Cruise and Theme Park Operational Updates due to Coronavirus

[Janet McDonald]

I absolutely can see this. Disney is famous for not announcing changes until the last moment possible. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been sent scurrying to make changes to a trip because of last second notifications.

True. But do you think they could actually keep the actual date quiet if cast members knew etc? Or do you think it could actually stay under the radar? I’m hoping they totally can. I’ll be the happiest person if I wake up one day and read they are opening in a week!!

 

[cakebaker]

True. But do you think they could actually keep the actual date quiet if cast members knew etc? Or do you think it could actually stay under the radar? I’m hoping they totally can. I’ll be the happiest person if I wake up one day and read they are opening in a week!!

I think we’ll see hints - but I mean an official announcement. CMs reports are little more than rumors and at least here, rarely taken seriously. I won’t make a move on our trip without official word from Disney.

 

[rteetz]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1257829475800223748

 

[DisneyWishes14]

It's really not extreme within the sense of Shanghai and China itself. China has completely integrated their country reopening with the QR system, and people who live there are used to having to show their QR codes to get places. Examples are: boarding metro railways, entering a shopping mall, prior to going into your office building. Them having to show their QR code to enter a theme park is second nature at this point. So I wouldn't consider it an extreme, but more so of a new normal for them.

The QR code app was developed by the Chinese government to control the movement of the citizens of China. It collects and stores an enormous amount of private data and there is no end in sight as to when they will stop using it to control people's movements or when they will delete the data. Yes, you are right. I'm sure they are very used to being completely controlled by their government at this point. There is no chance this is happening in the US. Heck, we can't get people to abide by stay-at-home orders or wear masks. We've already had armed protesters storm a state legislature building and a security officer shot when he told a woman she had to wear a mask in a store. I can't even imagine what would happen if something like this were proposed in the US.

 

[e_yerger]

The QR code app was developed by the Chinese government to control the movement of the citizens of China. It collects and stores an enormous amount of private data and there is no end in sight as to when they will stop using it to control people's movements or when they will delete the data. Yes, you are right. I'm sure they are very used to being completely controlled by their government at this point. There is no chance this is happening in the US. Heck, we can't get people to abide by stay-at-home orders or wear masks. We've already had armed protesters storm a state legislature building and a security officer shot when he told a woman she had to wear a mask in a store. I can't even imagine what would happen if something like this were proposed in the US.

Okay but I wasn't talking about that post in relation to the US. I was explaining how it's not extreme for China.

 

[whiporee]

Exactly. A couple of weeks of actual declining numbers is not a lot to ask for.

What numbers though? Florida? Orange County? Nationally? Worldwide?

And what numbers would you choose? Deaths? Projected deaths? Total reported infections? Total projected infections? Active cases? Infections minus recoveries?

there are a lot of different numbers out there.

 

[Broncho52]

Yup. We we were scheduled to leave for WDW the day before they closed. The day before they announced closing it hadn’t even occurred to us as a possibility. Within 48 hrs we went from packing the car to unpacking suitcases. It’s the Disney way.

We were halfway there on our drive when they closed. First trip for the kids. The range of emotions was crazy.

 

[wdw_dine_junkie]

If the precedent they’ve set with different package offerings is used - where they require park tickets to be purchased in order to get free dining for example and you can’t use tickets or APs you already have as part of the package - APs being paused could happen. Hard to say.

So many things they will need to consider when they put together their reopening plan.

They will have to figure something for Fort Wilderness where free dining packages has never been offered.

 

[Tjddis]

What numbers though? Florida? Orange County? Nationally? Worldwide?

And what numbers would you choose? Deaths? Projected deaths? Total reported infections? Total projected infections? Active cases? Infections minus recoveries?

there are a lot of different numbers out there.

Oh no thank you. I don’t want to talk about numbers anymore. I promised I would not
Lol

 

[juice0358]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1257829475800223748

No clue who Scott Gustin is, but from my perspective; Chapek's earnings call was one of the most unimpressive scripted calls I have heard in 22 years doing this. In dire times like this you want a true assertive leader with a vision and not reading off a written report for 100% of the call. He just doesn't have the leadership factor and is a HUGE downgrade from Iger. I truly believe a blue chip company like Disney deserves much better as its CEO. Thankfully Iger has come back to help with this crisis, shareholders and fans in general should be grateful for him in a time like this.

 

[rteetz]

No clue who Scott Gustin is, but from my perspective; Chapek's earnings call was one of the most unimpressive scripted calls I have heard in 22 years doing this. In dire times like this you want a true assertive leader with a vision and not reading off a written report for 100% of the call. He just doesn't have the leadership factor and is a HUGE downgrade from Iger. I truly believe a blue chip company like Disney deserves much better as its CEO. Thankfully Iger has come back to help with this crisis, shareholders and fans in general should be grateful for him in a time like this.

Scott is a journalist who covers theme parks. Chapek did the best job he could’ve with this call. Aspects are always scripted even when Iger led these calls. If Chapek was a problem during this call Iger would’ve stepped in as he was there. Iger is/was going to retire at some point. You don’t replace Iger with Iger. Each person has a different style and personality. Iger also never left, he’s still with the company until the end of fiscal 2021.

 

[cakebaker]

We were halfway there on our drive when they closed. First trip for the kids. The range of emotions was crazy.

Then you know the pain! We’re 18 hrs from WDW. We were so disappointed we actually entertained the idea of getting in the car and driving straight thru to be there for the last 2 nights. Had my daughter not been a teacher and would’ve missed school, we might just have done it. Sounds crazy now, but people forget how little concern there was about this mid March.

 

[MickeyWaffles]

Scott is a journalist who covers theme parks. Chapek did the best job he could’ve with this call. Aspects are always scripted even when Iger led these calls. If Chapek was a problem during this call Iger would’ve stepped in as he was there. Iger is/was going to retire at some point. You don’t replace Iger with Iger. Each person has a different style and personality. Iger also never left, he’s still with the company until the end of fiscal 2021.

I was impressed by Chapek during the q & a. Historically, I’m not a big Chapek fan, but I think he did a great job. I liked that he actually shared numbers too - he said that Shanghai holds 80,000. There’s always speculation about actual park capacity, but they rarely (never??) give out specific numbers like that.

 

[focusondisney]

Disney said they would use daily tickets to limit capacity. So annual pass holders might not get access initially.

My baseless speculation : I have a sneaking suspicion AP's are going to be eliminated for at least 6 months after opening.

I doubt they will restrict platinum passes if the park is open, especially if you have a resort reservation too. I live 1500 miles away, but have been an AP holder at least 10 of the last 15 years. We make week long trips about 3 times a year & stay onsite, deluxe resorts, usually club level. We currently have trips booked for July & September. There is no way on earth I will buy more tickets when I have an AP that is good til at least the middle of December. I won’t make those trips if my AP is blacked out.

WDW has a huge number of out of state AP holders who stay onsite several times a year. I don’t believe they will risk alienating them by trying to make them buy extra tickets to enter the parks when they have active APs. And then Disney would have to offer some compensation. What would that be? They have already said they will extend the APs or refund for the time the parks are closed. What would they give me if they refuse to let me enter the parks for months after reopening? It won’t do me any good it they extend my AP until next March... I don’t intend to travel next winter. Will they reimburse me for my AP from the time it closed til it expires in December? They already said they won’t. So they have to let the APs be used if the park is open.

If the precedent they’ve set with different package offerings is used - where they require park tickets to be purchased in order to get free dining for example and you can’t use tickets or APs you already have as part of the package - APs being paused could happen. Hard to say.

So many things they will need to consider when they put together their reopening plan.

That is a totally different situation. You have to purchase tickets to take advantage of a free dining promotion. But you certainly can use your AP to enetr the parks during that resort stay. You can do whatever you want with the tickets you purchase as part of the promotion. You can save them to use later, use them towards renewing the AP, transfer them to someone else later or even throw them away. Or you can skip the free dining all together if you don’t want to buy extra tickets. That is your option. Disney saying... you have a valid AP but we won’t let you use it at all is totally different.

If they were going to block AP's, and I don't think they will, it would only apply to day guests with AP's I'm sure. We're out of state AP holders too and I have no doubt that when I'm spending upwards of $600 a night for our stay that I'll be allowed into the parks with my AP.

Agree! Out of state AP holders spend a huge amount of money at WDW. If they want me to make a “reservation“, that’s fine. I have no problem doing that so I can save my place. But if they let me book a resort stay & I have a valid AP, they better not try & tell me I can’t get in a park unless I buy a second ticket.

 

[ScubaCat]

Agree! Out of state AP holders spend a huge amount of money at WDW. If they want me to make a “reservation“, that’s fine. I have no problem doing that so I can save my place. But if they let me book a resort stay & I have a valid AP, they better not try & tell me I can’t get in a park unless I buy a second ticket.

All they have to do is activate DL galaxys edge opening month protocol. Pretty similar thing, really (other than the time limit).

 

[MichelinMan]

Looking at the Florida figures the last week or so, I think the 1st June date is unlikely. Deaths aren't dropping much, and there is evidence that the number of new cases is sneaking back up the last week or so. Far, far too early to start opening back up the state yet.

 

[AurumPunzel]

The QR code app was developed by the Chinese government to control the movement of the citizens of China. It collects and stores an enormous amount of private data and there is no end in sight as to when they will stop using it to control people's movements or when they will delete the data. Yes, you are right. I'm sure they are very used to being completely controlled by their government at this point. There is no chance this is happening in the US. Heck, we can't get people to abide by stay-at-home orders or wear masks. We've already had armed protesters storm a state legislature building and a security officer shot when he told a woman she had to wear a mask in a store. I can't even imagine what would happen if something like this were proposed in the US.

The GDPR here in Europe would also prevent such measures being implemented in DLP. Even they're reluctant to adopt MagicBands, let alone have It's a Small World add a dynamic Goodbye feature like WDW already has.

 

[UkDisney73]

Just an observation, but noticed that people who want the parks open are all over the numbers when they go down but if they rise at all, they have a million reasons why it doesn't effect their way of thinking. It's the same for people who want things to remain shut of course, just the other way around. it's the reason I like reading this thread so much and have total respect for the way people handle other people's opposite points of view, it this was twitter there would be insults flying around everywhere, so big respect to everyone, especially how moderators, they're fab.

 

[MichelinMan]

Just an observation, but noticed that people who want the parks open are all over the numbers when they go down but if they rise at all, they have a million reasons why it doesn't effect their way of thinking. It's the same for people who want things to remain shut of course, just the other way around. it's the reason I like reading this thread so much and have total respect for the way people handle other people's opposite points of view, it this was twitter there would be insults flying around everywhere, so big respect to everyone, especially how moderators, they're fab.

Well made point. I think the fact that most people on here who are posting have a vested interest in the parks opening sooner rather than later, there is a bound to be an optimistic bias in the interpretation of statistics. I freely admit I was looking for any reason to interpret the data optimistically when my trip was planned for July this year. But now I have postponed my trip until next year, I am now starting to analyse the data more objectively - although I still want operations to get back up and running ASAP, especially the construction, so that my trip next year will be as 'normal' as possible.

 

[jade1]

However, I fear we are now straying too far off-topic - which is trying to establish whether the parks will be in a position to open on 1st June.

Why? I don't get the June 1st obsession.

WDW will open when they decide to open.

If folks are reserving and planning to visit in June (or July or August or January) certainly they have heard of the Worldwide Pandemic that's taking place currently. The planning should take place, but with this in mind.

How would anybody be surprised if things change and cancellations happen?

Selfishly I've rarely done a WDW trip and hoped we don't have to cancel from an illness or injury or funeral etc.

But with this, I consider the chance of interruption as likely as hair on a cat-certainly not surprising.

I hope they open asap and whoever wants to go and follow the rules goes. But until they are open nobody can.