Cruise and Theme Park Operational Updates due to Coronavirus

[cakebaker]

Totally agree. But just to note, we don’t know if parks/resorts opening to guests & the NBA agreement are mutually exclusive.

I would hope they aren’t, but it would depend on exactly how they opened to the NBA if parks aren’t open to the public. If they’re spreading the players out amongst resorts, running the parks for them - then that’s catering to the NBA in my book and certainly not for health reasons. At least it is to me, I see no other way to spin it. I still firmly believe that the NBA won’t affect opening in June or July. Time will tell though.

 

[Jrb1979]

I see no reason why they would have to be.

This is a way to look at. Let's say Disney doesn't plan on opening til late July. Having the NBA on property doesn't change that. I know people are looking at that way. All the NBA is for is to bring in some revenue til they do open the parks.

 

[Jroceagles]

I don’t think the NBA coming means no guests until they are done. If that was the case they wouldn’t have opened Springs.

Disney can spin it any way they want. Disney also isn’t equal to every other park.

True

But they have to realize that short term they would lose guests to the other parks. Horrible PR

 

[chad_1138]

True

But they have to realize that short term they would lose guests to the other parks. Horrible PR

Exactly. We have over $5000 in on our July trip. Chances are that money will be going to Universal, especially if they were to put off opening due to the NBA.

 

[Brianstl]

Disagree! The pent up demand for pro sports is HUGE! ESPN will make a killing on advertising and licensing agreements. Owning the NBA playoffs would be worth mega-millions on a regular day. In the current environment, that’s a heck of a cash cow!

They won’t own the NBA playoffs and they won’t get part of the NBA’s licensing deals. Disney hosting the playoffs doesn’t change the fact that Turner Sports has a large chunk of the playoff TV package. The NBA isn’t sharing their licensing money with anyone.

 

[Jrb1979]

That won’t own the NBA playoffs and they won’t get part of the NBA’s licensing deals. Disney hosting the playoffs doesn’t change the fact that Turner Sports has a large chunk of the playoff TV package. The NBA isn’t sharing their licensing money with anyone.

The NBA is not causing Disney to not open as much as most want to believe that. Disney has a set date regardless of the NBA.

 

[rteetz]

True

But they have to realize that short term they would lose guests to the other parks. Horrible PR

I don’t think that’s the case. Yes bad PR but people aren’t going to go in droves to Universal or SeaWorld instead. Many do combo trips.

 

[Brianstl]

Having the NBA has nothing to do with parks opening. The NBA is being used to bring in money til they decide when they are opening.

The NBA won’t be generating much cash flow for Parks and Resorts. It will generate revenue for ABC and ESPN.

 

[cakebaker]

This is a way to look at. Let's say Disney doesn't plan on opening til late July. Having the NBA on property doesn't change that. I know people are looking at that way. All the NBA is for is to bring in some revenue til they do open the parks.

There’s no reason to wait until late July. Universal isn’t exactly the same, but the basic things apply. They’ve had plenty of time to get their ducks in a row. If the NBA isn’t the issue, then they’re crazy for letting Uni take the market for 2 months. That or Universal and Sea World and every other park are all just reckless.

But I’ll buy crazy IF the NBA isn’t visiting parks and spread throughout the resorts. Otherwise, not ever buying it. The optics alone- of the elite enjoying the parks while it’s shuttered to loyal guests is devastating. Good luck on convincing the masses Disney is just keeping us safe in that case.

But I’ll get worked up over that when it happens. We’ll hopefully know soon.

 

[gwynne]

The NBA is not causing Disney to not open as much as most want to believe that. Disney has a set date regardless of the NBA.

Or possibly a date range depending on what happens with the virus. I thing they really don't want to be opening and closing multiple times.

 

[Eric Smith]

The NBA won’t be generating much cash flow for Parks and Resorts. It will generate revenue for ABC and ESPN.

And it won’t generate extra revenue. Those broadcast deals were signed long ago. ESPN/ABC will get the same money they would have if COVID never existed. Disney will only be making whatever the NBA pays to rent our hotel rooms and WWOS. I don’t see that being a huge boatload of money compared to what WDW would normally generate.

 

[RWinNOLA]

Not to play the Disney defender card but ticket don’t ever lose value. Yes you may have to pay more to use them in the future but it’s not like if you have an unused ticket with $400 you have to pay another $420 to buy a new one. You would just pay $20.

I realize they don’t lose value but I currently have over $3000 tied up in park tickets for mid June. That’s a lot to just let ride.

We made DVC reservations in December. COVID was not really on the radar back then. Come April, we HAD to make a decision whether to buy tickets or not in order to reserve fast passes so I bit the bullet thinking things would be settled down by then. This is my beef with Disney especially during the shutdown. Knowing that the parks were shut down and with no certainty of an opening date they basically still forced their customers hands to make a decision. Do I want to take risk and buy tickets so I can get fast passes or do I just wait it out and stand in line for 90 minutes or more to ride all of the top attractions?

Since the parks were closed, they should do the right thing and offer refunds for tickets purchased while they were shutdown. Especially since it appears that pretty much every other major attraction in the Orlando area will be open except for them.

As it seems more and more likely that Disney will be closed for our mid June reservation, we would like to make alternate vacation plans for the summer. Tough to do when you already have more than $3000 committed to Disney that you can’t recoup. My son is in college, my daughter will be a Sr in high school and my wife works in the school system. So for us, taking a vacation during the school year is not an option.

 

[Mit88]

Having the NBA has nothing to do with parks opening. The NBA is being used to bring in money til they decide when they are opening.

How are they bringing in money if they dont start until the end of July, and most of the games in the first few weeks would be on regional sports networks to fulfill those contracts. So unless the NBA is erasing the amount of revenue Disney has lost over the last 3 months with their initial contract, it would only temporarily stop the bleeding. They wouldnt make marketing and promotional money until the games start up in 2 months.

I think people will tune in regardless. Sports will be the only new thing on TV for awhile. A lot of people still aren't ready to go to a theme park.

You keep saying this, but arent providing any proof. The resorts not being full when theres been no announced opening date is far from proof that people arent ready to go to a theme park. I’m going to need to see actual data to back your claim if youre going to continue to speak about that in form of absolute.

Also, Sports will be the only thing on TV for awhile, but it wont just be the NBA. You’ll have the NHL playoffs and the start of the MLB season. Then when the NBA gets into the juicy part of the playoffs, Football will have likely started in both the pro, and college levels. Theres not a single NBA playoff matchup that would outdraw Tom Brady’s first game as a Buc.

Disagree! The pent up demand for pro sports is HUGE! ESPN will make a killing on advertising and licensing agreements. Owning the NBA playoffs would be worth mega-millions on a regular day. In the current environment, that’s a heck of a cash cow!

I’m sure Turner Sports would laugh at that notion. Just because we’re in a pandemic doesnt mean broadcasting rights got shredded up.

 

[gwynne]

The NBA won’t be generating much cash flow for Parks and Resorts. It will generate revenue for ABC and ESPN.

Games at Disney will provide some good advertising for the Mouse, though.

 

[thingaboutarsenal]

Exactly. We have over $5000 in on our July trip. Chances are that money will be going to Universal, especially if they were to put off opening due to the NBA.

My June 27 to July 7 trip will become a UOR trip depending on what WDW says (or doesn't say) this week. I'm tired of waiting for WDW, I need to know what I'll be doing this summer. The only question will be if I buy AP for UOR as I'm not crazy about having AP for both resorts. If it was due to the NBA I'd be furious.

 

[rteetz]

Or possibly a date range depending on what happens with the virus. I thing they really don't want to be opening and closing multiple times.

I can’t see that not being a concern. Opening up and having to close again would be a huge problem for a site as larger as Disney.

 

[rteetz]

I realize they don’t lose value but I currently have over $3000 tied up in park tickets for mid June. That’s a lot to just let ride.

We made DVC reservations in December. COVID was not really on the radar back then. Come April, we HAD to make a decision whether to buy tickets or not in order to reserve fast passes so I bit the bullet thinking things would be settled down by then. This is my beef with Disney especially during the shutdown. Knowing that the parks were shut down and with no certainty of an opening date they basically still forced their customers hands to make a decision. Do I want to take risk and buy tickets so I can get fast passes or do I just wait it out and stand in line for 90 minutes or more to ride all of the top attractions?

Since the parks were closed, they should do the right thing and offer refunds for tickets purchased while they were shutdown. Especially since it appears that pretty much every other major attraction in the Orlando area will be open except for them.

As it seems more and more likely that Disney will be closed for our mid June reservation, we would like to make alternate vacation plans for the summer. Tough to do when you already have more than $3000 committed to Disney that you can’t recoup. My son is in college, my daughter will be a Sr in high school and my wife works in the school system. So for us, taking a vacation during the school year is not an option.

I understand. There is no easy option for this though. Nobody expected a multi-month shutdown of Disney let alone most of the country. I had a trip canceled myself. I think everyone and every company are learning how to improve or change things going forward and now has experience for any future major problem like this.

 

[Mit88]

I can’t see that not being a concern. Opening up and having to close again would be a huge problem for a site as larger as Disney.

The idea of things closing down in the late Fall/early Winter due to a big return of the virus bring up another point. If they continue to delay their opening, what happens if they have to close back down in November and not be able to open again until the Spring. Its not like the virus returning in the fall/winter is a conspiracy theory, many believe it’ll close things down again. So if Disney decides to wait until August to reopen, they get a solid 3 months of being open as opposed to 5 months if they open in mid June. That extra two months is ALOT of money to turn down

 

[gottalovepluto]

Also, why would their families come with them?

Well. They don’t all have kids... could be some wives would rather they were able to keep an eye on them

 

[CopperMonkey]

My June 27 to July 7 trip will become a UOR trip depending on what WDW says (or doesn't say) this week. I'm tired of waiting for WDW, I need to know what I'll be doing this summer. The only question will be if I buy AP for UOR as I'm not crazy about having AP for both resorts. If it was due to the NBA I'd be furious.

We are in the same boat with different dates, our march trip became a May 22-27th Birthday weekend trip, to a 2nd week of June trip, and now if WDW doesn't make an announcement by the end of this coming week, we'll be taking our vacation package to UOR. Every week that passes makes it harder to get the requested time off and people in our party are unlikely to get PTO once more workplaces begin to reopen. Bummer that Disney has decided to be this tight lipped about it besides just doing rolling cancellations.