Cruise and Theme Park Operational Updates due to Coronavirus

[WonderlandisReality]

I saw the cast member FAQ and I get the logics of staffing but I gotta say I am at least still relieved to see that Water Park hours and the Halloween party have still lived to fight another day. Would have thought water parks would have disappeared with the EMHs.

And I hope they have this new system ironed out by June 16 (my day 60) My nerves can’t go on like this.

 

[cakebaker]

Be happy we are getting anything.

What other business in the world would we ever say that about?

 

[Cdn Jeff]

https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2020/05/an-update-on-walt-disney-world-resort-reservations/
So has anybody actually had their ADRs cancelled? If so, for which dates?
I have a Nov 6th arrival and all of my ADR’s and other experience are still intact.

 

[WonderlandisReality]

https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2020/05/an-update-on-walt-disney-world-resort-reservations/
So has anybody actually had their ADRs cancelled? If so, for which dates?
I have a Nov 6th arrival and all of my ADR’s and other experience are still intact.

I have two trips booked 1 for 8/15-8/29 and 1 for 11/7-11/21 and they both still have the ADRs. The MNSSHP tickets are still there and the previously extended when we lost the April reservation tickets that were extended until 12/15 still expire 12/15/2020.

 

[cakebaker]

https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2020/05/an-update-on-walt-disney-world-resort-reservations/
So has anybody actually had their ADRs cancelled? If so, for which dates?
I have a Nov 6th arrival and all of my ADR’s and other experience are still intact.

There's no need for them to hurry to clear them off, it's a sure thing they're going to. Mine are all still there and I suspect they will be until the actual date of each one arrives and they drop off naturally.

 

[hunterjumperluv]

I’ve now gotten THREE cancelation emails... and have not had any future reservations, ever. Also... interestingly enough, when I click into My Reservations, it shows I can still get FP+. I can click into it, but it freezes/crashes the App at select family and friends.

surprised they didn’t remove that button when they removed the one from from the front screen when pressing the + button.

I don’t envy Disney IT right now....

 

[NJlauren]

I think long term a 60 day ADR window is amazing, it doesn’t help my November trip since I got everything I wanted at my exact times. I love planning a trip but I hardly ever keep my 180 days ADRs exactly how I book them.

Also if ADRs have been booked for all tables and now they are only going to have 25 or 50% how did you expect them to decide who got to keep the ADR and who’s got canceled, canceling them all and starting over is a fairer way to handle this. IMO, do I love it? No, but it doesn’t really bother me to much.

The only thing I see as a real problem here is the canceling the DDP after they gave it as an incentive to rebook.

I canceled my July trip when they announced the opening dates July 3-9, before the task force meeting was even over. So I have little skin in the immediate game, I do have a tentative August Trip booked. But still waiting on 14 day quarantine to be lifted from my area.

 

[Mom2Anna&Elsa]

The free dining withdrawal doesn’t even affect me and I think that Disney looks awful with last night’s news.

Yes, Disney is different and had to make radical changes, but Disney is the monster that created this beast that requires 180 day dining reservations & 60 day fastpasses! Why, on earth, did they offer free dining for a recovery deal? Why did they offer it to begin on June 1, and then not be open?

For anyone saying that Disney didn’t know it would be this bad, is Disney not a worldwide company that saw the Covid19 shut downs at their parks in other countries first? Were they naive enough to think the US would be immune?

I think that them canceling ADRs and Dining and revoking the free dining they gave out is just such a crappy move. Yes, I get with capacity restrictions they have to, but they created this monster. And they didn’t have to give free dining to customers with so many questions about reopening.

Poor leadership decisions.

 

[Becky19]

The FastPass & ADR changes don't bother me, but the dining plan cancellation could be a deal breaker. We're coming from the UK & booked last year for September 2020 with free dining. We've spend thousands on flights already so can't just cancel and rebook different dates. We just won't be able to afford it if we have to pay for all our food and they don't give us a reduction on our rooms.

I hope they come out with more details soon for those who are affected.

 

[TakesFaithTrust&PixieDust]

What other business in the world would we ever say that about?

Given the extraordinary circumstances Id say that about most businesses. In Florida most businesses are operating under pretty strict guidelines. To turn that around how many other businesses would suffer from the media bashing like Disney if they were the source of another outbreak? If there an outbreak at a Six Flags for example it will be a minor short lived blip on the news. Disney would have to deal with it for years down the road. What’s great about all of this is that each of us has a choice of whether or not to go visit the parks during these difficult times. It’s actually pretty simple.

 

[Eric Smith]

Can anyone help with this?

Yes, all dining plans are being refunded per the announcement.

 

[cakebaker]

Given the extraordinary circumstances Id say that about most businesses. In Florida most businesses are operating under pretty strict guidelines. To turn that around how many other businesses would suffer from the media bashing like Disney if they were the source of another outbreak? If there an outbreak at a Six Flags for example it will be a minor short lived blip on the news. Disney would have to deal with it for years down the road. What’s great about all of this is that each of us has a choice of whether or not to go visit the parks during these difficult times. It’s actually pretty simple.

The fact that we aren't forced to go doesn't make it all ok. I do put my money where my mouth is and I'm not going, but that does nothing to make what they're doing good. And no, I don't accept half an order of take out that I pay full price for because of a pandemic. I wouldn't buy a car with no engine and pay full price because of a pandemic. And I won't pay full price for well less than half the experience at WDW. But hey, if you want to, that's the great thing...you can. Disney doesn't get a pass from me because we have a pandemic. They don't get to slash and cut and continue to charge rack rate for the privilege of just being there. They tricked people into booking and making plans, held their deposits and then cancelled them, allowing them to keep the reservations at rack rate. Now they've removed the ability for them to cancel, so they're still getting to hold the money.

None of that has a single thing to do with safety or insuring that Disney won't have an outbreak that they might get bad press for. It's just deceptive, dishonest and disappointing.

 

[Eric Smith]

I would wait to see what they offer to those affected before saying it’s a money grab....granted whatever they offer will have uncertainty tied to it because of the free dining promo stigma, so it better be good.

They’re offering a 35% room discount in the place of the free dining according to the rumor. That’s probably a better deal than the dining.

 

[JacknSally]

The thing about cancelling the DDPs... I don’t think Disney offered free dining in bad faith back in March or April. I just don’t think they expected the extreme capacity restrictions they would have to have in the restaurants when they reopen, and they know they aren’t able or likely won’t be able to accommodate all of the free-diners with restaurants the way they’ll have to be for a while. They know the dining plans and free dining bring in money, that’s why they’ve kept the free dining offer for so long, though they’ve been phasing it out.

Believe me, I am hypercritical of Disney a lot of the time, but to me this seems like they were trying to be optimistic and keep people excited about the post-closure time, not realizing back in March or April exactly what it would be. Then 2020 doubled down, and now they face angry guests because they show up with free dining and can’t get in to the restaurants, or angry guests because Disney can’t accommodate the offer fully so they cancelled the offer before people go on their trips.

YMMV, of course, and I’m not saying you can’t be upset. To me, this just doesn’t seem like a bait-and-switch.

 

[mshanson3121]

What I get a kick out of (online in other places) are all the people saying, "Well my plans are all still there, so I don't think they'll do this." Like they think Disney has a big, red, Staples button and can magically make hundreds of thousands of plans disappear in a second. The announcement said, "Starting May 28th..." It will take time to get it all taken care of.

 

[Eric Smith]

What's going to happen when the governor does not approve Disneys plan?

Just because you keep posting this doesn’t make it actually true.

 

[Leigh L]

https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2020/05/an-update-on-walt-disney-world-resort-reservations/
So has anybody actually had their ADRs cancelled? If so, for which dates?
I have a Nov 6th arrival and all of my ADR’s and other experience are still intact.

As of this morning, all my August (and November) ADRs are still intact. No emails received from WDW in either DH's or my inboxes.
Edited to add: I haven't been able to modify anything for a day or two and all three resort reservations (split stay in August, 1 in November) cannot be modified. As of yesterday sometime I was still able to modify my November one (our August one DH booked with military offer so we can't change that online anyway, but the wording did change IIRC)

 

[LALA2020]

They’re offering a 35% room discount in the place of the free dining according to the rumor. That’s probably a better deal than the dining.

Our holiday same dates next year has gone up £1800! So I doubt it is a great deal when the discount is coming off the hiked up prices.

 

[TakesFaithTrust&PixieDust]

The fact that we aren't forced to go doesn't make it all ok. I do put my money where my mouth is and I'm not going, but that does nothing to make what they're doing good. And no, I don't accept half an order of take out that I pay full price for because of a pandemic. I wouldn't buy a car with no engine and pay full price because of a pandemic. And I won't pay full price for well less than half the experience at WDW. But hey, if you want to, that's the great thing...you can. Disney doesn't get a pass from me because we have a pandemic. They don't get to slash and cut and continue to charge rack rate for the privilege of just being there. They tricked people into booking and making plans, held their deposits and then cancelled them, allowing them to keep the reservations at rack rate. Now they've removed the ability for them to cancel, so they're still getting to hold the money.

None of that has a single thing to do with safety or insuring that Disney won't have an outbreak that they might get bad press for. It's just deceptive, dishonest and disappointing.

Then you have the choice not to go and move on to perhaps a more attractive entertainment venue this year. I’ve worked at another major theme park and saw the behind the scenes financial aspect. Other parks are doing the same thing in regards to refunds and bookings. Whether or not you want to give them a pass is a personal decision. For me getting angry over it isn’t worth the effort since it will be straightened out in the near future. I’m more concerned with 30 million people losing their jobs, people struggling to put food on the table and keep a roof over the heads of their family. And I also put my money where my mouth is by donating. To me that’s the real crisis of this pandemic. But that’s just me.

 

[Osugal9]

The thing about cancelling the DDPs... I don’t think Disney offered free dining in bad faith back in March or April. I just don’t think they expected the extreme capacity restrictions they would have to have in the restaurants when they reopen, and they know they aren’t able or likely won’t be able to accommodate all of the free-diners with restaurants the way they’ll have to be for a while. They know the dining plans and free dining bring in money, that’s why they’ve kept the free dining offer for so long, though they’ve been phasing it out.

Believe me, I am hypercritical of Disney a lot of the time, but to me this seems like they were trying to be optimistic and keep people excited about the post-closure time, not realizing back in March or April exactly what it would be. Then 2020 doubled down, and now they face angry guests because they show up with free dining and can’t get in to the restaurants, or angry guests because Disney can’t accommodate the offer fully so they cancelled the offer before people go on their trips.

YMMV, of course, and I’m not saying you can’t be upset. To me, this just doesn’t seem like a bait-and-switch.

What they could have done and in my opinion should have done was Any of these other options:
1. Give everyone the quick service dining plan. People have to eat regardless.
2. Give people a discount on their CURRENT reservation and not a future reservation
3. Offer people their package next year at the same price. For many people who booked a bounce back or the promotion in January a booking next year even at a 35% discount is still a decent amount more.
4. Give people a gift card for 75% of the value of their dining plan to use in food in the park.