Cruise and Theme Park Operational Updates due to Coronavirus

[CastAStone]

It's so hard to keep up with all this, so I need a few points clarified about what's being discussed. The thread is about 50 pages longer than when I checked it last night.

-I have a DVC stay booked with points on July 17. Is the current thought that reservation will be cancelled and I will have to rebook it in some way based on availability?

-The comment about APs being frozen - does that mean the expectation is that even though I have an active AP for that trip that I had previously used to book FPs, it won't be valid and I would have to buy multi-day tickets if I wind up getting a park reservation and going?

1) no, they have not given us any reason to think that they will cancel your DVC reservation.
2) The AP freeze is still a rumor. They have not announced anything regarding that.

 

[Jiminy76]

I would be MAJORLY surprised if this is the case. People need to eat, people need to be separated into a large number of places for social distancing, and they did say that people would have first dibs on their old dining reservations.

I could see the larger TS opening as they can space the tables out and still fit in enough tables to make it worth opening. (IE Crystal Palace) Places like LeCellier would be tough to open and provide distance between table and still have enough tables where it would be worth opening for Disney. I'm keeping my expectations low in regards to the TS restaurants, if most open great, but I think many may not initially open.

 

[e_yerger]

I appreciate that I am not the only one who seems to have not slept more than a few hours before hopping right back in.

hello hi

 

[mshanson3121]

I don't think that would fly well. That would mean some guests would get more park time then others. How would they choose who gets the golden (full day) ticket?

My guess? Tickets will be limited to x-amount of hours, so maybe 5, 6 hours. That would allow them to spread out the entries. So, take MK with park hours from 9-7. You could choose a 6 hour block from 9-3, 10-4, 11-5 etc...

 

[NJlauren]

And 2 is a huge range. 2 almost 3 MAYBE can handle it. Just turned 2 is basically still a baby.

Exactly!

 

[gatechfan99]

1) no, they have not given us any reason to think that they will cancel your DVC reservation.
2) The AP freeze is still a rumor. They have not announced anything regarding that.

Thanks for clarifying.

This all reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where George was caught lying about being handicapped so he could get the handicapped bathroom at work. His boss couldn't fire him over that, but they could try to make it miserable enough to leave on his own. Took away bathroom, air conditioning, chair, etc. Feels very similar here to help solve Disney's problems without cancelling entire trips themselves.

 

[e_yerger]

maybe they are also trying to weed out the liability of children in the theme parks?

 

[andyman8]

Actually I read it wrong. DVC resorts open June 15, so you should be ok as of now. Sorry, I'm going on 4 hours of sleep

You made me think I was nuts!

No, you were correct initially.

VB and HHI open on June 15. The WDW DVC resorts don’t open until June 22, including Poly Villas. From the WDW website:

“Additionally, Disney Vacation Club properties at Walt Disney World and Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground will begin to reopen to Members and Guests on June 22. Disney Vacation Club properties in Vero Beach, Florida, and Hilton Head, South Carolina, will open on June 15. Disney Springs has already begun to reopen.”

So unfortunately, the OP’s reservation will likely be canceled, but I don’t think rebooking it with a June 22 check in will be an issue with the parks closed.

 

[Bibbobboo2u]

My guess? Tickets will be limited to x-amount of hours, so maybe 5, 6 hours. That would allow them to spread out the entries. So, take MK with park hours from 9-7. You could choose a 6 hour block from 9-3, 10-4, 11-5 etc...

Like they did for AP previews at SWGE.......hmmmmmm.......could see that possibly happening

 

[Brianstl]

I don't know if they want a majority of people to cancel, but I definitely think they want the super planners to cancel. That is the group most likely not to be able to accept a go with the flow Disney vacation and that is what these trips will be for the foreseeable future. You get them to cancel you get less complaints to staff at the parks/resorts and less bad reviews for what will be the new WDW experience.

 

[TakesFaithTrust&PixieDust]

Those 30 million you’re so concerned about include Disney employees too that have been effected by the way Disney has handled this. We all know what the real crisis is, but this isn’t a crisis or pandemic board, it’s a Disney board for goodness sake. Since we are listing things we are concerned about these days, I’m most concerned about the level of self-righteousness this pandemic has exposed in ppl.

I agree since I have a cast member in our household and see daily the stress they’re going through. My apologies if I offended anyone about my caring about the whole picture including Disney. I’ll try harder to only look at the Disney aspect I lost money on two Disney cruises so I guess i qualify about being affected. Back to more Disney news

 

[DGsAtBLT]

My guess? Tickets will be limited to x-amount of hours, so maybe 5, 6 hours. That would allow them to spread out the entries. So, take MK with park hours from 9-7. You could choose a 6 hour block from 9-3, 10-4, 11-5 etc...

That would be really hard to enforce. They’d have to do something like colour coded bands and clear the park of people with a certain colour every hour in the afternoon and evening.

I think it will be relatively simple. You signed up for MK that’s your park for the day. Maybe something like allowing people to leave and make a new reservation with another park that has space.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I posted in the news thread but maybe useful here too

I received the e-mail this morning from Disney indicating how changes have happened that will impact my trip, etc. - and it indicated that because I had a trip scheduled and "valid theme park tickets" I will have access to the system before new tickets are sold to other guests


Interesting because my trip is not really impacted as I am not scheduled to check in until Sept 29th 2021 (so almost 1.5 years from now) and I don't have active tickets but I do have a non yet activated AP in my account

So seems like truly just based on "any resort stay" + "any already purchased ticket" is what is required - not only if your trip is directly impacted by changes this year

 

[hereforthechurros]

all due respect but why do they have to revoke the free dining for those who had it? First off when they offered it to us they combined it with an up sell in resort/length of stay. And we got it. Give to get. We could live with it. But we were loyal. Did not take our money out. Put more in. Why can’t they just say “hey, we’re sorry this didn’t work out. Tough times, you know? But hold on to that perk until you can use it again. Our way of saying thanks for hanging in with us”. That’s just good customer service. Its like when a restaurant screws up and they tear up the check. I am def going back to that restaurant. WDW is being arrogant in thinking we will all go back like sheep.

Chapek has played this up lately as well. Almost coming across as cocky regarding their brand loyalty and laughing off demand talk saying they’ll have an overabundance of it. Bad look for the CEO to be taking advantage of that.

 

[CastAStone]

My guess? Tickets will be limited to x-amount of hours, so maybe 5, 6 hours. That would allow them to spread out the entries. So, take MK with park hours from 9-7. You could choose a 6 hour block from 9-3, 10-4, 11-5 etc...

The way the park hours are staggered so that each park opens and closes 1 hour apart I think is a pretty good indicator that they want guests in the park for the entire 10 hour period they are open for. With social distancing on their buses, 90% of the buses in operation will be heading to AK at 7:30, MK at 8:30, etc.

 

[runjulesrun]

If anyone still cares I have now confirmed that the source of this was the Disney travel agent website.

If there are any TAs reading this I’d appreciate it if you could verify if the 35% offer information is still posted.

I just looked on the TA site and can't find it. If it is there, it is buried somewhere. I will keep looking but at first glance, I don't see it.

 

[andyman8]

Disney just canceled my VAH tickets for July 6. Forgot I even had those still lol!

 

[Brianstl]

maybe they are also trying to weed out the liability of children in the theme parks?

I definitely think this is part of it. Young children are the most likely not to understand how to comply with the new rules so they are just going to add to the stuff that will discourage people from making trips with them.

 

[CastAStone]

I just looked on the TA site and can't find it. If it is there, it is buried somewhere. I will keep looking but at first glance, I don't see it.

Thanks for checking. Wouldn't be the first time Disney has posted something and then quietly removed it and posted something different an hour later. Heck it wouldn't even be the 3rd time this month.

 

[e_yerger]

Thanks for checking. Wouldn't be the first time Disney has posted something and then quietly removed it posted something different an hour later. Heck it wouldn't even be the 3rd time this month.

this week?