Cruise and Theme Park Operational Updates due to Coronavirus

[parasail_of_congress]

I don't think anyone is pretending...rather realizing life can't go on like this for 1, 2, 5 , 10 years until if and when a vaccine is created...if you decide you want that said vaccine....so instead they choose to learn to live with this realizing that life and the economy must go on.

Most frustration now comes from the narrative of flatten the curve, flatten the curve, flatten the curve and now all of a sudden its cure... so people have become fed up

And I speak from experience as I have not missed one day of work and I walk into a place that has 500 plus people a day in close quarters... and I have realized over the last 2 months that if you conduct yourself safely and there are measures in place life can go on...and go on productively and safely.

Google "Ocean City Maryland" if you want to see how people "safely" navigated a quasi-theme park today.

The notion that people will actually conduct themselves safely without some entity ensuring that rules are followed is ridiculous.

 

[Jiminy76]

I don’t think that’s the case. Yes bad PR but people aren’t going to go in droves to Universal or SeaWorld instead. Many do combo trips.

I for one am looking at doing Universal as a backup if WDW is not open in late July and DVC resorts are open. I will take the annual pass credit option and use to purchase Universal tickets and will do a more Orlando based vacation instead of the normal Disney Bubble Vacation

 

[Runnsally]

I don’t think people fully grasp the effect the potential NBA deal will have on WDW opening to the public. It’s not like they’ll cram the entire league into Coronado Springs and call it a day. The NBA would likely take over the entire resort and push the public opening (at least on the resort side) back significantly. That being said, I think there are too many reasons for this not to happen...

 

[Mit88]

go back a number of pages to the mask debate and see how many were saying if masks required of guests they were not going . I feel this more than NBA or anything else has Disney looking at later opening date

I’m well aware of the mask debate. Typically the ones that scream the loudest are mistaken as the majority. There are plenty enough people that would gladly comply and follow the guidelines that Disney would set in place. But because we’re not screaming at the roof tops and complaining about anything, it gets lost in the shuffle in place of the people yelling and screaming about not going with those regulations in affect. Just because you dont hear us, doesnt mean we dont exist

 

[Mit88]

I don’t think people fully grasp the effect the potential NBA deal will have on WDW opening to the public. It’s not like they’ll cram the entire league into Coronado Springs and call it a day. The NBA would likely take over the entire resort and push the public opening (at least on the resort side) back significantly. That being said, I think there are too many reasons for this not to happen...

Why open additional resorts, bringing in more people to work at the resorts as potential carriers of the virus. If you keep expanding the bubble, eventually its going to pop.

 

[wareagle57]

I don’t think people fully grasp the effect the potential NBA deal will have on WDW opening to the public. It’s not like they’ll cram the entire league into Coronado Springs and call it a day. The NBA would likely take over the entire resort and push the public opening (at least on the resort side) back significantly. That being said, I think there are too many reasons for this not to happen...

I’d like to hear your reasoning as to why you think they’ll take up that much room. Half the league is already eliminated from playoff contention. There is some speculation they could shorten the season of teams not needed to decide playoffs. Also there are only about 15 games left. Basketball is a sport where you can play 2-4 days in a row. There is no travel so now they can speed up the season and playoffs. There are only 3ish teams with 15 players, half a dozen coaches, some trainers and a few others. Then the media. We are talking 1000 people. There is no reason they’d need more than 1-3 hotels. Certainly not the parks. Everything should be at WWS. So what am I missing?

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I don’t think people fully grasp the effect the potential NBA deal will have on WDW opening to the public. It’s not like they’ll cram the entire league into Coronado Springs and call it a day. The NBA would likely take over the entire resort and push the public opening (at least on the resort side) back significantly. That being said, I think there are too many reasons for this not to happen...

30 teams. Each team has, max, 17 players. One head coach, 3 assistants and 1 trainer allowed on the bench. Add 20 more people from each team for good measure. NBA execs., media. You come in at less than 2000 people. They aren't shutting down all of WDW for 2000 people. CSR has 2462 rooms. There are 36,000 rooms on WDW property. When WDW hosts Pop Warner, that's about 12,000 people. They don't shut the entire resort down for them. The absolute easiest and most lucrative thing for WDW to do would be to create a CSR/WWOS bubble and open the rest of WDW parks and resorts up to general operations. WDW manages large conventions and sporting events year-round without upending general park and resort operations. These are not mutually exclusive operational issues.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I’d like to hear your reasoning as to why you think they’ll take up that much room. Half the league is already eliminated from playoff contention. There is some speculation they could shorten the season of teams not needed to decide playoffs. Also there are only about 15 games left. Basketball is a sport where you can play 2-4 days in a row. There is no travel so now they can speed up the season and playoffs. There are only 3ish teams with 15 players, half a dozen coaches, some trainers and a few others. Then the media. We are talking 1000 people. There is no reason they’d need more than 1-3 hotels. Certainly not the parks. Everything should be at WWS. So what am I missing?

Yup - agree. And I forgot that, most likely, all 30 teams won't be there. Maybe 18 - 20 tops if they do some type of tournament for those lower playoff spots or 16 if they go straight to play-offs. So even less people than I had speculated. WWOS has six basketball courts, so they could get through the playoffs fairly quickly even with rest days. With players, staff, media and NBA execs, there is no reason why they couldn't all fit, with room to spare, at CSR.

 

[Brianstl]

Why open additional resorts, bringing in more people to work at the resorts as potential carriers of the virus. If you keep expanding the bubble, eventually its going to pop.

The plan for the NBA at least as I understood a few days ago was for the CMs working in anyway connected to the NBA to live inside the same bubble as the NBA. Other resorts opening wouldn’t expand that bubble. There would be no interaction between CMs or anyone inside the NBA bubble with anyone outside that bubble. So there could be no expansion of that bubble.

 

[CAQDaddy]

I don’t want to delve too far off topic myself but to me I think this makes it worse in terms of the airborne transmission is more prevalent than surface transmission. Airborne is harder to control because we need to breathe. Masks help to an extent. Disney is doing that at Disney Springs of course and likely will at the parks. If this was worse on surfaces, cleaning procedures would be more the focus. Either way it’s not a great situation as we all know.

We know the virus is transferred by droplets in the air. We've always known that. It isn't any more difficult to control airborne transmission just because it doesn't transfer as easily via surfaces. Your statement is completely illogical. It really seems like you are denying potential good news. It seems to me strategies to mitigate airborne transmission could be focused on now since it seems that's the most common threat. This discussion is completely on the topic of theme park operations during this crisis.

 

[wareagle57]

The plan for the NBA at least as I understood a few days ago was for the CMs working in anyway connected to the NBA to live inside the same bubble as the NBA. Other resorts opening wouldn’t expand that bubble. There would be no interaction between CMs or anyone inside the NBA bubble with anyone outside that bubble. So there could be no expansion of that bubble.

“The Bubble” is the only thing I can think of for them wanting the entire resort. But as someone else pointed out, 1000 people don’t need something twice the size of Manhattan. They can all space out enough in 1 or 2 hotels. No outside guest in. No transportation to WWoS shared with guests or parks. Where is interaction going to occur with normies or places normies have been?

This is the last bit of speculation. They are afraid media, coaches, players ect might go to they theme parks or other resorts/restaurants and bring it back to the bubble.

If THATs the case then no matter where they go the players and all staff will have to be locked down and not allowed to go anywhere. They can easily do that here. Whats to stop the players from going to sea world? Or any restaurant in Orlando? At least stays Disney they get a huge resort to walk around in and multiple dining locations.

 

[anthony2k7]

Oh wow another 30 pages to catch up on!

I think there are two very critical unresolved and very contentious issues for disney still to resolve.

1. They agreed with the union everyone would wear masks. CMs, guests, everyone. Now with DS open and before the full peak of summer there is already non-compliance and the comments from potential guests are brutal. How does disney get around that when they promised the union as part of safety of CMs returning??

2. Disney used a very clear phrase for the financial condition of reopening - positive financial contribution I think it was? Disney and universal have no real clue how many people will arrive, and even more critical how much they will spend on food and merch. For DS on opening day there were people, but in the 30 minute video I saw after they had been open several hours I think I saw one person with a shopping bag. Apparently numbers have dropped off since then?

Maybe disney is convinced opening now will cost more than staying closed with all staff furloughed. Maybe they'll wait it out and see how universal goes with actual guest spending first.

 

[yankeesfan123]

..and is everyone forgetting the MLS, too?? If that deal happens, you can more than double all these numbers being discussed.

 

[yorkieteacher]

My June 27 to July 7 trip will become a UOR trip depending on what WDW says (or doesn't say) this week. I'm tired of waiting for WDW, I need to know what I'll be doing this summer. The only question will be if I buy AP for UOR as I'm not crazy about having AP for both resorts. If it was due to the NBA I'd be furious.

I did just that yesterday for my June 19-24 trip. Now going to Universal and Legoland and maybe Sea World if it opens. We have to have real plans less than a month out-

 

[woody337]

So, how mad are cast members that have had no job for 2 months and no income with Disney spending weeks courting the elites of the nba? Something is seriously wrong with this picture.

 

[mshanson3121]

Oh wow another 30 pages to catch up on!

I think there are two very critical unresolved and very contentious issues for disney still to resolve.

1. They agreed with the union everyone would wear masks. CMs, guests, everyone. Now with DS open and before the full peak of summer there is already non-compliance and the comments from potential guests are brutal. How does disney get around that when they promised the union as part of safety of CMs returning??

2. Disney used a very clear phrase for the financial condition of reopening - positive financial contribution I think it was? Disney and universal have no real clue how many people will arrive, and even more critical how much they will spend on food and merch. For DS on opening day there were people, but in the 30 minute video I saw after they had been open several hours I think I saw one person with a shopping bag. Apparently numbers have dropped off since then?

Maybe disney is convinced opening now will cost more than staying closed with all staff furloughed. Maybe they'll wait it out and see how universal goes with actual guest spending first.

This is absolutely what I think is going on.

1. Disney is not a cheap park to run. I can definitely believe it may be better for them to stay closed for now - especially if they can get the deal with MLS and NBA to bring in some cash in the meantime.

2. I can also see them wanting to watch and see what happens with Universal first, learn from their successes and mistakes. I think a lot of people have forgotten about the union contract and its implications - Disney has to make sure they enforce mask compliance, otherwise, they have a potential problem on their hands. Maybe they do want to wait until the worst of the summer weather is over before opening to assist with this.

 

[michellej47]

I'm sorry if this has been discussed and I missed it, but have their been any further updates on cancelling without losing your deposit? I know it was originally running through June 30th. We cancelled our June trip and rescheduled in late July (and received a full refund), but after thinking about it and talking about it as a family, we are going to wait until Thanksgiving. I'm a school principal so my options to go are limited. While I love Disney and respect whatever changes they feel they need to make, I'm not willing to drop a ton of money to have to wear masks in July heat, have certain attractions closed, etc. Maybe there will be a bit more normalcy in November. Does anyone know if I cancel my July reservation if I will get my deposit back?

 

[npatellye]

I'm sorry if this has been discussed and I missed it, but have their been any further updates on cancelling without losing your deposit? I know it was originally running through June 30th. We cancelled our June trip and rescheduled in late July (and received a full refund), but after thinking about it and talking about it as a family, we are going to wait until Thanksgiving. I'm a school principal so my options to go are limited. While I love Disney and respect whatever changes they feel they need to make, I'm not willing to drop a ton of money to have to wear masks in July heat, have certain attractions closed, etc. Maybe there will be a bit more normalcy in November. Does anyone know if I cancel my July reservation if I will get my deposit back?

You can cancel packages without any penalty as long as it is no later than 30 days before your check in date.

 

[charmed59]

Disney has a reputation built on being magical. You are a princess, We will make your dreams come true. This is a hard pandemic. Magical and pandemic just don’t go together. Universal has IP that is just the opposite. You are a superhero, You are a wizard, You can save the world. That’s much easier to do in a mask, though a cape would also be useful.

Disney may be sitting back to watch how others open first, but they have a different clientele. Those folks that do Disney AND Universal AND Sea World, they are awesome. They’d love to open to all those healthy small groups that roll with the punches. But Disney also has the Disney bubble guests: the three or four generation family reunions, the special needs families, and those families that believe in the magic. How do you protect Those most at risk: the elderly, the Pooh sized, the special need families in a pandemic? How do you protect those that think Disney is magic and the big bad pandemic won’t be found at Disney, and therefore their frail family members they won’t take to the grocery will be safe within the Disney walls?

I don’t know that Disney guests are less likely to comply with safety measures than those at other parks. I don’t think they are more entitled. I just think the risks of those infecting someone where the outcome is dire is higher at Disney. And I think they know that, and that is making them more cautious.

 

[OKWFan88]

Is today when schedules might be published for CM's?