Rumor about potential major reduction in operating hours for WDW if Disney Asia parks remain closed due to coronavirus

[Krandor]

Perhaps you should read the OP post, then, as they were not making demands and requesting accommodations to any terms of a rental agreement. The DVC Rental Store is informing renters that if the parks / resorts were to close and the DVC Member were to receive their points back, the renting party would not receive a refund if they didn’t purchase the cancel for any reason insurance.

Even though they legally can’t sell that to NYS residents.

since nothing has been closed yet nobody including the agents know how it would be handled. So with no other info they are going to go strictly by the terms. If things did close deciocions would be made at high levels on how to handle dvc and things like that. No agent is going to be able to give you what If beyond what’s in the agreement because none of those decisions have been made yet.

short answer. Until or if things are closed nobody yet knows how dvc will be handled for owners or renters.

 

[Duckie42]

The dining plan is currently $79.41 a night. It does appear that DVC rental store charges a credit card processing fee to dining plan purchases. David’s doesn’t add that fee if you pay with gift cards, but rental store doesn’t offer that option. Rental store isnt making money off it, because the processing fee is something that they actually pay to the credit card companies.

The parks closing and the resorts being opened should have crossed your mind because that is exactly what happened in Japan.

I hadn't realised that the hotels in Tokyo remained open. However, I still don't think that would happen in Orlando in the event of the parks closing. Tokyo is one of the worlds great cities with many things to see and experience, there is no reason for a tourist to be in Orlando if not to go to Disneyworld (or the other theme parks).

Regardless, I never "demanded" anything from the DVC rental store - I politely asked for them to consider a delay in the date of the second payment on compassionate grounds to give the whole virus situation more time to play out. Many companies in the travel industry with "no refunds, all sales are final" policies have relaxed those policies and it was completely reasonable of me to ask if they would do the same. Anyone else in my position should do the same.

 

[Krandor]

I hadn't realised that the hotels in Tokyo remained open. However, I still don't think that would happen in Orlando in the event of the parks closing. Tokyo is one of the worlds great cities with many things to see and experience, there is no reason for a tourist to be in Orlando if not to go to Disneyworld (or the other theme parks).

Regardless, I never "demanded" anything from the DVC rental store - I politely asked for them to consider a delay in the date of the second payment on compassionate grounds to give the whole virus situation more time to play out. Many companies in the travel industry with "no refunds, all sales are final" policies have relaxed those policies and it was completely reasonable of me to ask if they would do the same. Anyone else in my position should do the same.

it was reasonable to ask but since no changes have been announced also reasonable for them to say no.

Im going in a little over a month and not sure what the situation will be like then but my final travel payment is still due in a week and I’ll pay it and see what happens between now and then.

until anything is announced to be shutdown dates are not going to be changed. No harm in asking but don’t be surprised if you get a no.

edit. I do expect if wdw did shut down they would relax or eliminate the no refund thing but that hasn’t happened yet.

 

[Duckie42]

since nothing has been closed yet nobody including the agents know how it would be handled. So with no other info they are going to go strictly by the terms. If things did close deciocions would be made at high levels on how to handle dvc and things like that. No agent is going to be able to give you what If beyond what’s in the agreement because none of those decisions have been made yet.

short answer. Until or if things are closed nobody yet knows how dvc will be handled for owners or renters.

This is a very good point!

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

You are correct. The only way DVC owners are going to get points refunded is if the resorts are shut down. If the resorts closed I would expect owners and point rental companies to issue refunds. If they don’t they will get sued and lose. If only the parks would close, nobody is getting a refund. Owners who booked their own stays and renters will be in the same boat. No refunds because they still have the accommodations they contracted for.

It is unfair to demand any accommodation to any terms of a rental agreement with a rental company before Disney has made any changes to how they are operating the resorts. If you have a payment due make it. I say that as someone who has already paid for a future DVC rental.

Given that Disney is really good with customer service I do not believe for a second that if they close the parks they wouldn’t refund the points or in some other way make the owners whole, even if the resorts technically remained “open.” If that happens and the rental companies refuse to refund the money that is atrocious.

 

[SarahInMN]

Given that Disney is really good with customer service I do not believe for a second that if they close the parks they wouldn’t refund the points or in some other way make the owners whole, even if the resorts technically remained “open.” If that happens and the rental companies refuse to refund the money that is atrocious.

Disney is not the one renting the points out. The DVC owner is using a broker who in turn rents the points out. There’s a whole thread on DVC boards about whether or not Disney would give owners the point back.

I don’t think Disney will give it’s owners points back for cancelled vacations due to park or even resort closures. It would leave a huge pool of points unused in this UY which at some point may lead to a run on reservations. Or if the closures drag on, angry owners that those points are going to expire and can’t be banked forward

if Disney doesn’t give the owner the points back, then is the owner just supposed to give the money back to the renter and eat the cost?

We don’t rent our points out ever so I don’t have a horse in this race.

also I would disagree with the statement of Disney's really good customer service: it has really gone downhill over the past decade and I don't trust them to give me my points back if our May 2020 vacation gets cancelled due to closure.

 

[Brianstl]

Disney is not the one renting the points out. The DVC owner is using a broker who in turn rents the points out. There’s a whole thread on DVC boards about whether or not Disney would give owners the point back.

I don’t think Disney will give it’s owners points back for cancelled vacations due to park or even resort closures. It would leave a huge pool of points unused in this UY which at some point may lead to a run on reservations. Or if the closures drag on, angry owners that those points are going to expire and can’t be banked forward

if Disney doesn’t give the owner the points back, then is the owner just supposed to give the money back to the renter and eat the cost?

We don’t rent our points out ever so I don’t have a horse in this race.

also I would disagree with the statement of Disney's really good customer service: it has really gone downhill over the past decade and I don't trust them to give me my points back if our May 2020 vacation gets cancelled due to closure.

If the resorts are closed renters will be owed refunds. You can’t keep money for a product you can’t deliver.

 

[SarahInMN]

If the resorts are closed renters will be owed refunds. You can’t keep money for a product you can’t deliver.

that’s the risk of being a renter from a broker. It’s different than a cash reservation. I do not trust Disney to give points back to owners.

 

[Tiki Birdland]

This DVC rental discussion certainly gives me pause on buying points. Disappointing that there's no way out. I do realize there's no way out for the DVC owner either. My youngest is leaving for WDW tomorrow for a band trip. I'm a bit ambivalent about him going. But, I'm sure he'll have a great time.

 

[Brianstl]

that’s the risk of being a renter from a broker. It’s different than a cash reservation. I do not trust Disney to give points back to owners.

It doesn’t matter what Disney does on refunding points. That will be be between the owner and Disney. When it comes to the rental, you can’t keep money for a rental you can’t deliver. That goes for the owner and the rental broker.

It is no different than an owner of a beach house who rents their property through VRBO. If the house is unavailable because of the effects of hurricane, the owner doesn’t get to keep the money they got from VRBO and VRBO doesn’t get to keep the money they got from the renter.

 

[SaintsManiac]

This DVC rental discussion certainly gives me pause on buying points. Disappointing that there's no way out. I do realize there's no way out for the DVC owner either. My youngest is leaving for WDW tomorrow for a band trip. I'm a bit ambivalent about him going. But, I'm sure he'll have a great time.

And people on these boards are ALWAYS suggesting that people on budgets rent points. It's so complicated and there are so many terms and conditions. We only did it once and while we loved the experience in the end, I did not like the strings attached. We came close to having to cancel and it made me nervous.

 

[DGsAtBLT]

What does Disney do in the event of weather related closures, or anticipated ones? Do they bend the rules on when and how members can get points back?

 

[hertamaniac]

Florida now has 23 cases (8 more confirmed overnight). None of the positive tested in Orange County at this time.

I am leaning that WDW has a higher chance of a shutdown if the Florida trend continues.

 

[TCRAIG]

“Life Happens” is different than a pandemic closing the parks, Disney refunding the DVC Members points and the DVC Rental Store stealing the renters money after becoming aware that the member received their points back due to the closure. Just because it doesn’t make sense to you doesn’t actually make it right, or legal for that matter.

If DVC Store works like other rental brokers - they only have their % of the money - the DVC owner has the bulk of it as they’ve already been paid.

 

[Searc]

I hadn't realised that the hotels in Tokyo remained open. However, I still don't think that would happen in Orlando in the event of the parks closing. Tokyo is one of the worlds great cities with many things to see and experience, there is no reason for a tourist to be in Orlando if not to go to Disneyworld (or the other theme parks).

Regardless, I never "demanded" anything from the DVC rental store - I politely asked for them to consider a delay in the date of the second payment on compassionate grounds to give the whole virus situation more time to play out. Many companies in the travel industry with "no refunds, all sales are final" policies have relaxed those policies and it was completely reasonable of me to ask if they would do the same. Anyone else in my position should do the same.

Millions of people visit Orlando and never step foot in a theme park while visiting.

There is no reason to change or allow exceptions to the terms and conditions, as nothing has changed.

 

[HuskieJohn]

Florida now has 23 cases (8 more confirmed overnight). None of the positive tested in Orange County at this time.

I am leaning that WDW has a higher chance of a shutdown if the Florida trend continues.

I doubt WDW will close before DLP.

DLP has had 3 employees test positive yet the park is still open

 

[hertamaniac]

I doubt WDW will close before DLP.

DLP has had 3 employees test positive yet the park is still open

I think before another park goes to a shutdown, the buffet style eateries will be temporarily shutdown. A major Las Vegas resort chain just pulled their buffet services.

 

[HuskieJohn]

I think before another park goes to a shutdown, the buffet style eateries will be temporarily shutdown. A major Las Vegas resort chain just pulled their buffet services.

There are many more precautions that DLP, WDW & DL could put in place before shutting down their parks.

Phase 1 park closure to prevent anyone from buying a walk up ticket
Thermal scan everyone at the security gate and deny entry to anyone with a fever over 100.4
Stop all face character meet and greets
Thermal scan all CMs before and after shifts
Stop all parades and night time spectaculars when large crowds gather


Doing these all would reduce the risk to park goers and CMs a significant amount.

 

[kaytieeldr]

so when I said "parks", I meant "parks" and "resorts".

You can't reasonably expect anyone who is not you, to instinctively" know" you mean something different from what you stated.

What would be the point of the hotels being open if the parks werent?

if I plan a trip to Florida, I'm taking that trip dammit!

 

[JohnneeO]

1918 Flu Pandemic second wave was even worse than the first. I do have some confidence that our scientists will have some help for some people by then. Maybe not a full cure but something to lessen the impact. I am not confident that everyone will be able to be protected though.

I believe that comparisons to the 1918 flu pandemic like this are not really valid, because, in 1918, the science behind viruses and the flu and the way it is transmitted between humans was not fully understood. The influenza virus was not isolated until the 1930's, and the first flu vaccine was not developed until the late 1930's.

While we are all still learning about the coronoavirus, we are starting from a much stronger knowledge base that will immeasurably help in the effective control and treatment of this disease.