Cruise and Theme Park Operational Updates due to Coronavirus

[KBoopaloo]

I've been wondering for a while if they might scrap Food and Wine this year. If they are already considering opening in phases with Epcot last, it might make sense to skip an event that typically crowds a lot of people in World Showcase eating and drinking in close proximity on shared tables (and trash can tops ). I wonder if they just might extend Flower and Garden instead since it was barely open a week or two before the parks closed. They could save themselves some work that way and either not reopen the food booths at all or only open a few of them - lines and crowds always seemed shorter for the Flower and Garden Festival booths. It would also be a way to save on staffing costs not having to staff all of those booths.

 

[Farro]

I take from that is park hopping probably won't be happening for awhile since they don't plan on reopening all the parks at once. From the sounds of it Disney won't be back to normal for awhile. I'm thinking those modified experiences are going to be happening.

I'm curious to watch it all. We are going back May 2021. I would hope everything would be up and running by then, but honestly who knows anything anymore!!!

 

[jknezek]

Perhaps not bad news, but kinda a dose of realism.

If parks are opening in phases then they surely wont want all resorts open initially either.

Interesting about lack of maintenance and rides being drained of fluids. Turn around from that sounds potentially into several weeks.

Yes. As many have said... you don't just flip switches on staffing and these rides and restaurants and turn things back on. With lockdowns running to May 1 at this point you need at least a month to get going again. That's June 1. And that assumes a business like a theme park, one of the riskiest business types for disease transmission and the least essential for every day life of consumers, is going to get started at the first wave of openings.

Logically it makes no sense. I get the tourism dollars argument and the need on the employment side, but it's a real tough sell, logically, to put a theme park anywhere near one of the first businesses to get permission to fire back up.

July is the best case by any kind of logic. Essential consumer businesses like dentists and hair salons open first with distance restrictions. Give them a few weeks to see what happens. If it's relatively safe, then open common retail and restaurants with restrictions. A few more weeks and maybe you can start opening gyms and non-spectator sporting events and start dropping restrictions. Then we can open close encounter type places like schools. Then mass encounter places like Disney and sports stadiums and concerts. Finally you get to contained and sustained environments like cruise ships.

That's the kind of plan we should expect to see. It would put WDW somewhere between July and October. We will see if logic wins out.

 

[Kim Gillihan]

Yep there is more and more talk of immunity certificates for those who have antibodies. If people have been issued with them then its viable for Disney etc to begin requiring them - or proof of vaccination.

the issue here is the unavailability of testing.. it is unlikely antibody testing will be available to the masses in time for june or july opening.. I work for a diagnostics company and we are just making a kit available but only to the acute care hospitals as there is not enough available yet to roll out to the doc offices etc. I will be months before that can happen is what I am being told..... unfortunately... time will tell.

 

[anthony2k7]

I've been wondering for a while if they might scrap Food and Wine this year. If they are already considering opening in phases with Epcot last, it might make sense to skip an event that typically crowds a lot of people in World Showcase eating and drinking in close proximity on shared tables (and trash can tops ). I wonder if they just might extend Flower and Garden instead since it was barely open a week or two before the parks closed. They could save themselves some work that way and either not reopen the food booths at all or only open a few of them - lines and crowds always seemed shorter for the Flower and Garden Festival booths. It would also be a way to save on staffing costs not having to staff all of those booths.

Iv never been to flower and garden - do they have a lot of plant/flower displays? If so with no maintenance taking place I wonder if they are still looking good enough to continue the festival?

 

[rteetz]

Interesting about lack of maintenance and rides being drained of fluids. Turn around from that sounds potentially into several weeks.

Hard to keep everything up when you are only employing a skeleton crew right now.

 

[anthony2k7]

the issue here is the unavailability of testing.. it is unlikely antibody testing will be available to the masses in time for june or july opening.. I work for a diagnostics company and we are just making a kit available but only to the acute care hospitals as there is not enough available yet to roll out to the doc offices etc. I will be months before that can happen is what I am being told..... unfortunately... time will tell.

Which may be one reason wdw opening gets pushed back to September

 

[rteetz]

Discussing whether WDW will require masks or recommend people wear masks is one thing. The discussion on whether masks work or not is a whole other thing not relevant to this thread.

 

[J-BOY]

First, I was thinking in terms of Disney not allowing guests in w/out proof of vaccination.

But yes, I suppose discrimination would be the word...I guess?

If I wasn't allowed in because I wasn't vaccinated for Covid, but I am vaccinated for influenza and someone else was allowed in who was vaccinated for Covid, but not vaccinated for the flu - is that fair?

And then someone else who wasn't vaccinated for the flu catches the flu at Disney by someone else Disney let in without a flu vaccination, would Disney then be at fault? (obviously I don't think so, we all take chances, but I'm just saying what will people may do)

I apologize as this is a couple pages behind, but there are plenty of countries that require proof of vaccination, and Disney could do the same. Certain countries require certain vaccinations, just like Disney could - it all depends on what the risk is in any given area.

Personally, I don't see why it would be considered unfair because each disease is entirely different as are their infection rate, etc. It can be considered discrimination, but people have control over it. When I went to visit South America, I had to get vaccinated for Yellow Fever. I'm not going to sue a country's government because they're infringing on my right to be unvaccinated. It's their country, just as Disney resorts are Disney's property. If they want to enforce such a requirement, they should be allowed to (not saying that I think they would).

 

[Mrs Grumpy]

If they don't open up all the rooms at once at the resorts how will they determine who gets to keep their reservation and who doesn't? Probably a lot will cancel anyway that it might not be an issue.

 

[Farro]

I apologize as this is a couple pages behind, but there are plenty of countries that require proof of vaccination, and Disney could do the same. Certain countries require certain vaccinations, just like Disney could - it all depends on what the risk is in any given area.

Personally, I don't see why it would be considered unfair because each disease is entirely different as are their infection rate, etc. It can be considered discrimination, but people have control over it. When I went to visit South America, I had to get vaccinated for Yellow Fever. I'm not going to sue a country's government because they're infringing on my right to be unvaccinated. It's their country, just as Disney resorts are Disney's property. If they want to enforce such a requirement, they should be allowed to (not saying that I think they would).

Honestly I have no idea what they can and can't do.

It just all seems so bizarre that I would have to show proof of vaccination to visit Disney, it's hard to envision.

 

[JPM4]

If they don't open up all the rooms at once at the resorts how will they determine who gets to keep their reservation and who doesn't? Probably a lot will cancel anyway that it might not be an issue.

I’m guessing the same thing most are going to cancel. Will there be enough cancellations to just upgrade people to the monorail loop and/or skyliner/beach and yacht/boardwalk. That way you don’t open DAK at all and you wouldn’t have to run busses really if it all. That way they can just focus on cleaning the monorail/skyliner?

 

[Farro]

I’m guessing the same thing most are going to cancel. Will there be enough cancellations to just upgrade people to the monorail loop and/or skyliner/beach and yacht/boardwalk. That way you don’t open DAK at all and you wouldn’t have to run busses really if it all. That way they can just focus on cleaning the monorail/skyliner?

Shhh. Don't put not opening Animal Kingdom into the universe.

 

[juice0358]

Right. A “methodical layed out plan” of which no details have been discussed. Having antibody testing to allow a certain segment of the population get back to work is incredibly different than having massive gatherings at a theme park. But we can all hope things are okay for August!

You get it!

 

[Pucks104]

Honestly I have no idea what they can and can't do.

It just all seems so bizarre that I would have to show proof of vaccination to visit Disney, it's hard to envision.

“We’re not in Kansas anymore.”

 

[Farro]

“We’re not in Kansas anymore.”

That's for sure!

 

[DisneyElite4]

I wanted to comment briefly on the general sentiment that wearing masks are no big deal, and everyone can easily do it. This is simply untrue for many, many people with special needs/disabilities. I have a child with autism/sensory issues. He does not have the mental capacity to understand wearing a mask at this time - he would rip it off. The answer is not for him to stay home indefinitely either - he needs to continue his therapies/schooling with his highly qualified teachers/therapists in-person eventually. He does not learn well at home long-term. Obviously he isn’t going anywhere right now, but I am avidly against masks being required (not talking about Disney, just general life) for people like him. The rest of my family could handle this - but it will probably take him years to be in compliance. I am fearful if this becomes a new thing, what it could mean for our family.

 

[vinotinto]

I'm more interested in seeing (more) rapid-covid tests developed and being made available to all who want.

At least for me, that's more helpful than knowing if I have antibodies that may or may not mean something in the long run. If people can find out quickly if they have covid, the quicker they can isolate themselves, and the less chance of spread.

Sorry for anyone who liked before I edited this!

By the time you have symptoms (which would trigger your need for a test), you will have infected a bunch of people. Which is why social distancing works so well - not waiting to have symptoms to quarantine. Unless you could test everyone daily when they arrive at the park. But, will that be feasible? Probably not.

I dont see the point in testing like that.

If you have any symptoms then isolate immediately. There is no need for a test to tell you to isolate.

Exactly.

 

[Farro]

By the time you have symptoms (which would trigger your need for a test), you will have infected a bunch of people. Which is why social distancing works so well - not waiting to have symptoms to quarantine. Unless you could test everyone when they arrive daily. But, will that be feasible? Probably not.


Exactly.

Contact tracing. Best defense against spread and best chance at containment. And much more sustainable than social distancing.

I'm not speaking of just for Disney, I'm speaking in general.

It's better to be able to get the test and confirm the disease so they can contact everyone you may have come in contact with and everyone quarantines.

 

[Grumpy by Birth]

My guess is because those other diseases are under control, and honestly, not really a big public health threat anymore.

This is one of the great disconnects throughout this entire episode... every year, tens of thousands die in the U.S. alone from Influenza (not sure of the stats for Canada and other countries off the top of my head) and no one seems to blink an eye. We've accepted that number of deaths as "normal." Those diseases are considered "under control" and "not really a big threat" (not criticizing your choice of words, just quoting them because they are a good illustration of the general thinking).

We have vaccinations available for these other diseases but, despite that, there are MANY deaths from those diseases. So, even if we get a vaccine for COVID, that's not going to eliminate people dying from it. There will still be some who advocate for everything to remain closed because "people are still dying."

Disney (and the rest of the world) cannot remain closed indefinitely. There will never be zero deaths from this or any other disease. At what point are we, as a society, "comfortable" with the number of deaths? What would that number even be? As long as it's no more than typical flu season? Or do we become even more risk averse to ANY disease that's potentially life-threatening? How long before we start to see similar restrictions proposed for other "under control" diseases?