Cruise and Theme Park Operational Updates due to Coronavirus

[Krandor]

Has there been anything regarding the pecking order of which hotels get dibs on the reservations first?

Like:
1. DVC with AP
2. DVC with reg tickets
3. Deluxe with AP
4. Deluxe with reg tickets
5. Mod/Value tickets (AP and reg)
6. Swolphin/SOG/ 4 Seasons
7. DS hotels

I doubt it is going to be that glanular. I think onsite with tickets will just be one group... maybe split out AP and dated tickets but even that gets problematic.

We'll have to wait and see what it all looks like. My only caution is anybody assuming that will have "first dibs" since we really don't know what that is going to look like yet.

 

[Randy Miller]

You’re right. I‘m in LA and until recently, we were part of the travel ban. I do not think the ban is justified unless data suggests that the state or region is a significant hot spot based on a per capita basis. Banning the entire state of NY seemed totally unjustified when you consider that the large majority of cases where in NYC. I guess I could understand a concern folks in other regions that may have to travel (by air) through NYC. I also think it’s crazy that FL is still limiting it to the tri-state areas when there are others that are seeing more cases per capita (Massachusetts).

So generally speaking, I do not agree with the ban and certainly can relate to your frustration. I just think it will be hard to hold Disney responsible since it is a state order.

All that said, I’ll be really surprised if the travel ban from the tri-state area is not lifted by the time the parks open. Florida’s economy is heavily dependent on tourism and, as you day, there see a large number of travelers from the tri-state area.

I bought something on EBay from a guy in LA. He never sent my shirt. I messaged him like (???) He told me “I live in LA and it’s hard to get around”. I was like, ok, well...send me my shirt . Kinda scared what’s he’s going to do to it till he sends it!

 

[Krandor]

We can agree on that for sure. My argument would be that people pay a small fortune to stay on site. That used to give them an advantage. There's a huge difference between sitting in your house not being able to go to the parks because you couldn't get a reservation and paying thousands of dollars staying at WDW and not being able to get into the parks. I wouldn't expect a guarantee of course. But with no preference to on site guests exclusively, there is no way I pay the price to be on site, and I am one who has always stayed on site.

Agree and that is also where do you prioritize AP or dated tickets comes into play. Dated tickets are more likely to be somebody from out or town off on their "one in a lifetime" type trip and do you want to lock them out? Of course APs have spent a lot of money and are likely very loyal so should that get them priority?

Stuff like that are going to be tough decisions to make.

 

[Arguetafamily]

Agree and that is also where do you prioritize AP or dated tickets comes into play. Dated tickets are more likely to be somebody from out or town off on their "one in a lifetime" type trip and do you want to lock them out? Of course APs have spent a lot of money and are likely very loyal so should that get them priority?

Stuff like that are going to be tough decisions to make.

Surprised Florida AP holders get special treatment at all. We are California AP holders, for 15 years and have never received special treatment for previews, special dates...even the discounts to the 2 hotels are a joke.

 

[gatechfan99]

Anyone with a current ticket or AP. If they don't give resort guests exclusive first dibs, then they are in competition with anyone who has a ticket.

Probably a matter of semantics, but I think an important point - it won't be "every AP". They've already put out that APs without resort reservations will be limited to how many days at once they can hold. So as the days roll on and your day comes up, it won't be every AP holder you're fighting against for a spot, just the ones who have available days in their window and would want that particular day. And even if you have same priority and are fighting off-site guests with regular tickets (which I doubt), I just don't think initially there's a high number of them on any given day that have already bought their tickets and still planning to travel down to Orlando to still come yet stay of property, especially with all the current restrictions.

And again, all these people wouldn't necessarily be ahead of you, just would have the same availability. So if you're the kind of person who is on these boards, gets up at 6 AM at 180 days for dining reservations, 7 AM at 60 days for FP, and has resort room and ticket, it seems hard to think you wouldn't be able to get one of the 40,000 or so park spots available, even if at only 15% capacity.

 

[chasgoose]

Probably a matter of semantics, but I think an important point - it won't be "every AP". They've already put out that APs without resort reservations will be limited to how many days at once they can hold. So as the days roll on and your day comes up, it won't be every AP holder you're fighting against for a spot, just the ones who have available days in their window and would want that particular day. And even if you have same priority and are fighting off-site guests with regular tickets (which I doubt), I just don't think initially there's a high number of them on any given day that have already bought their tickets and still planning to travel down to Orlando to still come yet stay of property, especially with all the current restrictions.

And again, all these people wouldn't necessarily be ahead of you, just would have the same availability. So if you're the kind of person who is on these boards, gets up at 6 AM at 180 days for dining reservations, 7 AM at 60 days for FP, and has resort room and ticket, it seems hard to think you wouldn't be able to get one of the 40,000 or so park spots available, even if at only 15% capacity.

I agree that it won't be that hard to get park reservations within the priority reservation window initially, even if APs are given similar priority to resort guests. I just don't think the demand is going to be that high at first and remember not everyone is a wake up at the crack of dawn on ADR/FP window day kind of WDW visitor. The park reservations will eventually run out, but I think if you are in the priority group and you act within the priority window you should be fine. Disney has to emphasize that a resort stay, in and of itself, does not guarantee entry into the parks without the extra step of making a park reservation because there are going to be people who show up for an on-site stay without them and then complain when they can't get into the parks.

 

[gatechfan99]

I'll also point out that Remy (who appears to be one of the best sources around), indicated in a post yesterday that the plan is still for resort guests to be able to make all their park reservations for the length of their stay on the opening day of their window. So even if you don't have first dibs for Day 1 of your trip, you'll still have it for Day 2 and onward before anybody except those resort guests who are there and checked in ahead of you.

 

[RWinNOLA]

I doubt it is going to be that glanular. I think onsite with tickets will just be one group... maybe split out AP and dated tickets but even that gets problematic.

We'll have to wait and see what it all looks like. My only caution is anybody assuming that will have "first dibs" since we really don't know what that is going to look like yet.

I tend to agree that any onsite with tickets will be give first priority whether AP or dated tickets.

At first, seems it’s very likely that only DVC and FW will be open. In that case, it was reported earlier in this thread that the capacity of those rooms would be somewhere around 10-15k. I can’t imagine they would open with the capacity of all 4 theme parks combined lower than that.

Disney may very well limit capacity to those really low numbers for a couple of weeks to evaluate operations and then adjust upward over time as restrictions are eased.

 

[e_yerger]

I'll also point out that Remy (who appears to be one of the best sources around), indicated in a post yesterday that the plan is still for resort guests to be able to make all their park reservations for the length of their stay on the opening day of their window. So even if you don't have first dibs for Day 1 of your trip, you'll still have it for Day 2 and onward before anybody except those resort guests who are there and checked in ahead of you.

Just like how the FP system works(ed?)

 

[cakebaker]

And again, all these people wouldn't necessarily be ahead of you, just would have the same availability. So if you're the kind of person who is on these boards, gets up at 6 AM at 180 days for dining reservations, 7 AM at 60 days for FP, and has resort room and ticket, it seems hard to think you wouldn't be able to get one of the 40,000 or so park spots available, even if at only 15% capacity.

Regardless, without exclusive priority, there is no real reason to stay on site. Considering that most all the benefits of an on site stay have already been cut, if they don’t give them this, you have nothing left except pixie dust as a good reason to pay on site prices.

 

[gatechfan99]

Just like how the FP system works(ed?)

Yes, that's what he indicated in a post yesterday.

 

[LSUmiss]

I bought something on EBay from a guy in LA. He never sent my shirt. I messaged him like (???) He told me “I live in LA and it’s hard to get around”. I was like, ok, well...send me my shirt . Kinda scared what’s he’s going to do to it till he sends it!

I don’t know what part, but it’s not hard to get around NOLA even today during Cristobel.

 

[brockash]

If they get moved from a value or moderate then that is an okay sacrifice.

Really depends on who you ask. For some that may not be an ok sacrifice. I'll be honest we'd rather stay at a value with the food court open, then AK with no counter service option. That'd be a huge pain, especially for thosr who only rely on Disney transportation.

 

[gatechfan99]

Regardless, without exclusive priority, there is no real reason to stay on site.

You're right, so I don't see why they would set a precedent to start convincing people to stay off site and cost them millions of dollars.

 

[andyman8]

Stuff like that are going to be tough decisions to make.

The decisions Disney is going to make will be initially guided by revenue. That is my speculation. With limited capacity, that means fewer bodies paying admission to get through the turnstiles, fewer guests buying food and merchandise. While this is an unprecedented situation, that doesn't mean they're just going to throw out their entire business strategy. Their goal in the last 5-7 years in particular has been to maximize guest spending/revenue per capita by A) capturing all available revenue points throughout a guest's vacation, B) attracting guests with higher disposable incomes and higher spending power and C) finding guests who will exercise that power to the greatest practical extent in a condensed period of time (making "room" for the next set of spenders). That's why the resorts are so valuable to them. That's why Disney created the 60(+10) FP+ window. With park reservations, I would expect something closer to the FP+ system than the ADR system.

Will there be a lot of unhappy/nervous local APs and offsite guests? Yes. Will there still be room for them? Yes (that's why Disney is restricting occupancy), but they want the great majority of the guests in the parks to be those in that "maximum guest spending" category. I understand the frustration from that local poster, but from Disney's perspective, she/he is not a huge immediate revenue generator, and that's what they're really looking for right now (it's going to be a long recovery for them). No matter how much she/he spends on limited time merchandise or food, that pales in comparison to the revenue generated by lodging and three meals a day. It's the same reason why he/she had a harder time getting on SDD or FOP. Her/his "friend" in a Disney Resort would get priority for that ride under the old system.

 

[karen4546]

Really depends on who you ask. For some that may not be an ok sacrifice. I'll be honest we'd rather stay at a value with the food court open, then AK with no counter service option. That'd be a huge pain, especially for thosr who only rely on Disney transportation.

have you seen that Mara will be closed?

 

[cakebaker]

I'll also point out that Remy (who appears to be one of the best sources around), indicated in a post yesterday that the plan is still for resort guests to be able to make all their park reservations for the length of their stay on the opening day of their window. So even if you don't have first dibs for Day 1 of your trip, you'll still have it for Day 2 and onward before anybody except those resort guests who are there and checked in ahead of you.

I hadn’t seen that. It will be nice to get some official word. I would imagine a great many people would be thinking twice if they realize they aren’t getting any benefit to their on site stay, especially those having to pay rack rate. From what I read, most people think it’s a given that they will get that access and it just isn’t yet.

 

[ryanpatricksmom]

Well, no hula lessons, I'm out!

Seriously, I think back over the last couple of months and have to laugh or I would cry.

When my April trip and my cruise were canceled, I thought, "Oh well, that sucks, but I'll tack on extra days in June and see what happens. So long as I can get the restaurants that I want, and we only have to wear masks at inside attractions, it will still be fun"

When my June trip was canceled, I thought, "Oh well, that sucks, but as long as I can get the restaurants, special experiences, and fastpasses that I want, it will still be fun even if I have to wear a mask. I'll just buy some of the cute Disney ones, schedule a lot of down time, and extend the trip to 18 days, to make sure that we can do it in short spurts."

When all of my August experiences and ADRs got canceled (fastpasses hadn't been scheduled yet this time), I thought, "Oh well, there's still a chance that I can get a 2 week break from cooking meals and cleaning up other family members' assorted DNA."

 

[cakebaker]

"Oh well, that sucks, but I'll tack on extra days in June and see what happens. So long as I can get the restaurants that I want, and we only have to wear masks at inside attractions, it will still be fun"

Exactly our thoughts and what I did when our March trip was cancelled. Changed from 5 days to 13, tacked on a split stay to add a CL stay, added a bunch of hard ticket events...then June came and blew it all away.

All we have now is a very slight possibility we’ll go for the previews. I can’t take it anymore. I need certainty for the next one.

 

[McGirth]

True enough that even the original verbiage that no longer exists did not say exclusive. But it was sure worded to make you think that. If resort guests are just on even ground with off site ticket holders, the real incentive to stay on site is gone. But as I said, it certainly fixes Disney's overbooking problem and explains why they opened up reservations for the latest time frame. They no longer need to limit guest capacity. I hope they clarify this soon. I'm sure a lot of on site guests are under the assumption they have first dibs on park access exclusively, even if it's not guaranteed.

It's been hard to keep up with what has been posted, rephrased or taken down on WDW site or mentioned here as rumor. That said, I'm coming from Chicago, and to use all of my allotted DVC points and not be able to go to the parks even one (or more) days of my trip would make me rethink doing the trip at all. If it's a way of fixing the overbooking problem, fine -- they'll be alienating a profitable customer -- I'll rent out my points for a long time. I'm flexible on what parks/what days, I can accept that I won't be able to park hop for the time being, I will take a day at a park we don't even visit on some trips (I won't say which one for fear of angering anyone).....but that I might have a day where all I can do is the pool? I can stay at a nice hotel in Chicago and swim there. Just my opinion...I think it would be a mistake not to have some prioritization process. Just because they don't need to limit guest capacity for now and have people willing to stay under these rules doesn't mean they won't be alienating more profitable customers for the long-term at the same time.