Cruise and Theme Park Operational Updates due to Coronavirus

[e_yerger]

They weren't going to go into the minutia of those details for these meetings today. I'm sure it will come in detail soon.

the sane level headed part of me know this and i'm understanding and trying to be patient for the other news.

but I am very much an angry woman right now after Chapek made that comment about resorts being closed. Why are you still taking reservations for the resorts if they're gonna be closed past opening. UGH.

 

[SwirlTheCitrus]

Yesterday it was Beach Club that was the third hotel with no availability along with CR & CSR

My August reservation is at BLT and BRV... What about those?

 

[MusicalAstronaut]

They need to be more clear. This is ridiculous. What is happening with the resorts?! I was very understanding until now. I've officially gone full Karen and I have my pitchfork.

USO didn't give us any more info than that either, but I definitely would appreciate an email soon! I want to know what to do about my July 10th reservation. Move it? Cancel it? Leave it & hope I get invited to the soft opening? Is VAH dead (sounds like it)? Will AP's be discounted since so many things are reduced/eliminated right now? When will my AP start counting again, July 11th? Part of me wants to be there for the reopening, but we're booked at a Skyliner resort which seems dumb since Epcot & DHS won't open until the 15th.

Basically I want to know everything lol. But I'd prefer to know sooner rather than later, if only so I can move my flight.

 

[Brianstl]

Would not be surprised one bit if masks are only recommended by July opening.

I don’t have a problem with masks, but one thing about giving yourself a month and half until opening day is that you can make a ton of changes until that day arrives. The experience as outlined looks awful right now, but I highly doubt it will be the same experience that actually is in place in July 11.

Stepping a away from this a minute has me thinking this is a way for Disney to set the lowest possible expectations in hopes they will over deliver when the parks open.

 

[Krandor]

The hotel comment came in context with the NBA and guests mixing in regards to density issues. It's quite possible he meant some hotels might not be reopening because they are going to house the NBA folks and not the general public. So by "not reopening", he meant not reopening to the public.

NBA only really needs one resort maybe two. That doesn't require "a lot of hotels" not reopening.

 

[courtney1188]

Disney wants to control the message as much as possible. They were only going to present what was necessary to comply with the task force requirements. They will release all the additional details on their own platforms and at their own pace.

It's just frustrating to have a casual mention that plenty of the hotels will be closed when guests have been given no info on that. Clearly Disney has a plan, so...which hotels? How will reservations already made there be handled? Etc. I imagine there's lots of people calling with those questions - they could save the phone CMs a lot of headache by being more transparent about the plan.

 

[Farro]

the sane level headed part of me know this and i'm understanding and trying to be patient for the other news.

but I am very much an angry woman right now after Chapek made that comment about resorts being closed. Why are you still taking reservations for the resorts if they're gonna be closed past opening. UGH.

I would hope they start shuffling guests around if their resort is affected before they accept new reservations. Perhaps that's what is happening now with people seeing resorts unavailable for booking?

 

[MusicalAstronaut]

So bizarre. I just checked 7/22-7/29 and the only MK resort available the last week in July is the Polynesian. Even the Wilderness Lodge isn’t available. Could people have booked them up that fast?

This will be the next topic, which resorts are they closing?

Yeah I barely caught that comment about not all resorts being open. I'm interested to hear what they'll be doing as far as transportation, since Disney is pretty unique in that.

 

[Spaceguy55]

I think POP and AOA are a safe bet for values opening...
Chapek on Bloomberg soon

 

[Krandor]

It's just frustrating to have a casual mention that plenty of the hotels will be closed when guests have been given no info on that. Clearly Disney has a plan, so...which hotels? How will reservations already made there be handled? Etc. I imagine there's lots of people calling with those questions - they could save the phone CMs a lot of headache by being more transparent about the plan.

I don't think we are going to get more more detail until the plan is officially approved by the governer.

 

[Mit88]

I think we got our surprise

Yup...EPCOT is opening (basically) with the other parks!

 

[Pickle Rick]

I don’t have a problem with masks, but one thing about giving yourself a month and half until opening day is that you can make a ton of changes until that day arrives. The experience as outlined looks awful right now, but I highly doubt it will be the same experience that actually is in place in July 11.

Stepping a away from this a minute has me thinking this is a way for Disney to set the lowest possible expectations in hopes they will over deliver when the parks open.

or they are being very understandbly cautious

 

[J-BOY]

Chapek expects to see the same demand at WDW as Shanghai with the masks and restrictions. I am thinking that is very optimistic as mask are very common in Asia as opposed to here in the US. It will be much more of a determent to demand here as opposed to Shanghai.

I'm thinking Disney has sent out a significant amount of surveys that have provided them with data that would state otherwise. Disney has access to a lot more information than we do about what people will put up with.

 

[JacknSally]

NBA only really needs one resort maybe two. That doesn't require "a lot of hotels" not reopening.

His exact wording was "plenty of hotels that will not reopen" - so if we're really drilling into the semantics, plenty could mean just enough to house the NBA/MLS - could be 1 or 3 or 10 (I know, I'm sure it won't be 10)

 

[NJlauren]

The hotels announcement is brutal of course but it’s a huge way to limit capacity, and help with costs.

If you close a resort and all the amenities associated with it it’s easier to cut the variable costs.

I don’t love it but it is interesting and a good business model.

They are a business at the end of the day.

I don’t love the July dates, or character news, but it all makes sense. He did seem to imply they will list restrictions as soon as possible July is a long time away who knows what will happen.

 

[courtney1188]

I don't think we are going to get more more detail until the plan is officially approved by the governer.

He really shouldn't have made that comment then. Can you imagine how many phone calls those poor CMs will get today asking if their hotel will be open based on that remark?

 

[SarahC97]

I'm just really interested in how the reservation system will work when combined with fastpasses and ADRs. I mean, I've got all my ducks in a row for my late July trip and now I know they'll be open, but what now?

 

[SwirlTheCitrus]

I think POP and AOA are a safe bet for values opening...
Chapek on Bloomberg soon

How do we see that?

 

[jrsharp21]

Interesting. GF is now showing no availability until the beginning of October.

There was an article somewhere online about the NBA proposal to play at WDW. The GF is one of the onsite hotels mentioned that the NBA would take over and use. I don't remember them all, but two of the hotels mentioned were the Gaylord and the Four Seasons.

 

[Friendlyadvice2]

NBA only really needs one resort maybe two. That doesn't require "a lot of hotels" not reopening.

That would depend on which resorts they contract to stay at and as long as you're in the know, how many rooms will be the NBA be requiring and how many people will be onsite so I can crunch the numbers?