Cruise and Theme Park Operational Updates due to Coronavirus

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Oh no!! Thanks for the info. I sent in a help request earlier today (didn’t want to tie up the phone lines for guests who have bigger concerns right now) but I am worried I won’t receive any notification or link to book park entry without an email from them.

Oh well, all the more reason to monitor this thread :)
Replying late here but I don't believe I've ever received an email from WDW with a qualifying link. Seems they know who has free dining an will adjust accordingly. No email here and all my dining still shows. I'm just watching MDE.
 
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Too many posts to quote, but in response to all the complaints about it being about money, profit, etc. and not safety, pandemic, etc. - why is it only one? Why is it bad that they're also worried about how to make money during this? I think they've made it pretty clear that revenue and profit are a factor in all of this. They've made it clear that there are major changes that are necessary for the purposes of safety (reduced capacity, avoiding high-touch situations, keeping distance/spacing as much as possible, etc.). It's also been made clear that they won't open for the sake of opening if they're going to be losing more money than they already are in doing so - nor should they. In order to accommodate all of the safety changes, they are going to have to make other changes that allow them to open with those safety implementations and still make money. So some things will be for safety, then many others will be to find ways to make money while working around those changes.

Moreover, even though I am not a shareholder, as a Disney fan, I want them to find ways to be profitable. The sooner they can get back on track financially, the better for all of us. Also, I certainly don't want the worst-case scenario - they lose money to the point that we get into takeover/merger situations - that would be a disaster. I just don't think there's anything nefarious in making changes that are based on making money/losing less money because the reduced capacity and other changes is already making such a dent, they have to find ways to operate and make that up and balance it all. I'm not forgiving all of the customer service cuts, tacky things they've done, etc. in the past that were all just money grabs that were sacrificing the Disney identity for that purpose. I just think in the current situation, saying something is for the purpose of finances shouldn't be some nasty slight against them.


It isn't.
 
So just for fun, have a little running list now of other posters in the same position as me. So far we're booked at YC, BC, AoA, and POFQ...all valid packages (resort + tix) and all received the same email (with no mention of any first access to the new park reservation system), all booked between post-opening July thru Nov. Originally thought it might have more to do with our resorts potentially not being open and Disney waiting to gauge capacity closer to our dates to see if we could still go. However, BC has DVC so it should be open anyway, right?? So now maybe what we all have in common is simply not being paid in full yet on our packages (??) Well just color me an Arendelle aqua shade of confused! 🤪
 
We have room only cash reservations at BCV for 8/29-9/5 and 11/14-11/21. My parents and I Platinum APs (out of state) that expire the beginning of December as of right now. My husband has a park hopper that I bought earlier this year for a cancelled May trip that now expires 12/15/2020. Our reservations are not paid in full, just deposit only. I received this email wording yesterday at 11:30 am:

“However, because you have valid Theme Park admission, you will have access to the Theme Park reservation system before new tickets are sold to other Guests. There’s nothing you need to do at this time. We’ll be contacting you soon with details on this new system as well as the process of making new dining and experience reservations. If you have previously booked experiences, you’ll also be provided with first access to make new reservations.”

I am not the lead on the resort reservations, my mom is and she got the same email. I did have dining reservations booked in my name. Only a few of my ADRs have disappeared so far.

I also received the passholder email last night mentioning the previews and to look for more information soon.

On a related note, Has anyone attempted or plan to ask for a full cancellation and refund of their unused AP? We haven’t had a chance to use it since we renewed. I renewed in November of 2019 before COVID-19 was even “discovered.” I have an 8 month old and depending on how things are before our trips, I’m not sure we will be able to go at all this year. We usually go late April/May or Oct/Nov.. so it doesn’t really do me any good if they extend my AP until March 2021.
 




I really hope that the good neighbor hotels don't get the same access as actual Disney hotels. Maybe they can be wave 2.
I had a booking at a Disney hotel starting 6/7 and I replaced it with a booking starting 7/5 when it became evident that June wasn’t happening. I kept within the 7/9 window to keep the AP discount. At the beginning of this week I made a backup reservation at a Disney Springs hotel for 7/26, specifically there instead of off-site so that I would treated as a regular Disney on-property guest. So I definitely hope that the partner hotels are treated the same as the Disney owned.
 
Pretty sure I saw that Disney announced no CP for the rest of the year.
Disney has only officially cancelled all Fall Advantage 2020 arrivals, which were scheduled to arrive this month and next month). Because of the very close quarters CPs live in and the lack of shifts (water parks closed, certain resorts closed, fewer park shifts because of shorter hours, etc...), it’s very likely they will also cancel the general Fall arrivals, which arrive in August and September. Once those are cancelled, they would be the last (domestic) arrivals of the year.

Oddly enough, they are still actively recruiting Cultural Reps for August through November arrivals this year. While I’m not sure August will happen, I do think that they’ll bring back the Cultural Reps first before any new CPs to beef up Epcot staffing as the temporary transfers working there initially return to their original work locations. It would be a lot easier to do socially distanced housing with only the CRPs there (those were the only ones they also promised the opportunity to “complete” their programs).

I’m curious how far into the future these booking preferences will continue. December trips? March next year? How long will these freeze new trip planning?
While it’s very possible that we will still see a park reservation system in December (all depends on the virus and demand to a lesser extent), new reservations and park ticket sales will absolutely reopen well before then. Also, initially the park reservation system will only go out a month or two, so you won’t be booking park reservations for December for quite some time. The reasons behind the freeze mainly are to figure out July and August bookings (who’s coming, who’s canceled, where they are staying, consolidating resorts, etc...), to potentially reschedule displaced travelers, and to avoid a rush of people booking rooms for the reopen. Now, once the freeze is lifted, that doesn’t mean there will be a lot of availability, and there will likely be virtually none for July and August.
 
I have yet to receive any type of email at all. I have two reservations booked. One for July and a back up in August. Both are a room and ticket package. I have received no emails for either. My fast passes did get zapped, but my dining reservations are still in MDE. Any clue why I haven’t received an email?

I have yet to receive emails as well. Package and an additional resort reservation for a split stay. Crickets in my inbox... Only one ADR gone so far and we hadn't done FP+ yet as our dates are 8/11-8/21.
 
Disney has only officially cancelled all Fall Advantage 2020 arrivals, which were scheduled to arrive this month and next month). Because of the very close quarters CPs live in and the lack of shifts (water parks closed, certain resorts closed, fewer park shifts because of shorter hours, etc...), it’s very likely they will also cancelled the general Fall arrivals, which arrive in August and September.
Ahh. That's what I was recalling. Thanks for the clarification.
 
Hearing that we will have a Que system similar to Shanghai! Anyone heard what it’s suppose to be like? Anything like the old fast pass?
 
If you think how they're deploying Stormtroopers at DS, character interaction is going to be from elevated / separated locations where people can see but no way a kid or anybody can just rush up anyway and try and touch em.
That's what they're doing at Shanghai as well. They could have the characters at the Castle or train station greeting from above.

From what we're hearing so far, characters will still make appearances at dining venues but will not give hugs or let you stand with them for pictures.
I would assume that's also where this assumption probably comes from. No official announcement but character dining at Shangai could be a template.
 
It isn't.
It's not. That's is not my complaint at all.
Not directing it at anyone in particular, especially not the posts that point out that some of these are indeed cost-cutting measures. It's responding generally to the posts (not just here) that are angry that some things are not just "for safety." It's pointing out that everything is certainly not for safety measures ONLY, and some not necessarily at all, but that's not a bad thing (as said in quote above). Just a general point/response to some complaints.
 
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