Rumor about “modified experiences” when Disney reopens (read 1st post for potential modifications being considered)

[rteetz]

Ive been doing my best to try and read ALL the posts, but somehow I missed the whole opening in August rumor. How did it start? Lol
Thanks!

Came from a WDWmagic poster.

 

[Mit88]

I think people are overestimating what the viewership of the NBA playoffs will be. Sports is not the same without fans. 100s of millions of people were stuck in their homes for 3+ months, as you can see by outdoor vacationing spots this weekend, people are going out in droves. Getting to be able to be outside, along with a lot of people, thats what you’re seeing a lot of people concentrate on right now, and that will continue to grow as more areas open up. No one is going to want to spend much time indoors this summer. Most Bars wont be open, they get a large portion of viewership. NBA will also have competition in the MLB, NHL, and the NFL and College Football towards the tail end. Ask any of the people in Ocean City, MD or the Ozarks this weekend if they’d rather continue what their doing, or go back to their homes and watch crowd- less Basketball and see what they say. People will watch, dont get me wrong, and I will watch certain games/series’ but if you think the numbers for these playoffs are going to be enormous, I think you’re going to be sadly mistaken. If people were still on stay at home orders and couldn’t leave their homes, it would be a different story

 

[dmband]

I think many of you are overthinking the NBA stuff.
Disney has over 30k rooms on property. There are 30 NBA teams with 15 players and 3/4 coaches trainers, so let’s say 20 people. That is 600 total people from NBA teams.
Even adding in media and refs you are no where near maxing out Disney resorts from the standpoint of that being a reason not to open.

 

[Mit88]

I think many of you are overthinking the NBA stuff.
Disney has over 30k rooms on property. There are 30 NBA teams with 15 players and 3/4 coaches trainers, so let’s say 20 people. That is 600 total people from NBA teams.
Even adding in media and refs you are no where near maxing out Disney resorts from the standpoint of that being a reason not to open.

It’s probably closer to 1000 people, more if families are going . It’s still wouldnt max out an entire resort. None of these rumors mean much until we hear what they have to say on Wednesday. Unless their proposal on Wednesday is primarily announcing the NBA plan (doubtful since owners and the NBA PA wont be voting until the weekend and decision officially made on June 1st), then its all moot. And they’re not going to announce reopening plans for months in the future because things continue to change and they’d have to completely redo their proposal when that time actually comes. So if they still meet with the task force with a proposal this week, its more than likely about a reopening date within the next month.

 

[xuxa777]

Money that Disney makes from NBA finals from tv is irrelevant In regards to opening Disney. They will make that money wherever they play the season/finals. They decide to play in Vegas Disney still makes the tv money.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Thanks again ! You're amazing ! And I'm sure the NBA won't kick me out of the ASMovies, lol - but Disney will hear me if I don't get a refund for my park tickets !

You may want to consider booking a resort package with tickets next time. It's a smaller upfront investment and the terms and conditions are much more flexible than, outright, purchasing non-refundable tickets.

Yeah, I had dated tickets for June. When my room reservation was "affected", I expected my tickets to extend. When the park hours were yanked, I thought surely my tickets would be extended (as promised) then.

Nope. I called. They said "Wait and see if we're actually open on that day, and then maybe we'll extend you. There will be an announcement next month."

With a 60-day fastpass reservation window, there's a real small window to use those tickets, and no school break long enough to use my tickets.

I didn't use the word fraud while I was talking to them, but it feels like fraud, and like services not provided. Disney lost a lot of good will for us in just a few days.

Your park tickets will be extended and, if you cannot use them prior to the extension date, simply call and ask for a refund. There are tons of reports of people getting refunds on stand-alone tickets due to extenuating circumstances. They also never lose value if you simply want to hold on to them and use them toward the purchase of new tickets for any future date.

Did they ever say how Universal is handling resort capacity and how they would fare with park admittance? Someone speculated that attendance would be first come first serve but they oughta tell people with reservations that because most people won't want to risk the high expense with no guaranteed entry.

Nothing about resorts was mentioned. Most of the on-site Universal hotels are owned by third-parties. Not sure how that relationship will pan out in terms of park access if at all.

Fyi...Universal did the same thing...Many companies work with ppl. for lesser circumstances, let alone a pandemic. Can you imagine the uproar for a business who closed, but kept ppl.s deposits??? I don't do cruises so I don't know much about them, but we even had excellent customer service with airlines (SW and United) getting full refunds for flights scheduled during this time. Add to that the fact that Disney has always had a pretty good cancelation policy...for me they don't get any extra credit in this regard.

Um, yeah, I can. One of my deposits is with a resort in Mexico that has been closed since April. I have a credit with them, but, very well, can't use it with a closed border and closed resort. I will be filing a claim with my travel insurance if that credit expires and the resort isn't open yet. I have zero desire to go to Mexico any time soon, so I'm alread trying to make peace with the fact I will never see that money again and it's far, far more than a $200 WDW deposit. The way we were treated by WDW was vastly different than how we were treated by this resort and ABD. WDW made us completely whole. I have credits with expiration dates and no ability to book with general public discounts with ABD. The cruise lines are the absolute worst right now - I am getting marketing e-mails from Celebrity multiple times a week trying to get me to book cruises for this summer that will never sail.

That's a good point but how many of those 15 million have thousands of dollars invested in watching the playoffs and/or airfare and PTO from work scheduled? I think the NBA issue is making hardcore Disney people angry for this reason, even if it makes sense to other people.

I'm a hardcore Disney person. I've been going to Disney Parks for 40 years. I'm a stockholder, premier passholder, DCL gold CC member - the NBA issue isn't making me angry at all. I fully expect they will host the NBA and open the parks to the general public almost simultaneously. Maybe you're a hardcore parks person? Hardcore Disney people are more concerned with the company as a whole and Disney needs to do this correctly for the long-term health of their company and brand.

 

[Jrb1979]

It’s probably closer to 1000 people, more if families are going . It’s still wouldnt max out an entire resort. None of these rumors mean much until we hear what they have to say on Wednesday. Unless their proposal on Wednesday is primarily announcing the NBA plan (doubtful since owners and the NBA PA wont be voting until the weekend and decision officially made on June 1st), then its all moot. And they’re not going to announce reopening plans for months in the future because things continue to change and they’d have to completely redo their proposal when that time actually comes. So if they still meet with the task force with a proposal this week, its more than likely about a reopening date within the next month.

I agree that the NBA doesn't directly affect the parks opening. Getting the NBA deal does help financially. Where

I think people are missing the point is with the NBA deal in place Disney can go back to whatever planned date they have for opening. With Universal opening so soon Disney probably has more pressure to reopen for money reasons. The NBA helps take some of that financial issues away.

 

[tinkerhon]

You may want to consider booking a resort package with tickets next time. It's a smaller upfront investment and the terms and conditions are much more flexible than, outright, purchasing non-refundable tickets.



Your park tickets will be extended and, if you cannot use them prior to the extension date, simply call and ask for a refund. There are tons of reports of people getting refunds on stand-alone tickets due to extenuating circumstances. They also never lose value if you simply want to hold on to them and use them toward the purchase of new tickets for any future date.



Nothing about resorts was mentioned. Most of the on-site Universal hotels are owned by third-parties. Not sure how that relationship will pan out in terms of park access if at all.



Um, yeah, I can. One of my deposits is with a resort in Mexico that has been closed since April. I have a credit with them, but, very well, can't use it with a closed border and closed resort. I will be filing a claim with my travel insurance if that credit expires and the resort isn't open yet. I have zero desire to go to Mexico any time soon, so I'm alread trying to make peace with the fact I will never see that money again and it's far, far more than a $200 WDW deposit. The way we were treated by WDW was vastly different than how we were treated by this resort and ABD. WDW made us completely whole. I have credits with expiration dates and no ability to book with general public discounts with ABD. The cruise lines are the absolute worst right now - I am getting marketing e-mails from Celebrity multiple times a week trying to get me to book cruises for this summer that will never sail.



I'm a hardcore Disney person. I've been going to Disney Parks for 40 years. I'm a stockholder, premier passholder, DCL gold CC member - the NBA issue isn't making me angry at all. I fully expect they will host the NBA and open the parks to the general public almost simultaneously. Maybe you're a hardcore parks person? Hardcore Disney people are more concerned with the company as a whole and Disney needs to do this correctly for the long-term health of their company and brand.

I did try to book a package, but it was a split stay and because of sun and fun, (and the number of days we booked for) , package wasn't an option (at least that is what I was told when I booked. )

 

[Helvetica]

I think many of you are overthinking the NBA stuff.
Disney has over 30k rooms on property. There are 30 NBA teams with 15 players and 3/4 coaches trainers, so let’s say 20 people. That is 600 total people from NBA teams.
Even adding in media and refs you are no where near maxing out Disney resorts from the standpoint of that being a reason not to open.

Honestly, Disney potentially hosting the NBA/MLS makes it seem to me like the parks will open sooner, rather than later. They host big groups all the time. The only wrinkle is that the NBA/MLS teams may take over a resort and people will have to be moved/upgraded.

Yeah, the Pop Warner kids aren’t making the money these players are, but Disney is hosting 64 football teams and 300 dancing teams during Pop Warner week. That’s a whole lot more people than what we’re talking about.

..I do wonder if the pro sports ball players will get their own after hours event like the Pop Warner kids. That’d be kind of cool.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Money that Disney makes from NBA finals from tv is irrelevant In regards to opening Disney. They will make that money wherever they play the season/finals. They decide to play in Vegas Disney still makes the tv money.

Sure, it still makes broadcasting money, but booking out the entirety of, perhaps, CSR and WWOS for months will rake in a pretty penny as well. I can't even imagine what the food and bev tab would look like! It also brings a ton of jobs back to those venues.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I did try to book a package, but it was a split stay and because of sun and fun, (and the number of days we booked for) , package wasn't an option (at least that is what I was told when I booked. )

You got bad info from whomever you spoke with. You can always add tickets on even if you are booking under a room-only discount. If it's a split stay, you simply book the first reservation of the trip as a package and add the length of tickets you need for your whole stay. If you trip is impacted, I would definitely call back and lobby for a full refund on your tickets.

 

[TwoMisfits]

We are considering jumping ship to Universal. It's not out of spite either. We are exhausted by the back and forth suspense. We want a sure thing or something closer to it. Universal offers that for now. We've never been to Universal either and it does seem really cool. Might be cheaper as well.

Don't feel bad about jumping to a new vacation...so far this summer, I have canceled a Hershey Park vacation, an Origins game fair vacation, and a NYC vacation. Today, I booked a Myrtle Beach one, since they are open. We'll see if that happens, b/c I can cancel day of for a full refund (and we'll drive)...

If the goal is to have a family vacation, get one you know (or at least mostly know) you can have, and the pressure is off...

 

[tinkerhon]

You got bad info from whomever you spoke with. You can always add tickets on even if you are booking under a room-only discount. If it's a split stay, you simply book the first reservation of the trip as a package and add the length of tickets you need for your whole stay. If you trip is impacted, I would definitely call back and lobby for a full refund on your tickets.

Was told when I booked that due to the fact that the sun and fun offer was good for max 14 days (which I knew was the case, because we had used the same offer last summer - we were going to be there an extra 5 days, ( but not going to any WDW park those days ) - that's when I was told that I had to book two separate room reservations, and make the ticket purchase for 7/14-28 separately -
If the trip gets cancelled ( not even sure if we will be able to fly out of JFK at this point) I will definitely call regarding a refund

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Was told when I booked that due to the fact that the sun and fun offer was good for max 14 days (which I knew was the case, because we had used the same offer last summer - we were going to be there an extra 5 days, ( but not going to any WDW park those days ) - that's when I was told that I had to book two separate room reservations, and make the ticket purchase for 7/14-28 separately -
If the trip gets cancelled ( not even sure if we will be able to fly out of JFK at this point) I will definitely call regarding a refund

It is true that you cannot book a room for more than 14 nights (that is with any reservation, not just Sun and Fun) and you need to book separate reservations if you want to stay longer than that, however you could have added the tickets to the 7/14 - 7/28 Sun and Fun reservation to make it a package. I don't know who you spoke with (CM or TA), but you got bad info which caused you to lay out all of that cash for the tickets. Hoping for a good outcome with your situation.

 

[tinkerhon]

It is true that you cannot book a room for more than 14 nights (that is with any reservation, not just Sun and Fun) and you need to book separate reservations if you want to stay longer than that, however you could have added the tickets to the 7/14 - 7/28 Sun and Fun reservation to make it a package. I don't know who you spoke with (CM or TA), but you got bad info which caused you to lay out all of that cash for the tickets. Hoping for a good outcome with your situation.

Thanks ! Was a cm

 

[Anthony Vito]

I think people are overestimating what the viewership of the NBA playoffs will be. Sports is not the same without fans. 100s of millions of people were stuck in their homes for 3+ months, as you can see by outdoor vacationing spots this weekend, people are going out in droves. Getting to be able to be outside, along with a lot of people, thats what you’re seeing a lot of people concentrate on right now, and that will continue to grow as more areas open up. No one is going to want to spend much time indoors this summer. Most Bars wont be open, they get a large portion of viewership. NBA will also have competition in the MLB, NHL, and the NFL and College Football towards the tail end. Ask any of the people in Ocean City, MD or the Ozarks this weekend if they’d rather continue what their doing, or go back to their homes and watch crowd- less Basketball and see what they say. People will watch, dont get me wrong, and I will watch certain games/series’ but if you think the numbers for these playoffs are going to be enormous, I think you’re going to be sadly mistaken. If people were still on stay at home orders and couldn’t leave their homes, it would be a different story

I respectfully disagree. As you point out, people were going out in droves in response to being cooped up. I think this years NBA playoffs and Finals will benefit from the same effect. People have been deprived of meaningful sports to watch for months, so when the NBA does come back, I think you'll have a similar response - without the risk of going to a crowded public space during a pandemic. I certainly wouldn't see it being any worse than a normal postseason, and the ad revenue from a normal Finals has already been posted.

Money that Disney makes from NBA finals from tv is irrelevant In regards to opening Disney. They will make that money wherever they play the season/finals. They decide to play in Vegas Disney still makes the tv money.

However, if the NBA believes they can't make it safe enough to host in Vegas or elsewhere and can't get all of their stakeholders on board (players, owners, etc.), then there is no Finals for Disney to make money from.

 

[robinb]

We are considering jumping ship to Universal. It's not out of spite either. We are exhausted by the back and forth suspense. We want a sure thing or something closer to it. Universal offers that for now. We've never been to Universal either and it does seem really cool. Might be cheaper as well.

You have a sure thing, but are you sure it’s safe? I’m sticking with Disney.

 

[Mit88]

I respectfully disagree. As you point out, people were going out in droves in response to being cooped up. I think this years NBA playoffs and Finals will benefit from the same effect. People have been deprived of meaningful sports to watch for months, so when the NBA does come back, I think you'll have a similar response - without the risk of going to a crowded public space during a pandemic. I certainly wouldn't see it being any worse than a normal postseason, and the ad revenue from a normal Finals has already been posted.

People were deprived of Baseball. People said they would watch the KBO if it were broadcast here in the US because they’d take any type of baseball right now. ESPN got the rights to a few games a week, people watched for about 3-4 days and now its not being watched. Obviously different sports and US popularity, but like I said, given a choice of being outdoors or stay inside to watch basketball, I’m confident people are going to choose being outside. The lackluster product without fans will also be a factor. There will be people that watch no matter what, I’m not saying no one will watch, but I dont think it’ll even come close to a normal postseason ratings

Not to mention, because theres no fans, the games will be on a tape delay due to language needing to be edited out which means there will be no live betting which draws in a large number of people that might not otherwise watch

 

[brockash]

You have a sure thing, but are you sure it’s safe? I’m sticking with Disney.

LOL...It's just as safe as any other theme park would be. After our 3rd Disney trip was canceled last week and UO announced opening...we immediately switched over to UO as well. The resorts alone were a good amount cheaper than Disney and we haven't been to UO in a long time, so while we know it'll be different; we're excited. You can stick with Disney, but who knows when you'll actually be able to go. I'm sure we'll be back to Disney too, but I'm excited to try something new.

 

[going/again]

You HOPE there are still incentives. Right now, WDW appears to not give a whit about ticking customers off.

I believe Disney will do their best to make everyone happy

 

[Anna H]

You have a sure thing, but are you sure it’s safe? I’m sticking with Disney.

I will give it a week or so to see what Disney does. I feel like it's as safe as it can possibly be but I also wouldn't necessarily go in June either. I just don't want to wait and lose another chance if Disney isn't opening until late late summer.