Cruise and Theme Park Operational Updates due to Coronavirus

[Ariel 1715]

As long as you're prepared for a realistic magic. It won't be the same magic as usual, if you know that, you'l be fine

Any day in Disney even in a face mask is better than anywhere else! As long as they are open I will be there!!

 

[DGsAtBLT]

Long post alert.

I think we on this thread can get tunnel-vision sometimes and forget about the larger picture in regard to WDW's reopening. Based on everything I've been told and heard, it's clear to me that Disney is playing the long game here, not the July 11 game here, and they're designing the park reservation system with that in mind. If you think that when the first batch of park reservations are released there isn't going to be massive delays, system errors, and headaches, then you're fooling yourself. Just look at any shopDisney limited release, VIPASSHOLDER Night release, Moonlight Magic release, etc. They're not building the reservation system to accommodate the massive wave of requests that will surely hit it on Day 1; they're building it to sustain the more moderate demand it will see as the year progresses. It will also be tweaked and changed along the way.

The Shanghai Disneyland reservation system initially used an algorithm similar to the ones used to sell special event/Disney After Hours tickets online. Essentially, Disney took their desired capacity limit, subtracted a number of tickets to account for APs, then sold that number of tickets through the online portal. They used a separate system or algorithm to allow APs to reserve their spot online. The idea here being that new ticket holders and APs didn't pull from the same pool of reservations. It would theoretically be possible that all AP spots were taken, while new tickets were still available. This is why it took more than three weeks for them to introduce a new algorithm for General Admission ticket holders to be able to use an existing ticket to make a reservation.

This type of system can work in parks like Shanghai and Hong Kong where their audience is more localized and doesn't plan/purchase tickets nearly as far in advance as WDW guests do. They also don't have dated tickets, Park Hopper, wide use of multi-day tickets, or 30,000 hotel rooms to consider. That same set of algorithms would introduce a ridiculous amount of headaches (and potentially shut people out), so they have to build a whole system from the ground up, one that ideally pulls from the same pool rather than Disney creating several pools of reservations. There are still details that need to be worked out, and I'd imagine will hear an update regarding resorts before we see the reservation system roll out, even if that update is "DVC and FW only for the time being."

That's already a complicated situation, but then add the recent uptick in cases around most of the country and the situation becomes even more difficult. In South Florida, which has seen a far greater number of cases than Central Florida, county officials have not attributed the current trends to reopening (some of which start more than a month ago) but rather noncompliance with face masks and social distancing. As someone who has been out and about in the South Florida for the last week or so, I believe they are very much correct. A number of bloggers and vloggers have also reported this in Central Florida, particularly outside of the parks. Why does what happens outside of the parks matter? Because that's where the CMs are when they're not working. Because there are many locals who spend time outside of the parks who then go into the parks. So what does this actually mean for the parks? I think it's likely that they are even more careful and measured with capacity and other restrictions. Any sort of "relaxing" of the stated restrictions gets pushed off further and further as these trends continue (I'm looking at you, September and October people). It also means firmer enforcement than we've seen from Disney before. That's my assessment; you can disagree but I'm not arguing about it, so please don't quote this post if you're going to argue about it. This isn't the place for it.

Disney has always been very cautious, and this situation will be no different. Just a few days ago WESH-TV (the local NBC affiliate for Central Florida) ran a story about if the Central Florida parks reopened too early. You can argue about the merits of that story (but please don't with me, I've had enough with the off topic media-bashing in this thread), but the reality is that stories like that drive a narrative, a narrative Disney absolutely wants no part of. Even if cases persist with this trend a month from now (who knows?), Disney will point to the extensive measures they're taking as evidence of the safety of WDW, and if those local officials are to be believed, theoretically Disney would curtail big waves of new cases by firmly enforcing face masks and social distancing.

As Remy and others have said, it is apparent to me that Disney is preparing a solution as closure-proof as possible. That may seem excessive to some. It may "ruin" the magic. That's okay, but Disney has been very honest with everyone (more so than they usually are). Disney has provided a comprehensive list of what restaurants will and will not be open on June 22. They've even given a glimpse at what the menus will look like. They've provided a detailed list of amenities and services that will and will not be available. I don't want to get into the WDW vs. UOR debate (love them both), but I still couldn't tell you which restaurants at the UOR Loews Hotels are operating. There is certainly a lot more to be released but Disney has also advised that right now may not be the right time for everyone to visit WDW. If you're not okay with that uncertainty, (and I don't say this in a mean-spirited way at all) I'd advise you to cancel. I'm amazed by how many posters here have drawn lines in the sand only for Disney to then cross those lines and then the posters move those lines to something else. Again, now may not be the right time for you to visit WDW.

I want answers just as much as everyone else here, and I've done whatever I can to try to get them, but even folks inside Disney don't seem to have the answers yet. That should tell you a lot about where things stand. I'm far from a Disney apologist (I criticized them for raising the prices at Topolino's yesterday lol), but I also recognize the operational nightmare that is reopening a resort as large as WDW (with so many moving parts) in the middle of a pandemic. More to the point, one thing I've learned from ticket price increases is that my wallet speaks more than my mouth does. I can get worked up on here about how ridiculously expensive my AP is each year, but I'm still renewing anyways. The only message that sends to Disney is that I'm okay with the increases. If you're really upset about this, then again, I'd advise you to cancel. At the very least, you'd be giving yourself a rest and it might make your next trip that much better or more special, but arguing on here is going to get you nowhere.

 

[TXAKDisneyFan]

Wow, that is Tetris! Our three guys are over 6 feet tall and we will have at least 8 suitcases since we are bringing things to entertain us in the room since we don't know what will be open.

Yep, my mom is short but my dads over 6 feet, and my brother is 6'6" and built like a linebacker. It's made sharing a car (minivan) on vacation with my family a challenge, but we've done it. We also have kids with special needs, so in addition to my habit of packing the kitchen sink, we also have to bring along boxes of formula for tube feeds, etc. DH esp doesn't appreciate it when he's packing the car and I start playing the Tetris theme song on my phone

DH and I have an adults-only trip starting July 30. I'm definitely going to keep an eye out for reports of how WDW transportation is - wait times, how full buses are, if the skyliner is running - and maybe rent a car. (More likely to rent one in Nov when the kids are with us, since it's not quite as bad waiting an hour for a bus without tired kids fussing at us.)

I'm also curious about how difficult it will be to come by dining reservations (at resorts and parks). If it's difficult to get into TS, will we be waiting forever at CS? Will CS have menus so parred down that we can't find things to eat? How will grocery delivery actually work? These are questions that I wish they'd answer so we could make a more informed decision about car rental (I'd like to know sooner than later if we need to drive to a grocery ourselves, or need to be able to drive to off-site restaurants.)

 

[RapunzelIsMyHomeGirl]

Long post alert.

I think we on this thread can get tunnel-vision sometimes and forget about the larger picture in regard to WDW's reopening. Based on everything I've been told and heard, it's clear to me that Disney is playing the long game here, not the July 11 game here, and they're designing the park reservation system with that in mind. If you think that when the first batch of park reservations are released there isn't going to be massive delays, system errors, and headaches, then you're fooling yourself. Just look at any shopDisney limited release, VIPASSHOLDER Night release, Moonlight Magic release, etc. They're not building the reservation system to accommodate the massive wave of requests that will surely hit it on Day 1; they're building it to sustain the more moderate demand it will see as the year progresses. It will also be tweaked and changed along the way.

The Shanghai Disneyland reservation system initially used an algorithm similar to the ones used to sell special event/Disney After Hours tickets online. Essentially, Disney took their desired capacity limit, subtracted a number of tickets to account for APs, then sold that number of tickets through the online portal. They used a separate system or algorithm to allow APs to reserve their spot online. The idea here being that new ticket holders and APs didn't pull from the same pool of reservations. It would theoretically be possible that all AP spots were taken, while new tickets were still available. This is why it took more than three weeks for them to introduce a new algorithm for General Admission ticket holders to be able to use an existing ticket to make a reservation.

This type of system can work in parks like Shanghai and Hong Kong where their audience is more localized and doesn't plan/purchase tickets nearly as far in advance as WDW guests do. They also don't have dated tickets, Park Hopper, wide use of multi-day tickets, or 30,000 hotel rooms to consider. That same set of algorithms would introduce a ridiculous amount of headaches (and potentially shut people out), so they have to build a whole system from the ground up, one that ideally pulls from the same pool rather than Disney creating several pools of reservations. There are still details that need to be worked out, and I'd imagine will hear an update regarding resorts before we see the reservation system roll out, even if that update is "DVC and FW only for the time being."

That's already a complicated situation, but then add the recent uptick in cases around most of the country and the situation becomes even more difficult. In South Florida, which has seen a far greater number of cases than Central Florida, county officials have not attributed the current trends to reopening (some of which start more than a month ago) but rather noncompliance with face masks and social distancing. As someone who has been out and about in the South Florida for the last week or so, I believe they are very much correct. A number of bloggers and vloggers have also reported this in Central Florida, particularly outside of the parks. Why does what happens outside of the parks matter? Because that's where the CMs are when they're not working. Because there are many locals who spend time outside of the parks who then go into the parks. So what does this actually mean for the parks? I think it's likely that they are even more careful and measured with capacity and other restrictions. Any sort of "relaxing" of the stated restrictions gets pushed off further and further as these trends continue (I'm looking at you, September and October people). It also means firmer enforcement than we've seen from Disney before. That's my assessment; you can disagree but I'm not arguing about it, so please don't quote this post if you're going to argue about it. This isn't the place for it.

Disney has always been very cautious, and this situation will be no different. Just a few days ago WESH-TV (the local NBC affiliate for Central Florida) ran a story about if the Central Florida parks reopened too early. You can argue about the merits of that story (but please don't with me, I've had enough with the off topic media-bashing in this thread), but the reality is that stories like that drive a narrative, a narrative Disney absolutely wants no part of. Even if cases persist with this trend a month from now (who knows?), Disney will point to the extensive measures they're taking as evidence of the safety of WDW, and if those local officials are to be believed, theoretically Disney would curtail big waves of new cases by firmly enforcing face masks and social distancing.

As Remy and others have said, it is apparent to me that Disney is preparing a solution as closure-proof as possible. That may seem excessive to some. It may "ruin" the magic. That's okay, but Disney has been very honest with everyone (more so than they usually are). Disney has provided a comprehensive list of what restaurants will and will not be open on June 22. They've even given a glimpse at what the menus will look like. They've provided a detailed list of amenities and services that will and will not be available. I don't want to get into the WDW vs. UOR debate (love them both), but I still couldn't tell you which restaurants at the UOR Loews Hotels are operating. There is certainly a lot more to be released but Disney has also advised that right now may not be the right time for everyone to visit WDW. If you're not okay with that uncertainty, (and I don't say this in a mean-spirited way at all) I'd advise you to cancel. I'm amazed by how many posters here have drawn lines in the sand only for Disney to then cross those lines and then the posters move those lines to something else. Again, now may not be the right time for you to visit WDW.

I want answers just as much as everyone else here, and I've done whatever I can to try to get them, but even folks inside Disney don't seem to have the answers yet. That should tell you a lot about where things stand. I'm far from a Disney apologist (I criticized them for raising the prices at Topolino's yesterday lol), but I also recognize the operational nightmare that is reopening a resort as large as WDW (with so many moving parts) in the middle of a pandemic. More to the point, one thing I've learned from ticket price increases is that my wallet speaks more than my mouth does. I can get worked up on here about how ridiculously expensive my AP is each year, but I'm still renewing anyways. The only message that sends to Disney is that I'm okay with the increases. If you're really upset about this, then again, I'd advise you to cancel. At the very least, you'd be giving yourself a rest and it might make your next trip that much better or more special, but arguing on here is going to get you nowhere.

This needs to be its own opinion piece on the internet. You succinctly and kindly explain the current state of Disney World. It's a piece that every conversation can point back to now and later.

 

[randumb0]

We usually cook several times, but now am concerned about getting groceries. We fly in, and don’t rent a car. They stated that Shipping Services are not available, so does that mean we cannot have groceries delivered to the resort?

And no room service available, depending on definition of Intigial Reopening Period, according to the Dining Experiences:

• Private dining and in-room delivery will not be offered during the initial reopening window.

If you have to just meet the driver outside

 

[brockash]

I drive a mini van, and it would not fit us, even to the airport.

I was going to say the same thing. We just rented a minivan in Orlando with 2 adults and 3 kids for 5/6 days and we were pushing for space...so much so; we ended up not bringing our stroller and instead rented one because I knew it wouldn't fit. I can imagine 5 adults and 1 child could be pretty hard to fit with luggage etc.

 

[Jroceagles]

I was going to say the same thing. We just rented a minivan in Orlando with 2 adults and 3 kids for 5/6 days and we were pushing for space...so much so; we ended up not bringing our stroller and instead rented one because I knew it wouldn't fit. I can imagine 5 adults and 1 child could be pretty hard to fit with luggage etc.

8 passenger?

 

[Rebma512]

Fasting is so much easier. With restaurants closed at WDW, that should be easy.

Look up meatzza @jenjersnap. I can’t remember if it’s giordannos or Lou mal that does it, but one of em does! Meat crust...mmmm, for some

 

[brockash]

8 passenger?

It was 7 (2 in the middle row,) but yeah we wouldn't have been able to fit a stroller with everything else.

 

[jenjersnap]

Sadly, I don’t live in Chicago anymore so neither place is an option, but I do make meatza at home! So good!

Look up meatzza @jenjersnap. I can’t remember if it’s giordannos or Lou mal that does it, but one of em does! Meat crust...mmmm, for some

 

[Rebma512]

Sadly, I don’t live in Chicago anymore so neither place is an option, but I do make meatza at home! So good!

It’s probably expensive but I’m also pretty sure lous delivers! My MIL sends pizzas from lous from Chicago down to FL every year

sorry for being OT

 

[aweehughes]

Wow, that is Tetris! Our three guys are over 6 feet tall and we will have at least 8 suitcases since we are bringing things to entertain us in the room since we don't know what will be open.

Our last trip in December we rented a minivan from MD to FL. We had four adults, a tween, and a kid in a car seat. We had an issue with the AC once we got to Florida and Enterprise was kind enough to upgrade us to a Suburban—we are now car shopping for one.

 

[anthony2k7]

All caught up again.

Budget cutbacks are def a thing - a few resorts may not open for weeks or months - they are waiting to see how demand is going to be among the general population (those aside from the Disney diehards on the various message boards) Many travel blogs and travel insider media is predicting a slow return to travel for the near future.

fireworks.. an easy way for Disney to save allot of money. - each fireworks show runs between $45,000 and $55,000 which translates to 15 to 20 million a year. My guess is since it’s a big way to cover budget losses... fireworks may for a while be “special events” or special occasion events.

Lots of talk about getting WDW back to normal.. but with Bob Chapek at the helm it could be awhile. In some of the interviews he did during the reopening of Shanghai and around the time of the Shareholder call.. I recall him saying they hoped to hit 50% capacity by the end of 2020 - with a goal of 75% by next spring. Chapek being the “numbers guy” he will be focusing on stopping the financial hemorrhaging and watching the expenses as he offers a modified experience for the next while. As Remy has mentioned a few times - go with an open mind and expectations in check for the time being.
My feeling - for everything disney takes away.. there will be something that takes it’s place - they will move mountains within the confines and restrictions to please the consumers. It’s what they do.

I’m sad to hear about GAKTW . Another casualty in this whole covid mess.

I wish I was caught up, somehow I got a week behind.

On the subject of fireworks, yes cost is surely a major factor, but I think it's also about social distancing afterwards, those thousand of people all crammed in together trying to get through the exits and then all queueing for transport at the same time is bad optics for any attempt to claim they have implemented social distancing. So probably no big end of evening shows for any park any time soon.

 

[mamapenguin]

It wasn’t that good.

But Disney needs more stuff to do at night with the parks closing early and no fireworks.

It was when it was newer. We used to go there sometimes just to pick up Cheesecake Factory cheesecake or play games before a movie. It was on our APs so why not. - and we went less as they let it go, the last visit before it closed was kind of sad, but the pirate game was still there. I thought it was a great way to spend a few hours on a rainy day. I will let it go now, but there was a time when the food was good, and I don’t care for most of the food at WDW.

 

[SwirlTheCitrus]

I wish I was caught up, somehow I got a week behind.

On the subject of fireworks, yes cost is surely a major factor, but I think it's also about social distancing afterwards, those thousand of people all crammed in together trying to get through the exits and then all queueing for transport at the same time is bad optics for any attempt to claim they have implemented social distancing. So probably no big end of evening shows for any park any time soon.

Also have heard that GETTING the fireworks is a challenge; the supply chain has been disrupted. That has a part in this as well.

 

[hollyhap]

I was going to say the same thing. We just rented a minivan in Orlando with 2 adults and 3 kids for 5/6 days and we were pushing for space...so much so; we ended up not bringing our stroller and instead rented one because I knew it wouldn't fit. I can imagine 5 adults and 1 child could be pretty hard to fit with luggage etc.

We have 5 kids and I drive an 8 passenger Odyssey and we are fine with kids and luggage. However, we absolutely always rent the exact same double stroller I already own bc there is no way it would fit with our luggage!

 

[MouseEarsMom33]

Has anyone received any updates on their Disney face masks purchase? I ordered mine for June 15. Still haven't received any updates from Disney.

I am sure they will be arriving SOON , but curious if anyone has heard anything else?

 

[Auntrosie]

We usually cook several times, but now am concerned about getting groceries. We fly in, and don’t rent a car. They stated that Shipping Services are not available, so does that mean we cannot have groceries delivered to the resort?

And no room service available, depending on definition of Intigial Reopening Period, according to the Dining Experiences:

• Private dining and in-room delivery will not be offered during the initial reopening window.

 

[Gabrielle Broughton]

Has anyone received any updates on their Disney face masks purchase? I ordered mine for June 15. Still haven't received any updates from Disney.

I am sure they will be arriving SOON , but curious if anyone has heard anything else?

We ordered 2 sets when they first became available. So far one was marked shipped and the other was still processing. I did see a payment for Shop Disney processing on my bank account so hopefully we get them soon.

 

[xuxa777]

Going to be interesting when Disney parks are opening on July 15th, NASCAR just annouced they are going to have a race with 30,000 fans that night, should help with the optics of large crowds for Disney, fireworks might be coming back sooner than we think.