Cruise and Theme Park Operational Updates due to Coronavirus

[skeeter31]

I mind the reservation system because I sometimes visit the park on a whim or will visit MK just to see the fireworks then leave

And in the future, that shouldn’t be a problem, once capacity limits are lifted after the pandemic.

 

[one_cat]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1298790781721903105

Boy I hope that’s not true. I was. banking on the hope that this would be our only trip without park hopping. There’s not a lot of value in staying at the crescent lake resorts if you can’t run into Epcot for breakfast or dinner. It also makes me wonder why they continue to sell the park hopper add on if they don’t plan to bring it back.

 

[skeeter31]

Boy I hope that’s not true. I was. banking on the hope that this would be our only trip without park hopping. There’s not a lot of value in staying at the crescent lake resorts if you can’t run into Epcot for breakfast or dinner. It also makes me wonder why they continue to sell the park hopper add on if they don’t plan to bring it back.

It’s not him saying park hopping will never return, it’s him saying the park reservation system is here to stay. They’ll merge park hopping into the park reservation system, it’ll just be a question of how it’s optimized in that system. Park hopping will be back.

 

[sullivan.kscott]

Boy I hope that’s not true. I was. banking on the hope that this would be our only trip without park hopping. There’s not a lot of value in staying at the crescent lake resorts if you can’t run into Epcot for breakfast or dinner. It also makes me wonder why they continue to sell the park hopper add on if they don’t plan to bring it back.

IIRC, hopping has always been in the cards to return, straight from the horse’s (execs) mouth.
We’ve never been a hopping family, but as our kids age, the allure of jumping to Epcot for dinner a few evenings (and a cocktail or two), becomes stronger for sure. No doubt this ability will return ASAP, TWDC knows it is a money maker for them. Same vein as DDP, they’ll find a way.

 

[gottalovepluto]

It also makes me wonder why they continue to sell the park hopper add on if they don’t plan to bring it back.

Because they apparently don’t see park reservations and park hopping as mutually exclusive

 

[AmberMV]

So I checked in just a little bit ago. There was no wait for the Magical express around 12pm, which was interesting because when I came July 24 I waited about 30min. We were however, the 5th stop on the bus. My whole bus went to Pop in July.

An AMAZING thing happened though! We went to check in at the Contemporary and our room wasn't ready. No big deal, I said I was happy to wait to get my request of a king room and went to go change into park clothes in the restroom. After that I sat down in the lobby and got my purse ready for the parks. As I was doing that the nice man who checked us in came over and said the operations team wanted to know if I would be interested in a 1 bedroom at Bay Lake Tower!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was floored and quickly accepted. I still can't believe we get to stay here all week, it's amazing! We are waiting for a bus to Epcot right now, the only ones waiting for a bus at all. The place does not seem busy. I'm excited to see how park crowds compare to shortly after opening. Oh boy though am I still so excited about this surprise upgrade!

We also checked in on Monday at the Contemporary and our room also wasn't ready as requested. No pixie dust for us but we loved our room anyway and I'm happy for you!

 

[DGsAtBLT]

I mean, the reservations blends right into their specific day pricing. It doesn’t mean you can’t walk up to the ticket booth, buy tickets, and walk in. It gives them at least a little bit of a heads up on what crowds may look like. It doesn’t impede on park hopping either. I don’t see this as a bad thing, at all. If everyone was ok booking dinner 180 days in advance, this is no different. Once capacity increases and gets back to normal, this is a non issue

Yes, exactly. Non issue, IMO once capacity is back to normal save for maybe local APs who may be prevented for some reason from the spontaneous visits they were used to (although I have a hard time seeing how with full capacity).

Picking a park reservation in advance is so much easier than planning FP+, maybe even easier than dining.

 

[skeeter31]

In case anyone is waiting up for the rocket launch tonight, they’ve been in a holding pattern since 9:59pm EST due to a heater issue. The launch window is from 2:12-6:25am overnight into tomorrow morning. So it’s looking highly unlikely 2:12 is happening, I’d assume however long they‘re holding is how long off of 2:12 the launch will occur. We’re at almost 2 hours of hold currently. So my plans have changed from waiting up for the launch to waking up early for the launch.
Keep checking @ulalaunch on twitter for launch updates.

 

[Mit88]

Yes, exactly. Non issue, IMO once capacity is back to normal save for maybe local APs who may be prevented for some reason from the spontaneous visits they were used to (although I have a hard time seeing how with full capacity).

Picking a park reservation in advance is so much easier than planning FP+, maybe even easier than dining.

I don’t even think locals will have an issue. As expected, the article is being blown out of proportion. Park Hopping is something that will never go away permanently. It’s a circumstance of the situation. 2 months ago people were furious that you could no longer plan dining reservations half a year in advance. Now picking a park, that you could easily change, is the end of the world? I’m debating on switching my reservation for TOMORROW, because I can. It’s honestly not that big of a deal. Capacity isn’t always going to be limited to under 10,000 people when they can fit close to 10x that in 2 of their parks at full capacity. We may not be able to see the finish line right now, and it might be hard to believe one even exists, but it does. Disney WILL be back to all its glory, with a few minor changes that will barely, if at all, impede on a guests experience.

 

[anthony2k7]

I mean, the reservations blends right into their specific day pricing. It doesn’t mean you can’t walk up to the ticket booth, buy tickets, and walk in. It gives them at least a little bit of a heads up on what crowds may look like. It doesn’t impede on park hopping either. I don’t see this as a bad thing, at all. If everyone was ok booking dinner 180 days in advance, this is no different. Once capacity increases and gets back to normal, this is a non issue

This is all fine for regular visitors. I'm not so sure first time visitors who may already have been daunted by the planning needed for wdw will be so ok with it.

 

[anthony2k7]

And in the future, that shouldn’t be a problem, once capacity limits are lifted after the pandemic.

But if that's the case and a higher percentage of visitors are leaving it until night before or even on the day to make the reservation then the whole thing becomes irrelevant because it doesn't give disney the planning tool they hoped for.

I personally think it will eventually be dropped. Maybe not for at least another year, but eventually it will.

 

[Leigh L]

I don’t even think locals will have an issue. As expected, the article is being blown out of proportion. Park Hopping is something that will never go away permanently. It’s a circumstance of the situation. 2 months ago people were furious that you could no longer plan dining reservations half a year in advance. Now picking a park, that you could easily change, is the end of the world? I’m debating on switching my reservation for TOMORROW, because I can. It’s honestly not that big of a deal. Capacity isn’t always going to be limited to under 10,000 people when they can fit close to 10x that in 2 of their parks at full capacity. We may not be able to see the finish line right now, and it might be hard to believe one even exists, but it does. Disney WILL be back to all its glory, with a few minor changes that will barely, if at all, impede on a guests experience.

I swapped my park day when we were down there the morning of, easy peasy. Going forward, I think park reservations are manageable once capacity limits are lifted.
One issue I wondered about was when dining fully reopens and those hard to get ADRs might mean a lot of juggling of park days if people can't align ADRs with the same park. Not a huge deal, just another step though.

Dining, I totally love the 60-day - I really hope they keep it! It would also probably eliminate a lot of hard ADRs to get since people won't be booking 3 for the same restaurant 180 days out until they decide what day they are going to which park. Thinking it through, park reservations might have some good ripple effects, lol.

If they do keep the park reservation system, my one wish would be for a modify button rather than a straight out cancel and rebook.

 

[yulilin3]

If the reservation system is still open at full capacity will it even matter? Look at SW, they have a reservation system that they don't even check anymore because the park is no where near the limited capacity so even though I book a reservation when i go i don't even have to show it. If Disney is operating at full capacity once again the only times when it'll be needed would be for Christmas. New year's and maybe Easter, 4th of July
Unless full capacity would still mean limited capacity for local aps

 

[Mit88]

Anyone know if Polynesian guests are still allowed to use the GF fitness center, or is that currently off limits?

 

[Farro]

This is all fine for regular visitors. I'm not so sure first time visitors who may already have been daunted by the planning needed for wdw will be so ok with it.

It's a heck of a lot easier than picking fast passes...

 

[jkh36619]

So when the hoping comes back, do I need to plan my hop in advance?

 

[DGsAtBLT]

It's a heck of a lot easier than picking fast passes...

Way easier to plan and easier to switch up. So much easier for unexperienced planners to say, yeah we’ll go to MK today, than saying okay we’ll be in Fantasyland at 10:15-12:15 with FP lunch at 12:30, another fastpass at 1:30, plan a pool break 60 days out (hope it’s nice out), etc. The planning downtime portion ahead of time is the only part of FP+ planning that still annoys me as an experienced planner.

Would be really cool if reservations gave Disney the crowd control aspect of FP+ they desired while giving guests an INCLUDED WITH TICKET (genie do you hear me? That’s my wish) day of FP like program, comparable to Disneyland’s maybe.

 

[Jennasis]

Did he perhaps mean the park reservation is here as long as Covid is? It seems needlessly clunky and burdensome for Disney's already bloated and glitchy IT system. Just more stuff to break and crash and confuse guests.

But don't worry...its magical!

 

[skeeter31]

So when the hoping comes back, do I need to plan my hop in advance?

No one knows. That will be a mystery with park reservations. Whether they’ll be able to know the second you leave your first park and you then get the ability to book your second for the day, or if you’ll have to book them ahead of time.

 

[skeeter31]

Did he perhaps mean the park reservation is here as long as Covid is? It seems needlessly clunky and burdensome for Disney's already bloated and glitchy IT system. Just more stuff to break and crash and confuse guests.

But don't worry...its magical!

No, he clearly stated that it’s something that will come out of the pandemic to stay.