Cruise and Theme Park Operational Updates due to Coronavirus

[chad_1138]

Trying to play catch-up here, Is Disney now allowing modifications to existing reservations?

Only for June 14-21 arrivals at this time.

 

[gottalovepluto]

DVC studios don't really have kitchens. Only microwave and mini fridge, but I guess that could work.

Ahhh. Didn’t realize. My theory doesn’t work then lol.

 

[rteetz]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1268931919443566593

 

[Prof_obvious]

I have not received refunds for the dining plan for my July 19 or August 24th trips. Both still show the dining plan in MDE. I don't think they have finished the changes yet.

My dining plan was refunded for my july13-16 trip. Still show reservation for Pop. Have not been cancelled or moved.

 

[Mit88]

I think the DVC opening alone at first is just to stop the point issue from accumulating further, not because they are preparing in the event they can’t feed guests.

Studio kitchenettes are not much better for actual cooking purposes than regular rooms. After all you can even “cook” in a value room, just ask the DISers who remember talks of grilled cheese made with irons, and hot dogs in coffee makers.

I prefer my hotdogs made on a sterno outside of raglan road

 

[chicagoshannon]

Trying to play catch-up here, Is Disney now allowing modifications to existing reservations?

only for those booked through June 21 and you have to call.

 

[KBoopaloo]

Location advantage (and the ease and feel of staying on property) is the primary reason we pay a premium to stay where we stay. And not $1000 a night even at the deluxes lol.

The FP window was a relatively recent incentive to stay onsite. EMH less recent (and also a shell of what it once was), but still people act like there’s no reason to stay onsite without them. I don’t think eliminating FP+ and EMH as we know them (and likely adding some other perk in their place) is going to impact onsite booking.

I have DVC but in years I buy an AP I often take a few trips where I pay cash (though never anything close to $1000/night!) For me the resort is part of the entire WDW experience and I don’t mind paying more for WDW accommodations than I would for similar or even better accommodations offsite. I’ve stayed at a couple of offsite resorts and none of those trips felt like a “real” Disney vacation to me despite the resorts being very nice. The FP advantage and EMH has no bearing on my choice to stay onsite at all. I get that this is not the case for many people but it is the case for me and I’d guess it is the same for many others.

 

[MickeyWaffles]

Studio kitchenettes are not much better for actual cooking purposes than regular rooms.

True. It’s one of the reasons most of the DVC resorts have outdoor grills.

 

[Marthasor]

Where are you seeing this? And did those people have an email telling them they WOULD get the 35%?

Those within the June 5 - June 21 check-in date range could modify their reservations to dates between July 11 - December 31, 2020 today. If they had free dining or the guest recovery promo on their June bookings, they were not offered a 35% discount on a modified booking. I do not know if any of them ever received an e-mail updating their original June reservation to reflect 35% off their rack rate room for their June dates. Even if they did, they are not allowing that discount to transfer to a modified booking. It's basically the same thing that happens during normal operating times - you can't simply transfer a discount if that discount doesn't apply to new dates.

 

[gottalovepluto]

We arrive on July 13th, ASMo. Still showing the dinning plan on my reservation. Called yesterday to ask why I haven't been refunded - first level cast member stated that the only thing I can do is wait and hope it gets refunded before we arrive. Asked to speak with guest services; very helpful cast member is keeping an eye on my reservation hoping to help things along. But it sounds like they just want us to cancel this portion of our trip. We also have reservations at AKL and CR for the remainder of our trip.

Just be patient. Sounds like it hasn’t rolled out for you.

And phone CMs are just slightly less lost these days than we are. (And we complain about Disney not communicating!)

 

[LSUmiss]

Those within the June 5 - June 21 check-in date range could modify their reservations to dates between July 11 - December 31, 2020 today. If they had free dining or the guest recovery promo on their June bookings, they were not offered a 35% discount on a modified booking. I do not know if any of them ever received an e-mail updating their original June reservation to reflect 35% off their rack rate room for their June dates. Even if they did, they are not allowing that discount to transfer to a modified booking. It's basically the same thing that happens during normal operating times - you can't simply transfer a discount if that discount doesn't apply to new dates.

Is this just DVC?

 

[roth697]

Only for June 14-21 arrivals at this time.

Thank you. Was that posted on the website or is Disney contacting people individually? I proactively canceled my June reservation but still have one in early July before opening.

 

[DisneyEater]

Only for June 14-21 arrivals at this time.

And only for packages

 

[Dis5150]

Those within the June 5 - June 21 check-in date range could modify their reservations to dates between July 11 - December 31, 2020 today. If they had free dining or the guest recovery promo on their June bookings, they were not offered a 35% discount on a modified booking. I do not know if any of them ever received an e-mail updating their original June reservation to reflect 35% off their rack rate room for their June dates. Even if they did, they are not allowing that discount to transfer to a modified booking. It's basically the same thing that happens during normal operating times - you can't simply transfer a discount if that discount doesn't apply to new dates.

Ok. Is there an actual firsthand report of this happening to someone? I'm not doubting you, I just want to hear from someone this happened to. Our dates are not until the following week (June 27 arrival) so curious to see what happens to us.

 

[Marissa227]

I think the other consideration is housekeeping in DVC. The housekeepers are going to have one of the highest risks of exposure and that’s something that will have to be worked out, but it’s already very minimal at DVC and the cabins at FW could easily go without.

 

[chad_1138]

I just looked at our MDE res for July 5-17 at POP. It no longer has the verbage of "modifications are not permitted at this time". Might try to call later and I'll report back what I find.

 

[Sandiz08]

And only for packages

So you can only modify to a package? That won’t work for those with tickets in hand already.

 

[cakebaker]

I think the other consideration is housekeeping in DVC. The housekeepers are going to have one of the highest risks of exposure and that’s something that will have to be worked out, but it’s already very minimal at DVC and the cabins at FW could easily go without.

If you’re cash DVC, maid service is the same as any other resort. FW cabins could go no easier without maid service than any other resort. I’d argue the exact opposite- maid service at both locations is much more intensive other than the studios.

That is, IF they have maid service at all.

 

[BrianR]

DVC website says limited access to pools and resort amenities. QS and some TS would be a viable, but could have limited menus

But if you were showing up in a week and a half, wouldn't you want to know what those are? I mean that's within what you would have people on a work schedule for. And they posted nothing. That notice was up there when they announced the 6/15 date. If someone is looking to find out more clarity of their WDW trip, you would think at a minimum it would be when the first canary into the coal mine (in this case HHI and Vero) would have a fully defined list of what's going to be there when people show up and people can possibly forecast from there.

 

[Tjddis]

This thing, to my view, is becoming a real mess. I am having a very hard time seeing how any of this maneuvering is helping Disney in the long run. Many have said that they are putting a lot of stuff in place to cause people to cancel so they can deal with what’s left. What smart business plan starts with ticking off your customers to the point where they cancel?
When all of this started I mused that they should really just punt the parks for the summer and plan on a fall or winter reopen. Don’t want to debate virus potency, it’s kind of becoming irrelevent because it’s become accepted that there are certain measures required for opening. I think they should have opened DVC to help alleviate that backlog, and open select resorts. All could be done easier than opening the parks. Reassign as many CMS to these locations as possible based on seniority. I don’t understand how the expense of reinventing all these wheels, investing in all these changes and irritating all these customers pay off in a limited capacity situation. Plus many people are saying they are trying to be flexible in case things change. So why not just hold the opening until things change? Which by all appearances they are. In terms of Aps, why not just stop the clock on them for the duration of the closure?