News Walt Disney World's COVID-19 reopening plans announced - July 11

[monothingie]

Will any of us that "just" booked within the last few months even get in? I booked in April and I'm hearing non stop rumors that some people with August dates are going to get the boot in favor of those who booked sooner. I wish they capped off resevations to avoid this problem. I never would have kept the faith if I thought my reservation didn't count. They must have known they would limit capacity soon after they closed. No? They continued to take reservations as recently as yesterday morning. Tisk tisk.

Have you checked the availability for August and July? It is wide open for at the majority of resorts for everything from studios to multi-bedroom villas. As of right now, bookings appear to be WAY down, so capacity concerns appear unwarranted.

 

[WondersOfLife]

Well, I would assume they would upgrade you. It happened to me last year at DL. I booked Paradise pier so I could guarantee a reservation for star wars. They called a month before my trip and upgraded me to the grand californian because they had overbooked paradise pier.

With no extra charge?

 

[donsullivan]

Have you checked the availability for August and July? It is wide open for at the majority of resorts for everything from studios to multi-bedroom villas. As of right now, bookings appear to be WAY down, so capacity concerns appear unwarranted.

Over the last few years, the summer season has been a much slower part of the year at WDW than it used to be, so higher availability during that period isn't all that much of a surprise.

 

[JusticeDisney]

By opening DVC on 6/22 it allows them to clear three weeks worth of points from the reservation systems. Anyone telling you different is lying. They can not afford to continue to allow unused points that will be bankable to build up. There is already a disaster brewing that gets bigger by the minute with the unused points already in the system.

Tup, your totally right. And it’s a terrible thing to do to their customers.

 

[JusticeDisney]

Unless they have an unannounced soft opening for DVC? Some people do stay for resort only bookings, so it may be a way to get people that have that in mind to use their points. With DVC also being the more high traffic resorts for dining, it'll give Disney a chance to fine tune the new procedures.

Well, let’s use the Beach Club Villas for example. Zero dining there, so anyone staying there would have to either cook their own food or travel to Disney Springs every time they want to eat. And as for those people who enjoy a resort only stay, I’m guessing that type of thing is typically premised on the other resorts, the boardwalk, etc. being open as well.

 

[JusticeDisney]

Plenty of DVC remembers would roll with it. If I had a reservation in that time period I would keep it and finally try out Universal. I would suspect any restaurant attached to the resort would be open, at least QS, and there is DS. Plus DVC members do cook in their villas (though we’ll have to see what Disney chooses to remove from the villas since it was rumored cookware would be removed).

Most DVC resorts are reasonably good to hang at. Sure, if it was a park-focused trip, there would be some re-evaluation, but many DVC members will only visit the parks over a couple of days of their stay. I specifically booked AKV for my stay in August just in case parks would be very restricted. That would be a great place to hang for a much needed escape. The only reason I’m wavering on it is the unknown about the Florida quarantine expiration for NJ residents and that friends have bailed and are opting for Savannah instead.

You’re making a lot of assumptions about people who stay at DVC resorts. All I can tell you is that not all DVC vacationers fall into those assumptions. For example, we routinely stay at Beach Club Villas and we literally never cook on our own. We also hit the parks basically every single day. The bottom line is this, go ahead and close all the parks and all the non-DVC resorts for a year and see how many people run to vacation at the DVC resorts.

 

[monothingie]

Over the last few years, the summer season has been a much slower part of the year at WDW than it used to be, so higher availability during that period isn't all that much of a surprise.

DVC operates at an amazingly high occupancy percentage regardless of season. To see an availability calendar 2-3 months out with full weeks worth of availability for high demand studios and villas at high demand resorts is unprecedented.

This is a typical breakdown of what the current availability calendars looks like. It's never ever been like this.

 

[the_rich]

With no extra charge?

Yea no charge. I remember I had paid i think 350 a night and the room they gave me was almost 800 a night

 

[GoofGoof]

You’re making a lot of assumptions about people who stay at DVC resorts. All I can tell you is that not all DVC vacationers fall into those assumptions. For example, we routinely stay at Beach Club Villas and we literally never cook on our own. We also hit the parks basically every single day. The bottom line is this, go ahead and close all the parks and all the non-DVC resorts for a year and see how many people run to vacation at the DVC resorts.

Anecdotal, but I’m a DVC owner who visits the parks most days I’m there and doesn’t cook anything but breakfast stuff in the room (cooking = toasting a bagel and making a pot of coffee). We almost always stay in villas and usually only visit once every other year. Not every DVC owner visits 3 or 4 times a year and will just catch the parks in a few months on their next trip. There are a lot of local DVC owners that have APs and do that but it’s certainly not all or probably even most. I don’t vacation exclusively at WDW either but if I was getting a condo somewhere and not planning to visit the WDW theme parks I wouldn‘t choose to stay at WDW. I’d go somewhere beachfront or in a city somewhere. That’s just me. I’m sure there are some owners who do that.

 

[Daniel Brown]

So, where are all the folks sending photos of the parks to me in June?

Ok so they were off a couple weeks, they were closer than your 2021 stuff.

 

[MagicWDI]

Ok so they were off a couple weeks, they were closer than your 2021 stuff.

But they seemed so sure....

 

[VaderTron]

Plenty of DVC remembers would roll with it. If I had a reservation in that time period I would keep it and finally try out Universal. I would suspect any restaurant attached to the resort would be open, at least QS, and there is DS. Plus DVC members do cook in their villas (though we’ll have to see what Disney chooses to remove from the villas since it was rumored cookware would be removed).

Most DVC resorts are reasonably good to hang at. Sure, if it was a park-focused trip, there would be some re-evaluation, but many DVC members will only visit the parks over a couple of days of their stay. I specifically booked AKV for my stay in August just in case parks would be very restricted. That would be a great place to hang for a much needed escape. The only reason I’m wavering on it is the unknown about the Florida quarantine expiration for NJ residents and that friends have bailed and are opting for Savannah instead.

Ah ah ah...

WDW will be reopening, Covid-19 will still be around for a while, and masks will be required. Whether or not masks are effective, people will obey the rules, masks will be too uncomfortable, etc are moot points. So please limit discussion to what is actually happening - not "what ifs?"

Keep to the facts. Just the facts people. No fun speculating here. Mom's getting the time-out corner set up for you.

 

[donsullivan]

Is there any way all the DVC stuff can split off to a new thread? While the excruciating detail seems critical to those who own DVC, my guess is that most of the rest of us who do not own DVC don't want to have to wade through all that to see if there is other data in a general thread about the rest of the re-opening. If anyone want to participate in the DVC dialog they can go there.

 

[WondersOfLife]

Well I sure Am happy I purchased The deposit for my reservation literally RIGHT after they announced the plans. Because now they’ve put a hold on new tickets!

 

[Hcalvert]

Well I sure Am happy I purchased The deposit for my reservation literally RIGHT after they announced the plans. Because now they’ve put a hold on new tickets!

Did you pay in full? I know some people on here are worried that just reservations with deposits will be cancelled in favor of those who paid in full. I contacted my friend who has a DVC membership and used her points to book our stay--figuring it would be more difficult for Disney to justify cancelling and I have an AP that I just renewed today and took the partial refund on the other. Just speculation and I definitely have no idea what they are going to do regarding non-DVC reservations.

 

[WondersOfLife]

Did you pay in full? I know some people on here are worried that just reservations with deposits will be cancelled in favor of those who paid in full. I contacted my friend who has a DVC membership and used her points to book our stay--figuring it would be more difficult for Disney to justify cancelling and I have an AP that I just renewed today and took the partial refund on the other. Just speculation and I definitely have no idea what they are going to do regarding non-DVC reservations.

I’m optimistic. I’m sure Disney wants my money.

 

[Hcalvert]

I’m optimistic. I’m sure Disney wants my money.

Again only speculation, but I read somewhere that they are giving DVC members and their guests first dibs on park reservations. Of course, nothing has been officially released to that effect by Disney. It's a mess regardless. Where did you end up booking?

 

[pdude81]

You’re making a lot of assumptions about people who stay at DVC resorts. All I can tell you is that not all DVC vacationers fall into those assumptions. For example, we routinely stay at Beach Club Villas and we literally never cook on our own. We also hit the parks basically every single day. The bottom line is this, go ahead and close all the parks and all the non-DVC resorts for a year and see how many people run to vacation at the DVC resorts.

I don't think he's assuming anything. He's saying there are a lot of people that go and use their DVC with the parks as an afterthought. That's different from giving a percentage or saying most would be happy. Also don't you think the main building with the gift shop, mail, convenience/food, and walk through to buses will be open at Beach Club? I don't know for sure either way but I've seen nothing yet to indicate it won't be open at all.

 

[JusticeDisney]

They don't need "all". They just need some. And any would result in some benefit to the issue with DVC points over stock, even if just a small amount.

Yup, and as long as they aren’t forcing people to keep their reservations during these couple of weeks I’m fine with that. If someone wants to just come and chill at a quiet DVC resort with nothing open around them, more power to them. If, on the other hand, they force people to keep their reservations when all the parks and other resorts are closed, well that’s just pathetic.

 

[JusticeDisney]

I don't think he's assuming anything. He's saying there are a lot of people that go and use their DVC with the parks as an afterthought. That's different from giving a percentage or saying most would be happy. Also don't you think the main building with the gift shop, mail, convenience/food, and walk through to buses will be open at Beach Club? I don't know for sure either way but I've seen nothing yet to indicate it won't be open at all.

To say that there are a lot of people that prefer something is a bit of an assumption, but I get your point. As to the “main building” being open, all I can say is I have seen nothing so far indicating that it would be. Indeed, the non-DVC resorts have been announced closed until July 11. Now, does that mean the restaurants and shops and other amenities in them will be open nevertheless? Seems doubtful to me but I could certainly be wrong.