Santa's Wonderland says "no soup for you!"

7,194 Views | 97 Replies | Last: 18 days ago by EliteElectric
Richleau12
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In reply to EliteElectric • 12:15p, 11/24/25
EliteElectric said:
So a lot of you that complain each Christmas about SW, do you take your kids other places like Disney, Sea World, Six Flags, Great Wolf, Kalahari, Schlitterbahn, Zoo's, Aquariums etc?

Everything is corporate, everything is a dollar trap, this just happens to be right here where we don't have to spend a couple thousand on plane tickets and another couple grand on rooms. We can simply get in our vehicle and drive a few miles and be there.

Our family enjoys going, we typically go on weeknights during school to avoid the larger crowds, and we always go Christmas eve.

SW is a local guy done good, and a treasure to our community IMHO. It's OK if you disagree.


I mean, it is kind of funny to read a post like this from a guy with electric in the handle. I'd say they are good customers lol. That being said, SW gets flack simply because of how it is operated. Nothing is included when you arrive from what it seems so people get miffed at that operative choice. People get miffed at the parking in and out situation. Again, these are operative choices that could be decided better, clearly, from customer reaction.
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Mr.Short-termMemory
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12:29p, 11/24/25
AG
Lights of West

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Another option to the North. Closer to the North Pole than Huntsville. A further distance, but if in the mood for a drive....
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maroon barchetta
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In reply to Richleau12 • 1:01p, 11/24/25
It's like that radio commercial where someone is on a flight and asks for wifi, drinks, snacks, pillow, and whatever else and there is a charge for each one.
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BQ_90
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1:03p, 11/24/25
AG
it seems to me SW keeps increasing prices figuring it'll slow down attendance at some point and it has the reverse impact of bringing in more people
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EliteElectric
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In reply to Richleau12 • 1:19p, 11/24/25
Richleau12 said:
EliteElectric said:
So a lot of you that complain each Christmas about SW, do you take your kids other places like Disney, Sea World, Six Flags, Great Wolf, Kalahari, Schlitterbahn, Zoo's, Aquariums etc?

Everything is corporate, everything is a dollar trap, this just happens to be right here where we don't have to spend a couple thousand on plane tickets and another couple grand on rooms. We can simply get in our vehicle and drive a few miles and be there.

Our family enjoys going, we typically go on weeknights during school to avoid the larger crowds, and we always go Christmas eve.

SW is a local guy done good, and a treasure to our community IMHO. It's OK if you disagree.


I mean, it is kind of funny to read a post like this from a guy with electric in the handle. I'd say they are good customers lol. That being said, SW gets flack simply because of how it is operated. Nothing is included when you arrive from what it seems so people get miffed at that operative choice. People get miffed at the parking in and out situation. Again, these are operative choices that could be decided better, clearly, from customer reaction.

#1 he has his own electrical group that does everything, we have never done anything for SW, ever.
#2 my point was- every other attraction on earth does those same things, he is conducting business very similar to all of the other attractions.
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Richleau12
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In reply to EliteElectric • 1:41p, 11/24/25
It was just a joke, read the reviews and you can see the squeezing of the blood from the stone real time. Perhaps a neat thing could be done where locals could pay less as a thank you for the HOT money absorbed into the business. That would be neat.
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EliteElectric
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In reply to Richleau12 • 1:49p, 11/24/25
Richleau12 said:
It was just a joke, read the reviews and you can see the squeezing of the blood from the stone real time. Perhaps a neat thing could be done where locals could pay less as a thank you for the HOT money absorbed into the business. That would be neat.

we could be like Hawaii
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vmiaptetr
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In reply to EliteElectric • 2:02p, 11/24/25
AG
Kamaaina special!
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Richleau12
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In reply to EliteElectric • 2:07p, 11/24/25
lol first time in history college station has been compared to Hawaii lol
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LOYAL AG
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In reply to Richleau12 • 3:02p, 11/24/25
AG
Richleau12 said:
It was just a joke, read the reviews and you can see the squeezing of the blood from the stone real time. Perhaps a neat thing could be done where locals could pay less as a thank you for the HOT money absorbed into the business. That would be neat.


I mean they're a big part of generating that HOT money and given restrictions on its use that seems like a worthwhile use to further their ability to bring it in. What did you do this year to generate HOT money?
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Richleau12
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In reply to LOYAL AG • 3:07p, 11/24/25
LOYAL AG said:
Richleau12 said:
It was just a joke, read the reviews and you can see the squeezing of the blood from the stone real time. Perhaps a neat thing could be done where locals could pay less as a thank you for the HOT money absorbed into the business. That would be neat.


I mean they're a big part of generating that HOT money and given restrictions on its use that seems like a worthwhile use to further their ability to bring it in. What did you do this year to generate HOT money?


Fair question, did we ever get a list of which businesses have accepted HOT money? Who gets the most? Who the least? These are better questions.
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agnerd
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3:12p, 11/24/25
AG
Do they still have gravel paths all over the place? Seems like a bad place to take someone with mobility issues.
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BQ_90
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In reply to Richleau12 • 3:46p, 11/24/25
AG
Richleau12 said:
It was just a joke, read the reviews and you can see the squeezing of the blood from the stone real time. Perhaps a neat thing could be done where locals could pay less as a thank you for the HOT money absorbed into the business. That would be neat.

well the HOT money isn't coming from locals unless they are staying in hotel or short term rental
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techno-ag
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In reply to LOYAL AG • 3:57p, 11/24/25
AG
LOYAL AG said:
maroon barchetta said:
The entity will be by soon to tell you how wonderful it is and how much they deserve to get money from the city to help their business.


This thread would seem to reinforce that belief. Most of the posts add up to "it's not for locals anymore" with someone saying exactly that. Several have said they stopped going years ago. Well if it isn't for locals and locals don't go yet it's still growing then by definition it's bringing in lots of tourists and that's exactly what the HOT is designed for.

You must be "the entity."
The left cannot kill the Spirit of Charlie Kirk.
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Richleau12
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In reply to BQ_90 • 4:04p, 11/24/25
BQ_90 said:
Richleau12 said:
It was just a joke, read the reviews and you can see the squeezing of the blood from the stone real time. Perhaps a neat thing could be done where locals could pay less as a thank you for the HOT money absorbed into the business. That would be neat.

well the HOT money isn't coming from locals unless they are staying in hotel or short term rental


You think locals don't have airbnbs? You think locals don't own hotels, work in hotels or manage hotels?
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BQ_90
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In reply to Richleau12 • 4:19p, 11/24/25
AG
Richleau12 said:
BQ_90 said:
Richleau12 said:
It was just a joke, read the reviews and you can see the squeezing of the blood from the stone real time. Perhaps a neat thing could be done where locals could pay less as a thank you for the HOT money absorbed into the business. That would be neat.

well the HOT money isn't coming from locals unless they are staying in hotel or short term rental


You think locals don't have airbnbs? You think locals don't own hotels, work in hotels or manage hotels?

What does that have to do with HOT funds? You don't pay them unless you stay in a hotel or airbnb. But don't you think if you LIVE in town you're probable not renting a AirBnB or staying in a hotel room?
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Richleau12
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In reply to BQ_90 • 4:29p, 11/24/25
Do you think Airbnb owners don't play local hot taxes? Are you daft?
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LOYAL AG
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In reply to Richleau12 • 4:33p, 11/24/25
AG
Richleau12 said:
Do you think Airbnb owners don't play local hot taxes? Are you daft?


You think they do? Yeah, that's not how this works. The AirBNB owner collects and remits it to the state. Actually that's probably wrong too. In the wake of Wayfair I'm guessing AirBNB collects it and remits it on the owner's behalf. Either way the tenant pays the tax, not the owner. No tenant, no tax.
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Richleau12
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In reply to LOYAL AG • 4:34p, 11/24/25
That's completely incorrect. Airbnb owners pay directly to the city. Just check the city website. There's a process and everything. Come on now. 10% goes to the city, always. On top of the permit process for the privilege to rent out your property.
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Mr.Short-termMemory
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In reply to Richleau12 • 4:51p, 11/24/25
AG
Richleau12 said:
That's completely incorrect. Airbnb owners pay directly to the city. Just check the city website. There's a process and everything. Come on now. 10% goes to the city, always. On top of the permit process for the privilege to rent out your property.

But if no one rents the AirBnB, the owner doesn't have to pay the HOT. Because the owner didn't didn't collect the HOT from the tenant from out of town.
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Richleau12
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In reply to Mr.Short-termMemory • 4:54p, 11/24/25
One could say the same thing for the hotel as well so what is your point?
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LOYAL AG
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In reply to Richleau12 • 4:55p, 11/24/25
AG
Richleau12 said:
That's completely incorrect. Airbnb owners pay directly to the city. Just check the city website. There's a process and everything. Come on now.


Checked the city website and yes I'm wrong on the mechanics of it. Thank you for that. I assumed it worked like sales taxes.

So you're telling me that AirBNB owners are eating that 7%? Hotels aren't, that's for certain. Given all the fees that get passed along through that platform I just expect that tax to be on the list. If I'm wrong then so be it. I do stand by the "no tenant no taxes" because it's correct.

Appreciate the corrections.
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BQ_90
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In reply to Richleau12 • 4:58p, 11/24/25
AG
Richleau12 said:
Do you think Airbnb owners don't play local hot taxes? Are you daft?

They collect it from the person or group staying. Just like the hotel does. And then they pay the city. You just like sales tax.

Or how do,you think it works?
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Richleau12
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In reply to BQ_90 • 5:02p, 11/24/25
But that's not how it works. Airbnb covers some tax, the airbnb operators carry the rest and pay around 10% to the city on a monthly basis. On a yearly basis they pay a permit fee to operate as well. I don't balk at any of it, but it's important to note when looking at HOT money and local businesses who lobby to receive funding from the city to subsidize their business. This is why I am very curious at the list from the city to find which businesses are subsidized and fairly well the affect to the city. I think that's fair to find and weigh. The city does not give out this information. I don't appreciate that.
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Richleau12
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In reply to LOYAL AG • 5:04p, 11/24/25
LOYAL AG said:
Richleau12 said:
That's completely incorrect. Airbnb owners pay directly to the city. Just check the city website. There's a process and everything. Come on now.


Checked the city website and yes I'm wrong on the mechanics of it. Thank you for that. I assumed it worked like sales taxes.

So you're telling me that AirBNB owners are eating that 7%? Hotels aren't, that's for certain. Given all the fees that get passed along through that platform I just expect that tax to be on the list. If I'm wrong then so be it. I do stand by the "no tenant no taxes" because it's correct.

Appreciate the corrections.


I appreciate you taking the time to learn more about it and yes, Airbnb operators do eat the tax. And you are also right, if there is no tenant, there is no tax, but there is the annual permit fee.
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australopithecus robustus
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5:25p, 11/24/25
Although it's clear that SW brings out of town visitors, the jury is still out on whether or not it puts enough heads in beds to justify HOT funds. One would think that most of the traffic it brings does not proportionally help CS as a whole. Most visitors are likely within a two-hour drive or so and they probably drop all their $ at SW and then leave. If true, it's very questionable that they should continue to receive HOT funds.
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Richleau12
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In reply to australopithecus robustus • 5:28p, 11/24/25
Very good point. I've had a very rare stay for SW. but for ren fair, not the case. Again, we need the list of businesses that have benefited from HOT funding. Why will the city not provide this list? Even with ren fair the residents, outside of grabbing some food from Whataburger do not frequent local businesses. If anything, I'd like to provide some material for folks to encourage them to check out local businesses.
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EFR
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In reply to Richleau12 • 5:49p, 11/24/25
If as an Air BNB operator you are "eating the tax" you should really rethink things. Price accordingly so the customer is paying it. Why on earth would you operate a business where you are paying that tax for someone else?
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Richleau12
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In reply to EFR • 5:53p, 11/24/25
What are you even talking about?
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EFR
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In reply to Richleau12 • 5:59p, 11/24/25
You said "Air bnb operators do eat the tax". I am saying that is a poor business decision. Pretty simple to understand.
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Richleau12
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In reply to EFR • 6:01p, 11/24/25
Ah yes, so it is the operator at fault for market rate. The customer doesn't know the cost, neither apparently does the citizen of the town. The only beneficiary is the city. Funny how that always seems to be the case.
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EFR
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In reply to Richleau12 • 6:05p, 11/24/25
If the market rate is such that you have to essentially give a 10% discount to get customers it sounds like not a great market to be in. If it is so high that you can give a 10% discount to everyone then we need more short term rentals to bring the price down. Either way, paying the customers taxes is just giving your profits to the government.
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Richleau12
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In reply to EFR • 6:12p, 11/24/25
Do you realize you live in college station? Do you realize that outside of football there is no reason to come here and beyond that the bull**** resulted from just wanting to operate, it makes it quite interesting that you plant the villain as the operator and not the city.
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EFR
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In reply to Richleau12 • 6:17p, 11/24/25
Since when where someone lives have anything to do with the math of running a business?
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Richleau12
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In reply to EFR • 6:20p, 11/24/25
Do you engage in Airbnb? Since when does a business not calculate the city? If you do, ok. If not? Why would anyone listen to you?
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