WALT DISNEY - SLOWING ECONOMY NOT SLOWING DISNEY PARKS, SAYS DISNEY CFO

Following warnings from analysts that the current weakening economy could result in people cutting back on entertainment expenses -- and in particular, on expensive visits to theme parks, the Walt Disney Co. said Thursday that thus far it has seen no sign of such retrenchment. Disney CFO Tom Staggs said Tuesday that business at the company's theme parks and resort hotels is running "modestly ahead" of last year. Some observers have suggested that while American visitors may have elected to cut back on visits to Walt Disney World and Disneyland, foreign visitors, taking advantage of the weak dollar, are descending on the parks in droves.

06/02/2008