Right now it’s a mixed bag when it comes to Central Florida’s tourism industry. But the bag is still filled with gold. Universal Studios just reported $92 million in profit last year; it’s best year ever. That with 1.8 percent fewer visitors to Orlando in 2007 than in 2006. I think that Universal benefited from its announcement of Harry Potter as suddenly, even though the attraction is years away, the perceived value of the parks were raised.
The Orlando Sentinel had one more story this weekend about how both Universal Studios and Walt Disney World hosted political events, often for free, and at least in part to curry favor with whomever the winner will be.