Cruise and Theme Park Operational Updates due to Coronavirus

[e_yerger]

Does anyone know how Shanghai handled their resort reservations while they were closed?

 

[Azziefan]

So take this with a grain of salt but I’ve heard this from s a close friend whose brother is a Main manager for Disney Springs.
Disney realized they had no way of fully opening all parks and resorts June 1. Due to the fact that the government announcement for phase 2 hadnt come out yet, they need to train CM on safety to deal with the ‘Rona, and they’re going to probably have to put some local cast members in the international areas in Epcot. They were thinking about opening limited parks and experience without Epcot which is why they took a survey last Friday...

well too many people want full experience so they’ve decided to do a grand opening July 1... with all parks opening. I’ve heard they will make the official reopening announcement two weeks Prior to July 1. but it could be sooner. If I’m wrong I’m wrong but I’m really not someone to pretend like I know all this info if I don’t think it’s from a reliable source- plus this all makes sense. The parks can open at larger capacity July 1 too and profit more. It also more closes matches the Shanghai time line from when they opened their springs area then their parks

 

[andyman8]

Does anyone know how Shanghai handled their resort reservations while they were closed?

I believe initially both the SDL Hotel and the Toy Story Hotel stopped accepting reservations altogether. Then, as Disneytown (their DS) prepared to reopen, they started accepting reservations for the SDL Hotel and reopened it (with extremely limited amenities and dining). I *think* they did something similar with rolling cancelation but don't know for sure. When they announced a reopening date for SDL, they started taking reservations again for the Toy Story Hotel and reopened it just before the park reopened.

 

[e_yerger]

I believe initially both the SDL Hotel and the Toy Story Hotel stopped accepting reservations altogether. Then, as Disneytown (their DS) prepared to reopen, they started accepting reservations for the SDL Hotel and reopened it (with extremely limited amenities and dining). When they announced a reopening date for SDL, they started taking reservations again for the Toy Story Hotel and reopened it just before the park reopened.

Do we know how they handled canceling reservations?

 

[andyman8]

Do we know how they handled canceling reservations?

I *think* they did something similar to the rolling cancelations but I don't know for sure.

 

[UOAP]

I could easily see giving 2 bonus weeks for free. Heck my AP I bought last year was during a promo for 6 free MONTHS. By the end of this my AP is going to end up lasting me nearly 2 years. I could see them giving a bonus 2 weeks, especially if during the start it is impossible to get a reservation to get in. It would be easier than waiting to start the clock when it’s fully open.

a little disappointed the theme park music isn’t playing. Would have definitely built some excitement. But I’m just excited to SEE the parks entrance and rides from the outside as crazy as that sounds.

Agree with everything you said. And I lived in Orlando I would be there. Certainly no more dangerous for me there than at my job in a hospital. It looks like they are taking safety seriously, which is what matters to me. And you're right, they have always been really generous with passholders. We originally started out with seasonal passes since it was cheaper than 2 park-to-park days at the time (added on to the end of a Disney trip years ago) and now we are 3 park preferred. They really know how to suck you in!

 

[brockash]

Correct. This is coming from a Facebook Disney group I belong to. Was following along to see if other "late" reservations were being cancelled but they are all arguing right now and most likely will have the post deleted soon lol

In all reality the whole it's 99% likely the entire month of June is done. Really, we kinda knew last Friday when they already stopped taking reservations or allowing modifications for resorts or dining. They did the same thinv in May...they know they're not operating parks in June...July 1st is optimistically best case scenario in my opinion.

I don't work for Disney, I don't have any intel, but so take my opinion as you'd like but I feel like Disney has basically told us as bluntly as they're ever going to that the month of June is a no go...we just don't want to believe it (myself included.)

 

[JayhawkCruiser]

Currently at Citywalk and everyone seems to be respecting the rules and social distancing. It’s awesome to be back, even if it’s a limited experience.

 

[KBoopaloo]

Currently at Citywalk and everyone seems to be respecting the rules and social distancing. It’s awesome to be back, even if it’s a limited experience.

It’s great to hear that people are following the rules and behaving!

 

[jarestel]

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.

While I think UO is a fine experience, I would never return there year after year. Most of the folks I know who visit UO like it but ultimately end up concluding "but it's not Disney", which I certainly agree with. For those who like UO, it's great that they may be able to visit soon but I'm holding out for the "real" thing when WDW reopens.

 

[OnceUponATime15]

... Right now on MDE the only dining reservations available for booking at DS (and the Hyatt) for the entire month of June are Ravello and Wine Bar George.. I had no problem finding most DS restaurants on Opentable for June.

IT gremlins at work again?

 

[DGsAtBLT]

While I think UO is a fine experience, I would never return there year after year. Most of the folks I know who visit UO like it but ultimately end up concluding "but it's not Disney", which I certainly agree with. For those who like UO, it's great that they may be able to visit soon but I'm holding out for the "real" thing when WDW reopens.

I haven’t been there since the early 90s. I think it’s changed LOL.

For us it’ll likely be like a lot of non Disney people treat Disney trips. We’re waiting until our kids are the right age (our opinion of the right age, anyways) to fully enjoy it. Nothing against it I think it’ll be great when we go, just like you said it won’t be repeated over and over like Disney.

 

[Kadorto]

ink

So take this with a grain of salt but I’ve heard this from s a close friend whose brother is a Main manager for Disney Springs.
Disney realized they had no way of fully opening all parks and resorts June 1. Due to the fact that the government announcement for phase 2 hadnt come out yet, they need to train CM on safety to deal with the ‘Rona, and they’re going to probably have to put some local cast members in the international areas in Epcot. They were thinking about opening limited parks and experience without Epcot which is why they took a survey last Friday...

well too many people want full experience so they’ve decided to do a grand opening July 1... with all parks opening. I’ve heard they will make the official reopening announcement two weeks Prior to July 1. but it could be sooner. If I’m wrong I’m wrong but I’m really not someone to pretend like I know all this info if I don’t think it’s from a reliable source- plus this all makes sense. The parks can open at larger capacity July 1 too and profit more. It also more closes matches the Shanghai time line from when they opened their springs area then their parks

Link?

 

[DGsAtBLT]

It’s great to hear that people are following the rules and behaving!

They’d be caught on about 500 different vlogger cameras if they didn’t

 

[Azziefan]

ink


Link?

I can’t link you it’s my friend lol

 

[ScubaCat]

I can’t link you it’s my friend lol

Was your friend ever a disney bus driver?

 

[orangetree]

All of that stuff could be done within a day. They’re not building social distancing markers, they’re stickers that you measure and place on the ground. Chances are City Walk didn’t have their stickers put on the ground until last week at the earliest

yeah, based on my limited experience seeing CMs lay down some major tape lines really quickly, I'm not sure how good of an indication that is to opening soonISH.

Honestly if they had the tape lines down now, I'd question whether they'd survive until opening hahaha

 

[andyman8]

All of that stuff could be done within a day. They’re not building social distancing markers, they’re stickers that you measure and place on the ground. Chances are City Walk didn’t have their stickers put on the ground until last week at the earliest

Just putting it out there.

FYI: SDL started having those up about three weeks before their opening and HKDL has had theirs up for a week or two now and they're still not open. Not saying it means anything, but I'm not sure you could instal all of that and effectively test it for a large theme park in a day. This isn't just putting stickers or tape on the ground. They need to test with TMs, gage crowd flow, and make adjustments where needed. They also may want to tour some government officials around it to show and reassure how they're managing social distancing (as they did in SDL).

 

[orangetree]

Just putting it out there.

FYI: SDL started having those up about three weeks before their opening and HKDL has had theirs up for a week or two now and they're still not open. Not saying it means anything, but I'm not sure you could instal all of that and effectively test it for a large theme park in a day. This isn't just putting stickers or tape on the ground. They need to test with TMs, gage crowd flow, and make adjustments where needed. They also may want to tour some government officials around it to show and reassure how they're managing social distancing (as they did in SDL).

I think the shanghai ones were laid down early for testing more than anything else.

They might take what they learned from shanghai and apply it here with less testing than they did there, we'll have to see if they really do full testing of all that stuff in the park itself. If they do, we definitely will start seeing the lines and stickers laid out sooner rather than later. If not, maybe a few days beforehand.

 

[Mit88]

Just putting it out there.

FYI: SDL started having those up about three weeks before their opening and HKDL has had theirs up for a week or two now and they're still not open. Not saying it means anything, but I'm not sure you could instal all of that and effectively test it for a large theme park in a day. This isn't just putting stickers or tape on the ground. They need to test with TMs, gage crowd flow, and make adjustments where needed.

But putting the stickers down takes longer than testing and adjusting as long as you have the people there to test is out. Im not saying they’ll put them down and then open to the public the next day, that’s just not logical. Just saying that it doesn’t take long for most of these things to be put into place. Last week people were claiming it would take a month to put the stickers down and add sneeze guards, that’s definitely not true. Universal is bringing their TMs back into the parks very soon, but that also doesn’t give a concrete timeline