Cruise and Theme Park Operational Updates due to Coronavirus

[CastAStone]

Oh now that is interesting... especially since people here were reporting really high rates a few days ago so it doesn't seem like it was a lack of occupancy situation. I wonder what the motive here is!

I'm betting it was some weird quirk with Marriott's computer system and not something intentionally programmed by a human.

 

[rteetz]

Well you could fit everyone from the MLS at those two resorts.

Yes but the resort would need to be closed much longer than July 29th for the MLS.

 

[andyman8]

Just to put this whole CP matter to rest:

The new complex has about 10,500 new beds (not dorms or units). The first phase was scheduled to open last month with the rest coming online in the near future. The current four complexes, believe it or not, have just about (maybe a bit above) 10,500 beds as well. The original plan was to phase in Flamingo Crossings Village while phasing out Vista Way, Chatham Square, The Commons, and Patterson Court (the four existing complexes). The current pandemic has obviously thrown a wrench into all of those plans. It's quite possible that when the CP restarts they may need those additional complexes to accommodate social distancing, given how tight the living situations can sometimes be. Within the older complexes, it wasn't unheard of to have as many as five or six participants in a two-bedroom apartment. Within the current climate, that probably won't fly. My guess is Disney will likely pay particular attention to how various colleges and universities handle their dormitory situation in the fall and use that as guidance for how to handle CP Housing. Remember that when Disney initially "suspended" the CP, they said it was a decision based on what colleges and universities were doing in reaction to COVID-19 (even though many speculated financials were the driving force).

Officially, Disney has not cancelled all domestic CP 2020 arrivals yet. After they suspended the Spring (Jan-May) and Spring Advantage (Jan-Aug) programs and all active International Programs (with the exception of Cultural Representatives), they cancelled Fall Advantage (May/June-Jan), all International Programs arriving before August, as well as the remaining Cultural Representatives. Domestically, that leaves just the Fall CP arrivals, which are scheduled to arrive in August and early September. It's pretty clear those will be cancelled. Any International College Programs (these do not include Cultural Reps) arrivals will also likely be cancelled. As I've said before, my guess is that Disney will actually try to bring the Cultural Representatives back before any CP. Because these CRPs make up most of the staffing for Epcot's WS, Disney plans on temporarily staffing WS with "displaced" CMs from still-closed or understaffed areas of WDW (like the water parks, certain resorts, certain restaurants, etc...), but at some point, when those closed areas begin to reopen and other areas need more staffing (we don't know when that will be of course), Disney will need to pull those CMs back to their original work location, leaving WS. While this will probably happen slowly, this will require some CRPs, so I'd expect them back sooner than CPs.

It's worth noting that CRPs were told as they left that they'd be able to come back to "finish" their program if they wanted, something that was not explicitly promised to CPs and ICPs. We had seen some recruiting for CRPs for August-November arrivals, but most of the more recent recurring has been for early 2021. Maybe they bring back some CRPs late in the fall, but I think we'll definitely see some early next year. The CP could come back then, but I don't know. I do know it'll absolutely come back. WDW at its maximum output requires CP labor. Of course, it won't be at its maximum output for quite some time, but at some point in the future, it will be. Combine that with the enormous labor cost savings the CP brings in (and the amount of PT/FT candidates it brings in) and the CP will absolutely be back, perhaps in a modified or more limited form at first, but (much like the DDP), the CP makes too much economic sense for Disney to get rid of or even modify heavily permanently.

 

[Sandiz08]

Maybe the nba or mls are using swan and dolphin along with yacht club.

 

[Pluto777]

Disney has added that BCV guests may use the Luna Park pool and the quiet pool at BWV to the resort info page that stated Stormalong Bay was closed. On hold to move DVC resorts yet again.

WOW! I don't understand why only this pool was closed; is it being renovated or is it somehow more vulnerable to a virus? We had plans for BCV this summer but cancelled due to Corona. 90% of the reason for staying at BCV for us was SAB. We would have been REALLY disappointed if we had gone, only to find once we got there the pool was CLOSED!

 

[skeeter31]

WOW! I don't understand why only this pool was closed; is it being renovated or is it somehow more vulnerable to a virus? We had plans for BCV this summer but cancelled due to Corona. 90% of the reason for staying at BCV for us was SAB. We would have been REALLY disappointed if we had gone, only to find once we got there the pool was CLOSED!

Again, it has been stated numerous times in this thread, SAB uses so many more lifeguards than any other pool on property. Due to staffing restrictions, they are most likely keeping it closed in order to staff other pools.

 

[SarahC97]

WOW! I don't understand why only this pool was closed; is it being renovated or is it somehow more vulnerable to a virus? We had plans for BCV this summer but cancelled due to Corona. 90% of the reason for staying at BCV for us was SAB. We would have been REALLY disappointed if we had gone, only to find once we got there the pool was CLOSED!

I'm pretty sure it's a staffing issue as to why the pool is closed.

 

[SaintsManiac]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1270034742520381441

 

[CastAStone]

Just because the flights are resuming, don't expect the usual huge numbers of UK and Irish just yet. Both the UK and Irish Governments have implemented a 14 day quarantine in the last week. The airlines and the Governments are battling over this, as the airlines want it removed in order to save the summer tourist season.

Many UK and Irish have cancelled or rescheduled their Florida holidays due to the uncertainty.

Indeed. The US is still not allowing "most" visitors from the Eurozone, UK, Ireland, Brazil, or China, without them sitting out a 14 day quarantine.

(most is in quotes because the CDC site noting the travel restriction offers little in the way of further guidance as to what that means)

This would also impact their ability to recall CRP even if they wanted to.

 

[chicagoshannon]

Maybe the nba or mls are using swan and dolphin along with yacht club.

I just don't see them using Yacht clube either. It's literally attached to the Beach Club. You can walk through indoor hallways to get to yacht.

 

[Brianstl]

Yes but the resort would need to be closed much longer than July 29th for the MLS.

The MLS tournament is not going to last more than 35 days. By the time the 29th rolls around they should be to a small enough field to consolidate everyone into the Swan. Don't know if the MLS is the reason, but thought I would through it out there.

 

[Sandiz08]

I just don't see them using Yacht clube either. It's literally attached to the Beach Club. You can walk through indoor hallways to get to yacht.

I was more so thinking the convention space there along with the convention space inside the swan and dolphin.

 

[aroundtheriverbend]

Today was the first day of my 60 day window and I noticed two things.

1. When I looked to make ADRs (as most know, several DS restaurants are open) I could only make reservations for the first day, not for my length of stay.

2. I have a split stay, 1 week at each resort. Only the 1st week was highlighted, the second week remained grayed out, which is not what typically happened in the past both with ADRs and FPs.

I have no idea if this means anything at all or if it's just temporary in the midst of the system changing, but I thought that I would pass it along.

Noticed the same thing about the grayed out piece at our 60 day which was 6/2, although on 6/2 (8/1 60 day) I WAS able to make a reservation at DS for 8/4 (last day of the first part of split stay). For the second part of split stay I was only able to book in checkin segments vs. length of stay. For us at least as DVC dining always behaved like this for split stays (although you could call in to override), but FPs were always full length of stay.

 

[OnceUponATime15]

A certain travel agency is already offering agency exclusive discounts for CSR and Pop for bookings later this year.

They havent’t updated in a while. They are still showing their big annual special in August - at CSR.. YC.. and CR. All which we believe to be blocked for the NBA.
They really should update their site...

 

[CastAStone]

A certain travel agency is already offering agency exclusive discounts for CSR and Pop for bookings later this year.

You can basically always get 10% (occasionally more) off of a room only booking by googling for publicly available generic coupon code (e.g. save 10% on your next booking with hotels.com) for the major online travel agencies. Most (not all) of the coupon codes I've tried in the past work with Disney hotels. The downside with doing it that way is you typically have to prepay in full and canceling/changing is an incredible pain if something is happening at the time you need to cancel that impacts lots of travelers (hurricane, pandemic, snowstorm in Chicago etc) and slams their phones.

Edited to add that these codes are also often on the discounts subforum on the DISboards resorts board.

 

[bernina]

The MLS tournament is not going to last more than 35 days. By the time the 29th rolls around they should be to a small enough field to consolidate everyone into the Swan. Don't know if the MLS is the reason, but thought I would through it out there.

I'm seeing Dolphin blocked until 7/29 but Swan until 8/12. Anyone else seeing that (Marriott site)?

 

[CastAStone]

I'm seeing Dolphin blocked until 7/29 but Swan until 8/12. Anyone else seeing that (Marriott site)?

Yes, just noticed that as well. I wonder if they have worked out a plan with WDW.

 

[Eric Smith]

So normally in June they release the next batch of room discounts, so do we think that the room discount release normally done in June won't happen for a while? i.e. to cover the rest of 2020?

I don't see any discounts being announced at least until the fall. Right now Disney has more demand than capacity so they have no reason to offer discounts of any sort.

 

[hereforthechurros]

They havent’t updated in a while. They are still showing their big annual special in August - at CSR.. YC.. and CR. All which we believe to be blocked for the NBA.
They really should update their site...

I emailed directly with a TA over the weekend who confirmed Pop and CSR discounts, but I was asking for December. Obviously someone looking to book for July wouldn’t have any luck through them.

 

[tlmadden73]

I had come around to the idea demand might pick up sooner rather than later as well assuming restrictions loosened a bit but then I saw a post this post on the Resorts Board which has me thinking maybe those initial thoughts that Full-Price-Half-The-Experience Disney is indeed going to be a hard sell to the general public. (Poster's wife is in a couple Disney Facebook groups and everyone is cancelling their trips and they should cancel their end of Sept trip too because it will be awful. Poster concludes those folks might be a better representation of the casual Disney fan's reaction to all this than we see around here.)

That's really my main point -- the "full-price-half-the-experience" is going to keep the "normal" vacationers away longer than Disney is expecting? My friends have been going regularly every 3 years. We've joined them several times. They have put their planned DECEMBER vacation ON_HOLD because "they don't want to go with everything closed". Reality or not .. that is their perception.

Maybe Disney doesn't care (as it is not worth the risk to opening up more full yet). They may be fine operating at low capacity to locals only and making up the difference with the huge paydays I assume the NBA and MLS is going to give Disney to play their season's there exclusively.