Cruise and Theme Park Operational Updates due to Coronavirus

[Farro]

We are at Epcot today. It is crowded. Feels like a normal weekday last September. The good news is the Yorkshire Fish and Chips is open. I was not expecting that.

Hope you are having fun!

Yep, I watched another walking tour video, this time of Epcot. Totally looked like our October crowds. Mask compliance looked good.

I also learned there is an entire walkway in the back of Canada that leads to a waterfall! I never knew. Apparently we've not paid much attention to the Canada Pavilion. Will have to rectify that...

And there was a musical group on the stage near the American Pavilion, where they have Eat to The Beat. It sounded like a Spanish guitar, I'm not sure the language, assuming Spanish, but it was beautiful. What a voice!!!
I didnt think they had live acts! I could be so happy sitting there with a glass of wine, listening...

 

[andyman8]

To note...it seems Disney is opening up a lot more of the snack/dining spots this weekend and over the next few days...it probably is a sign Disney is willing to keep those employees on b/c they are revenue-generating, even if they lose revenue for now, vs having the long term layoff and potentially losing them (now that unemployment has run out)...

The same could be said for the Frozen sing along - the popularity of that attraction in pre-Covid-time probably means Disney finds those folks the most needed and difficult to replace, even if it seems counterintuitive to bring them back as the 1st big group now...

Both signs of the petering out of Covid help, with businesses now turning to fending for themselves long term...

As we've all discussed, I think it's likely we will see more dining options/snack offerings coming online, especially in the parks, throughout October (assuming they can continue to be able to at least fill the parks on weekends). I wouldn't expect anything too major yet, though.

 

[Carol_]

We just got back. HS was packed with long waits, MK was better than usual, and AK crowds were good but the offerings were so slimmed down as to be barely worth it. I still waited 40 min to get on FOP but having never obtained a FP before, I figured this was my only chance to ride it. I hated the movie but the ride was great.
MCO is much busier than it was in June. (June was spooky empty.)

 

[mi*vida*loca]

https://www.kennythepirate.com/2020...ints-at-increase-in-capacity-and-experiences/

 

[JacknSally]

Hope you are having fun!

Yep, I watched another walking tour video, this time of Epcot. Totally looked like our October crowds. Mask compliance looked good.

I also learned there is an entire walkway in the back of Canada that leads to a waterfall! I never knew. Apparently we've not paid much attention to the Canada Pavilion. Will have to rectify that...

And there was a musical group on the stage near the American Pavilion, where they have Eat to The Beat. It sounded like a Spanish guitar, I'm not sure the language, assuming Spanish, but it was beautiful. What a voice!!!
I didnt think they had live acts! I could be so happy sitting there with a glass of wine, listening...

The walkway in the back of Canada by the waterfall ends in the Circlevision movie of Canada, which was just redone at the beginning of the year with Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara! Haven't gotten to see the new movie yet but we loved the old one with Martin Short narrating. And you probably heard Mariachi Cobre playing on the stage at the America pavilion - they've been rotating sets of Cobre and the Jammitors at that stage for a while (since reopening). Cobre is one of our favorite live acts. They're so good! Definitely check them out if you haven't before.

 

[MickeyWaffles]

I noticed that someone on Twitter said that the mask spiel at the parks sounded more specific today - including things like masks must be worn at all times, including when taking photos.

Interesting that right after the FL developments, Disney starts running a more specific mask spiel. Maybe the timing is just coincidental though. Can anyone else confirm it was just updated?

 

[KBoopaloo]

That’s great your company is paying people to do nothing. But it’s not the path Disney has chosen and it would be absolutely wrong to pay them despite not using them essentially saying “the orchestra is more important than the thousands of other CMs we aren’t paying right now either”.

I never said they should pay the orchestra and not pay anyone else - obviously that would be ridiculous and how would you decide who gets paid and who doesn’t in such a large company? I said my organization is paying many people in many roles that are unable to work right now as an example that there are places
doing this so claiming it is not an option at all for a company doesn’t fly with me. Is it realistic to expect Disney to be paying people for months on end if they are unable to work? Probably not. But I do think they probably had some wiggle room to handle the lay-off of a group of people they had brought back from furlough a little more generously than they did. That’s all.

 

[LSUmiss]

I just hope restaurants being allowed to offer alcohol to go is here to stay


I do agree about the working remotely - both companies allowing it and people being open to it. In the past I rarely worked from home (only if like weather or my wife had something necessitated me staying home, etc) and now I am pretty sure I will work the majority of time from home going forward as I am getting used to it and see the benefits.

It is here b/c it always has been a thing here in NOLA. It’s actually called a Geaux cup !

 

[LSUmiss]

Anyone know if I I activate an AP voucher at an Epcot ticket window?

 

[coolbrook]

I believe Disney has already raised it without broadcasting it.

Me too

 

[yulilin3]

I noticed that someone on Twitter said that the mask spiel at the parks sounded more specific today - including things like masks must be worn at all times, including when taking photos.

Interesting that right after the FL developments, Disney starts running a more specific mask spiel. Maybe the timing is just coincidental though. Can anyone else confirm it was just updated?

That new spiel had been out for about a week and a half

 

[MickeyWaffles]

That new spiel had been out for about a week and a half

Thanks! That’s what I was wondering.

 

[Dentam]

The walkway in the back of Canada by the waterfall ends in the Circlevision movie of Canada, which was just redone at the beginning of the year with Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara! Haven't gotten to see the new movie yet but we loved the old one with Martin Short narrating. And you probably heard Mariachi Cobre playing on the stage at the America pavilion - they've been rotating sets of Cobre and the Jammitors at that stage for a while (since reopening). Cobre is one of our favorite live acts. They're so good! Definitely check them out if you haven't before.

That area of the Canada pavilion has always been one of my favorites! We saw the new film during our trip earlier this month and missed the Martin Short version. Loved the humor in his version (fans of his in general) while this one was a bit blah for us.

 

[gottalovepluto]

As we've all discussed, I think it's likely we will see more dining options/snack offerings coming online, especially in the parks, throughout October (assuming they can continue to be able to at least fill the parks on weekends). I wouldn't expect anything too major yet, though.

So basically we have your guarantee that everything besides V&A will be open by Halloween? I can live with that.

 

[skeeter31]

Anyone know if I I activate an AP voucher at an Epcot ticket window?

Yes, if you already purchased the voucher, you can activate it at any ticket window. My parents activated at Epcot IG ticket window and we activated ours at AK (all within the past 2 weeks). Got our new yellow cards and everything.

 

[KBoopaloo]

Just realized that last year at this time I was on my way to the airport for my first fully solo trip to see the final Illuminations. Maybe that is why I am so grouchy today.

 

[Jellybass]

So I am confused. There are no longer any state requirements in Florida for masks and no fines but Disney and other parks can still enforce masks and refuse entry? Just a bit confused, thanks.

 

[Jennasis]

So, can anyone name the things, historically, that Disney took away and then brought BACK?

 

[Farro]

So I am confused. There are no longer any state requirements in Florida for masks and no fines but Disney and other parks can still enforce masks and refuse entry? Just a bit confused, thanks.

Yes.

 

[DGsAtBLT]

So I am confused. There are no longer any state requirements in Florida for masks and no fines but Disney and other parks can still enforce masks and refuse entry? Just a bit confused, thanks.

Yes, absolutely nothing has changed for Disney.