WDW Should Not Open in July. Discuss.

[nicolita3]

Our numbers are climbing here again & have been for a few weeks. My sister is an ER nurse & has talked to colleagues at other hospitals & the hospitals are not seeing the increase that corresponds to increase in positive cases this time. She said it’s actually been slow b/c non Covid patients still aren’t coming in much either for fear of getting the virus. I realize it may pick up, but so far it hasn’t. There is also possibility that the virus has weakened.

Just because your sisters hospital isn't busy doesn't mean that others aren't. Here in Arizona is usually a slow time for hospitals and they usually close down halls due to low census. Right now they are very busy. It's scary.

 

[LSUmiss]

Just because your sisters hospital isn't busy doesn't mean that others aren't. Here in Arizona is usually a slow time for hospitals and they usually close down halls due to low census. Right now they are very busy. It's scary.

Hospitals in our area aren’t busy not just my sister’s. And since we had our peak in April, they were able to expand units so we can be ready to go if it surges again.

 

[georgina]

I have an October trip to WDW booked that I think is in serious jeopardy. We did not have a terrible time here in the Pittsburgh area, hit 3rd phase of reopening 3 weeks ago, and now the daily cases are higher than they were at the peak in April. It is a lot of young people, and contact tracing shows many of them were on vacation in Myrtle Beach, Outer Banks of NC, Orlando, other vacation spots. They came back and spread it around. Bars are reclosed now. It is frustrating!

 

[bavaria]

I am sorry but all theme parks shouldn't be open yet. I look at how we have done here in Ontario and ask why can't the US do the same. We just moved into phase 2. No theme parks open yet. Patios only are allowed as well as all retail. Our cases have been under 200 for a few weeks now. Again I ask why can't that be followed in the US.

In the few times I have read here, I have seen you say something like this more than a few times. The reality is that every country (and in large countries, each state/province/region) faced different challenges, and managed this differently. Look at your own country, where your province is second worst. Do you think it would be useful to hear people from PEI, or Manitoba, saying 'why can't what we did be followed in Ontario?' Your province went down a path, and now you are trying to find a positive outcome. This isn't a competition to be better, nor can anyone be superior because their country happened to be better than another (so far).

I have said it before: each area has chosen how to manage this, and is learning as we progress. The general wisdom is that the recovery in Europe will be slower than in China, other Asia, and the US, and that perhaps the stronger lockdowns were not required to reach similar outcomes.

I also believe that you said that your motivation for improved figures in the US was to go on holiday to a theme park? My motivation is for the world to succeed, and for each area to find the best path to a positive outcome. Of course there are things which could be done differently in the US, or which people find frustrating, or frightening. But I cannot tell people in the US that they should be like Germany (or Australia, or Taiwan, or anywhere else) As of this week, there are indications that higher cases in the US may not mean the same outcomes as we saw earlier this year. It's interesting actually to see the results in different areas, with different limitations/openings etc, and for us all to learn from this so that in the coming months we can perhaps react differently than in the first half of the year.

As to WDW opening, Europa Park reopening in May in Germany, and there have not been any reported outbreaks as a result. It is one of the largest parks in Europe, with visitors primarily from Germany, France, and Switzerland. So while I have no plans to visit WDW, I cannot say definitely that they should not open, if one looks at various amusement centres globally and the outcomes. (With the exception of brothels, as there have been slower openings and a few reported outbreaks)

 

[Tallis]

I'm in a rural county of Florida, not near the hardest hit spots. Even so, they are not sending the children back into classrooms next month. They will continue virtual classroom. And yet, here they are opening the theme parks. I guess to some people it trumps education.

And no, not all the kids are still getting an education. Some people are just not motivated enough to have children learning from home. One of my grandsons' Zoom meetings this last semester were a train wreck. Twice parents had to be muted for losing their cool about having to deal with their own children's education. The parents were not even supposed to be ON the video, only the child. I guarantee this is not the only classroom dealing with problem parents.

 

[Mango7100]

Two weekends ago we went to Dollywood and we felt quite safe, as we observed all of the care being taken. Tables, all we used were outside, were being cleaned. The steam train was at less than 1/3 capacity and was cleaned between runs. Masks were required, and a host kept at telling a person that it needed to be on. People listened.

Masks were not required when eating, drinking, on thrill rides, or if you were in one of the “no mask” zones. Outside of Dollywood, Pigeon Forge was not like that.

We traveled from NJ, through, DE, MD, VA and finally TN. With the spikes happening now, I am glad we went when we did. I don’t think I would even go back to Dollywood now. In MD, VA and TN coming home, we noticed more in restrooms without masks. Perhaps the states had gone to a different phase. However, in TN there were never many folks in masks outside of Dollywood.

I live in TN and our state has pretty much sucked. Pigeon Forge is ridiculous—I would go to Disney before going there. My county is near Dollywood and thankfully just passed a mask mandate starting Friday—as a city we have our own health department, otherwise we would have to follow our governor who still just says that people will do the right thing...yeah that’s not happening

 

[godisney14]

Respectfully I didn't know people were still in the whole "you're killing grandma" tactic to appeal to people's viewpoints.

Likewise, there’s also people still arguing they don’t want to be in lockdown at home any longer.
Who exactly has been under a lockdown?

 

[donaldbuzz&minnie]

As to WDW opening, Europa Park reopening in May in Germany, and there have not been any reported outbreaks as a result. It is one of the largest parks in Europe, with visitors primarily from Germany, France, and Switzerland. So while I have no plans to visit WDW, I cannot say definitely that they should not open, if one looks at various amusement centres globally and the outcomes. )

Unfortunately the risk of going to a park in Europe can't be remotely compared to visiting one in the US. The EU countries got the virus under relative control. In the US it's out of control. Europeans have been vastly more compliant individually in terms of taking responsible steps to wear masks and follow social distancing protocols. Europeans are typically aghast at what is happening in the US today.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Likewise, there’s also people still arguing they don’t want to be in lockdown at home any longer.
Who exactly has been under a lockdown?

I haven't really seen people use lockdown on the Boards for a while but grant you that I could have missed that recently.

It's possible that people say lockdown but really mean phased openings at this point; however when people say "killing grandma" they generally actually mean killing grandma in the literal sense so a tad different as there's no other way to interpret that one.

However there are people still staying largely or almost exclusively at home with some advocating strongly for others to do the same. I actually found out two days ago that my cousin's wife hasn't left home since stay at home order was issued back on March 24th Her husband (my cousin) has gone out, and my aunt and uncle have gone over there but she hasn't left the house since then. She's a homebody but that's much more than that. BUT she's not using lockdown or anything as a statement; at this point it's her comfort level.

 

[godisney14]

I haven't really seen people use lockdown on the Boards for a while but grant you that I could have missed that recently.

Maybe you’ve been accustomed to it now so you don’t even recognize it.
The search function on the top is useful.

 

[ORD2KOA]

I feel the same exact way!

On the other side, as a Florida resident, it makes me almost physically sick to drive around see cars with tags from all over the country! Go home, for goodness sake! WHY ARE YOU HERE? Please just go home. Florida will be here when this is all over.

I'm glad I'm not the only one shaking her head at all of those out of state cars here.

We had another 6500+ cases today. It's turning into a petri dish.

Did you see that Sea World is having fireworks this weekend? Absolutely nuts, but all they're talking about on the news tonight is a lack of tax dollars coming in to Orange County, so nobody is going to stop them.

 

[ORD2KOA]

I don’t get why Florida doesn’t shut it down!! Cases will rise and hospitals will be overwhelmed...have they learned nothing from NY?! I don’t get it.

I commented about the reason why the other day and got my post removed and was reprimanded, but I think most of us living in Florida know why, but we're not allowed to opine about it. Floriduh pretty much sums it up.

 

[SaintsManiac]

No, they probably shouldn’t open, but they will.

Majority of the guests will be just fine, but someone won’t be and they’ll try to sue even though they’re the one who decided to visit a theme park during a pandemic.

CMs will test positive and quarantine and recover and return. It’s a cycle we have to live with unfortunately.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Maybe you’ve been accustomed to it now so you don’t even recognize it.
The search function on the top is useful.

Stop with the snark, it's unnecessary. If that's the reason you responded to me as an opportunity for snark don't.

 

[luvnwdwgal]

No, they should not open. Going to a theme/amusement park during a pandemic is the dumbest thing you can do. If you don’t understand that then you are part of the problem!

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Going to a park like this right now is like attending a COVID party to get it. Hope is not a strategy.

 

[maxiesmom]

No, they should not open. Going to a theme/amusement park during a pandemic is the dumbest thing you can do. If you don’t understand that then you are part of the problem!

Technically, as long as you are outside, wear a mask, and maintain social distance, a theme park is one of the safer places to be. Much better than being inside having a meal, or attending a convention.

I'm very curious to see the pics of opening day at WDW. I wonder how full the parks will be, and how easy it is to keep your distance from other guests.

 

[Nayan]

I am one of those who stay home as much as possible. There is no way I would go to a theme park or any other place where folks can gather. I also live here in Florida and wear a mask when I go out. You have no idea how uncomfortable that is when the heat index is almost 110. Doing that for a whole day? No way.

 

[LSUmiss]

Technically, as long as you are outside, wear a mask, and maintain social distance, a theme park is one of the safer places to be. Much better than being inside having a meal, or attending a convention.

I'm very curious to see the pics of opening day at WDW. I wonder how full the parks will be, and how easy it is to keep your distance from other guests.

It has been reported here that there are no known clusters linked to the recent protests b/c ppl were outside & mostly wore masks. If that’s true, wdw should be no different, if not better, b/c ppl will also be 6ft apart. Ppl like to just keep saying going to a theme park is bad but can’t adequately explain why. If you are 6ft apart from other ppl & wearing masks, it is no different than any other activities. It doesn’t matter how many ppl are there or where they’re from b/c you should very little contact with any of them. OTOH, going to crowded bars & parties & drinking (which requires no masks & results in a loss of inhibitions) is actually probably the stupidest thing you can, yet those things remain open here.

 

[lorimay]

Hard pass for this family.