Cruise and Theme Park Operational Updates due to Coronavirus

[gottalovepluto]

Rat won't be ready until October at the earliest. You typically don't have a media event especially in a time like now for something Disney isn't sure when its opening.

I think many of you are reading far too into media event.

You’re prepping us for a media event entitled “The World Famous Disney Park Pass Reservation System at Work!” aren’t you?

 

[SMRT-1]

So does anyone know what the media event on Friday is? I'm thinking either Food and Wine preview (the foods that they haven't had out yet/merch) or something to do with Halloween decorations.

Carpets of Aladdin coming to the Morocco pavilion?

 

[midnight star]

I guess I'm one of the few who liked the FP system?

I still prefer DL's fastpass system..but we had no issues with Fastpass+ when we went. We only had 4 park days and were able to get all the rides we wanted, including Flight of passage, SDMT, Slinky Dog, etc. Granted we went in late January...but still. I was surprised at how many rides we ended up being able to do with it. Maybe I had just heard so many negative reviews about it that I studied the Fastpass+ stickies excessively lol It paid off!

 

[anthony2k7]

So does anyone know what the media event on Friday is? I'm thinking either Food and Wine preview (the foods that they haven't had out yet/merch) or something to do with Halloween decorations.

What media event? Is it in Epcot? If so maybe Space 220 is close enough to being ready for a media preview?

 

[yulilin3]

The media event could be a combination of things, they've done f&w and Halloween on the same event before, so it could be a look at the next year before the 50th.
The back of the France pavilion is almost done so while ratatouille might not be ready to open maybe the area will be soon
Maybe an announcement on when the walkway from gf to mk is opening

 

[FrankieWinthrop]

I liked gaming it. No doubt it substantially increased standby waits at secondary attractions though.

Me, too! It was always fun to know your drop times and also to do FP all day at MK. I loved when you picked one up for right then and sauntered past all the unknowing folks going in the standby line!

Granted, as on off-property AP, we rarely got 7DMT, but had no issues getting everything else.

 

[yulilin3]

Over on the RotR thread someone reported they were allowing people to park hop to epcot in the evening because of the ride being down due to lightning strike

 

[karen4546]

Over on the RotR thread someone reported they were allowing people to park hop to epcot in the evening because of the ride being down due to lightning strike

I would LOVE it if I could park hop to EPCOT in the evening ! That is our usual plan when we go during F&W and F & G. I think if there is availability then you should be able to park hop.

 

[rstevens333]

Those pylons are so lovely. Between stuff like that, the excellent typography on the new signage, and the color palette of the Epcot Experience, I'm optimistic. 1980s styling PLUS interesting colors? Add a few trees and Epcot will be more beautiful than ever.

PS: If you're going to move Carpets of Aladdin, move it to Art of Animation so you can declare that a Deluxe Resort.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I would LOVE it if I could park hop to EPCOT in the evening ! That is our usual plan when we go during F&W and F & G. I think if there is availability then you should be able to park hop.

I though they would move in that direction - maybe have Epcot just open 1 -9 or something but let people hop there is there is capacity (and maybe leave a bit of a cushion in cast day gusts show up)

They fact they don't do this and haven't opened up Passholders to even book "day of" on top of their 3 if their is availability in the other buckets shows me that they don't want more bodies in the parks just to have more (even if they will buy some food/merch).

We can talk in circles about if that is the right plan or not but the fact there are some simple things they could do but aren't is pretty telling to me

 

[osufeth24]

I though they would move in that direction - maybe have Epcot just open 1 -9 or something but let people hop there is there is capacity (and maybe leave a bit of a cushion in cast day gusts show up)

They fact they don't do this and haven't opened up Passholders to even book "day of" on top of their 3 if their is availability in the other buckets shows me that they don't want more bodies in the parks just to have more (even if they will buy some food/merch).

We can talk in circles about if that is the right plan or not but the fact there are some simple things they could do but aren't is pretty telling to me

Ya, it seems they want their cake and eat it too.

Don't want more people, but want more money.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Ya, it seems they want their cake and eat it too.

Don't want more people, but want more money.

Or at the very least want the maximum $/person that comes through the gate. So they need a very low minimum to justify having the parks open at all and then above that they want each additional guest to pay to get in. So happy to take in an additional guest if they pay for a day ticket or stay in a resort but otherwise not excited about any additional visitor

 

[Runnsally]

Don't want more people, but want more money.

This was the plan before Covid and with an increased need to limit guests for the foreseeable future, WDW will double down on the strategy of focusing on spend per guest. If you thought DPR was positioning itself as a luxury brand before, hang on to your hats and glasses...

 

[Marionnette]

I would pay to have an EPCOT hopper added to my multi-day ticket if they would institute it. They’re charging $85 + tax for hopping on a 4+ day tickets in 2021. Cut that to $45-$50 in 2020 just to hop over to EPCOT later in the day and I’d be all in. That’s extra gate revenue, more people dining in the restaurants and food booths, more F/G and F/W merchant moving off the shelves. There must be a solid reason why they don’t do it.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Well, at least a few places at DS are trying to bring more people in:

Kids eat free at Paddlefish and Terralina through Aug 31st

https://www.wdwinfo.com/news-storie...ddlefish-at-disney-springs-through-august-31/

 

[TwoMisfits]

Well, at least a few places at DS are trying to bring more people in:

Kids eat free at Paddlefish and Terralina through Aug 31st

https://www.wdwinfo.com/news-storie...ddlefish-at-disney-springs-through-august-31/

Not surprised with schools back - and it's M-Th, so it won't really appeal to the biggest weekday Disney market right now - adult local APs...

I am wondering if Magical Dining Month was canceled or is still going to happen - usually that starts in about 2 weeks...

The website still says it's on, but they don't have participating restaurants yet, let alone menus, so that's a very bad sign for it...https://www.visitorlando.com/en/magical-dining/restaurants

 

[yulilin3]

I just saw a video on twitter from Epcot's american gardens theater where Mariachi Cobre was playing to no audience, only the CMs working, I cannot imagine this no hopping to Epcot situation will be in place for much longer

 

[anthony2k7]

I would pay to have an EPCOT hopper added to my multi-day ticket if they would institute it. They’re charging $85 + tax for hopping on a 4+ day tickets in 2021. Cut that to $45-$50 in 2020 just to hop over to EPCOT later in the day and I’d be all in. That’s extra gate revenue, more people dining in the restaurants and food booths, more F/G and F/W merchant moving off the shelves. There must be a solid reason why they don’t do it.

Uh.... don't go suggesting single park hop tickets to Disney!

"Now you can add Epcot hopping for just $20 per day, HS for $50 per day, AK for $20, MK for $50, or for a amazing deal giving you the option of hopping to any of those parks for only $120 per day!!!"

 

[butterscotchcollins]

I would pay to have an EPCOT hopper added to my multi-day ticket if they would institute it. They’re charging $85 + tax for hopping on a 4+ day tickets in 2021. Cut that to $45-$50 in 2020 just to hop over to EPCOT later in the day and I’d be all in. That’s extra gate revenue, more people dining in the restaurants and food booths, more F/G and F/W merchant moving off the shelves. There must be a solid reason why they don’t do it.

Probably because the infrastructure logic isn't set up that way and the time/effort it would take to change the system's "rules" and allow additional days/payment by specific ticket type without breaking something else would take more time than just an overnight whim allows.

 

[LSUmiss]

I knew how to work it hard and we never waited in long lines for the big rides. However, I don't love how it inflated wait times for things like Spaceship Earth. I also didn't care for booking 60 days in advance.

And lately more ppl seemed to be utilizing it so FP wait times were as high as 30 min on some rides.