Cruise and Theme Park Operational Updates due to Coronavirus

[anthony2k7]

The place that can't be named has a story about the bleak situation at the Morocco pavilion. Chefs layed off etc, management clearing out their desks.

Worries me about Mexico.

 

[sullivan.kscott]

The Photopass CMs are sad, but this is an obvious thing to cut right now. For the first time we didn't get PP for last week's trip. We didn't even consider it and I am sure this is true for many. People aren't going to pay that price for a bunch of photos with masks on their family's faces and no meet n' greet photos. There really isn't the demand for the service right now and that is sad because pre COVID it was, IMO, one of the best things Disney offered.

If they are smart, this will be an area the add employees to when things get back to more normal. If they don't, I won't be buying the service again because those boxes are not the same service as a human photographer snapping human interactions and human moments.

I realize we're in the minority, but we bought PP again for November BECAUSE of the masks. I know we'll get way less photos than we ever have, especially with no M&Gs, but DW and I wanted professional photos of a vacation during a pandemic for DSx2 and future generations.

That said, everything in your post is spot on. Especially about outsourcing the job to inanimate boxes going forward.

 

[sullivan.kscott]

The place that can't be named has a story about the bleak situation at the Morocco pavilion. Chefs layed off etc, management clearing out their desks.

Worries me about Mexico.

Agree overall. But at least Mexico has had decent traffic by all reports I've seen.
Really sad about Morocco. My family always felt transported there.

 

[gottalovepluto]

The place that can't be named has a story about the bleak situation at the Morocco pavilion. Chefs layed off etc, management clearing out their desks.

Worries me about Mexico.

They‘re being asked to pay back $1k-$4k in health insurance premiums? Yikes! I didn’t know that was a thing. And ouch for those 1-2 years from retirement that is brutal.

Sad to see, and while the writing was definitely on the wall when Disney made the moves to seize control of assets in case of default- I had hoped they’d make it. Morocco is my favorite of all the pavilions at Epcot.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Agree overall. But at least Mexico has had decent traffic by all reports I've seen.
Really sad about Morocco. My family always felt transported there.

Morocco needs a Margarita Bar STAT!

 

[Brianstl]

The place that can't be named has a story about the bleak situation at the Morocco pavilion. Chefs layed off etc, management clearing out their desks.

Worries me about Mexico.

Isn't the Morocco Pavilion operated separately from everything else at EPCOT with the Kingdom of Morocco ultimately responsible for the operation?

 

[anthony2k7]

Isn't the Morocco Pavilion operated separately from everything else at EPCOT with the Kingdom of Morocco ultimately responsible for it's operation?

Its a 3rd party company yes, not sure about the country being responsible.

Mexico is similar as that's also 3rd party I believe

 

[Tigger's ally]

The place that can't be named has a story about the bleak situation at the Morocco pavilion. Chefs layed off etc, management clearing out their desks.

Worries me about Mexico.

Wasn't there reports of Morocco pavilion being in heavy debt and that Disney was leveraging to take on the running of that pavilion?

 

[skeeter31]

Its a 3rd party company yes, not sure about the country being responsible.

Mexico is similar as that's also 3rd party I believe

It is the Kingdom of Morocco that is responsible for the pavilion.

 

[Brianstl]

Wasn't there reports of Morocco pavilion being in heavy debt and that Disney was leveraging to take on the running of that pavilion?

It was a third party restaurant operator in heavy debt that doesn't run the pavilion that Disney took court action against to secure the debt.

 

[TXAKDisneyFan]

The Photopass CMs are sad, but this is an obvious thing to cut right now. For the first time we didn't get PP for last week's trip. We didn't even consider it and I am sure this is true for many. People aren't going to pay that price for a bunch of photos with masks on their family's faces and no meet n' greet photos. There really isn't the demand for the service right now and that is sad because pre COVID it was, IMO, one of the best things Disney offered.

If they are smart, this will be an area the add employees to when things get back to more normal. If they don't, I won't be buying the service again because those boxes are not the same service as a human photographer snapping human interactions and human moments.

Memory Maker is included with APs (I don't know if it is for all levels, but is for platinum). I agree that it makes little sense to pay for pictures right now with masks, no meet and greets, etc. And I'm sure it will be argued that whether it's bought as a separate purchase or included with the price of an AP, people are buying the actual pictures (including on-ride pictures), not the service (the actual act of humans photographing guests), and therefore things like photo boxes and on-ride pictures are sufficient. But I agree that the boxes are not the same as human photographers. I think the boxes devalue photopass just as much as not having meet and greets. When we used to purchase Memory Maker, it was the photopass CMs who brought the value to us, posing us outside landmarks around the parks, doing fun magic shots, and shooting candid character interactions. (As an aside, is/was Uni doing distanced meet and greets? I thought I saw that there were characters on stages, and people could get pictures taken "with" the characters? I didn't notice anything like that at WDW when we were there, but that seems like a viable option, especially to do as a holiday extra.)

APs have already been devalued by the lack of park hopping and limits on park reservations. I think this is another area where AP holders have already paid for a service as part of the cost of our APs, and now that service is being significantly reduced beyond what is necessitated specifically by health measures (no up close meet and greets). We know that proportionally, APs are the ones visiting the parks right now (based on park reservation availability shifting from other groups to AP, and the relatively large crowds on weekends). Maybe they think they already have the AP money and since there are relatively few regular ticket holders visiting, reductions in photopass services (photopass CMs) won't significantly impact new sales of the service?

 

[andyman8]

Worries me about Mexico.

If it makes you feel any better, the Morocco operators were in a not ideal financial situation going into this (to put it mildly). While everyone in hospitality and tourism is struggling, these problems were greatly exacerbated by some serious financial troubles going into the pandemic. Mexico has not had those troubles.

 

[rteetz]

is this in addition to the 28,000? I'm thinking yes.

This should be included. They didn’t notify all 28,000 yesterday. Each area is being notified separately and at different times.

 

[birostick]

So, as i am in DHS today, there is currently NO walk up reservations for sit down places (which includes cantina). To me its not a huge bummer but its indicitive of how busy it has gotten.

 

[mum22girlz]

Not the case over here @ DHS at all. Its a zoo. I have been coming roughly once a month since open and its much busier than i believe 3 weeks ago when i was here

This has me worried for my trip. My daughter requested that park for her birthday (we'll be there on her actual birthday) and we haven't yet seen Galaxy's Edge.

 

[MrsBooch]

So, as i am in DHS today, there is currently NO walk up reservations for sit down places (which includes cantina). To me its not a huge bummer but its indicitive of how busy it has gotten.

I wouldnt be surprised to see that the mask requirement stays in WDW but they do actually increase restaurant capacity.

 

[rteetz]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1311329978559221761

 

[sullivan.kscott]

I wouldnt be surprised to see that the mask requirement stays in WDW but they do actually increase restaurant capacity.

Do we know if they were operating at 50%, or less in regards to seating? We only did TS at 50s Prime Time in August, but they definitely had room. Not sure if it was demand or capacity

 

[ArielRae]

Everyone wondered for years if they would add a country to Epcot World Showcase since they have the space. Now you have to wonder if they might just completely remove and replace whole Countries if they aren’t doing well for the park.

 

[MickeyWaffles]

If they are smart, this will be an area the add employees to when things get back to more normal. If they don't, I won't be buying the service again because those boxes are not the same service as a human photographer snapping human interactions and human moments.

I agree. We buy Memory Maker every time.

In February, the box took our pics with Darth Vader. They were terrible. Worst Photopass photos of the trip. My 4 year old had really great reactions and you can’t see any of it in the photos. Thankfully DH caught the reaction on our GoPro. Over the last 5 years, we have had so many magical & memorable character moments captured by Photopass photographers. We use it most for traditional character meet & greets, though, so I’m not sure we would get Memory Maker unless those returned. We love the candid shots from character interactions. I’d have to think about that.