Harry Potter was supposed to go to Disney?!

Author

James Carbary
June 08, 2023

Welp…we’re doin’ it ya’ll — You’re reading the very first newsletter from Orlando Business.

Relying on legacy media to cover local business news is like waiting around for 4 Rivers to be on every street corner. We can wish all we want..it’s just not gonna happen.

So we’re doing something about it.

We want to create every Orlando leader’s favorite corner of the internet…and this is our attempt to do it.

In order to pull it off…we need to hear from YOU.

Reply to these emails and give me your two cents. Whether it’s an idea for a topic we should cover…or a critique on a detail that we flubbed — your input is WANTED.

Alright — let’s get into it.

📍 Keepin’ it Local 📍

Universal Studios is Making Strides in Stunt Safety

The company has filed a patent application for a device that would make the death-defying falls from their stunt performers defy death more effectively than ever.

When it comes to taking big falls, performers typically use a giant inflatable airbag to cushion their landing.

Universal’s patent application proposes a way to make this safety precaution even safer with a device that can factor in the weight of the performer, height of the fall, and other considerations to inflate the airbag to the exact pressure needed for a safe landing.

The filing shows that precautions are taken seriously in the stunt world these days — and outside of maybe Evel Knievel’s orthopedic surgery team, I’m sure everyone is happy to hear that.

Space, The Final Frontier… for Unions?

Around 30 employees at Merritt Island's Kennedy Space Center in Florida filed a request with the National Labor Relations Board to unionize.

Instead of starting from scratch with a brand-new union, the workers aim to join an existing one through an Armour-Globe election.

If successful, the union would cover various positions under the space center’s Kennedy Infrastructure, Applications and Communications contract.

Florida Banks are feeling the pain

Between the Fed’s efforts to offset inflation and a slumping economy, Florida banks are feeling the pain as deposits decline.

Consumers have been shifting their funds to secondary banks — sometimes pursuing higher yields, but a larger driver is likely the downward trend over the last few years in consumer satisfaction with their primary banking institutions.

In this year’s JD Power satisfaction survey, only four banks in the entire state had satisfaction scores higher than the previous year.

The rise of digital banking means switching accounts is easier than ever before, so the trend is likely to continue if banks don’t change their approach.

🔥 Hot Take 🔥

Apparently, Harry Potter was supposed to end up at Disney World…and my brain almost melted when I found out. 🤯

At the 2:59 mark of this conversation with Mark Raumaker (👇 👇 👇), Mark shares why Disney World gave up some of the most iconic IP the world has ever known.

My hot take? Disney blew it. (don’t @ me)

Disney had Universal on the ropes and gasping for air…and the Harry Potter IP single-handedly resurrected Universal from the dead. So imagine if Disney had just played by JK’s rules — crazy to think that Disney was so close to being even MORE dominant.

Mark and I had a blast during this conversation, and you’re definitely going to be seeing more from the two of us — turns out we’re both in Winter Garden!

Make sure to follow Mark on Instagram, and also check out his real estate company — The Orlando Home Squad (they’re running the content marketing playbook that every real estate group should be running…and it’s super fun to watch).

Mark Raumaker (@mark.raumaker) • Instagram photos and videos

4,777 Followers, 589 Following, 231 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Mark Raumaker (@mark.raumaker)

instagram.com/mark.raumaker

🥳️ Have Some Fun 🥳️