take-off (also known as a tank farm) for DC and Baltimore. While we were all being told that we had no gasoline, Gulf was having to bring in literally hundreds of tank trucks to store the extra fuel that was coming out of the pipeline which they had no place to store because all the tanks were full. Essentially, DC (the seat of government) was being duped into believing we were out of gasoline. If Mother hadn't been one of the 3 people responsible for finding tank trucks from around the country, I wouldn't have known about that issue.

[@thunderfoot11]

The problem wasn't that we didn't have the gasoline - the problem was what that gasoline was slated for use for. For years people have misunderstood the strategic oil reserves and what it meant in the larger scale of things. One reason that fuel wasn't available for use by the people at large was the government was afraid that we might be pulled into a conflict in the Middle East and would need our own oil reserves for the military war machine. (a very real fear for the leaders of the government at the time.) The same thing happened in 78-79 with the Iran hostage crisis and the oil embargoes that happened during that period. No one ever talks about the drastic reduction in price of gasoline after those embargoes - because in addition to the huge influx of foreign oil the strategic reserve is slowly put back to stationary levels(most people just assume it's because, hey, there's gas again). But you can't come out and say - well we're keeping 5 billion gallons of light sweet crude out of the public's hands just in case we need to obliterate X country - it's just bad form.

[@72marshflower15]

thunderfoot11 ...don’t forget Iran/contra and how Reagan had the Iranians hold the hostages through to get him re-elected in trade for weapons/munitions, etc... Disney serves the MIC... they employ social eugenics under guise of entertainment to produce “model Americans”... Disney literally betrays love for war and money... Few notice it...

[@SquishyZoran]

Cowboy Frank's Personal Videos is there anywhere I can read or watch that?

[@joshuat6645]

Great video man!

[@SirBlackReeds]

I hope there will be a video on Disneyland's Indian Village soon. I don't think any Distorian channel has covered it before.

[@FromtheHobbitHole]

Johnny Depp from the Lone Ranger = Project that FLOPPED. Love it!! hahaha

[@ryan-monty]

I actually enjoyed that movie...

[@FromtheHobbitHole]

Speaking honestly...we’ve never seen it. It’s just well known as one of Disney’s biggest box office flops of recent years. 😝

[@chewydewok]

I thought it was one of those movies that was so bad it was funny.

[@Super165i]

Now the US is THANKFULLY producing its own oil and gas ⛽️

[@ElementofKindness]

Huh! I never knew what caused the gas shortages of the early 70's. I love it when a little piece of knowledge comes along.

[@johnlynch42069]

It was also another factor in abandoning the WRE in favor of the cheaper Big Thunder.

[@dogman15]

Looks like we might be seeing something like this again...

[@tristanandersen4105]

You should seriously do a collaboration with defunctland!

[@jaysmith1408]

I’m almost positive you went through this on a Reedy Creek video, but what exactly is their power generation portfolio now?

[@spazzman90]

Did you see that they are just getting their 50 Megawatt solar field turned on? This is to add to their 5 Megawatt field they turned on in 2016. I'm betting they will build one more 50 Megawatt field in less than 5 years.

[@jaysmith1408]

spazzman90 would this 50mw field be, perhaps, the micky mouse field?

[@spazzman90]

@@jaysmith1408 Mickey Mouse field is the 5. The 50 is a new field close to Animal Kingdom.

[@UmmYeahOk]

When hurricane Harvey hit TX, residents in the DFW freaked out and created their own artificial shortage. Everyone bought gas on the same day whether they needed it or not. Many bought regular who needed premium, but that's all the stations had. By the next day, many places were out, and those that had gas, the lines were an hour or so long. Traffic was gridlocked because that's where the lines formed. It stayed like this for about a week. I had asked my mom, who experienced the fuel shortages of the 70s if this was like that, and if I should be worried. She said yes, it was just like it. I was lucky though, and got gas the day before everyone else went nuts. Not just for mu gas guzzler, but extra for a lawn mower. So I had a backup in case things got really out of hand. But I also owned a 2017 Chevy Volt at the time. So I just drove that the entire month. Everything was looking good after a week, no lines, but there were still some stations that were empty. No need to create a demand if I have the option of an EV. Let the people who truly need it have it. My gas guzzler became a toy after that. Just a fun little car I drive around on occasions.

[@Saturntime33]

4:07 rob says hotels motels then he shows a holiday inn like the song by pitbull lmao

[@TheSlainte1]

Sugar Hill Gang

[@dd45fs23]

Sugar hill gang

[@damenstravels9810]

Hotels with 30% occupancy in 2020 would be a miracle

[@Tailzkip]

"It was a reminder that we lived in a global community and of how quickly an event on the other side of the world could impact our day to day life" Fast forward to 2020

[@DarthDaddy-cg6ro]

Thanks.

[@jpulley]

Wish i was alive to get some of that $37 Disney stock.

[@clairedaly4434]

Wow! Early for once!! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜 the video o far Rob!!!!!

[@tepobori]

That was such a great video... damn

[@bigpperkins6730]

Interesting video

[@doogandoggin2571]

Disney's forays into the cattle industry were highly influenced by the decreased land taxes afforded them.

[@2kdegenerate708]

And now they are moving Green, so this hopefully wont happen again. Its interesting how this amongst other things lead to the snowball effect that would be the opening of EPCOT and the forcing of Disney to bring in Eisner.

[@DavidWasman]

WDW has been energy independant for years. Much of it was fossil fuels, but they were VERY early adopters into other fields like garbage reclamation (using all the trash to make methane gas and burn to boil water for turbines). Their use of solar panels goes back further than I believe anyone knows, too.

[@2kdegenerate708]

@@DavidWasman Interesting. I'm only now finding out, but that doesn't surprise me. The company seems very concious when it comes to the environment.

[@rerayiah4093]

Hey Rob

[@Ageetop2not2]

Rob are you going to be in Disney world in Easter Memorial Day or july9_23? I would love to see you and christen

[@mikecorleone6797]

Still doesn’t explain why a single day ticket for anaheim is $213... i can buy tickets to Universal Studios Hollywood, knotts, 6 flags and sea world for the price of 1 disney ticket...

[@nobodycares9681]

I go to DisneyWorld in November #Cannotwait

[@spikethelizard2770]

Really Nobody Cares?

[@nobodycares9681]

Spike The Lizard I know. Edit: My name even says Nobody cares

[@nobodycares9681]

Walt Disney Oh... Ya I am going

[@christinacope562]

Why so many 👎for this video?

[@sheem.2450]

Wow... Look how empty Main Street USA was. Wow!!

[@lukect3710]

Oh god well now I know that

[@michaeleisner4758]

Hey don't make fun of me, my decisions weren't poor ones

[@trickycrayon]

Go back to bed, Michael

[@trickycrayon]

(jk luv u)

[@michaeltaylor9977]

Yep! Both DL & WDW were designed for families with station wagons + cheap gasoline. The interstate highway was just about "finished" and tourist attractions along it would thrive?!? The fickle nature of the biz is location, economy, and a company with financial savvy & the wear with all to survive. De-regulation would bring more airline tourist, but 911 would change that again. Lots of competing forces (weather, competition, economy, & demographics play into the operation of these parks to make a buck. BTW that little old park in Branson, MO b4 Six Flags & WDW Silver Dollar City, bought gasoline so guests wouldn't get stranded. LOL

[@phillips2683]

And gas is now $15.00 a gallon.

[@gigilaco]

2025 energy crisis: Disney declares war on Iran

[@trickycrayon]

Rob: "It was a reminder that we lived in a global community" Me: WE LIVE IN A SOCIETY

[@FortuneZer0]

So in order to keep Disneyland open we need to keep on having wars in saracen land to keep them under control... got it.

[@milkinamug3357]

This video is familiar with covid today

[@andrewnelson8681]

We need electric trains everywhere in the United States of America in case we have another gas embargo like we did in the early 1970s we depend on oil to much we need electric trains and monorails and people movers masstransit I case we have another gas shortage

[@wakanda9985]

Not very realistic that would be extremely expensive and souls require state cooperation

[@CDRiley]

We need electric weedeaters in every house to help out DISNEY.

[@PKPhoenix83]

This right here is why the USA needs to drill baby drill.

[@andrewnelson8681]

I wish the government and Walt Disney world whoud build progress city we need a futuristic modern city built with mass transit people movers and monorails so people who live there won't have to depend on oil our cities today need electric trains and monorails electric Mass transportation in case we have another gas shortage and houses with solar panels a clean electric healthy city to be a working model for our cities today we need a greener tomorrow programs please stop air pollution and traffic we need Walt's Epcot city today

[@Ethan839]

You need to rebrand your channel, it needs a new name that fits your new content and formate

[@pewdiepieli8476]

Once in 1973 I went to the gas station and just snapped, I got out of the car ran to the pump took it from a mans hands and filled a gas can and ran that man paid for it to so I got free gas

[@lukect3710]

Hi please respond to me hi

[@nobodycares9681]

hi

[@lukect3710]

Hello

[@tomotestermanpic3856]

LukeCT hi

[@spikethelizard2770]

Bye

[@alexgruber7952]

Second

[@dchrislarson]

Rob, you're amazing at what you do! All your videos are so interesting! Thank you!!

[@phillips2683]

And gas is now $15.00 a gallon.