Rumors of Light (ROL discussion thread)

[bfost87]

I just had a voicemail from Olivia with some updated information about Rivers of Light, I wonder what it could be..... lol

Also, if someone could go ahead and cancel their lunch res at BOG on 4/22 or 4/26 that would be great

 

[Mambo Junkie]

My sister and I are both in our mid 20s so we go all out, minimum 2 parks per day except on travel days (although the past 2x when we've gone with our parents we've ended the last day with all 4 parks!), for us park hopper is a MUST

The way we see it, we want to get as much out of our vacation and get our moneys worth by experiencing as much as we can comfortably do, most of our advanced plans are ADRs which are relaxing for us so if we decide to not go to a park between and go back to the hotel for a nap, we'll do it

We always say we need a vacation from our vacation when we get home from Disney, last trip in October we walked over 85 miles in 10 days according to my mom's fitbit, we were pooped at the end!

DH and I used to do that early on. Now we take the grandkids. My first trip was in 1972 for my graduation present. It sounds great especially the lounge times. What a great way to relax and unwind!

 

[Karin Witherell]

I did receive a call today. I wanted to scream, cry and grumble about all the nights of 2-3 hours of sleep, but the CM on the phone had no control over any of this. Instead, I just dejectedly said "thank you" and hung up.
I know we are going to have an amazing time, it's just so frustrating to be so invested in something that isn't even going to happen.

 

[dachsie]

This might be over-parsing what is undoubtedly a PR-driven statement, but I read the word "by" in "[w]e'll share more information about timing on the Disney Parks Blog by mid- to late May" to mean "any time between now and mid- to late May" rather than "in mid- to late May."

A flicker of hope just ignited in my soul. You are correct. They did say BY mid/late may which means it could be up sooner. I can always hope. The only change I made to my schedule was to change my Dinosaur FP that I was planning to drop for ROL to EE - I have never ridden that - I am not a fan of roller coasters but after this ride, it seemed fitting to try it.

The other change I made after today's news was to switch my Buzz FP to a PP one since my rope drop day at MK will be a Morning magic hour and it wont be easy to get on PP without one.

 

[KMWoolley]

I would like to extend my deepest condolences for all the mid-May, late-May travellers. If the weeks leading up to your trip are anywhere near as terrible for information and schedules, as the last month has been...well, all I can say is good luck. Hopefully the people in charge learn a thing or two from this disaster.

Wow, I'm still bitter. Sorry all, I'm usually just sarcastic but generally happy.

 

[TheFloatingBear]

I would like to extend my deepest condolences for all the mid-May, late-May travellers. If the weeks leading up to your trip are anywhere near as terrible for information and schedules, as the last month has been...well, all I can say is good luck. Hopefully the people in charge learn a thing or two from this disaster.

Wow, I'm still bitter. Sorry all, I'm usually just sarcastic but generally happy.

Still bitter here too. I echo your sentiments...feeling for the Mid-Mayers and beyond... This afternoon was a weird shift. I'm still processing...

 

[DisMommyTX]

This delay does leave me pondering a few things. Is this whole venture being handled in house or are there specialized consultants on board? If in house, then Disney is looking at the impact of loss of revenue due to the delay. If outsiders were brought in, there could be large liquidated damages associated with missing this deadline. It certainly stinks for those who had been planning around this but those on the other end are most likely sick to their stomachs. People's jobs could be at stake and that doesn't make for a happy place. Something had to have gone really, really wrong.

I wonder how much revenue loss Disney is really looking at. How much more do they make by guests staying in the park an extra 4 hours? Enough to cover all of the expenses for extra CM hours? (Apparently not or they would be opening AK for evening hours even without ROL.)

Of course many people booked trips with the intention of seeing ROL in April and May, but I suspect that Disney will still see most of that revenue. Because they waited so long to announce the delayed opening, many guests will make their trip as planned. There are certain to be more guests visiting in the next two months than there would have been if they hadn't announced that ROL would be opening April 22. Current status for end of April/ beginning of May is: no evening activities at AK, no fireworks at HS, no A&E or Soarin' at Epcot, no castle stage show at MK. These are all things which could have been experienced by visiting a few weeks later. IF we had known this in advance, I wonder how many people would have scheduled a May trip. I think Disney knows exactly what it is doing--running a business. I honestly believe they intended to have it opened by April 22, but I also think that the people in charge knew weeks or even months ago that it would not be opening until June. By delaying the announcement as long as possible, they minimize any loss of revenue while still saving on operating expenses.

 

[TheFloatingBear]

I wonder how much revenue loss Disney is really looking at. How much more do they make by guests staying in the park an extra 4 hours? Enough to cover all of the expenses for extra CM hours? (Apparently not or they would be opening AK for evening hours even without ROL.)

Of course many people booked trips with the intention of seeing ROL in April and May, but I suspect that Disney will still see most of that revenue. Because they waited so long to announce the delayed opening, many guests will make their trip as planned. There are certain to be more guests visiting in the next two months than there would have been if they hadn't announced that ROL would be opening April 22. Current status for end of April/ beginning of May is: no evening activities at AK, no fireworks at HS, no A&E or Soarin' at Epcot, no castle stage show at MK. These are all things which could have been experienced by visiting a few weeks later. IF we had known this in advance, I wonder how many people would have scheduled a May trip. I think Disney knows exactly what it is doing--running a business. I honestly believe they intended to have it opened by April 22, but I also think that the people in charge knew weeks or even months ago that it would not be opening until June. By delaying the announcement as long as possible, they minimize any loss of revenue while still saving on operating expenses.

Agree! To have the delay they are suggesting they must have known for a while. I leave for my trip on 4/15, and with all the changes and cuts and lack of information, we researched canceling our trip and doing something else, but with the short time frame, it didn't make sense. With more lead time, we it might have been a more practical idea to switch things up...

 

[bluezy]

FWIW, Early Morning Magic dates were released today....

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/early-morning-magic/

Oh that's just grand. Our rope-drop day at MK is a Tuesday. I'm not happy about this *at all*. I'm hoping the "very limited number of tickets" is truly a small number that won't have a big impact on the regular rope drop crowd. We usually head to Frontierland/Adventureland at rope drop so maybe it won't even really affect us...or maybe all those early-morning Fantasyland people will be heading that way, too. Hopefully they'll all decide to eat their $70 breakfast @ 9:00. <sigh> Off to look at my plans to figure out if I can change that MK day....I have about 2 weeks until my FP reservation window opens. We already have an 8:15 p.m. dinner ADR at CRT on an evening EMH night, so we plan to stay until after midnight that night (with a sleep-in day the next morning) and get a bunch of rides in. And I know we can get back to MK for a few hours another day if we need to. All these changes and unknowns are going cause me to be popping my Ativan like it's candy....

 

[bfost87]

Girlfriend's first visit; Fantasmic! and Star Wars Fireworks; or Dessert Party and Star Wars Fireworks?

 

[cheshiregirl]

I'm a lurker on this thread since my first time to WDW in 5 years trips isn't until late October (DLR AP). I am so sad for all of you that haven't gotten bad news in the past couple days.

I know they are saying tech difficulties, but my jaded approach these days points directly to the Shanghai project problems. Everything I'm reading says that both American resorts are on operational shoestrings until the end of this fiscal quarter--June 30. Then IF Shanghai isn't a bust things might start to get back to "normal".

I would be shocked if DAK extends its' hours and nighttime offerings prior to mid-June at the earliest. As others have said, most people won't cancel their April & May trips so close to trip time since they have been actively planning for 5-6 months due to the need to book ADRs so far in advance.

 

[marchingstar]

Girlfriend's first visit; Fantasmic! and Star Wars Fireworks; or Dessert Party and Star Wars Fireworks?

Fantasmic! and SW fireworks! I'm a sucker for F!--it's perfectly disney to me.

 

[rteetz]

@rteetz probably has rumored knowledge of this. I remember reading something about regular guests allowed in queue once the park officially opens. So looks like best bet it ride, then eat breakfast at park opening. I think breakfast was to start at 8:30.

I believe you are correct.

 

[dachsie]

Girlfriend's first visit; Fantasmic! and Star Wars Fireworks; or Dessert Party and Star Wars Fireworks?

There is no such thing as in this thread.

 

[dachsie]

I do have a question for my peeps here. So I still have my 6:10 ADR for TH on May 16. It says park is closing at 6pm. How late will the busses run after that?

 

[HopperFan]

Girlfriend's first visit; Fantasmic! and Star Wars Fireworks; or Dessert Party and Star Wars Fireworks?

Dessert Party and Star Wars Fireworks. Memorable night

 

[3smithboys]

I think I've officially hit rock bottom with my planning for my June trip. I'm really disappointed in what's been announced today... Between hearing that ROL is postponed & now that a MK morning "pay for play" event is happening on my one MK day... I'm done! I'm tired of trying to plan a trip with a company that cares more about their bottom line than their customers...

 

[Princesses and Pirates]

I wonder how much revenue loss Disney is really looking at. How much more do they make by guests staying in the park an extra 4 hours? Enough to cover all of the expenses for extra CM hours? (Apparently not or they would be opening AK for evening hours even without ROL.)

Of course many people booked trips with the intention of seeing ROL in April and May, but I suspect that Disney will still see most of that revenue. Because they waited so long to announce the delayed opening, many guests will make their trip as planned. There are certain to be more guests visiting in the next two months than there would have been if they hadn't announced that ROL would be opening April 22. Current status for end of April/ beginning of May is: no evening activities at AK, no fireworks at HS, no A&E or Soarin' at Epcot, no castle stage show at MK. These are all things which could have been experienced by visiting a few weeks later. IF we had known this in advance, I wonder how many people would have scheduled a May trip. I think Disney knows exactly what it is doing--running a business. I honestly believe they intended to have it opened by April 22, but I also think that the people in charge knew weeks or even months ago that it would not be opening until June. By delaying the announcement as long as possible, they minimize any loss of revenue while still saving on operating expenses.

I agree. All good points. Do I believe that these paid 'extra hour' events are a coincidence also? No. I believe they were calculated and may have been influenced partly by this delay. As many have said, yes, Disney is a business. No, they aren't going to give the kingdom away. I do believe they had an idea that they were in trouble meeting this deadline and didn't want to announce that it may not happen as that is embarrassing to a business. (I recently read an article about the Jaws ride at Universal and all of the issues it went through and the eventual redesign of the ride - years after!) Things are sometimes difficult to work out in real life versus paper/concepts.

I work in the construction side of things so I was thinking more of the possible liquidated damages and how that could really hurt a company and affect the lives of people beyond vacations. I hope this is not the case.

I'm not trying to argue. I do believe you have good points and Disney most likely did their best, as a business, to minimize any possible loss of income due to this delay and/or announcement. I am sorry that it will affect so many nice people here on the boards. I hope you will all have a great time despite how this all came about. I do wish that for you!

 

[BridgetR3]

Still so stinkin frustrated with Disney!! I just want to know what will be open and what won't be open for our late May trip. I booked this trip so long ago back when we had Star Wars Weekends. That was axed. Then oh Soarin will come out (although disney never officially said) and now, nope SHanghai has to get it first so it's in July. Oh by the way, we no longer offer your favorite fast pass of Wishes where your family can comfortably sit on the grass and enjoy the show without the crowds or the children on their parent's shoulders. Oh Rivers of Light and all nighttime entertainment will be open April 22 and now, NOPE we will tell you in late May when it might open. I know it's been stated before in this group but I'm so frustrated and I just needed to vent. I'm not happy and even tried to convince the kids not to go this summer, to take time off and head west to Disneyland. They won't hear of it and love their Disney but I'm done. This trip has been a nightmare to plan and it gets seemingly worse every day. Thanks for listening........ I'm so sad at the state of affairs at Disney.

 

[jeanico2000]

I think I've officially hit rock bottom with my planning for my June trip. I'm really disappointed in what's been announced today... Between hearing that ROL is postponed & now that a MK morning "pay for play" event is happening on my one MK day... I'm done! I'm tired of trying to plan a trip with a company that cares more about their bottom line than their customers...

I am in the same boat, feeling exactly the same way! I don't know at this point what will be up and running in the new offerings for our trip on June 13 and 14, so it's terribly hard to plan!