The WDW Comeback: Before/After Game

[mattpeto]

I thought I had voted, but in reading what I wrote it really wasn't specific. I'll do better.

Yes, you had a condition in there I didn’t feel comfortable evaluating. Tron and GoTG are potential future topics.

 

[Lumpy1106]

Topic 8: When will Remy's Ratatouille Adventure finally be open for ALL guests?
Will it be Before or After: Monday, 3/8/21?

Key dates:
Art Festival: 1/8 - 2/22
Flower and Garden Festival: 3/3 - 7/5

Note: Soft/limited openings do not count, although feel free to add that date. Any combination of Standby, Virtual Queue, or FP+ would COUNT towards our Before/After Date.

Wouldn't we all like to know? I would have bet I could have ridden it on our trip in August - but no. I have to believe the ride was done then - so I would have a hard time believing the ride is not ready now. That's a good date to speculate with - Spring Break is usually packed and they could USUALLY use all the ride capacity they can get. Not this year though. I'll go with they would have started marketing it by now and say AFTER 3/8/21
So for the bonus; when will it open? I'm going to say by Memorial Day, , and put the opening on Friday, 5/28/2021 (soft openings a week before that).

 

[marcar12]

I will say before.
How far in advance do they usually announce new ride opening dates?

 

[Grasshopper2016]

I will say before as well, given that they have pulled down the construction walls and seem to be putting on the final touches now. What gives me pause is the notion of opening a new and much-anticipated ride in the middle of a pandemic, when it is necessary to avoid crowds and maintain social distancing. But, on the other hand, social distancing mandates are probably going to be with us through at least the summer, and I can't imagine Disney sitting on a completed new ride for months on end.

 

[DVCSunDevil]

I’m new to this and missed all the previous 7 votes. So mad. Anyway, I will go with “after” for #8. Only because everything seems to be taking longer than anticipated.

 

[mattpeto]

I’m new to this and missed all the previous 7 votes. So mad. Anyway, I will go with “after” for #8. Only because everything seems to be taking longer than anticipated.

Only one topic has expired per say (Topic 1). Go ahead and vote on them all!

 

[DVCSunDevil]

Topic 2: When will Disney start selling new Annual Passes again?
Will it return Before or After 3/31/2021?

After. I hope all my answers aren't "after", lol. I think they will wait until park capacity can handle APs. And I don't think capacity will increase that high until covid numbers drop significantly AND vaccination efforts are closer to targeted goals. I am guessing late summer or maybe early fall.

 

[DVCSunDevil]

Only one topic has expired per say (Topic 1). Go ahead and vote on them all!

Will do. Thanks for the heads up!

 

[DVCSunDevil]

Topic 3: There are rumors that Fantasmic! with social distancing will be returning early next year.
Will it return Before or After 4/5/2021?
Note: Sunday, 4/4 is Easter


Topic 4: The Mando Presence
With the massive success of Mandalorian, when will Hollywood Studios add a Meet and Greet or a new experience specifically with Mando and "Baby Yoda".

Will Mando and "Baby Yoda" either be featured in:

• A Meet & Greet (including modified with social distancing) anywhere at Hollywood Studios, such as:
  • Star Wars Launch Bay
  • Celebrity Spotlight (replacing Olaf)
  • Batuu (ignoring the timeline/story issues that it causes)
  • Anywhere else at DHS
• A parade or march of some kind
• Or will they add a new experience/simulator in Star Tours featuring the new characters?

The delimiter is beyond what they have now (Magic shot and Merchandise)

Will this happen Before or After 3/1/2022. If you think it will never happen, go ahead and vote Never. I’ll include those answers as well.

Happy holidays all.

EDIT: Removed the names of the characters just in case you haven't seen S1 or S2 yet.

For #3, I have to go with AFTER again. This topic is the toughest so far, IMO. We are actually going the week of Easter so selfishly I would like it to be back by then. It can be done, no doubt. But, again, I don't see shows coming back until capacity starts to drop a little. Bringing back the CMs for shows and getting all the rehearsal in takes some time. I could see shows coming back in the summer, though.

For #4, I will vote BEFORE. Because I am tired of voting AFTER, lol. Hopefully, vaccinations will have reached their goal by then and the COVID infection number will be much, much lower. I think that by late this year or early 2022 most things will be back at WDW, although travel will probably not reach where it was pre-pandemic. So I think WDW could absolutely do this.

 

[DVCSunDevil]

Topic 5: The Missing Signature Dining Restaurants
Will any of these restaurants open permanently Before or After: 5/1/21?

• Flying Fish
• Jiko
• Monsieur Paul
• Takumi-Tei
• Victoria & Albert’s
• Yachtsman Steakhouse

Bonus: I'd be interested to hear which ones you expect to open first and last if you want to include them, even if you chose After.

Toughest one yet. I am going with AFTER for all of them, though. I don't think these reopen until the hotels are reopened. The hotels are going to reopen until capacity increases AND travel increases. I don't see the hotels opening until summer. I think the restaurants will open in conjunction with the hotels.

 

[DVCSunDevil]

Topic 6: The Return of FP+
Will FastPass+ return Before or After: 10/1/21?

Note: This can include a deviation to the current plan but will allow guests to line jump a traditional standby queue. Virtual queues do not count.

I will say BEFORE. Finally, a "before"! Hopefully vaccinations will be far along by then and the covid rates will be low after the summer. So I think capacity will be up around 75% and APs could be in full swing as well. I think the lines, because of this, will have a need for FP.

 

[DVCSunDevil]

DDP will definitely be back, Disney aint gonna give up that float interest income which is basically free money.

I’m thinking like a beancounter when I try to predict future behavior and unfortunately WDW even before pandemic was making financial efficiency a priority over customer service. Food pre-prepared in a central kitchen. The last time I ate at Olivia’s we could not even get the salad dressing on the side. So what we had there was a salad produced on a production line with precise portion control.

The spirit of a signature restaurant is a meal prepared exclusively for you by the chef and his staff in the kitchen. But thats labor intensive and expensive and appears to no longer fit Disney’s model. And thats why I think majority of the signatures will be re-imagined

Does every post have to be about how evil Disney is and how they don't care about customer service? This is supposed to be a fun thread. There are many other threads where those comments are more appropriate.

 

[DVCSunDevil]

Topic 7: When will Rise of the Resistance include a traditional Standby queue (see notes)?
Will it be included Before or After: 7/1/2022

Note: Essentially, when will guests be able to show up anytime at DHS and get in line for ROTR without the current Boarding Group. This change can be any combination of Standby only, or Standby and Virtual Queue, or Standby and FastPass+, etc.

The FP+ queue already exists:
View attachment 548809

This is the current queue used for Boarding Groups and would be the traditional StandBy queue:

View attachment 548810

Thanks to Martin for the video. It's worth a watch if you haven't seen it.

I say AFTER. WDW doesn't want a 5 mile long line. I think it could be several years until it has a traditional standby queue. Once travel (particularly International travel) starts picking up in 2022 the demand for this ride will be higher than it is now. That will last for quite some time. I don't see this going to a traditional queue until 2023 at the earliest.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I missed some of the early ones so I am going to copy @DVCSunDevil and add my takes now:

Topic 2: When will Disney start selling new Annual Passes again?
Will it return Before or After 3/31/2021?

After: If I had to pick a date I think it will be for 1/1/22 - I think with the 50th coming up they just want to get through this year as is


Topic 3: There are rumors that Fantasmic! with social distancing will be returning early next year.
Will it return Before or After 4/5/2021?
Note: Sunday, 4/4 is Easter

Before: I think by mid March / by the start of Spring Breaks


Topic 4: The Mando Presence
With the massive success of Mandalorian, when will Hollywood Studios add a Meet and Greet or a new experience specifically with Mando and "Baby Yoda".

Will Mando and "Baby Yoda" either be featured in:

• A Meet & Greet (including modified with social distancing) anywhere at Hollywood Studios, such as:
  • Star Wars Launch Bay
  • Celebrity Spotlight (replacing Olaf)
  • Batuu (ignoring the timeline/story issues that it causes)
  • Anywhere else at DHS
• A parade or march of some kind
• Or will they add a new experience/simulator in Star Tours featuring the new characters?

The delimiter is beyond what they have now (Magic shot and Merchandise)

Will this happen Before or After 3/1/2022. If you think it will never happen, go ahead and vote Never. I’ll include those answers as well.

This will definitely happen and I think some time this year so will vote Before 3/1/22 ... I am still not convinced they will totally change around Galaxy's Edge, but I think something will come somewhere in DHS - I could definitely see Star Tours or a Meet & Greet in Launch Bay, for example

Topic 5: The Missing Signature Dining Restaurants
Will any of these restaurants open permanently Before or After: 5/1/21?

• Flying Fish
• Jiko
• Monsieur Paul
• Takumi-Tei
• Victoria & Albert’s
• Yachtsman Steakhouse

Bonus: I'd be interested to hear which ones you expect to open first and last if you want to include them, even if you chose After.

I will vote After as I just don't think they are needed. If any of them open before, it will be Monsieur Paul as there will be more focus on the France Pavilion once Rat opens. I don't think the ones in the Resorts will open any time soon



Topic 6: The Return of FP+
Will FastPass+ return Before or After: 10/1/21?

Note: This can include a deviation to the current plan but will allow guests to line jump a traditional standby queue. Virtual queues do not count.

I think this is a pretty close date, but I will go Before - because they had that first cut off a few days before 10/1 initially for booking places as they know people will be getting on site for the 50th a few days early, so I think sometihng will start by then as I think they want something in place for the 50th. It might not be the full blown/final version but there will be something in place by then


and I did already do #7

 

[DVCSunDevil]

Topic 8: When will Remy's Ratatouille Adventure finally be open for ALL guests?
Will it be Before or After: Monday, 3/8/21?

Key dates:
Art Festival: 1/8 - 2/22
Flower and Garden Festival: 3/3 - 7/5

Note: Soft/limited openings do not count, although feel free to add that date. Any combination of Standby, Virtual Queue, or FP+ would COUNT towards our Before/After Date.

After. Probably closer to Easter, IMO.

 

[sullivan.kscott]

Rat will open AFTER 3/8. I think they'll want it open for the summer crowds, and will take a month or so to work out kinks, but I see it being a VQ w/ soft openings shortly after Easter so that it's up and running at whatever full bore is for now by Memorial Day.

It will take 7 weeks to order and install plexiglass.

 

[Lumpy1106]

Not to sway your vote on Topic 8, but this was posted today;

Nice access to the new "Bench: The Ride" and "The Spotless Bathroom Experience (for now)", and the furthest reaches of the extended RAT que.

I still vote "AFTER"

 

[MiraclesTakeTime]

Topic 8: When will Remy's Ratatouille Adventure finally be open for ALL guests?
Will it be Before or After: Monday, 3/8/21?

Key dates:
Art Festival: 1/8 - 2/22
Flower and Garden Festival: 3/3 - 7/5

Note: Soft/limited openings do not count, although feel free to add that date. Any combination of Standby, Virtual Queue, or FP+ would COUNT towards our Before/After Date.

I would really like to say before, but I'm going with AFTER. I think anything that could draw crowds will be pushed out, especially with vaccines rolling out.

 

[mattpeto]

Going to let this one bake a little longer. This race is all tied up at the moment.

New topic coming on Friday, with some additional clerical information coming as well.

 

[egjensen8532]

I'm going with after