Cruise and Theme Park Operational Updates due to Coronavirus

[Sandiz08]

Making people pay to move to an open resort after July 11th might just help them keep their numbers down, but that would be so wrong.

 

[yulilin3]

I just called to get clarity on several things. The CM I spoke to said the new pay off date was 7 days prior. I then asked about my resort not being open, she said that they would give the option to move to a DVC resort thats open but the customer would have to pay the difference. This doesnt sound like what I've seen on here about moving at now charge.

definitely not what's been happening, you pay the difference if you move your dates, but if you are coming on the dates you have already reserved they move you without any additional charge

 

[RWinNOLA]

I get why it’s being rushed, I wanted to know why it was being developed in the first place before COVID. I don’t by the whole need to better staff and plan. If their data analytics game is so weak that they can’t get that info from magic band scans and booking data, then that’s shameful. By the logic of needing a reservation system to better plan capacity what’s next? Requirement to preorder your meals and snacks 30 days prior? Preorder your merchandise so they can stock better? Where does it end?

Magic band scans just tell them how many people are in the parks. Booking data gives them an idea of on property guests but doesn’t predict number off off site guests, locals, etc may attend on any given day.

Neither does anything to limit capacity so that the parks aren’t over crowded. The only thing they could do is just set a capacity and then turn people away if they reach capacity and that wouldn’t go over very well at all.

A reservation system gives them better control to spread guests more evenly among the four theme parks.

 

[woody337]

definitely not what's been happening, you pay the difference if you move your dates, but if you are coming on the dates you have already reserved they move you without any additional charge

Sadly thats what I was just old on the phone. Maybe that will be the case after park opening when my reservation is?

 

[AmberMV]

I just called to get clarity on several things. The CM I spoke to said the new pay off date was 7 days prior. I then asked about my resort not being open, she said that they would give the option to move to a DVC resort thats open but the customer would have to pay the difference. This doesnt sound like what I've seen on here about moving at now charge.

I don't think they've said how post July 11 reservations will be handled, but if that does end up being true it could be because at that point the parks are open and the DVC resorts are already full? I think pre-July 11 they were having trouble filling DVC resorts as lots of people cancelled their trips with no parks to visit and therefore offered resort switch for free.

 

[yulilin3]

Sadly thats what I was just old on the phone. Maybe that will be the case after park opening when my reservation is?

if you feel so inclined, I would call again.

 

[cakebaker]

if you are coming on the dates you have already reserved they move you without any additional charge

They should, but as far as I know, they aren’t handling any reservations past an 11th check out date. Post opening, things may change- especially if they need to reduce resort capacities.
That said, it’s a phone CM, not worthy of getting up in arms about yet.

 

[zemmer]

Sadly thats what I was just old on the phone. Maybe that will be the case after park opening when my reservation is?

I wouldn’t take phone CM word on anything. I had one insist that All Star Sports had been fully remodeled and that Movies was NOT. If you can wait it out until they’re dealing with your dates, then you’ll see the real plan.

 

[skeeter31]

Sadly thats what I was just old on the phone. Maybe that will be the case after park opening when my reservation is?

Could be. The only people getting moved now, I believe, are people in the 6/22-7/11 period and they’re getting moved for free. If you’re reservation is for post park opening, we don’t know what the procedure will actually be. But more than likely it will still be free. The phone CMs still don’t really have any more information than us at this point.

 

[woody337]

if you feel so inclined, I would call again.

I might later and see what they say, but if its different who do you believe? LOL

 

[yulilin3]

not hating it
https://blogmickey.com/2020/06/late...l39GlgakXXwnKXupVSpnEh9SVHiz8L41fPoBFwKMAT0Xs

 

[yulilin3]

I might later and see what they say, but if its different who do you believe? LOL

right?!?! I have found myself calling more than 5 times to beat a tie in information with the phone CM

 

[Searc]

Well, as usual, one hand is not talking to the other. I also just got the "your balance is due email" and CM in chat said it is still due now. My fear is that they will just cancel.

(Tried to post a screenshot, but it's super blurry, sorry). CM said the packages are still due 30 days before.

Ugh. This kind of crap really annoys me and Disney is well known for it. Phone and chat CM's MUST be better informed so they are giving relevant and correct information to guests!

 

[Disneysoule]

not hating it
https://blogmickey.com/2020/06/late...l39GlgakXXwnKXupVSpnEh9SVHiz8L41fPoBFwKMAT0Xs

looking good!

 

[hereforthechurros]

I get why it’s being rushed, I wanted to know why it was being developed in the first place before COVID. I don’t by the whole need to better staff and plan. If their data analytics game is so weak that they can’t get that info from magic band scans and booking data, then that’s shameful. By the logic of needing a reservation system to better plan capacity what’s next? Requirement to preorder your meals and snacks 30 days prior? Preorder your merchandise so they can stock better? Where does it end?

Plenty of families and APs don't make FPs and decide morning of which park they want to go to. How would you track that without this system? If MK reaches its set reservation capacity on any given day, they can now force guests to choose another park on that day. It allows WDW can set capacity for each park each day to their ideal capacity so they aren't overstaffing one park and understaffing another. It gives WDW more control and it should serve the guest with better crowds control.

I have no issue with it. And a reminder that we don't have complete confirmation that it's here to stay.

 

[SarahC97]

Well, as usual, one hand is not talking to the other. I also just got the "your balance is due email" and CM in chat said it is still due now. My fear is that they will just cancel.

(Tried to post a screenshot, but it's super blurry, sorry). CM said the packages are still due 30 days before.

My TA has told me payment is still due 30 days out, too. But I'm more inclined to believe reports of the 7 day window. Plus, I'm not paying my balance until I know the dang vacation is actually a go, park reservations and all.

 

[brockash]

Do they send you through one at a time for these new scanners? Just wondering how it would work if they send large groups through. Seems they'd need to have a lot of employees to watch to be able to catch anything if it's just a continuous large mob of people walking through.

When we went to DS; it was 1 at a time...kinda like the regular scanner (old ones, one you still go through with little kids) at the airport.

 

[woody337]

My TA has told me payment is still due 30 days out, too. But I'm more inclined to believe reports of the 7 day window. Plus, I'm not paying my balance until I know the dang vacation is actually a go, park reservations and all.

Thats why I called Disney this morning. I'm not giving them another dime until I have some kind of idea of what my plans are

 

[hereforthechurros]

welp made the decision this morning to cancel our July 23rd-30th trip.

the lack of communication and uncertainty we could handle.
the rise in COVID cases we could not.

Coming from NJ, where our daily cases continue to trend downward, and going to FL, which is trending upwards, makes no sense.

If we lived closer, and the drive wouldn't take 2 days both ways, then maybe we would have kept our ressie. But unfortunately that's not the case.

Time to officially unwatch this thread.

Godspeed fellow disers

Hope you can still plan something else for a fun summer trip!

 

[Mfowler7828]

Just called the Florida heath department and for clarification of what is considered the tri-state area and was informed it was the entire state and not just NYC. So silly as my county has had 50 cases and three deaths, and is five hrs from NYC.