Cruise and Theme Park Operational Updates due to Coronavirus

[yulilin3]

Is it bad to say people aren’t as annoyed with Universal because nobody here cares quite as much? We’re the DISboards with a small Universal section that some people don’t even know exists, not the reverse.

it's not bad to say at all. Disney has set themselves up as THE destination, Universal has always been like the forgotten stepchild. People (in general) have heard things like "Universal is only for adults" or "Universal is not magical and friendly" or "there's nothing else but rides with screens" and have never given it a chance, and I understand why, you're spending big bucks you want to go with a guaranteed magical time.
But
Universal continues to improve in leaps and bounds, not only with the HP areas but they offer Christmas parades and activities included with your park ticket, they offer Mardi Gras parade for 2.5 months out of the year, along with big name concerts included in your ticket. They have the best Halloween experience for season. They have a big paid NYE party at CityWalk...their resort guests get express pass for free, which works much better than a free fp
Obviously we all love Disney and we have valid reasons, Universal was just slowly creeping up there, you can see on the Universal board plenty of people that are now Universal converts after coming to Disney for many years
And I know I'mm off topic, sorry Ryan

 

[MickeyWaffles]

Disney holds themselves to a higher standard so shouldn’t we? You don’t get to be a strong brand (and charge high prices) without raising expectations. To whom much is given much is expected. And is it really asking too much to look for better communication? If these June cancellations are for real than they have a plan. I don’t blame them for trying to be flexible with their plan in this uncertain time. And they don’t need to tell me chapter and verse of every possible scenario. But is it really asking too much for a press release of a video saying “we wanted to open 6/1, we were trying to open 6/1 but we can’t due to circumstances beyond our control”. Instead people get blindsided with cancellation emails and we have to watch an unaffiliated message board to learn of I? Lastly I get the rolling cancellations for May. But they are the ones that put 6/1 as a date with expectations. It’s not their fault it doesn’t work. But they should take ownership of the fact they put it out there and get in front of the shortfall

Why am I quoted here? I was simply commenting on why I don’t think Disney will open just because Universal does. The media/public scrutiny is different between Universal and Disney.

Wasn’t talking about anything else.

 

[Jrb1979]

I'm curious why you felt Universal was a superior experience in Florida. I'm not trying to be argumentative, I'm genuinely curious.

We've found Universal to be a 1-2 day experience at best. Their dining options aren't fantastic and some areas of their parks seem to be very poorly done. Most of their IP also doesn't appeal to us (minus Simpsons and Harry Potter).

For me I find the rides a lot more thrilling. Theming doesn't do much for me I don't pay to go to park cause how themed it is. Rides and attractions do more for me. I did Universal last year for 5 days and got very good use of my time. Love being able to ride things multiple times and not have to worry about fast passes. The Mummy and the Hulk are two great coasters. In park the dining isn't the best but CityWalk has some really good restaurants. I love CowFish and NBC Sports.

 

[DisFitz]

Since we're kind of on Universal, off topic or not, is that a decent trip for a solo traveler? Meaning a multiple day on-site stay?

We usually do two Universal Days for each of the parks. If you wanted to do a water park day, you could stretch to three. I love Universal because it's so easy to walk to the park if you're staying at the Hard Rock, the pools are awesome, and my kids love HP (and I love the HP section - the theming is superb - and don't even know HP!). If you stay at one of the three Loewe's resorts, it's an automatic "fast pass", so to speak. Universal is an easy trip, very little planning required, and my kids love it better than Disney! I think part of the reason I won't be so stressed if my July UO trip is canceled is that I didn't spend so much time planning it and I don't have to spend as much money to enjoy it! I am super sad my June Disney trip was canceled because I have so much more emotionally invested in that

 

[Mit88]

Proactive or reckless?

Not fair to call a business reckless for trying to run a business. They’d be doing nothing illegal if/when they open, they’d be given full permission, hence the guidelines that were given out a few weeks ago

 

[GeorgiaHoo]

Since we're kind of on Universal, off topic or not, is that a decent trip for a solo traveler? Meaning a multiple day on-site stay?

Yes, depending on what you want to do I guess. But the resort rooms/pools/food were fine (though theming wasn't as good as Disney), and really did think the rides were awesome. If you have any interest in Harry Potter, I think that's the best destination at any park we've visited.

And on edit, as others mentioned there's much less planning required, especially if you get the express pass. Much superior to Disney's Fastpass, though also comes with an added cost.

 

[Tjddis]

Why am I quoted here? I was simply commenting on why I don’t think Disney will open just because Universal does.

Wasn’t talking about anything else.

Because you mentioned that Disney is scrutinized more than other entities. I think that Level of scrutiny is justified

 

[RamblingMad]

I'm curious why you felt Universal was a superior experience in Florida. I'm not trying to be argumentative, I'm genuinely curious.

We've found Universal to be a 1-2 day experience at best. Their dining options aren't fantastic and some areas of their parks seem to be very poorly done. Most of their IP also doesn't appeal to us (minus Simpsons and Harry Potter).

I’m not a planner. I can book a last minute trip there and ride most of the rides as many times as I like. I don’t have to look at my phone and try to get fast passes. My SO favorite ride is Gringotts. We rode 4x in a row one day before lunch. It was great. I can also do this all over an extended weekend, so I can use less vacation time. Finally, the on site hotels are significantly cheaper than at WDW for the equivalent experience. I can usually do one of these trips for less than $3k easily.

These are some of the reasons why I prefer DLR to WDW. There is less planning, less vacation time, and less money spent. It’s much easier to do rides more than once at DLR than at WDW.

We go for the attractions.

If I’m going to go on vacation for a week or more, I’ll go abroad or to Hawaii or to a National Park.

This is my touring style.

 

[MickeyWaffles]

Because you mentioned that Disney is scrutinized more than other entities. I think that Level of scrutiny is justified

I am not saying it is unjustified. Disney has made it so. It still may affect their decision about when to reopen.

 

[GeorgiaHoo]

I’m not a planner. I can book a last minute trip there and ride most of the rides as many times as I like. I don’t have to look at my phone and try to get fast passes. My SO favorite ride is Gringotts. We rode 4x in a row one day before lunch. It was great. I can also do this all over an extended weekend, so I can use less vacation time. Finally, the on site hotels are significantly cheaper than at WDW for the equivalent experience. I can usually do one of these trips for less than $3k easily.

These are some of the reasons why I prefer DLR to WDW. There is less planning, less vacation time, and less money spent. It’s much easier to do rides more than once at DLR than at WDW.

We go for the attractions.

If I’m going to go on vacation for a week or more, I’ll go abroad or to Hawaii or to a National Park.

This is my touring style.

And if you like thrill rides/coasters I don't think Disney has anything remotely comparable to The Incredible Hulk.

 

[courtney1188]

And if you like thrill rides/coasters I don't think Disney has anything remotely comparable to The Incredible Hulk.

True. For my family that doesn't factor in much - Cedar Point is close enough to take a day trip there, so if our focus is on thrill rides we go there. When we head to Florida it's to get some magic =)

 

[Eric Smith]

True. For my family that doesn't factor in much - Cedar Point is close enough to take a day trip there, so if our focus is on thrill rides we go there. When we head to Florida it's to get some magic =)

I agree with this. I wouldn't necessarily go to Universal for thrill rides. It has more thrill rides than Disney, but it doesn't have many. I'd go to Cedar Point or another park like that. Even Sea World or Busch Gardens have better and more thrill rides.

 

[Mit88]

Disney and Universal to me are competition through fan bias only. They’re much different experiences and are both enjoyable for different reasons. I prefer Universals thrill ride options, but prefer Disney’s dark rides and innovative rides and animatronics. I prefer Disney Springs and the resorts more than Universals options. I prefer Universals Halloween activities more than Disney’s. But just because I prefer options on one side or the other doesn’t mean I hate the other’s options. I still think Disney’s thrill rides are great, the Halloween party is fun, and I think Universal has some great animatronics, and have beautiful resorts.

 

[Tjddis]

We can play that cute little semantic game all we want. “They never said they were going to open June 1...”. I get it. I rebooked for and of August because I never thought June 1 was realistic. BUT if it really was so clear why did they find the newd in the past couple of weeks to specifically state just because you can book does not mean we are open. And how many posters here are clinging to the 6/1 date with such hope? Watching a CNN report on SDL the other day the reporter said their was “good news for US Disney fans-you can start making reservations July 1 so get ready for some WdW fun!” Again not blaming them for not making the date. But stop drinking the Disney Kool Aid. They can and should be better with their communication. That is all I am saying

 

[RamblingMad]

Disney and Universal to me are competition through fan bias only. They’re much different experiences and are both enjoyable for different reasons. I prefer Universals thrill ride options, but prefer Disney’s dark rides and innovative rides and animatronics. I prefer Disney Springs and the resorts more than Universals options. I prefer Universals Halloween activities more than Disney’s. But just because I prefer options on one side or the other doesn’t mean I hate the other’s options. I still think Disney’s thrill rides are great, the Halloween party is fun, and I think Universal has some great animatronics, and have beautiful resorts.

And for a Disney experience, I go to DLR. It’s really personal preference. I don’t really want to be in theme parks for more than 4 days.

Of course, given COVID-19 it’s more likely that I do another Universal trip before a Disneyland trip. I’m really waiting for the next park to open.

 

[FlagrantFleur]

Do you think they really have the resources to call everyone? It’s not doable.

What I do wonder is if they’re canceling folks that they think will spend the least per guest, or are the cancellations random to reduce attendance in the parks.

I would think if the logic around spending were sound, then why cancel cash reservations? My reservation was for a moderate hotel, dining plan with all ADRs booked, memory maker, and multiple experiences like Savi's Workshop booked. Maybe that's not enough spending for Disney

 

[RamblingMad]

I would think if the logic around spending were sound, then why cancel cash reservations? My reservation was for a moderate hotel, dining plan with all ADRs booked, memory maker, and multiple experiences like Savi's Workshop booked. Maybe that's not enough spending for Disney

Maybe it’s random.

 

[Mit88]

And for a Disney experience, I go to DLR. It’s really personal preference. I don’t really want to be in theme parks for more than 4 days.

Of course, given COVID-19 it’s more likely that I do another Universal trip before a Disneyland trip. I’m really waiting for the next park to open.

I could do MK, EPCOT, and DHS multiple days during a trip. AK is a little bit tougher to do multiple days of because of its proximity to the resorts I usually stay at. It just seems far out of the way, even though it’s only a 10-15 minute drive. But I also don’t do park open to close anymore. I probably couldn’t do 4 full park days anymore. I usually do 3-4 hours in a park at one time, go back to the hotel, rest, eat, sit by the pool and go to another park at my leisure.

I’d go to DLR more often if it weren’t $400+ more than flying to Orlando in airfare per person. And it’s tough to get reservations at GC, and thats the only place I like to stay

 

[GeorgiaHoo]

And for a Disney experience, I go to DLR. It’s really personal preference. I don’t really want to be in theme parks for more than 4 days.

Of course, given COVID-19 it’s more likely that I do another Universal trip before a Disneyland trip. I’m really waiting for the next park to open.

I had a one day solo trip to Disneyland last year and had a really good time. Disneyland seems better suited to a shorter trip. But yeah, our longer trips have changed from Disney to Caribbean resorts over the last few years.

 

[FlagrantFleur]

My ADR for Morimoto Asia in DS on 6/5 was just cancelled. I'm not sure if Morimoto Asia is operated by Disney. If so, that seems to be an indication that they may not be planning on opening the Disney owned restaurants until after that at least...