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Talk of the bay: You wanna see Mickey Mouse? Dig a bit deeper

By Times Staff and Wires
Published August 4, 2007

The price tag for a touch of magic is headed up. Come Sunday, Walt Disney World is raising its one-day admission ticket prices for adults 6 percent to $71. That makes an outing to one of Disney's four theme parks the most expensive in Orlando. Typically, Disney's rival parks, Universal Orlando and SeaWorld, tend to follow suit with price hikes, but there was no news as of late Friday afternoon of such a match. Universal and SeaWorld are at $67 for a one-day pass. The announcement of the increase came just two days after Disney boasted of a solid quarter at its theme parks with profit margins reportedly exceeding 20 percent.

Quality Distribution helps out politician

Tampa-based transportation firm Quality Distribution is giving a financial jolt to a Democratic gubernatorial candidate in Louisiana. Well, indirectly at least. Walter Boasso, the shipping magnate, sold his self-made business to Quality Distribution for about $60-million, the companies said Friday. Boasso didn't say how much of the money might be funneled to his race. His company, Boasso America Corp., supplies tank container, maintenance and storage service for shippers with facilities in Houston, Chicago, Detroit, Jacksonville and Charleston, S.C.

Walter investors show frustration

Disappointing earnings at Walter Industries didn't sit well with investors, who dumped the stock Friday. Shares of the Tampa-based home building and coal mining company fell $3.64 to $21.62, a 14 percent drop. Earnings were half what analysts expected. Falling coal prices and higher mining costs were blamed.

[Last modified August 3, 2007, 22:56:05]