Cruise and Theme Park Operational Updates due to Coronavirus

[Alana20]

Forgive me if this has been answered, but can people with existing resort reservations modify their dates? We are at BCV (cash, we aren’t DVC peeps) 8/29-9/5. I wanted end of sept, but a 2 bedroom wasn’t available when I booked a couple of weeks ago. I booked through a TA (not a TA rate), so I don’t think I can modify my own reservation?

We had July 6-13 reservations and I was unable to change them all day yesterday but then around 8:00 I just randomly tried again and it let me modify the dates to August. I had to change resorts and the only options were all DVC resorts (although not all of them were available) with the exception of AOA and FW cabins. I received the confirmation email of the change as well from Disney.

 

[TakesFaithTrust&PixieDust]

have you ever heard parents complain that their child meets the requirement but at ride stick the child doesn't touch or the parents fudge it at first stick then has a fit when doesn't work at second? may be easier but not that much different and both are safety measures

When their child doesn’t measure up some parents take it all the way in complaining. It goes from cast member to coordinator to manager to finally guest services. Parents will put shoes on their kids to make them taller. Wish guests could follow rules but the reality is that there is always a small percentage who will make things difficult for cast and other guests.

 

[andyman8]

I think some of the problems/concerns/displeasure (however it can be phrased) came from the lack of certainty , concrete info (that people might have WANTED, even knowing that it was not to be EXPECTED)
I think people totally understand (at least they should ) that Disney is taking all necessary precautions -
The only thing (and it can certainly change) that I think was a little much was the use of masks at the pool deck/lounge areas. (If that was even confirmed)
Honorable mention to park hours - for the summer, opening early and closing early doesn't sit well with many - (JMHO)

As far as other issues - (and these are extremely important)
Which hotels are going to be open?
Transportation/busses/DME- how are those going to work ?
FPS ? are they still a thing ?
ADRS - same - how will they work going forward
Park reservations ? How will they work ? Who gets priority ?

I think these are justified concerns when booking a Disney trip, especially because everyone, by now, is used to planning ahead, because that's basically what ppl are lead to do, due to the system that (before yesterday) was in place -

Just my .02

There are definitely two sides to the frustration coin -

Let me try to help address some of your concerns.

• Masks at pool deck - This hasn't been directly confirmed at all. This seemed to start with some speculation (seemingly by some folks who weren't happy about the mask requirement) after there was a DVC statement that said masks would be required at the resorts as well. Disney has not explicitly said what areas of the resorts (pools, restaurants, etc...) I could easily see them saying that masks are encouraged but not required within the gated pool areas. Disney certainly will not allow face masks in the pool.
• Hotels - Right now, Disney has only committed to having the DVC resorts and FW open. I'd imagine that list will grow by 7/11, but we don't know.
• Transportation - Disney has said that "limited" bus transportation will be available starting on 6/22. Monorail and ferryboat will come back online when the parks reopen. No word on Skyliner or DME yet.
• FP+ - No word yet.
• Dining - No word yet.
• Park Reservations - Disney has said that guests with "existing reservations" will get priority followed by APs and "exisiting ticketholders."

That's all we know for sure. I understand everyone's frustrations right now, but this is a lot for Disney to sort through. As I've said previously, they could have just cancelled everybody and made everyone over within the new parameters. Can you imagine how many people would be upset if that happened? There's a lot of uncertainty out there right now, and if you're not okay with the uncertainty, I'd advise you to cancel. There is nothing normal about what is happening right now, so I don't think it's fair to expect Disney or anybody to abiding by their normal practices and procedures. I don't mean this in a mean-spirited way; I think there are genuinely many valid reasons why guests would want to cancel their reservations right now.

On the bright side, I also do not think they're intentionally trying to limit this reopening to FL Residents and DVC Members. I think something they've made amply clear in the last 24 hours is that they're going to be taking care of guests with existing reservations. Because of that, they're taking this slowly and trying to figure out what solutions make the most sense, logistically and financially. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to limit this more than usual from the bloggers/lifestylers/local influencers, who line up for hours and don't really spend a lot of money. My personal opinion is that FW + the DVC Resorts are not the only hotels you'll see open in July.

 

[hereforthechurros]

Exactly. If I went to a forum that was for grieving parents and starting complaining about things I think Disney did wrong or how my vacation was ruined, that would be a horrible thing to do. But that's not what this forum is and it's perfectly appropriate to voice your concerns and express you disappointment. It would be nice if you weren't torn apart when you did and told how superficial and uncaring you were because of it. I sometimes think those that love Disney the most are the ones who come off as haters.

I didn't use any of those words. Nor am I tearing anyone apart. Clearly people here love Disney or they wouldn't waste time on a message board. I've vented my frustrations here over WDW many times. It's the victim card that a lot of people are playing over this that's just really confusing.

 

[bebec22]

Question - to those cancelling trips this summer due to the mandatory mask rule, where are you coming from? I’m from Massachusetts where the expectation is you don’t leave your house to walk your dog without wearing a mask. So this whole mandatory mask thing literally is no different than what we are dealing with right now, plus the uncomfortable Florida heat added to it. But I get that and am prepared for that extra element.

I’m interested in understanding if people cancelling due to this are from states where mask use is more flexible or not as vastly used.

I'm also from MA and people around here definitely do not wear masks outside. People are constantly walking up and down my street and I have not once seen someone wearing a mask. They wear them inside only.

 

[hereforthechurros]

Question - to those cancelling trips this summer due to the mandatory mask rule, where are you coming from? I’m from Massachusetts where the expectation is you don’t leave your house to walk your dog without wearing a mask. So this whole mandatory mask thing literally is no different than what we are dealing with right now, plus the uncomfortable Florida heat added to it. But I get that and am prepared for that extra element.

I’m interested in understanding if people cancelling due to this are from states where mask use is more flexible or not as vastly used.

No masks are mandatory in my state unless a store requires them. Most people wear one anyway. I don't wear one walking my dog or driving or doing yard work, only when I will be in contact with others. I expected WDW to follow CDC guidelines but seems they are going above and beyond:

CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies) especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.

 

[dreamit]

I’m curious to see how this plays out. I have one reservation at Pop for the length of our trip (7/11-7/19) and half-way through I have a Wilderness Lodge reservation. I had intended to also have a BWI reservation for the second half of the trip. I was hedging on whether they opened only MK resorts, but otherwise the preference was an Epcot deluxe. Anyhow, I’ll cancel WL because that covers the time that Epcot and HS are first opening. With how things are playing out, I’d like to hold Pop for the first half and an Epcot deluxe for the second half. But I now feel like it’s possible they’ll move us from Pop, possibly, without charging more for a move to a DVC resort. We’ll see...

 

[tlmadden73]

I will be interested to see after the first few days of AP's/locals and those that are desperate to go get it out of there system how many will actually go. Local places around me (jacksonville area) are struggling to get people to go to them, like dave and busters, roller skating, trampoline parks and such. The zoos and beaches are doing well. Dining is slowly doing better, but still slow.

Maybe by the time Disney opens more will come out, but Universal should be interesting to see.

I think a month of seeing how Universal is doing will also give Disney good indications what they need to do come July 11th.

People could come out in droves, there is good news about the virus, and Universal, Sea World and LegoLand are booming being the only big theme parks in town open. Disney could then decide to open with a lot less restrictions.

OR

People are still afraid to go out, can't (or don't want) to travel to Orlando for a "vacation" during this time and instead opt for RVs, camping, beaches and Universal looks like a ghost town. Disney can then plan and staff accordingly.

It's a crazy time for sure. I feel for the cast members that may still be out of a job even when WDW opens up.

 

[Pyotr]

Question - to those cancelling trips this summer due to the mandatory mask rule, where are you coming from? I’m from Massachusetts where the expectation is you don’t leave your house to walk your dog without wearing a mask. So this whole mandatory mask thing literally is no different than what we are dealing with right now, plus the uncomfortable Florida heat added to it. But I get that and am prepared for that extra element.

I’m interested in understanding if people cancelling due to this are from states where mask use is more flexible or not as vastly used.

The county I live in is about 30% masks 70% non-mark indoors. Outside walking or exercising I would say about 99% non-mask. It's not even June and it's pretty rough out. I handle the heat very well but my wife and children do not. Our initial trip was scheduled in March before a Disney cruise. We have about 100 expiring DVC points that need to be used by October. I rescheduled our WDW portion of the trip to June, then to August.

As Floridians, we typically do not travel to WDW mid-summer as it can be miserable. Because we have expiring points, our plan was to go and enjoy the parks in the early morning and spend more time at the pool. Masks being required at the pool area is a deal breaker. Not a single pool in our area of Florida, our community pool, nor the beaches, require you to wear masks (for some reason my community pool took the lounge chairs away, so people have to sit on the pavers).

My family trip will wait until next year. Our youngest daughter will be 3 and a half so she may enjoy it more anyways. My oldest daughter complains that it's too hot at 10 am, so she would never make it.

My wife and I instead are staying a night in a Copper Creek Cabin for a little weekend getaway. It's something that we would never otherwise be able to do due to the high point cost.

I'm glad you are prepared for the masks in the Florida heat. But as the old saying goes, "everyone has a plan until they are punched in the mouth."

 

[MusicalAstronaut]

People with July 11th reservations, are you keeping them? I'm really torn because if I had to pick 2 parks to do for an entire trip, I wouldn't pick MK & AK. I'm at a Skyliner resort too, which just makes it seem even more pointless, haha. On the other hand, it's a fun thought that I'd be there on the day they reopen. I will be really bummed at no SWGE, though.

 

[Mal6586]

People with July 11th reservations, are you keeping them? I'm really torn because if I had to pick 2 parks to do for an entire trip, I wouldn't pick MK & AK. I'm at a Skyliner resort too, which just makes it seem even more pointless, haha. On the other hand, it's a fun thought that I'd be there on the day they reopen. I will be really bummed at no SWGE, though.

That's exactly why I'm glad we're not set to arrive until 7/13. Even if we're only allowed to do one park per day, at least the other two will open up 2 days after we get there!

 

[cakebaker]

I didn't use any of those words. Nor am I tearing anyone apart. Clearly people here love Disney or they wouldn't waste time on a message board. I've vented my frustrations here over WDW many times. It's the victim card that a lot of people are playing over this that's just really confusing.

I didn’t direct my comments to any one person in particular. If you haven’t done what I described, I’m not talking about you.

 

[MusicalAstronaut]

Masks being required at the pool area is a deal breaker.

Where did they say that? I turned in to the various meetings/interviews yesterday and didn't hear them say that you were required to wear a mask in the pool area.

 

[cakebaker]

People with July 11th reservations, are you keeping them? I'm really torn because if I had to pick 2 parks to do for an entire trip, I wouldn't pick MK & AK. I'm at a Skyliner resort too, which just makes it seem even more pointless, haha. On the other hand, it's a fun thought that I'd be there on the day they reopen. I will be really bummed at no SWGE, though.

I have one reservation that has us checking out on the 11th. I can go in and modify that to a DVC resort or FW. I am not. Yes, being there on opening day is tempting, but I don’t think it’s going to be any kind of special event making great memories. I definitely get the vibe that they are opening begrudgingly.

 

[MusicalAstronaut]

I fear SWGE might not open at all in the first phase
MFSR=hand on
ROTR= vq mess
Savi and Droid depot=hands on experiences

This might sound crazy haha, but if SWGE isn't reopening, that's my deal breaker. I've been so excited to go back, and I've been working on enhancing my BatuuBound. At least that would make the refund/no refund decision easy!

 

[Hummingbird]

Where did they say that? I turned in to the various meetings/interviews yesterday and didn't hear them say that you were required to wear a mask in the pool area.

It hasn't been said. It started as speculation when people found out mask will be required at resorts. People now stating it as a fact are just on the tail end of a big game of telephone.

 

[hereforthechurros]

Where did they say that? I turned in to the various meetings/interviews yesterday and didn't hear them say that you were required to wear a mask in the pool area.

People are interpreting the language that facial coverings be worn everywhere on property as being by the pool as well, except while in the water. Sadly, for the sake of across the board enforcement, that may be the case. If they start making exceptions in certain areas, I'm sure they fear/know people will take advantage.

 

[tlmadden73]

People with July 11th reservations, are you keeping them? I'm really torn because if I had to pick 2 parks to do for an entire trip, I wouldn't pick MK & AK. I'm at a Skyliner resort too, which just makes it seem even more pointless, haha. On the other hand, it's a fun thought that I'd be there on the day they reopen. I will be really bummed at no SWGE, though.

I really don't see why a lot of people will keep their "normal" vacation (at the normal prices they booked) anytime in July or even August at this point. Unless you have to cancel by a certain time, just keep it until you find out more information, but no way would I go to WDW and pay those prices for 2 parks, reduced hours and reduced attractions and who knows what else (closed restaurants, etc.)

 

[Pyotr]

Where did they say that? I turned in to the various meetings/interviews yesterday and didn't hear them say that you were required to wear a mask in the pool area.

Masks are required everywhere on property except while eating and drinking.

 

[jlwhitney]

I think a month of seeing how Universal is doing will also give Disney good indications what they need to do come July 11th.

People could come out in droves, there is good news about the virus, and Universal, Sea World and LegoLand are booming being the only big theme parks in town open. Disney could then decide to open with a lot less restrictions.

OR

People are still afraid to go out, can't (or don't want) to travel to Orlando for a "vacation" during this time and instead opt for RVs, camping, beaches and Universal looks like a ghost town. Disney can then plan and staff accordingly.

It's a crazy time for sure. I feel for the cast members that may still be out of a job even when WDW opens up.

Yes! You stated it well. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.