Cruise and Theme Park Operational Updates due to Coronavirus

[Kerry1957]

I’d venture a guess to say the majority of people who suffered financially during this pandemic were unfortunately in the bottom 50% of wage earners. On the contrary, I’d venture a guess that the overwhelming majority of the top 50% came out ahead after all the stimulus checks and child tax credits and money saved commuting are considered.

Sadly, I think Disney’s target market for vacations are the top 50%. Their resorts and cruises are so expensive that I think they’ve been moving that way for years. So I don’t think they’ll lose too much business as those top 50% will still have plenty of money and desire to travel.

I think this is pretty well spot on. If you still have your job, then you are doing just fine with more "forced savings" than the year before. If you have lost your job, then you are hurting and the stimulus money is no way near enough to consider an expensive Disney vacation. These are, of course, gross generalizations and there are plenty of exceptions. Disney seems to cater to the financial well off who can easily go once or twice a year, and to, perhaps a smaller number, of folks who have to save and sacrifice to make a visit every 3-5(?) years. The first group will not be impacted as restrictions let up, while the second group will have to wait another few years to afford it.

 

[Eric Smith]

Well, there is certainly an issue on this page yesterday.. there was 10 pages of so of back and forth. I thought there some big update going through it, but no, all about pool capacity. Disney needs to have a virtual queue set up as we get closer to summer. It is not crazy for Disney to expect that most guests will want to use the pool during the summer. Virtual queues need to be implemented (at least at the values were it seems to more of an "issue"). Pop in particular has the most guests of any other resort, but smaller pools in comparison.

All of that back and forth was based on something someone saw in a Facebook group.

 

[SierraT]

Several on a local facebook group were asking for advice on which parks to visit in Florida right now. I could not believe people don't know that fireworks and shows aren't happening at Disney right now. Restrictions are necessary and completely appropriate right now, but most do not know what they are getting themselves into when they head down there.

Thought we could take a day next week and head to Animal Kingdom before it’s 100 degrees in the shade. There isn’t one park available until Friday the 26th unless you have an AP and even those options are slim.

A colleague of mine took her family on vacation last week because it was a quick flight and a warm tropical place without leaving the country. While she knew they had to mask, she had no clue there were park reservations necessary. I had asked if she made her reservations and she said yes, but I’m sure she thought I meant resort and it didn’t occur to me until after. She stayed offsite and I’m not sure how her tickets were obtained because Disney practically beats the park reservation requirement into you when you buy tickets.

She commented at the long wait to get into Springs and the “herd of cattle in the parking garage” and said there were barely any places to eat. The dining options are limited even when it’s slow now if you don’t have a reservation because the staffing levels are so low. It’s even frustrating for us who decide to get up and go on a whim but it’s the way it is, our expectations are pretty low.

The reality is the non-Disney fan general population doesn’t read the Disboards or other fan sites, so I’m sure there are a lot of unhappy travelers.

 

[jessiegirl1982]

All of that back and forth was based on something someone saw in a Facebook group.

You imply that there is no "pool issue' since it is not posted on all the sites. There is an issue if you have to wait in a hours long line to use a pool. If Pop is at near full capacity (which it is right now), there is going to an issue accessing the pools. That place is always packed when we go during the warm summer months. I never went pre-Covid when it wasn't completely packed. I've been to like 6 hotels during the pandemic, and they all had virtual queues for the pool. They weren't needed every day, but the system was put in place. It is becoming a hotel standard during the pandemic that larger hotels are implementing.

 

[Eric Smith]

You imply that there is no "pool issue' since it is not posted on all the sites. There is an issue if you have to wait in a hours long line to use a pool. If Pop is at near full capacity (which it is right now), there is going to an issue accessing the pools. That place is always packed when we go during the warm summer months. I never went pre-Covid when it wasn't completely packed. I've been to like 6 hotels during the pandemic, and they all had virtual queues for the pool. They weren't needed every day, but the system was put in place. It is becoming a hotel standard during the pandemic that larger hotels are implementing.

My point was that it likely isn't a widespread issue. It wouldn't make sense to stand up a whole new system for an issue that isn't widespread and one that'll be gone once crowds go down in a month or so.

 

[tink2424]

All of that back and forth was based on something someone saw in a Facebook group.

The funny thing is that I think that the pool situation is just emblematic of an issue that Disney faces. I have already mentioned that I feel that Disney is resting on its reputation and I know not everyone agrees (which is perfectly fine as we all have different ways of viewing things in life ) but I think this is why these little issues trigger such passion in the community. Disney is renowned for its customer service and things like this happening have people questioning why Disney can't do something better. If other hotels in the area are able to manage then why can't Disney? And why can't they do it better?

I think these are fair questions and I do think Disney is being lazy and using COVID as an excuse. There are plenty of things they can do that don't cost any money or only cost a little bit of money but they CHOOSE not to.

Ultimately we will see if this erodes the brand in the long term or not but for me I definitely have seen many changes that make me view Disney as just a high end theme park and not the gold standard it was previously. I truly hope they go back to their roots and ensure that their customer service is unmatched.

 

[Sarahslay]

Do we even know if the "pool issue" is really that big of a problem? I haven't seen any of the Disney-sphere websites reporting on it.....not even the totally clickbaity ones. This all seems to be based on some Facebook posts.

Honestly I don't think it's as big of a deal as many people are saying. I was at YC all weekend and didn't see long waits, and plenty of people just coming and going in and out of the pool. It felt about the same as Presidents day weekend (where I stayed at BCV), never seemed slammed and we walked by multiple times during what would be peak pool time. It may have hit capacity for a little while, but definitely not for the full day at any point. I never make much of a big deal out of that kind of thing, especially from FB groups/posts

 

[SarahC97]

The funny thing is that I think that the pool situation is just emblematic of an issue that Disney faces. I have already mentioned that I feel that Disney is resting on its reputation and I know not everyone agrees (which is perfectly fine as we all have different ways of viewing things in life ) but I think this is why these little issues trigger such passion in the community. Disney is renowned for its customer service and things like this happening have people questioning why Disney can't do something better. If other hotels in the area are able to manage then why can't Disney? And why can't they do it better?

I think these are fair questions and I do think Disney is being lazy and using COVID as an excuse. There are plenty of things they can do that don't cost any money or only cost a little bit of money but they CHOOSE not to.

Ultimately we will see if this erodes the brand in the long term or not but for me I definitely have seen many changes that make me view Disney as just a high end theme park and not the gold standard it was previously. I truly hope they go back to their roots and ensure that their customer service is unmatched.

I absolutely think this is true. Disney has created this brand and set these expectations. If they fall short of them, then that's on them to address and fix.

 

[Sarahslay]

The funny thing is that I think that the pool situation is just emblematic of an issue that Disney faces. I have already mentioned that I feel that Disney is resting on its reputation and I know not everyone agrees (which is perfectly fine as we all have different ways of viewing things in life ) but I think this is why these little issues trigger such passion in the community. Disney is renowned for its customer service and things like this happening have people questioning why Disney can't do something better. If other hotels in the area are able to manage then why can't Disney? And why can't they do it better?

I think these are fair questions and I do think Disney is being lazy and using COVID as an excuse. There are plenty of things they can do that don't cost any money or only cost a little bit of money but they CHOOSE not to.

Ultimately we will see if this erodes the brand in the long term or not but for me I definitely have seen many changes that make me view Disney as just a high end theme park and not the gold standard it was previously. I truly hope they go back to their roots and ensure that their customer service is unmatched.

They are definitely using Covid as an excuse, and I've had that excuse used on me a few times since reopening. Everything in my room was broken at YC during one of my stays and the manager is just like "well, Covid and all.....". After I send an email explaining all of the stuff that happened on my trip I got a call, and I told them what he said, and they were like "That's really not an excuse, all that stuff isn't because of Covid", and they've been throwing free stuff at me ever since. I get a survey during every trip now, and there has been PLENTY for me to tell them about. Everything from lack of enforcement of protocols, to dirty rooms (thanks to Pop for that stellar house keeping, I love boogers on the wall of my shower), to exremely lackluster dining service. They're leaning on Covid to pass the blame, and that's only going to go so far after a while. I have two trips scheduled after this last one, and that's gonna be it for a while until they up their game a bit. I'll give them a pass on a couple of things, but I'm tired of most of it.

 

[J-Dog]

The funny thing is that I think that the pool situation is just emblematic of an issue that Disney faces. I have already mentioned that I feel that Disney is resting on its reputation and I know not everyone agrees (which is perfectly fine as we all have different ways of viewing things in life ) but I think this is why these little issues trigger such passion in the community. Disney is renowned for its customer service and things like this happening have people questioning why Disney can't do something better. If other hotels in the area are able to manage then why can't Disney? And why can't they do it better?

I think these are fair questions and I do think Disney is being lazy and using COVID as an excuse. There are plenty of things they can do that don't cost any money or only cost a little bit of money but they CHOOSE not to.

Ultimately we will see if this erodes the brand in the long term or not but for me I definitely have seen many changes that make me view Disney as just a high end theme park and not the gold standard it was previously. I truly hope they go back to their roots and ensure that their customer service is unmatched.

I completely agree with this.

The other related issue, for me at least, is that Disney seems to be adding Covid restrictions - stricter mask rules while dining, and stricter social-distancing rules while in line - in a time when others are relaxing rules. Of course, some will say that the CDC is urging against loosened restrictions, but even they are relaxing some things.

I think that Disney adding restrictions, for whatever reason (some say its for the CM's benefit), this is highlighting the feeling of pessimism with the overall experience and continuing lack of "normalcy" at WDW.

Or maybe that's just my opinion...

 

[jessiegirl1982]

My point was that it likely isn't a widespread issue. It wouldn't make sense to stand up a whole new system for an issue that isn't widespread and one that'll be gone once crowds go down in a month or so.

..and the crowds will be back a few weeks later come summer. It should be set up at problematic resorts where the only real activity is the pool. Smaller chains can figure it out, but Disney can't/doesn't want to bother with it?! I am personally avoiding Pop on my next trip because the crowded pools/buses were an issue with me even before Covid.

 

[Sarahslay]

I completely agree with this.

The other related issue, for me at least, is that Disney seems to be adding Covid restrictions - stricter mask rules while dining, and stricter social-distancing rules while in line - in a time when others are relaxing rules. Of course, some will say that the CDC is urging against loosened restrictions, but even they are relaxing some things.

I think that Disney adding restrictions, for whatever reason (some say its for the CM's benefit), this is highlighting the feeling of pessimism with the overall experience and continuing lack of "normalcy" at WDW.

Or maybe that's just my opinion...

They really aren't making the masks rules stricter at dining, we were told at all of our TS meals that we could remove our masks once we were seated. They didn't say to wait until food came or to put them on when we were not eating or drinking, it was the same as always (and I've eaten at almost all TS since reopening) "this is when you can take off your mask, we just ask you wear your mask if moving around the restaurant", nothing different than before. The distancing in line is mainly because it makes things like down and backs in queues hard to navigate when there is a huge group, so if you break up the group a bit it makes it easier for other groups in line to stay safely distanced. Also, just because other places are relaxing restrictions doesn't mean it's necessarily right to be relaxing restrictions just yet.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

You’re telling me Disney can’t figure out how to give CMs a break? Come on.

yes they know how but when you can put only 25% of what you normally do in a room you need more rooms. same thing that has hurt ressies is hurting CMs breaks. think of it this way the tables that usually allow 4 to sit at and take their break can only seat one now. takes more planning and room has to come from some where

 

[J-Dog]

They really aren't making the masks rules stricter at dining, we were told at all of our TS meals that we could remove our masks once we were seated. They didn't say to wait until food came or to put them on when we were not eating or drinking, it was the same as always (and I've eaten at almost all TS since reopening) "this is when you can take off your mask, we just ask you wear your mask if moving around the restaurant", nothing different than before. The distancing in line is mainly because it makes things like down and backs in queues hard to navigate when there is a huge group, so if you break up the group a bit it makes it easier for other groups in line to stay safely distanced. Also, just because other places are relaxing restrictions doesn't mean it's necessarily right to be relaxing restrictions just yet.

My comment was more of the general sense that Disney has made some headlines recently because of tightened restrictions, which is the opposite of the current trends of other places.

To me, that's leading to more pessimism toward having any interest in spending money at WDW any time soon.

Like I said in the previous post, whether or not restrictions should be relaxed is beyond the scope of my comment.

 

[dancergirlsmom]

Just FYI I don't know if your spring break is in early April, but I noticed that some theme park reservations opened up this morning.

Thanks. We arrive on March 25 and leave on April 3. Most days are still showing completely full

 

[gottalovepluto]

Yay Disneyland!

what’s going on with universal Hollywood?

Maybe I’m an uneducated Floridian- but here in the south, UOR and WDW go head to head with most announcements. Is it the same on the west coast?

UOR is in LA County who has been much more strict with COVID regs, stricter than the state usually but they are starting to ease up. Disney is under Orange County who has been pleading with Newsom to allow theme parks to open so no hurdles there. The state makes the rules, counties have power to be more strict. Without LA’s blessing UOR can’t open, don’t know if LA has blessed it yet?

 

[Oldnewfan]

I'll just offer this. Whether right or not, those folks that have been vaccinated that I know personally have put COVID behind them. It is a subconscious effect of the protection. It is a phenomenon that will grow. Personally I just had my first Moderna Monday. Georgia just opened the floodgates to just about everyone over 16. I can honestly say it has a profound psychological effect. I can imagine the second shot deepens it and 2 weeks later its in the rear view mirror. Right or wrong it will be a driver. Make this nationwide and things could psychologically shift fast with the public and demand to move on with things will pick up pressure. I also don't expect based on the vaccinated people I know that there will be much tolerance to hold restrictions in place once its widely available and now its just a choice to not get vaccinated. I see a building of no tolerance for the vaccinated to continue precautions for the benefit of those who choose not to as this spreads through the population and is widely available.

 

[gottalovepluto]

I'll just offer this. Whether right or not, those folks that have been vaccinated that I know personally have put COVID behind them. It is a subconscious effect of the protection. It is a phenomenon that will grow. Personally I just had my first Moderna Monday. Georgia just opened the floodgates to just about everyone over 16. I can honestly say it has a profound psychological effect. I can imagine the second shot deepens it and 2 weeks later its in the rear view mirror. Right or wrong it will be a driver. Make this nationwide and things could psychologically shift fast with the public and demand to move on with things will pick up pressure. I also don't expect based on the vaccinated people I know that there will be much tolerance to hold restrictions in place once its widely available and now its just a choice to not get vaccinated. I see no tolerance for the vaccinated to continue precautions for the benefit of those who choose not to.

The psychological effect is huge when that shot comes. I’ve seen that with a few people I know, there will be little tolerance for rules in a couple more months kids be darned... unfortunately the little detail about the two shot jabs not being that effective with just one shot is absolutely true as I know 2 people who came down with COVID 2.5 weeks after shot one. Just couldn’t wait one more month for that family get together and I know they aren’t the only ones on a high after their first shot

^PSA reminding everyone with a 2 shot vaccine you’re aren’t 90%+ protected until 2 weeks after shot 2

 

[jessiegirl1982]

UOR is in LA County who has been much more strict with COVID regs, stricter than the state usually but they are starting to ease up. Disney is under Orange County who has been pleading with Newsom to allow theme parks to open so no hurdles there. The state makes the rules, counties have power to be more strict. Without LA’s blessing UOR can’t open, don’t know if LA has blessed it yet?

Yeah, it is. LA county is also in the Red tier and looks to be in Orange in a few weeks per the health dept earlier today. Assuming USH should announce soon and open near April 30th.

 

[J-Dog]

The physiological effect is huge when that shot comes. I’ve seen that with a few people I know, there will be little tolerance for rules in a couple more months kids be darned... unfortunately the little detail about the two shot jabs not being that effective with just one shot is absolutely true as I know 2 people who came down with COVID 2.5 weeks after shot one. Just couldn’t wait one more month for that family get together and I know they aren’t the only ones on a high after their first shot

^PSA reminding everyone with a 2 shot vaccine you’re aren’t 90%+ protected until 2 weeks after shot 2

I agree. And (this comment is getting off-topic, sorry) I think the research on transmission can't come fast enough, because if transmission of the virus is proven to be decreased (which preliminary research says it does), then IMO, letting vaccinated people "off the hook" for Covid restrictions will go a LONG way toward discouraging vaccine hesitancy.