Cruise and Theme Park Operational Updates due to Coronavirus

[hereforthechurros]

If these crowd sizes continue, I think they’re going to have to do something soon. But its only been 3-4 weeks where the attendance has been getting larger. I think they’re evaluating the situation and thinking of what they’ll need to do where guest safety is still paramount. Extending hours would seem like the first choice, followed by park hopping, even if its just to Epcot. FP and ride capacity might not be in the cards just yet

I don’t mean they'd better make these changes today, I was replying to someone talking about holiday trips and how they’re actively drawing crowds so hopefully they’ll prepare accordingly!

 

[AmberMV]

15 minutes after Epcot has opened Test Track is 75 min wait and Frozen is 60 min. The other 3 parks are also high wait times for several rides. 2 hour wait for FoP at the moment too.

 

[skeeter31]

Yes, the ride wait times are high, but most of the reports I’m reading are the actual wait times don’t match the posted times, going much quicker. Also, we’re so used to the high wait times with FP+ where the standby lines were torture, watching 1-2 parties from your line move, while 10-12 parties from the FP line moved. Now with no FP, the lines are continuously moving (unless you’re on it when they go down for cleaning). It’s like the grand old days of yesteryear when lines moved constantly, rather than the stop and go we’ve been accustomed to for the past decade.

I for one, don‘t see Disney doing anything with hours or increasing capacity on rides until at least after Thanksgiving. Yes, travel is increasing, but this is still the dead season there. They’ll most likely want to monitor what Thanksgiving week is like and then possibility adjust for Christmas week. But even after that it enters into another very slow season, so they won’t be lasting changes. My guess is this is the new normal except for holiday weekends when things may get extended for a few days. Spring break is the time I’m very interested in seeing what they do as that signals the real beginning of the busy season. I would think that’s when we’d see hopping possibly return and stay for the summer.

 

[Spridell]

Totally cool but they gotta extend hours, increase ride capacity, bring back some version of FP, or allow hopping.

Agree 100%

Especially starting Thanksgiving through December

I can see AK closing early those months, but, MK, EP, and HS have to be open until at the very least 8pm.

Keep parks open until 8pm, shut the attractions down at 8, and maybe keep some restaurants open later to spread out all the people.

 

[anthony2k7]

France is well into its 2nd wave now and hospitalizations also going up quickly.

I wouldnt be surprised if they go into some kinda of strict lockdown again with DLP closing again.

 

[HikingFam]

Really hoping they figure this out within the next few weeks before we go. We go several times a year and have (literally) never waited in a line more than 20 minutes, including over Christmas. We use FP and rope drop strategically to ride without waits. I had convinced myself that we'll be okay without FP because of the overall low waits, but omg I'm starting to freak out. We are stuck going because of a nonrefundable DVC rental.

 

[Sarahslay]

It is clear Disney is pushing for more people to come to the parks. In the last week they have released 3 different adds promoting the parks and the holidays.

I think those days of seeing the parks empty like back in July and Aug are over. Heading now into Nov and December I think its going to be much more crowded.

I have 2 trips planned for Nov and Dec and I am def preparing myself for more crowds.

I still don't think it's going to be insane as usual though, but not having FP and more crowds meaning more waiting in lines will be a bummer. I will be there Thanksgiving week and Christmas week, Christmas was already scheduled before all of this so I knew going in to expect crowds, but I'm happy it will atleast not be normal holiday crowds since that's still way too dangerous. We're just going to pace ourselves and relax, but seeing all the rooms still available over Christmas week when it's usually close to sold out by now gives me hope it won't be insane, especially with black out dates and half the resorts closed. Not going in expecting no crowds, but I highly doubt it'll be insane/crazy crowds.

 

[SarahC97]

Even if Covid wasn't happening, Thanksgiving week was going to be crowded no matter what, so kind of a bright-side?

General thoughts -These crazy low crowds weren't going to stay forever. Once the numbers in Florida got better, you had to know people (locals possibly) were going to start going to the parks again.

This is when people are going need to evaluate what they are comfortable with crowd-wise. If possibly having to be closer to people for short periods of time makes you uncomfortable still, then you need to decide if you want to go or not. Obviously there are a lot of people comfortable with it, thus the increased crowds.

We all keep saying how great Disney is with being cautious - I'm sure they have a capacity limit they are comfortable with. Maybe they are just now starting to reach it. And they aren't going to increase the hours until they start seeing that it will be worth it monetarily.

Now if you are hesitant not because of Covid, but because of long lines, then you may just have to suck it up!

I get all that. We've been the last 3 Thanksgivings, I know it'll be busy that week and that's why I'm mystified about park hours. I wish they'd extend them, even if only by an hour or two. Maybe they ultimately will.

 

[Vern60]

Just thought I'd throw this out there as it's crossed my mind reading some of the posts the past couple of days. Maybe it's not going to be such a slow season post Labor day. Is it possible that there really is pent up demand and now that people are seeing more and more they are feeling safer and safer? I mean who doesn't feel like a vacation after being pent up for so long?
I just remember when WDW was getting ready to reopen, management (if I recall correctly), didn't seem worried about demand at all. That didn't happen until the covid numbers went way up.
I guess all I'm saying is it's possible things actually could remain a bit more crowded than many anticipated going into the Holidays. Especially since Disney is offering discounts now, and have announced at least some Holiday activities, oh and recent marketing blitz as well has me thinking ...

 

[Sarahslay]

Really hoping they figure this out within the next few weeks before we go. We go several times a year and have (literally) never waited in a line more than 20 minutes, including over Christmas. We use FP and rope drop strategically to ride without waits. I had convinced myself that we'll be okay without FP because of the overall low waits, but omg I'm starting to freak out. We are stuck going because of a nonrefundable DVC rental.

I think the waits and crowds right now are all in perspective. I was there two weeks ago, and even with some higher crowd volumes (especially at HS), I rode everything by my lunch ADRs that I had scheduled at 1 every day, and left the park by 3:30 every day having done everything I wanted to do including pretty much every E-ticket attraction (not RnR though, that gives me a headache). I have a friend who was there at the same time and she was appauled at the crowds. She's local and decided to brave HS with her daughter, and waiting in lines all day while I barely had any lines at all. At MK you could feel it was more crowded, and MDE showed some pretty long waits, but the longest line I had all day was at Starbucks (I was trying to kill time before my lunch ADR anyway, so that's ok). I didn't wait longer than half an hour all day despite many of the wait times coming in close to an hour for things like Splash and Thunder, which I did ride at different times of the day and didn't come close to waiting that long for either even though Splash had listed that it's wait was twice what I actually waited. At Epcot I would feel an area was crowded only to turn a corner and find zero or little crowd at all. TT showed a 40 minute wait but I walked right on. Right now it really depends on where you are in the park and your mind set, if you go in dreading everything you'll probably not find much fun in it, but just remember that you can turn a corner and it can all be awesome.

 

[Sarahslay]

Just thought I'd throw this out there as it's crossed my mind reading some of the posts the past couple of days. Maybe it's not going to be such a slow season post Labor day. Is it possible that there really is pent up demand and now that people are seeing more and more they are feeling safer and safer? I mean who doesn't feel like a vacation after being pent up for so long?
I just remember when WDW was getting ready to reopen, management (if I recall correctly), didn't seem worried about demand at all. That didn't happen until the covid numbers went way up.
I guess all I'm saying is it's possible things actually could remain a bit more crowded than many anticipated going into the Holidays. Especially since Disney is offering discounts now, and have announced at least some Holiday activities, oh and recent marketing blitz as well has me thinking ...

I think a lot of people moved their trips to September, I know a lot of people who did just this thinking it would be better since September is slower. Much like several years ago when those rescheduling from cancelled Irma trips moved their vacations to the beginning of December after hearing it's typically a great time to go due to low crowds and all the holiday decorations. With the cancelations of all parties, and many things a lot of people go to Disney for during the holidays, I think we'll have a better picture in to October.

 

[abs1978]

I don't mind waiting in lines. I don't expect everything to be a walk on. Those early crowds were not going to realistically continue. However, if everything past my first ride of the day is 30-40 minutes then hours need to increase so everyone has a chance to do the things they want. If they aren't going to do that then ride capacity needs to increase. If Disney wants to have the illusion that they are safe and taking precautions consistently long waits isn't going to give them the look they are going for.

 

[one_cat]

I don't mind waiting in lines. I don't expect everything to be a walk on. Those early crowds were not going to realistically continue. However, if everything past my first ride of the day is 30-40 minutes then hours need to increase so everyone has a chance to do the things they want. If they aren't going to do that then ride capacity needs to increase. If Disney wants to have the illusion that they are safe and taking precautions consistently long waits isn't going to give them the look they are going for.

Disney is looking at all this and saying we don’t need to add hours or ride capacity or do anything. People will show up regardless.

 

[abs1978]

Very true but if they are trying to pass off the hours as necessary for COVID then it doesn't work.

 

[Greta]

Sort of a change of subject here. Let’s talk about QS. I heard some inklings of Casey’s getting ready to open in that social distancing stickers were placed inside and a mobile ordering sign is on the door.
It would be WONDERFUL if this delicious spot opened and it would also help offload the other QS locations a bit.
Is anyone there now that has seen progress toward opening Casey’s?

We arrive Sept 30th and we are bringing the magic that is in our hearts with us. Can’t wait!

 

[Brianstl]

The thing that isn’t happening this weekend unlike previous weekends is there hasn’t been the post noon significant drop in wait times.

 

[DGsAtBLT]

Regarding the pent up demand, don’t forget there are probably a good number of people who have tickets burning a hole in their pocket paid for ages ago that expire next fall. Goes hand in hand with all the trips that got rescheduled for fall IMO.

 

[Mit88]

Regarding the pent up demand, don’t forget there are probably a good number of people who have tickets burning a hole in their pocket paid for ages ago that expire next fall. Goes hand in hand with all the trips that got rescheduled for fall IMO.

DVC points too. Was looking at rooms last night for October, theres availability, but not as much as there was a couple weeks ago when I was looking. Think I’m leaning towards finally doing AKL. One of the last resorts I havent stayed.

 

[Vern60]

Regarding the pent up demand, don’t forget there are probably a good number of people who have tickets burning a hole in their pocket paid for ages ago that expire next fall. Goes hand in hand with all the trips that got rescheduled for fall IMO.

Yep and the new trips too! Like mine for Christmas week, woo hoo. I am super hyped, lines or no lines our family is really looking forward to it. Of course, now I have to start a new wish list
1. Longer hours
2. Rat
3. Caseys
4. People Mover!

 

[etapi]

Not to mention that there are Florida residents whose 3- or 4-day Discover Disney tickets, or 2-day Disney Magic Flex Tickets, expire at the end of this month.

Regarding the pent up demand, don’t forget there are probably a good number of people who have tickets burning a hole in their pocket paid for ages ago that expire next fall. Goes hand in hand with all the trips that got rescheduled for fall IMO.