Cruise and Theme Park Operational Updates due to Coronavirus

[AmberMV]

That wording just sounds to me like you will have the option to access magicband features by using a smartphone. Not a full replacement, but a second option of how to do the same things.

Fair enough, that actually would be helpful if that's the case. I've had more than one instance of a MagicBand not working for my room key so having two options that don't involve going to the front desk is great

 

[xuxa777]

it will be phones and smart watches going forward, plus magic bands

 

[TXAKDisneyFan]

I really hope they don't go away entirely. It is more convenient to use your magic band verses taking out your phone all the time. Plus using my phone all the time would kill my battery.

And if I'm going on a water ride or it's pouring, I put my phone away in a ziplock inside my purse. We don't go to the water parks often, but when we do, we don't carry our phones w us. And my older parents will use their MBs but not their phones (I know a lot of people don't even have smartphones).

 

[Farro]

We will end up buying the magic bands because frankly it's more fun to use those than our phones.

 

[mattpeto]

It’s curious why they would want to abandon MB, it’s an easy money maker.

I just assumed they wanted to stop free shIpping until they until more certain times (post coronavirus).

 

[rteetz]

It’s curious why they would want to abandon MB, it’s an easy money maker.

I just assumed they wanted to stop free shIpping until they until more certain times (post coronavirus).

They aren’t going to stop selling them yet. They are getting rid of the free ones.

 

[Ariel 1715]

I was just chatting with a cast member and this it the message he gave about the restaurants staying open later

At this time these are the locations that will NOT be staying open late. · Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen
· The Plaza Restaurant
· Tony's Town Square Restaurant
· Biergarten Restaurant
· Coral Reef Restaurant
· Garden Grill Restaurant
· La Hacienda de San Angel
· Le Cellier Steakhouse
· Rose & Crown Dining Room
· San Angel Inn Restaurante
· Spice Road Table
· Tutto Italia Ristorante
· Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria
· Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano
· The Hollywood Brown Derby
· Rainforest Cafe at Disney's Animal Kingdom
· Tiffins Restaurant
· Yak & Yeti Restaurant

 

[skeeter31]

They aren’t going to stop selling them yet. They are getting rid of the free ones.

Right and this was announced pre-shutdown or just around the time of shutdown. So this was something that they had in the plans for a while.

 

[Ricker182]

I was just chatting with a cast member and this it the message he gave about the restaurants staying open later

At this time these are the locations that will NOT be staying open late. · Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen
· The Plaza Restaurant
· Tony's Town Square Restaurant
· Biergarten Restaurant
· Coral Reef Restaurant
· Garden Grill Restaurant
· La Hacienda de San Angel
· Le Cellier Steakhouse
· Rose & Crown Dining Room
· San Angel Inn Restaurante
· Spice Road Table
· Tutto Italia Ristorante
· Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria
· Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano
· The Hollywood Brown Derby
· Rainforest Cafe at Disney's Animal Kingdom
· Tiffins Restaurant
· Yak & Yeti Restaurant

I wonder what Disney's reasoning is for closing earlier rather than opening later.

There's a lot more money to be had at dinner.

 

[armerida]

Take it with a grain of salt, but our server tonight at la Hacienda told us he was told fireworks won’t return until next year...

 

[gottalovepluto]

Take it with a grain of salt, but our server tonight at la Hacienda told us he was told fireworks won’t return until next year...

Definitely grain of salt worthy but I believe it because it jives with my thinking

(Personally I don’t see Disney paying for fireworks until COVID is done.)

 

[Mit88]

Take it with a grain of salt, but our server tonight at la Hacienda told us he was told fireworks won’t return until next year...

What is he talking about? Fireworks have resumed already. They’re On Demand in your room

 

[OnceUponATime15]

Take it with a grain of salt, but our server tonight at la Hacienda told us he was told fireworks won’t return until next year...

Disappointing but not surprising. Happily Ever After is estimated to cost $41,000 to $55,000 Per night. New Years Eve and other special occasion fireworks shows come in at around $100,000 per. And that’s just one park. Not having fireworks while the crowds are being kept low makes sense from a cost standpoint.

edited with correction

 

[Mit88]

Definitely grain of salt worthy but I believe it because it jives with my thinking

(Personally I don’t see Disney paying for fireworks until COVID is done.)

I think they’re going to bring them back. They’re working on the fireworks pad behind MK now (Rumor: Possibly for a new 50th anniversary show). And they’ve resumed work on the Harmonious barges. I dont think they pay people to get that stuff ready if they werent planning on bringing the fireworks back for a long time. Will they be back in 2020? Very, very unlikely. But I also wouldn’t be surprised if they’re working on plans to make it happen if they need to do it socially distanced in 2021.

 

[Vern60]

Disappointing but not surprising. Happily Ever After is estimated to cost $41,000 to $55,000 Per night. New Years Eve and other special occasion fireworks shows come in at around $1000,000 per. And that’s just one park. Not having fireworks while the crowds are being kept low makes sense from a cost standpoint.

Not to be a picky Pete but you might have slipped an extra zero in that last one?

 

[OnceUponATime15]

Not to be a picky Pete but you might have slipped an extra zero in that last one?

lol!!! i did! too much chatting on too many threads at once - multitasking fail!!

Will correct... smh.

 

[New Mouse]

Yet customers have already laid out the $ to cover those fireworks for the most part.

 

[brockash]

Wait I missed this. Why are magic bands going away?!

They're not really going away...this is just Disney's spin on not wanting to give them to you for "free" or as part of your package.

 

[brockash]

Had the ability to use our phone to unlock our door last visit (Dec 2019) sure as the moon lights the sky, it did not work! Had to end up just using my MB to open the door! Somehow, they said the pad had enough energy to recognize the MB but not enough to read the phone. They sent someone down to change out the door battery lock and it worked... I stuck to using our MB cause I was not about to lock myself out in case it triggered something. This was at AK JHV by the way and I was NOT about to walk my happy butt back to the front desk to get assistance. I ended up calling down and they sent someone up.

It didn't work for us with multiple phones and multiple rooms at Yacht Club last yr. IT said they didn't know why ot wouldn't work lol.

 

[andyman8]

I wonder what Disney's reasoning is for closing earlier rather than opening later.

There's a lot more money to be had at dinner.

Park opens have been more crowded than park closes lately actually. Without fireworks and longer hours, Guests have been leaving the Park earlier since there’s no incentive to stay. The money dinner seatings are bringing in (which is limited, given that they have to leave many tables vacant) are not making up for the costs of the last two to three hours of park operation.