The Efficient Queue and the Case against Surge Pricing

Surge pricing—using data and algorithms to raise prices in response to unexpected increases in demand—has spread across the economy in recent years, from Amazon, to Disney World, to commuter highways, not to mention Uber, which is infamous for surge pricing rides. Companies claim that surge pricing equilibrates supply and demand, but that is impossible, at least in the short run when demand unexpectedly outstrips supply. What surge pricing really does is to ration existing supplies based on ability to pay. That is both distributively unjust and potentially inefficient. It is also anticompetitive in the sense that it reduces the power of the competitive pricing that prevails before a surge in demand to carry over into the surge period. As such, surge pricing is similar in effect to price fixing, which also prevents competitive pricing from carrying over into periods during which firms have obtained power to raise prices. Courts should therefore rule surge pricing per se illegal under the antitrust laws, just as they do price fixing today.

The Happiest Place on Earth

Drawing on insights from a social semiotic perspective as proposed by Halliday (1985), and its adaptation to the grammar of visual design (KRESS; VAN LEEUWEN, 2006), and spatial discourse analysis (RAVELLI, 2000, RAVELLI; HEBERLE, 2016), this article aims to analyze semiotic resources used in EPCOT’s World Showcase, Disney World, Florida, USA, specifically, the eleven thematic pavilions in the attraction. The analysis considered the three metafunctions, adapted from Halliday (1985) to investigate images (KRESS; VAN LEEUWEN, 2006) as well as physical spaces (RAVELLI, 2000). Results show that the representation relies mainly on the reproduction of semiotic resources that are popular in each country in the Showcase, such as monuments, architecture styles and symbols that enable the guests to immerse in the country's culture. The immersion also happens through the consumption in shops with local products and restaurants with local foods, as well as the interaction with local cast members. The composition analysis showed a common pattern regarding the placement of items that are more approachable and real in the lower part, while items that symbolize idealization and fantasy are usually placed in the upper part of the spaces. Overall, despite the concern to portray the countries with authenticity, it can be seen that they are represented in an idealistic and fanciful way which follows the ideology of Disney’s theme parks of providing an environment of perfection and fantasy to the guests.

The Evolution of the Funny: American Folk Humor and Gimbel’s Cleverness Theory

In 2017, Steven Gimbel published Isn’t That Clever: A Philosophical Account of Humor and Comedy. This book proposes, among other vastly interesting notions, a definition of humor that eschews audience reactions in favor of focusing exclusively on the craft and intention of the responsible comedian. This article intends to provoke that definition and show why humorous performances cannot be crafted without an audience-centric mindset, proving Gimbel’s notion problematic at best. To poke this definition, I draw on the American Folk Humor tradition and compare its historic roots with modern tourist attractions that on the surface appear to channel its spirit. These include the Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue dinner show at Walt Disney World and The Brewery Follies at Virginia City, Montana. After showcasing the differences between these modern performances and the tradition they pretend to espouse, I conclude that Gimbel’s theory cannot account for the evolution of a funny genre.

HOSPITALIDADE EM PARQUES TEMÁTICOS: O jeito Disney de fidelizar

O Walt Disney World Resort foi inaugurado em 1971 e está localizado em Lake Buena Vista, Flórida, a 32 quilômetros da cidade de Orlando. Tal empresa sempre foi conhecida pelo excelente serviço que presta a seus clientes e este trabalho visa explorar as características da hospitalidade e atendimento ao cliente no Walt Disney World Resort, além de identificar a percepção dos turistas com relação ao atendimento da empresa, investigar como a hospitalidade é desenvolvida no local, tendo em vista os serviços prestados e a infraestrutura, e analisar a relação entre a satisfação dos clientes e dos funcionários que trabalham nas áreas operacionais do resort com a empresa. Isso foi feito por meio de uma pesquisa bibliográfica acerca de conceitos de hospitalidade, qualidade e história dos parques temáticos relacionada a análise de questionários aplicados pelo google forms com questões, em sua maioria, fechadas. Concluiu-se que a Disney se utiliza de diversas estratégias que ajudam a mesma a ter uma maior fidelização de seus clientes, e foi possível ilustrar tanto a hospitalidade com os clientes, fazendo com que os mesmos sempre desejem retornar ao local, quanto a hostilidade com os funcionários da empresa.