Cruise and Theme Park Operational Updates due to Coronavirus

[Farro]

They want them extended until they are actual annual passes again - not just an opportunity to join a lottery to maybe perhaps have a chance to enter one park.

Well, that's what it is now for everyone and no one knows how long! Supposedly reservation system is here to stay.

 

[CastAStone]

Again, those images are for Disneyland APs, nearly all of whom drive to the park.

Walt Disney World, where many guests will take the bus, will probably be different. They didn’t stagger park opening times to have to the run buses continuously from all resorts to all parks all morning.

 

[MrsSmith07]

I know we have to adjust our expectations, but if this system is here for good I hope that people will actually choose the time they want to enter the park and not what will give them the best perceived value just because. I know lots of people like to sleep in on vacation, but we are early morning people and like to be out of the parks by noonish and maybe come back later...If you want to sleep til 11 and you know it, I hope you would choose that later time, but I could see the first time slot being chosen by nearly everyone.

I can count on one hand how many times I've been there for rope drop. But, the new system will probably make me choose earlier times than I usually would have shown up before. I'd prefer to show up at 2ish and shut down a park at 10p-12a, but since parks won't be open for 13+ hours of the day, and I'll be in bed much earlier than my usual Disney bedtime of midnight or later, we'll be showing up earlier.

 

[Farro]

I think the main issue with the extension is you pay for 365 days of entrance to the parks and hopping. You're not gaurenteed any of that right now so people aren't getting what they paid for. People were hoping that the **** wouldn't restart until hopping was back and entrance was back.

Who knows when and if that will ever happen though.

Unfortunately this past travel year just sucks for everyone and sometimes that's just how it goes.

I agree it would be better to give people the choice to just refund their unused months.

 

[SwirlTheCitrus]

Again, those images are for Disneyland APs, nearly all of whom drive to the park.

Walt Disney World, where many guests will take the bus, will probably be different. They didn’t stagger park opening times to have to the run buses continuously from all resorts to all parks all morning.

I would say that social distancing occupancy would dictate that this is EXACTLY what they are planning to do.

 

[TXAKDisneyFan]

Well now I get to refresh this thread, the Resort Change by Disney thread, AND continually check MDE. Still no extension on our APs (out of state platinum, DH's set to expire before parks reopen). At least I'm not checking as many sites as some people!

 

[Mit88]

I think the main issue with the extension is you pay for 365 days of entrance to the parks and hopping. You're not gaurenteed any of that right now so people aren't getting what they paid for. People were hoping that the **** wouldn't restart until hopping was back and entrance was back.

And the mumbo jumbo about the pass states “You’re not guaranteed entrance into the parks” is legal jargon, but I dont think that would hold up in terms of a nearly 4 month closure due to a pandemic

 

[LALA2020]

Today Disney UK have stopped selling holidays Oct - Dec 2021 and also tickets for the same period. They have also removed DDP for whole of 2021. This all changed on their website this afternoon.

 

[JenBush]

Hmm I assumed when they announced the staggered park openings that it was too stagger the amount of people at resort restaurants for breakfast and at the bus stops. Staggered entry times would defeat that.

 

[ryanpatricksmom]

I have to admit I'm shocked. I was one of those that truly believed they would not incentivize arriving sick during a pandemic. On the one hand, you cannot come to the parks if you have any pandemic symptoms, including headaches. On the other hand, they want you to cancel your reservation the day before. What if one of your kids wakes up with a fever? I guess you better hope that it doesn't happen 3 times! But, anyone traveling with family knows that stuff happens.

Not that you can tell from the unwelcoming position demonstrated thus far, but I'm willing to bet my potentially semi-worthless APs that it would take one phone call to get that blemish removed from your record.

 

[Mit88]

They also probably should have given AP holders a little bit of notice when extending the passes vs asking for a refund. Yes, the April email. But some people were sitting on the decision until things became much more clear, which they still really aren’t. Especially when its unknown what the refund compensation actually is. You could opt for a refund and they send you a $5 Disney gift card

 

[Anthony Vito]

I was really hoping they weren’t going to extend them based on a 7/11 opening date and were going to keep the clock running for a while longer.

Yeah - we're Gold passes, and based on the days someone said for those, with the blockout dates, ours now expire one week before we arrive at the end of November. We also have an August trip, so canceling probably doesn't make sense for the math. Sucks - thought we were at least going to have all this mean we got to save a couple thousand on passes/tickets. I agree that you'd think they'd throw an extra month on or something just as a gesture of good will. Oh well.

 

[SaintsManiac]

This thread needs to be renamed: Jumping To Conclusions About WDW Operations.

 

[cakebaker]

I think the main issue with the extension is you pay for 365 days of entrance to the parks and hopping. You're not gaurenteed any of that right now so people aren't getting what they paid for. People were hoping that the **** wouldn't restart until hopping was back and entrance was back.

I hadn’t even factored in the loss of the value of park hopping.

 

[Broncho52]

It's already hard to return to the parks with 6pm (AK) or 7pm (MK) closings. If now, you can't arrive until 10:30-11, you really won't get much done before your afternoon break.

Don’t take a afternoon break then?

 

[Mit88]

This thread needs to be renamed: Jumping To Conclusions About WDW Operations.

Some conclusions turn out to be right in the end. Case and point, the NBA players being able to go to the theme parks. That was never even a rumor and people got worked up. Then it was said that it definitely wont happen. And now Disney is saying its up to the NBA

 

[chicagoshannon]

And the mumbo jumbo about the pass states “You’re not guaranteed entrance into the parks” is legal jargon, but I dont think that would hold up in terms of a nearly 4 month closure due to a pandemic

I'm just stating why people are upset. I don't really have a dog in that fight as my pass isn't active yet.

 

[Mit88]

Don’t take a afternoon break then?

Some people dont have the option to not take one. There are a lot of factors, especially in the summer when dealing with children

 

[Ariel 1715]

This thread needs to be renamed: Jumping To Conclusions About WDW Operations.

Yes, Don't get upset about staggered openings and number of reservations yet. This is clearly a prototype of what the system will be. Doesn't mean that this is what will be rolled out to the public

 

[MickeyWaffles]

It's already hard to return to the parks with 6pm (AK) or 7pm (MK) closings. If now, you can't arrive until 10:30-11, you really won't get much done before your afternoon break.

I would imagine many people would then forego the afternoon break and go until they’re done for the day.