Cruise and Theme Park Operational Updates due to Coronavirus

[CastAStone]

TP will be adjusting their business model or products based on whatever WDW is planning to do next. Doubt Scott Gustin would be hinting towards TP as being anything news related.

Len Testa said on another forum that they had seen some of Genie and he wasn't worried about it.

Disney's planning tool will be intended to optimize revenue and guest satisfaction.

Touring Plan's tool will be intended to minimize wait times.

 

[hereforthechurros]

Len Testa said on another forum that they had seen some of Genie and he wasn't worried about it.

Disney's planning tool will be intended to optimize revenue and guest satisfaction.

Touring Plan's tool will be intended to minimize wait times.

That's what TP's tool does already, and they're hinting at news, so what do you see coming from them that would be different?

 

[andyman8]

What sucks is our 35% recovery discount is just lost at this point from what I understand.

I’m not sure if they’re allowing modifications still with the recovery, but if they are, you could always make a new reservation with the AP discount and push your current reservation to new dates (again, assuming they let you keep the discount, which they might not). That said, I’d guess that any AP discount within the next 6-12 months (there will absolutely be more) will be just as good or a bit better than the recovery offer, so it’s kind of a moot point.

 

[hereforthechurros]

I’m not sure if they’re allowing modifications still with the recovery, but if they are, you could always make a new reservation with the AP discount and push your current reservation to new dates (again, assuming they let you keep the discount, which they might not). That said, I’d guess that any AP discount within the next 6-12 months (there will absolutely be more) will be just as good or a bit better than the recovery offer, so it’s kind of a moot point.

That's what I'm thinking too. The only thing that would benefit us would be to move the recovery rate (if the are still allowing modifications) to a stay in the next 3.5 months, before we activate our APs. But, honestly that's not really on our radar.

 

[DGsAtBLT]

I think too many people were burnt on renting when the virus started to be convinced to do it again. I always used to rent and I convinced my daughter to rent points for a one night stay before their cruise that was supposed to happen in two weeks. She lost her $$ for that one night with no settlement at all.

Yeah, we had 2 studios for close to 2 weeks so have become pretty soured to the entire thing as well as the frustrating communication issues with the company. But that’s another thread .

Buyer beware, triple check you have insurance that will cover whatever scenario you want it to, or be willing to risk losing the money for the sake of the deal. There are some very cheap deals right now. And some people, to be fair, would be fine with that kind of risk, but I just don’t want to see anyone screwed. Lessons were definitely learned this past spring for many of us, lol.

 

[CastAStone]

That's what TP's tool does already, and they're hinting at news, so what do you see coming from them that would be different?

They are the only app on my phone that still uses the bubble based design that Apple abandoned with the release of the iPhone 5s. So that's one thing.

Improving the underlying coding to more aggressively minimize walking would be something I know I'd like, and cleaning up some of the quirks around rope drop, show times, breaks, meals, and shortened ride hours would be ideal as well. I find it rather easy most days to take my optimized touring plan, move 2 or 3 things around, and save myself another 30 minutes (at Disneyland I can usually save myself more like 90 minutes).

 

[HikingFam]

Yeah, we had 2 studios for close to 2 weeks so have become pretty soured to the entire thing as well as the frustrating communication issues with the company. But that’s another thread .

Buyer beware, triple check you have insurance that will cover whatever scenario you want it to, or be willing to risk losing the money for the sake of the deal. There are some very cheap deals right now. And some people, to be fair, would be fine with that kind of risk, but I just don’t want to see anyone screwed. Lessons were definitely learned this past spring for many of us, lol.

Yep. We were pretty avid DVC renters, but we got burned this time and won’t take the risk again. We always figured that any possible reason we would need to cancel would be covered by our credit card travel insurance (sickness, weather, etc). Of course we never considered the possibility of a global pandemic!

 

[AmberMV]

Could the big news be related to 50th anniversary room package release or something? Or are we pretty sure it's Genie related?

 

[shoegal9]

I think too many people were burnt on renting when the virus started to be convinced to do it again. I always used to rent and I convinced my daughter to rent points for a one night stay before their cruise that was supposed to happen in two weeks. She lost her $$ for that one night with no settlement at all.

Yes, but I have heard that many of the rental sites offer a cancellation policy now because of what happened in March. My friend who booked Boardwalk has a free cancellation option. So, I think that the rental situations are evolving.

 

[Geomom]

The wording on that TP tweet is interesting. Disney movie insiders just gave out a code for free points on Facebook..."wishgranted". 'Because we have a feeling you may need some extra in the near future."

 

[hereforthechurros]

Could the big news be related to 50th anniversary room package release or something? Or are we pretty sure it's Genie related?

I'm still thinking Disneyland is the big one, but Genie thing seems to make sense too.

 

[andyman8]

https://blogmickey.com/2020/09/zero...e-weeks-food-bank-line-stretches-for-2-miles/I know it can be easy to see long waits in the app and even see a park that doesn’t feel super uncrowded, but this is a reminder that the situation is still rather grim for TWDC at the moment. As discussed in this story, I think we’re actually going to see an even further drop-off between attendance on weekdays vs weekends. I have a feeling fewer locals/APs will be visiting on the weekdays and instead more will try for the (mostly sold out) weekends. As a reminder, WDW’s revenue model is built around longer stays and more equal distribution of crowds between weekends and weekdays.

 

[DGsAtBLT]

I swear it took nearly its entire lifetime for me to get onboard with MDE and FP+ and to stop whining about it and now POOF someone made a wish and it’s gonna all be for nothing .

 

[AmberMV]

https://blogmickey.com/2020/09/zero...e-weeks-food-bank-line-stretches-for-2-miles/I know it can be easy to see long waits in the app and even see a park that doesn’t, but this is a reminder that the situation is still rather grim for TWDC at the moment. As discussed in this story, I think we’re actually going to see an even further drop-off between attendance on weekdays vs weekends. I have a feeling fewer locals/APs will be visiting on the weekdays and instead more will try for the (mostly sold out) weekends. As a reminder, WDW’s revenue model is built around longer stays and more equal distribution of crowds between weekends and weekdays.

I think you'll see more AP activity on the weekends simply because of the further reduced park hours those local APs can't get to the park after a work day as easily before it closes for the day. However, there are probably quite a few Weekday APs who can't go weekends anyway (like my family )

 

[rteetz]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1300873433740382213

 

[anthony2k7]

https://blogmickey.com/2020/09/zero...e-weeks-food-bank-line-stretches-for-2-miles/I know it can be easy to see long waits in the app and even see a park that doesn’t feel super uncrowded, but this is a reminder that the situation is still rather grim for TWDC at the moment. As discussed in this story, I think we’re actually going to see an even further drop-off between attendance on weekdays vs weekends. I have a feeling fewer locals/APs will be visiting on the weekdays and instead more will try for the (mostly sold out) weekends. As a reminder, WDW’s revenue model is built around longer stays and more equal distribution of crowds between weekends and weekdays.

I thought a few restaurants had reopened in August? I'm surprised they didn't need any extra CMs for those.

 

[kylenne]

Oh how true that is. I have family in southern cal and they do not have much love or respect for WDW.

My nutty ex-housemate in AZ wasn't even an AP at DL, just went there often and she was constantly bad mouthing WDW in really nasty and hurtful ways, but DL could do no wrong etc to the point where it actually put me off of wanting to go to DL. I'm not saying everyone is like that out west by any means but there is a level of snobbery that's gross and offputting with some people who are all about "Walt's Park". I can't see many of those folks making the trip to FL just for a Disney fix.

 

[CastAStone]

Len Testa said on WDWMagic that their posts are previewing new TP app.

https://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads...-walt-disney-world.957620/page-7#post-9418377

 

[gottalovepluto]

We have AP vouchers linked that will be activated before we check in at CCV so I am hoping they will allow us to apply this discount. It isn't letting me apply it online.

What sucks is our 35% recovery discount is just lost at this point from what I understand.

Don't wait until then, the available rooms for the discount might be gone. Call Disney and they should be able to help you.

 

[chicagoshannon]

I think you'll see more AP activity on the weekends simply because of the further reduced park hours those local APs can't get to the park after a work day as easily before it closes for the day. However, there are probably quite a few Weekday APs who can't go weekends anyway (like my family )

I agree. I think by closing so early they are actually hurting themselves because locals can't make it after work now.

Is it really that much less busy now than after 9/11? I've never seen Epcot close before 9pm. It was one thing you could count on in this life!

They should also at least increase hours on Fri/Sat/Sun. I think it's so weird that they aren't.