Cruise and Theme Park Operational Updates due to Coronavirus

[Eric Smith]

Frustrating that they can’t/won’t just require a park reservation to join the VQ and drop the requirement to scan into the park for the time being.

Would make it a little harder to secure a group but with the payoff of opening looking more like the other parks.

They should just do what the Tokyo parks do and let people join a lottery for boarding groups. That would alleviate the issue.

 

[BrianR]

DHS has everyone sitting near the entrance at open for that Rise VQ get attempt, then it scatters. The last 2 hours at DHS are typically dead-dead so far.

Yay 2500!

 

[Mit88]

seems like "rope drop" at DHS is rather crowded as people try to get boarding groups for Rise and then get on line while they are there - and then with the social distancing for queues they back up a lot even if not timewise as long

I think it does lighten a bit later in the day - but the design of that park also just lends itself to more crowded feeling areas

No circular motion destroys the guest flow of DHS. Pretty much everywhere you go, you hit a dead end

 

[MegaraWink]

Well I'm 5 days out from a 7 day park trip...

No Coronavirus!

I'll update if that changes, because I'm aware I'm still technically in the window (just rare).

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Perhaps only having the two time slots for the BG has made it worse as well

It was pretty bad with the 3 as well. I think they need to consider something else for the baording groups. Since they know who has a reservation for the park, ,maybe the night before do a lottery to give out BGs, then have a "day of" at 2pm or something for any extra availability.

Seems the park arrival there is still problematic

 

[MeridaAnn]

‘Yes. Extensions have already been issued. If you decide you want the refund, keep in mind that there have been people reporting that the refund isn’t based on the closure of the parks but rather how many times you used your AP prior to the shutdown

Is this actually confirmed by Disney at all or just speculation from people who have gotten lower refunds than expected? As a local, my many visits where I just stopped by the park to watch the parade or to grab dinner or just did one or two rides are not in any way comparable to a full day in the park.

 

[Farro]

Is this actually confirmed by Disney at all or just speculation from people who have gotten lower refunds than expected? As a local, my many visits where I just stopped by the park to watch the parade or to grab dinner or just did one or two rides are not in any way comparable to a full day in the park.

How would Disney have a way of knowing how long you spent in the park? Doesn't it just track that you used your AP for admission?

 

[Mit88]

Is this actually confirmed by Disney at all or just speculation from people who have gotten lower refunds than expected? As a local, my many visits where I just stopped by the park to watch the parade or to grab dinner or just did one or two rides are not in any way comparable to a full day in the park.

Not confirmed, just speculated based on people who have received theirs. I havent heard of anyone who has frequented the parks and received 4 months worth of a refund. Maybe that’ll change once the refund period ends, I believe next weekend

 

[Mit88]

How would Disney have a way of knowing how long you spent in the park? Doesn't it just track that you used your AP for admission?

Magic Bands. Disney always knows where you are and how long you’ve been anywhere. Always watching

 

[Farro]

Magic Bands. Disney always knows where you are and how long you’ve been anywhere. Always watching

And if you don't have one? I doubt a lot of local APs use magic bands.

I'm just curious. I don't think Disney would differentiate between being at a park the entire day or just for an hour - they would just say "hey, you used your AP". (if they are even doing that)

 

[Moliphino]

We chose a shorter (4 day vs 8 day) trip. We normally do longer trips to go at a relaxed pace but still ride everything, especially with FP+ tiers.

I’m kinda realizing now that a slow, long trip isnt needed. Other than RoTR, you just need to show up in the first 5 hours and you can ride everything that day.

I’m also realizing that since I’m driving to parks to avoid busses, there’s almost no reason to book onsite (except I might as well use my DVC points)

I may not need as many park days, but I do need to get away for a nice long time.

 

[Mit88]

And if you don't have one? I doubt a lot of local APs use magic bands.

I'm just curious.

RFID chip in the AP card lol. Disney mosquito’s flying around inserting tracking chips into your bloodstream.

 

[WorldOfPooh]

Magic Bands. Disney always knows where you are and how long you’ve been anywhere. Always watching

I have like 30 magic bands. Is Disney tracking all my Magic Bands?

 

[BrianR]

As much as I was anti-mask a couple months ago- I ain’t anymore. I wear my masks out and I’d wear them to Disney! Except I can’t get to WDW for a couple months to make up for my late March AP trip cancelled by COVID but Disney won’t extend my AP long enough to get me there. So I’ll take my $40 cash refund instead of dropping $2-3k on a WDW trip a couple months from now (hey, I splurge at the Mouse!).

Only in the world of Disney does that math make sense. And I think we’re starting to learn COVID 2020s even Disney Math... Alienating your most ardent fans because you just know normal folks cannot wait to pay tip dollar for your limited offerings- OMG This train wreck is spectacularly fascinating.

SO- here’s my q! What would YOU have done? I know folks have things they would have done differently and I’m interested in what they are. Personally I can only see from my own pissed off perspective so I want to know some others ... I’d have opened up a lot more AP slots. Ran deals on meals for APs. Gotten them to clear out the old merch (Disney is doing this- minus they actually letting them into the park part). AND offered something crazy to stay with the company during these trying times- like a half price renewal to lock 2020 expirations into Disney for their first post-COVID trip once they were ready to travel again with the full knowledge holidays would book, most would get cancelled and folks would finally start using those APs renewed this year second half of 2021.

Pissing off APs to the point they opt for cash refunds no matter how small the amount would absolutely have been at the bottom of my list.

I would have dropped the floor on resort discounts, maybe put them where CM discounts are and then CM discounts even further. The AP bucket problem alleviates itself if you make it enticing enough for an AP to just say "the heck with it, I'm staying on site". Plus you get some more revenue out of them between the room and food to possibly justify opening an additional TS restaurant at a resort. I just think their overexuberant rack rate increases painted them into a corner, especially after posting 2021 rack rates before COVID changed the game.

They were running 30% off merch deals for AP, but everything increased in price from 2019-2020 so it's the same deal as what the 20% off was last year in normal times.

They overcommitted to price increases in a good climate and can't / don't want to give up those rates on everything in a poor climate. Eventually their hand is going to be forced, and how they get the prices temporarily down to try and protect those increases when things recover will be interesting for sure.

I'm here now and I am shocked, and I mean shocked at the amount of CMs who are seemingly doing nothing of value. For example today, at world of Disney we saw a CM holding a handheld social distancing sign while just about two feet away was the exact same sign on a metal stand. We also saw that at AK today when two CM who were holding this same sign were about 10 feet away from each other and having a conversation. There's CM in line who's only job is to tell you when to walk to the next social distance marker on the floor, something you've done on your own the entire line up to that point. Insanely enough, the amount of lifeguards doesn't seem to have increased and that's where masks and social distancing are pretty relaxed. I've also noticed what I assume to be middle management (dressed real nice) just basically standing around seemingly everywhere and trying to looks busy. I usually take most rumors with a grain of salt, but man the amount of money going to people who at face value are doing nothing meaningful has me worried.

There is still a bunch of cross training going on believe it or not. When we were there the person working the fossil display at Living Seas was normally an Elephant Coordinator at AK, but based on everything going on got moved over there. Granted there are a ton of inefficiencies, like having a CM at entrance and another at exit of stores with a guest counter app to mark how many are in the store at once. They're still staffing ticket booths at the parks, with a decent compliment of them until about 2 PM before they taper off staff. They're trying to employ as many CMs as they can and make it work, keeping them on and shifting roles based on what the early guest trends are. I would think after this initial 60 day period they'd adjust even further.

 

[Aimeedyan]

I don't understand why Disney doesn't actually drop the hotel prices if they are hurting for business. They offered the 40% off to AP's but the rates are not even as low as I booked last year on an AP discount - and last year I had all the full amenities of the resort! With the limited amenities and reduced staff needs, you would think they would actually offer a discounted rate on rooms to fill them.

We want to book rooms 2 weekends in August and I just can't pull the trigger on their prices. Swan might get my business with their AP discount. Even with parking and resort fee, it's still cheaper than the "discounted" Pop room!

 

[WorldOfPooh]

I'm so glad I went to Starwardland back in December for opening instead of waiting to go this spring/summer.

 

[DGsAtBLT]

Is this actually confirmed by Disney at all or just speculation from people who have gotten lower refunds than expected? As a local, my many visits where I just stopped by the park to watch the parade or to grab dinner or just did one or two rides are not in any way comparable to a full day in the park.

As far as I know speculation because a couple CMs have said that, but they also said it was too late for APs to get refunds period a couple weeks ago.

People have gotten weird amounts back to update later that they were told it was in error. There have also been lots of people being told by CMs the calculation is what we suspect it to be (Price paid/365)*closure or remainder on pass. The full cancellation refunds shouldn’t be out yet to my knowledge, so nobody entirely knows, which is frustrating.

The usage arguments seems overly complicated and ripe for major pushback. Who’s to say a local who went 12 times for a couple hours each got more usage than an out of stater who got a hefty resort discount and used their pass for 5?

 

[WorldOfPooh]

I would have dropped the floor on resort discounts, maybe put them where CM discounts are and then CM discounts even further. The AP bucket problem alleviates itself if you make it enticing enough for an AP to just say "the heck with it, I'm staying on site". Plus you get some more revenue out of them between the room and food to possibly justify opening an additional TS restaurant at a resort. I just think their overexuberant rack rate increases painted them into a corner, especially after posting 2021 rack rates before COVID changed the game.

They were running 30% off merch deals for AP, but everything increased in price from 2019-2020 so it's the same deal as what the 20% off was last year in normal times.

They overcommitted to price increases in a good climate and can't / don't want to give up those rates on everything in a poor climate. Eventually their hand is going to be forced, and how they get the prices temporarily down to try and protect those increases when things recover will be interesting for sure.




There is still a bunch of cross training going on believe it or not. When we were there the person working the fossil display at Living Seas was normally an Elephant Coordinator at AK, but based on everything going on got moved over there. Granted there are a ton of inefficiencies, like having a CM at entrance and another at exit of stores with a guest counter app to mark how many are in the store at once. They're still staffing ticket booths at the parks, with a decent compliment of them until about 2 PM before they taper off staff. They're trying to employ as many CMs as they can and make it work, keeping them on and shifting roles based on what the early guest trends are. I would think after this initial 60 day period they'd adjust even further.

Yeah, AP's have been getting more and more watered down with all the Not So Scary, After Hours, Christmas (what effectively amounts to blockout dates.)

Getting rid of discounts also is annoying.
You used to get 10-15% discount at the Boardwalk Pizza window and they even got rid of that.

 

[dlavender]

It's so interesting to read these forums (in general, not just this thread). A lot of posters still say they haven't left houses in month, some not even going to grocery stores.

Like it or not, there are tons of people out and about where I live. Wearing masks appropriately, but out. Every day almost there is still a line to get in Home Depot.
Outdoor cafes are full (but socially distanced), parks are full. Running trails, walking trails.
People hanging out in groups in our alleys again (it's a thing here).
Backyard full of families again.
Traffic is a mess again.

Here in my circle- I believe that people would travel if not for not having the money or having to quarantine if visiting certain places.
And I also think rather than being worried about city/state imposed quarantines, more people are affected by employment imposed quarantines. If they can't work from home, jobs make them use PTO days for quarantine.

As an aside our family can't wait to get back to Chicago for a trip!

 

[Disneylover99]

And if you don't have one? I doubt a lot of local APs use magic bands.

I'm just curious. I don't think Disney would differentiate between being at a park the entire day or just for an hour - they would just say "hey, you used your AP". (if they are even doing that)

I assume most would use a magicband. I just figured they’d leave them in the glovebox of their car for impromptu trips.