Does anyone want to venture a guess when Disney World will be completely back to it's 2019 level again?

[Brett Wyman]

If anyone actually knew the answer to this they'd be making a few million a year with a VP title a Disney.

 

[mshanson3121]

I know everything will not come back 100%. But I'm hoping for all the live park shows to be back, some park street entertainment, modified character meet and greets, parades and fireworks. I'd like to see the return of fast pass or equivalent and dining packages. Also I'm hoping all the resorts and restaurants will be open again, too. Will we get there in a year, two, or three?

I realize know one can predict the future of Covid, but I just feel and hope to get back to most of the good old days at Disney World. Supposedly, the US will have enough vaccines to go around our country by May. Maybe, we can even get herd immunity.

I'm thinking Disney World will have to try sooner or later to get back to more normal operations.

So, what are your thoughts on it?

Fast Pass is likely gone, and the long-held rumor is that a paid version is in our future. The live shows will not all return. Or the street entertainment - in fact I'd wager most of the street entertainment is gone for good, at least for a few/several years. Disney will be in cost-cutting mode for several years recovering from this.

The hotels won't all reopen until normal-ish capacity resumes and/or travel demand is there. I doubt we see that until next year sometime. People think once everyone is vaccinated this spring that it'll be business as usual - it won't. Certain things, especially reduced capacities and social distancing will be here probably for another year or so. They won't be lifted until a) they see how the vaccines perform in general b ) they see how the vaccines perform against the variants c) children are vaccinated d) whether we need annual boosters.

Fireworks are already being tested so I see them returning by summer, at probably Epcot at least. Parades I doubt we see this year. No way to distance properly for them, especially as capacity increases. I think the pop up calvacades are all we'll have for awhile.

I think we'll only get costumed (the big suited characters like Jessie and Woody, Pooh etc...) meet and greets back initially. My guess is we're still another year or so out from characters like Aladdin, the princesses etc... Again, not until restrictions are lifted.

That said, Disney will never resemble 2019 again, or feel like that again. That ship has sailed. Instead, it'll build a new vibe, a new "Disney" feeling moving forward.

 

[mshanson3121]

Oh I disagree! When we were watching the cavalcade, every time there was a Donald Duck, he singled out DS3 who was wearing his Donald Duck hat and pointed at him, pointed at himself and made a little heart with his hands. Daisy blew him kisses. There is something unexpectedly special and exciting about being picked out of a crowd too!

That would be very special, but still wouldn't compare to a personal interaction IMO. I just don't see how that can possibly compare to the experiences our kids have had - our daughter being able to throw her arms around Pooh and hug him while crying because she finally got to meet her favorite character. The personal conversation she and Elsa had together. It's not the same as my son and the Mad Hatter singing "A Very Merry Unbirthday" together, or showing Woody a drawing he did for him, and Woody standing there praising it and patting him on the head and then taking his drawing book and walking it through the crowd, showing off my son's drawing.

I love the idea of the pop ups, but I'm really hoping they do a mix of those and real character meet and greets.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

Fast Pass is likely gone, and the long-held rumor is that a paid version is in our future. The live shows will not all return. Or the street entertainment - in fact I'd wager most of the street entertainment is gone for good, at least for a few/several years. Disney will be in cost-cutting mode for several years recovering from this.

The hotels won't all reopen until normal-ish capacity resumes and/or travel demand is there. I doubt we see that until next year sometime. People think once everyone is vaccinated this spring that it'll be business as usual - it won't. Certain things, especially reduced capacities and social distancing will be here probably for another year or so. They won't be lifted until a) they see how the vaccines perform in general b ) they see how the vaccines perform against the variants c) children are vaccinated d) whether we need annual boosters.

Fireworks are already being tested so I see them returning by summer, at probably Epcot at least. Parades I doubt we see this year. No way to distance properly for them, especially as capacity increases. I think the pop up calvacades are all we'll have for awhile.

I think we'll only get costumed (the big suited characters like Jessie and Woody, Pooh etc...) meet and greets back initially. My guess is we're still another year or so out from characters like Aladdin, the princesses etc... Again, not until restrictions are lifted.

That said, Disney will never resemble 2019 again, or feel like that again. That ship has sailed. Instead, it'll build a new vibe, a new "Disney" feeling moving forward.

as far as characters go I see the face ones back before head ones as each one would have own mask but sanitizing after each use could make this hard as normal cleanings will most likely not cut it. plus I sure would not want to have to wear a mask under head that would most likely be true until masks are dropped

 

[HuskieJohn]

...

 

[CarolinaGator]

I realize that the Disney magic comes at a price, but all other theme parks around the country have been stepping up their game. A previous poster mentioned Dollywood. Having grown up in Orlando, I am accustomed to thinking that Disney is the undisputed theme park gold standard, but I was shocked by how great Dollywood was. That trip, coupled with staying in a cabin and experiencing mountain adventures is a trip our kids still talk about years later.

The meet and greets have to come back. My daughter's first trip was at age 3, and I could cry remembering her experience of meeting the real and actual Cinderella. A decade later as a too-cool-for-school teen, she admitted she wanted to go meet Jasmine. When we were up next in line, the kid who was chatting with Jasmine asked if the genie was in the lamp. Jasmine said no, but maybe he could send him a message and rub the lamp. When he did, the lamp lit up, a magical chime rang out, and a wisp of smoke came out. None of us were expecting it at all, and we have talked more about that magical experience than any ride we did that trip. This is what Disney has on every other park.

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

The meet and greets have to come back.

Face character meet and greets is almost certainly going to be one of the very last things to come back, if it ever does. It's just way too dangerous for everyone involved with a highly contagious and deadly disease circulating for which there is no currently approved vaccine for children. Face character meet and greets were one of the first things to be suspended way back in like January in Shanghai Disney for a reason. I could see costumed character meet and greats coming back sooner though just because the costume works like a mask.

 

[tinkerhon]

Fast Pass is likely gone, and the long-held rumor is that a paid version is in our future. The live shows will not all return. Or the street entertainment - in fact I'd wager most of the street entertainment is gone for good, at least for a few/several years. Disney will be in cost-cutting mode for several years recovering from this.

The hotels won't all reopen until normal-ish capacity resumes and/or travel demand is there. I doubt we see that until next year sometime. People think once everyone is vaccinated this spring that it'll be business as usual - it won't. Certain things, especially reduced capacities and social distancing will be here probably for another year or so. They won't be lifted until a) they see how the vaccines perform in general b ) they see how the vaccines perform against the variants c) children are vaccinated d) whether we need annual boosters.

Fireworks are already being tested so I see them returning by summer, at probably Epcot at least. Parades I doubt we see this year. No way to distance properly for them, especially as capacity increases. I think the pop up calvacades are all we'll have for awhile.

I think we'll only get costumed (the big suited characters like Jessie and Woody, Pooh etc...) meet and greets back initially. My guess is we're still another year or so out from characters like Aladdin, the princesses etc... Again, not until restrictions are lifted.

That said, Disney will never resemble 2019 again, or feel like that again. That ship has sailed. Instead, it'll build a new vibe, a new "Disney" feeling moving forward.

Ok--- now Im REALLY depressed !! lol

 

[Rufio Slater]

My opinion , the combination of the vaccines being administered and the fact that the virus has a 99% survival rate they should completely open everything back to 100% capacity and also make masks optional . Anyone who doesn’t feel comfortable going can wait until they are comfortable.

 

[jlwhitney]

My opinion , the combination of the vaccines being administered and the fact that the virus has a 99% survival rate they should completely open everything back to 100% capacity and also make masks optional . Anyone who doesn’t feel comfortable going can wait until they are comfortable.

I 100% agree! Especially come by July. I really think it will happen sooner than many people think it will.

 

[MickeyWaffles]

My opinion , the combination of the vaccines being administered and the fact that the virus has a 99% survival rate they should completely open everything back to 100% capacity and also make masks optional . Anyone who doesn’t feel comfortable going can wait until they are comfortable.

Yeah, well that’s not going to be Disney’s approach. That won’t be happening for a while yet.

 

[mshanson3121]

My opinion , the combination of the vaccines being administered and the fact that the virus has a 99% survival rate they should completely open everything back to 100% capacity and also make masks optional . Anyone who doesn’t feel comfortable going can wait until they are comfortable.

Yet another person who can't see past survivability rates, and refuses to look at the disabling rates which are much, much higher

 

[ford91exploder]

Free live shows are a cheap way to make more people enjoy the parks without going on rides. What is less expensive, the castle show or the Tron ride? With that, they are total crowd control for the rides. You ever go on Splash Mountain during a night time show? It’s empty. I can’t predict the future but I do know that your statements of money and shows contradict each other.

I think there is either a tendency to see the dark because of the soft shutdown, or see the light at the end of this tunnel. I’d rather do the latter.

Going January 2022. Can’t wait to pick my fastpasses! Woohoo!

What's less expensive than the castle show and TRON? Having NEITHER of them. As to that light at the end of the tunnel it's a speeding locomotive for the Greed Railway company.

For way too long WDW has been the Disney Company's ATM Bad year at the Studios cut stuff at WDW, Bad year in Shanghai cut stuff at WDW, Need to buff up the numbers for an earnings call raise F&B prices and cut more stuff at WDW. With the MASSIVE so called 'covid cuts' notice that MOST of them were not permanent layoffs at Disneyland out of the 28,000 layoffs 20,000 were at WDW which was still OPEN and only 8000 affected Disneyland which remains to this day closed. Hmmm that does not seem operations related at all rather a much leaner and cheaper to run WDW is planned going forward. I just wish that Disney management loved the parks at least half as much as they love their bonuses. For all of the 'Bad Eisner' issues he loved the parks and it showed.

 

[ford91exploder]

Ok--- now Im REALLY depressed !! lol

You and me both

 

[ford91exploder]

I realize that the Disney magic comes at a price, but all other theme parks around the country have been stepping up their game. A previous poster mentioned Dollywood. Having grown up in Orlando, I am accustomed to thinking that Disney is the undisputed theme park gold standard, but I was shocked by how great Dollywood was. That trip, coupled with staying in a cabin and experiencing mountain adventures is a trip our kids still talk about years later.

The meet and greets have to come back. My daughter's first trip was at age 3, and I could cry remembering her experience of meeting the real and actual Cinderella. A decade later as a too-cool-for-school teen, she admitted she wanted to go meet Jasmine. When we were up next in line, the kid who was chatting with Jasmine asked if the genie was in the lamp. Jasmine said no, but maybe he could send him a message and rub the lamp. When he did, the lamp lit up, a magical chime rang out, and a wisp of smoke came out. None of us were expecting it at all, and we have talked more about that magical experience than any ride we did that trip. This is what Disney has on every other park.

Unfortunately that's EXACTLY the stuff the beancounters in Burbank want eliminated, They don't believe in the Disney magic, They believe in the Wall St cargo cult, to relentlessly reduce expenses and raise prices and that will bring magic.

P.S. That's the magic that kept us going back for 30 years, or a bunch of new grads working for the govt as GS11's renting a treehouse for a week in the 80's because of the sheer awesomeness of Disney not going down to party but to rope drop and stay until the kiss goodnight everynight.

 

[ford91exploder]

Wow those are some strong predictions. How about the Hoop Dee Doo Revue?

Never coming back - it used Equity actors so 'Too Expensive' even though it was by no means free.

Unfortunately I think WDW and DL until a new management team is in place or the parks are sold to someone who actually WANTS to be in the Parks and Resorts business it's gonna be like Universal back when they were owned by a hedge fund which was not pretty and in large part is responsible for Universal's poor reputation.

 

[MickeyWaffles]

With the MASSIVE so called 'covid cuts' notice that MOST of them were not permanent layoffs at Disneyland out of the 28,000 layoffs 20,000 were at WDW which was still OPEN and only 8000 affected Disneyland which remains to this day closed. Hmmm that does not seem operations related at all rather a much leaner and cheaper to run WDW is planned going forward.

Do you realize how much bigger Walt Disney World is than Disneyland? Do you realize how many more CMs are employed at WDW vs. Disneyland?

We’re talking 20+ hotels instead of 3, 4 parks vs. 2, 2 water parks vs. 0, way more transportation CM, Fort Wilderness ... the list goes on and on. You really can’t compare the numbers due to sheer size of the 2 properties alone.

More CMs would be laid off at Walt Disney World during company-wide cutbacks in nearly any scenario.

 

[ford91exploder]

Do you realize how much bigger Walt Disney World is than Disneyland? Do you realize how many more CMs are employed at WDW vs. Disneyland?

We’re talking 20+ hotels instead of 3, 4 parks vs. 2, 2 water parks vs. 0, way more transportation CM, Fort Wilderness ... the list goes on and on. You really can’t compare the numbers due to sheer size of the 2 properties alone.

More CMs would be laid off at Walt Disney World during company-wide cutbacks in nearly any scenario.

Yes I do, WDW is Florida's largest single site employer, The part you missed was that as a percentage of the total employment the cuts are about 3x as large as Disneyland's and Disneyland is CLOSED as in not operating so for a closed operation I would expect that one could lay off 80% of the staff except those needed for basic administration and maintenance functions.

 

[MickeyWaffles]

Yes I do, WDW is Florida's largest single site employer, The part you missed was that as a percentage of the total employment the cuts are about 3x as large as Disneyland's and Disneyland is CLOSED as in not operating so for a closed operation I would expect that one could lay off 80% of the staff except those needed for basic administration and maintenance functions.

I still don’t think it’s apples to apples.

Listen, I am not a big Chapek fan at all. I know they took covid as an excuse to cut things already on the chopping block, things like streetmosphere - which makes me very sad. I’m just not nearly as doom and gloom about the future as a whole.

I think more will return than you think eventually and you’ll be pleasantly surprised

 

[Timandalicia]

Never coming back - it used Equity actors so 'Too Expensive' even though it was by no means free.

Unfortunately I think WDW and DL until a new management team is in place or the parks are sold to someone who actually WANTS to be in the Parks and Resorts business it's gonna be like Universal back when they were owned by a hedge fund which was not pretty and in large part is responsible for Universal's poor reputation.

That was rhetorical sarcasm. Sorry. In other words, sounds like you’ve got this all figured out but no one has that kind of insight.

It’s all going to come back and everything will be fine (that’s going off the same information you have).