Cruise and Theme Park Operational Updates due to Coronavirus

[gottalovepluto]

By the time Disney opens, they won't be required anymore.

I'm starting to think by the time Disney opens I'll be in the 65+ at risk category

 

[gottalovepluto]

DeSantis recently said “ I’ve been talking to Disney, they are so far ahead of the curve”.

Even governors have magical pixie dust filled dreams...

 

[Brianstl]

I’m not upset with people not being upset, I’m just saying that this company doesn’t need people making excuses for them. Pandemic or not, they have access to the best of the best talent when it comes to strategy, risk management, analytics, and especially PR. They wouldn’t have the market valuation they do if they didn’t. The landscape at the end of April was clear enough for them to know what date they can actually target and reasonably meet, and if politically there would be an appetite for it. The whole NBA plan developing in May has to be the hang up for this and its making them look like a company that either enjoys mystery or can’t get it’s act together.

I posted this in another thread, but you should be able to expect more from a company that wants you to plan dinner 180 days in advance than "We don't know about the next few weeks.

 

[kverdon]

Yes, I too found their announcement to be somewhat unhelpful and unifnormative. What I think frosts me the most is that they continue to take reservations for times they don't even know if they will be open. They, and their potential guests, would be far better served by just shutting down the reservation system entirely until they know when they are going to open. Would end a huge amount of grief on both sides. Guests would not be making airline, hotel dining reservations that they will have to cancel and then remake and then cancel again etc and DIsney would not to have to expend the time dealing with those justifiably unset guests and having to process all the cancellations, refunds etc.

 

[b2k1121]

I mean they could but the board would overthrow leadership well in advance. Companies that act like they don’t owe their customers anything “won’t be in business for very long”.

You missed the 'in terms of an announcement'. They do not owe anyone an opening date just because Universal has one.

 

[atricks]

I don't know - did they? If not, they should have - and I haven't been to universal in ages, so please correct me if I am wrong - do they have nighttime shows/parades, fireworks ?

Both parks should be decreasing ticket prices right now -
I wouldn't pay $200 to see a Broadway show that ended at intermission either -

Universal has the fireworks/fountain nighttime show, Islands of Adventure has the projection show on Hogwarts castle. Both are neat and fun to see, but I wouldn't call them required. I doubt they'll do anything to intentionally increase attendance right away

 

[e_yerger]

Even governors have magical pixie dust filled dreams...

He’s drinking the koolaid

 

[Mzpalmtree]

Oh the kool aid insults, are we still doing that?

People get so upset if you might actually not be upset with Disney once in a while...read my past posts, I'm upset with them more than I'm not.

And I’m sure that when you were upset with them there were many who would not have been upset in your situation. Why is it not ok for some people to be upset with them now just because you (and many others) think they are being reasonable? Many also feel they are being unreasonable in their communication. Each feeling is valid. I mean no disrespect. I like and agree with many of your posts. I just feel like in this situation people’s feelings either way can be valid. I don’t understand why everyone feels they have to argue with anyone who feels differently than them all the time anymore. I am frustrated. You are not. But that’s ok. I know it goes both ways.

 

[SaintsManiac]

I posted this in another thread, but you should be able to expect more from a company that wants you to plan dinner 180 days in advance than "We don't know about the next few weeks.

Incorrect. I’ve had my carefully curated plans thrown into chaos because they change hours and add events 2 weeks before a trip.

 

[Mit88]

There has been a lot of conversation about how they never should have allowed June reservations particularly the free dining deal back in March. And how they should still now cut off reservations indefinitely until they announce a date.

At the time that they were giving that deal away, their intentions were almost certainly to open up June 1st. Theres no bright side for Disney giving away that promotion knowing they definitely wont be open. They probably didnt know that they couldn’t make that date until a couple of weeks ago, if not right up until they cancelled reservations (which came a day later than the previous 8 weeks). There are more variables Disney has to overcome that Universal doesnt, and none of them are the NBA. One of which is the hotel’s. They own and operate their property hotels, Universal doesnt. None of what was said today is any indication of a later, or earlier opening than July 1st. Both are still very possible with leaning towards before July 1st

 

[MickeyWaffles]

One problem is that many people are unwilling to accept “closed until further notice.” I think they have plans for reopening on multiple timelines. I definitely don’t think they should release a date until its rock solid.

I’m both a shareholder and a DVC member, and I hear that I’m supposed to very angry right now, but I’m not. I guess I must just have a bigger threshold for uncertainty in these unprecedented times or something.

To me, the biggest misstep was that they incentivized people whose trips were cancelled in spring to rebook for June with free dining. That always seemed laughably unrealistic to me and caused people to think they’d definitely be open. I think that was a big mistake.

 

[DGsAtBLT]

 

[Violetspider]

.... they should cut off reservations indefinitely until they announce a date.

This, a thousand times this! That's all we're arguing here. Continuing to take reservations is just seeming cruel somehow at this point.

 

[JayhawkCruiser]

He’s drinking the koolaid

Care to guess the color

 

[DGsAtBLT]

At the time that they were giving that deal away, their intentions were almost certainly to open up June 1st. Theres no bright side for Disney giving away that promotion knowing they definitely wont be open. They probably didnt know that they couldn’t make that date until a couple of weeks ago, if not right up until they cancelled reservations (which came a day later than the previous 8 weeks). There are more variables Disney has to overcome that Universal doesnt, and none of them are the NBA. One of which is the hotel’s. They own and operate their property hotels, Universal doesnt. None of what was said today is any indication of a later, or earlier opening than July 1st. Both are still very possible with leaning towards before July 1st

I don’t disagree at all.

Just pointing out that a maybe date upsets people too.

 

[Farro]

And I’m sure that when you were upset with them there were many who would not have been upset in your situation. Why is it not ok for some people to be upset with them now just because you (and many others) think they are being reasonable? Many also feel they are being unreasonable in their communication. Each feeling is valid. I mean no disrespect. I like and agree with many of your posts. I just feel like in this situation people’s feelings either way can be valid. I don’t understand why everyone feels they have to argue with anyone who feels differently than them all the time anymore. I am frustrated. You are not. But that’s ok. I know it goes both ways.

It's a message board, everything is discussed and I think I've been pretty respectful.
I don't think I've ever told anyone to get over their disappointment, all I've said (in a nutshell) is I don't think Disney is handling it as bad as some of you do. As everyone points out why they think it's wrong of Disney, I'm only pointing out why I think it's okay.

 

[b2k1121]

I posted this in another thread, but you should be able to expect more from a company that wants you to plan dinner 180 days in advance than "We don't know about the next few weeks.

During normal times, absolutely. Opening the largest theme park destination in the world in the middle of a pandemic is a little different.

 

[DGsAtBLT]

This, a thousand times this! That's all we're arguing here. Continuing to take reservations is just seeming cruel somehow at this point.

I don’t think it’s cruel. People have to take some ownership of their decision to book a vacation during a pandemic at a currently shut down resort. There are no secrets at this point.

Obviously this doesn’t apply to reservations made beforehand.

 

[SarahC97]

I posted this in another thread, but you should be able to expect more from a company that wants you to plan dinner 180 days in advance than "We don't know about the next few weeks.

I think this is really the crux of the problem for some people. But then again, I've always been frustrated with the amount of advanced planning a Disney vacation takes and then they change things at the last minute that can throw your plans into disarray. So I guess this is really nothing new.

 

[JacknSally]

Did Universal decrease ticket prices?

I've never been to UO or priced out their options, but I just got an email from Undercover Tourist with an offer they say is a special UO ticket promo - 4 days for the price of 2, tickets good through December 17, 2021. Like I said, I've never looked in to UO tickets before so I don't know if this is really a special promo or if UO/UT offer something like this regularly. If it is a special reopening promo, though, I'd love to see something similar for WDW. I know they ran a buy 4 days, get 3 free (I think that was it) years ago.

*I do realize Undercover Tourist is a third-party and that whatever special promos they offer don't necessarily reflect any special offers or discounts from UO directly. Just saying that discounts are popping up in places (assuming this 4for2 promo is not how UO tickets through UT are typically structured)