Coronavirus and Walt Disney World general discussion

[WDWTrojan]

Great question. I don’t think it’s a smoking gun that the parks won’t be open by then. The only thing we know for sure is VAH is cancelled. It could be for cost cutting, could be they don’t want to leave the park open until 1am during all of this, could be they don’t plan to have very many characters in the parks (at least not meet and greets) so it’s kinda hard to do an event like this, or it could mean the park won’t be open yet. Lots of possibilities. On one hand they haven’t cancelled room reservations yet for June and July. On the other hand TripAdvisor still has the note on all of the Disney hotels: Update from hotel: This property is temporarily closed until 07/30/2020.

The email said VAH is "cancelled due to the closure." That's pretty indicative. Otherwise they'd say something a little less vague, I'd imagine.

I can book Port Orleans: French Quarter on Hotels . c o m for stays beginning June 1st.

They have been incrementally pushing the dates back, with June 1st being the latest. One of the primary reasons is they want to gauge demand levels which is easiest to do by bookings. June 1st is likely out though.

 

[GoofGoof]

I can book Port Orleans: French Quarter on Hotels . c o m for stays beginning June 1st.

You can actually follow a link on TripAdvisor to book a room starting June 1 too. It’s just odd that they added that note a few weeks ago and it’s still there. I thought Disney might address it and have them take it down so some guy on a fan board wouldn’t jump to the conclusion it means the parks won’t open until August

 

[wdwmagic]

Emails going out cancelling Villains After Hours events in July (July 6th the latest known so far).

View attachment 467661

Walt Disney World Begins Cancelling Villains After Hours Events Into July

Walt Disney World news, photos, and reviews! We provide you with daily news from the Walt Disney World theme parks and beyond

blogmickey.com

Editing to add another link to the original post from the person who got the e-mail

Contact Support

Although you can still buy tickets in June and July

 

[Parker in NYC]

You can actually follow a link on TripAdvisor to book a room starting June 1 too. It’s just odd that they added that note a few weeks ago and it’s still there. I thought Disney might address it and have them take it down so some guy on a fan board wouldn’t jump to the conclusion it means the parks won’t open until August

Ah, ok. I was legitimately spooked that things would reopen on the 1st of June and thus began questioning everything I've ever known!

 

[GoofGoof]

Ah, ok. I was legitimately spooked that things would reopen on the 1st of June and thus began questioning everything I've ever known!

It still might...but probably not.

 

[Parker in NYC]

It still might...but probably not.

We made it to May 1st and I didn't have to live stream my naked run through the neighborhood singing "Into The Unknown" (I can't remember the details of what I promised). I still said I'd do that if the theme parks (or park, depending) open by June 1st. And that bet still stands!

 

[GoofGoof]

We made it to May 1st and I didn't have to live stream my naked run through the neighborhood singing "Into The Unknown" (I can't remember the details of what I promised). I still said I'd do that if the theme parks (or park, depending) open by June 1st. And that bet still stands!

For your neighbor‘s sake I hope they wait until June 2

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

They said of the main reasons they were able to combine phase I and phase II is that they had already started work on a MERS vaccine that had been through the safety protocol and was proven safe. This vaccine uses the same principles with a virus that‘s something like 80% genetically similar to MERS.

Huh.

Fascinating.

 

[ToTBellHop]

We made it to May 1st and I didn't have to live stream my naked run through the neighborhood singing "Into The Unknown" (I can't remember the details of what I promised). I still said I'd do that if the theme parks (or park, depending) open by June 1st. And that bet still stands!

No, thank you. Terrible song choice.

“Let It Go”

 

[Parker in NYC]

For your neighbor‘s sake I hope they wait until June 2

Absolutely! I haven't figured out yet if I'll extend that bet to July 1st but I'm having a call with the Full Moon Task Force later this month to discuss.

Unfortunately, it'd be something happening outside, aside from all the pigeon cooing. I've never heard so many in my life. Honestly, the city is so quiet, it feels like I'm out in the hinterlands.

 

[MisterPenguin]

I interrupt the interminable debate on masks to be on topic.

For WDW, what is important is its governing agencies: Florida and (mostly) Orange County.

Florida state had a task force called Reopen Florida Task Force which gave a *recommendation* to the governor for a three phase reopening.

Yesterday, on Wednesday, Gov. DeSantis promulgated his executive order taking advice from the Reopen Florida Task Force, but not following it completely. He was more strict than the Task Force recommended. He only outlined some specific items for his promulgated Governor's Phase I that begins on Monday, May 4. He didn't give a timeline for when Phase II would start (he couldn't since that depends on certain benchmarks being met). Nor did he say what his Phase II would look like (he doesn't have to follow Reopen Florida Task Force's recommendation).

Now, on the local level: Local jurisdictions can be more strict than the state's regulations. And so, for WDW, we need to see what Orange County's guidelines will be, which can indeed be more strict than the state's guidelines. There is a local task force called: Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force. The OCERTF has had public video meetings and we've heard *recommendations* from its members as to what their *recommendations* will be to Orange County officials. Which means everything you've seen reported about what they've been saying may not be in their final report. And the Orange County officials may make other decisions. So... we don't know what will come of the OCERTF yet. Their report of *recommendations* will come out tomorrow, Friday, May 1. Then Orange County officials will have to decide what they will allow to happen. They could theoretically keep everything in lockdown.

And WDW itself could be more restrictive than state or county. E.g., the governments are *recommending* employee screenings and masks. But the parks could, on their own, implement mandatory screening and masks for employees *and* guests.

I created a handy chart comparing the Governor's Phase I to the Reopen Florida Task Force's phases....

View attachment 467538

Orange County mayor will give an update on the Coronavirus in the county along with a report from the Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force at 4:30p ET today (Friday, May 1).

Upshot from Mayor's and Task Force press conference:

Mayor’s decisions that differ from or expand on Florida State (Governor)

• Curfew continues for one more week.
• Permits from local jurisdictions are still required to start or add to outdoor dining.
  • [I wonder if Reedy Creek would give Disney Springs restaurants a hard time about this? ]
• The county will continue to limit assemblies to 10 or less (even for religious services)
• The Task Force and mayor wants hygiene services [barbary] to open, so, a letter is being sent to the governor to allow it.
• Local jurisdictions (towns) determine whether green parks are open.
• Full Executive Order based on Task Force recommendation to come out within a day

Task Force guidelines for businesses reopening

• maintain social distancing
• masks for employees
• wash hands frequently
• screen employees
• temperature screen for staff (over 100 degrees F, go home)
• stay home when sick
• hi risk employees should stay home / work from home

TF looked at supply chain and acquiring PPE and processes for safety

TF tourism group was just marketing garbage speak (“rebrand our tourism industry” blech)

TF recommendations on compliance

• got to educate businesses on compliance
• compliance is required, but want a way to certify and identify those who do comply
• need to establish procedure to report businesses that aren’t complying

Question to mayor about Theme Parks

• likely to open in phases
• some units within the parks might open now in Phase I
• seems to indicate that theme parks will do their own thing when they want while staying within Executive Orders

 

[Patcheslee]

So.. if VAH is Cancelled in July does that mean WDW is still closed then? Or is it 2 different things?

It could be they have already sold past the capacity limit they are expecting in July, or in general the extra cost associated with it needs to be redirected to other areas.

 

[MisterPenguin]

 

[MisterPenguin]

Upshot from Mayor's and Task Force press conference:

Mayor’s decisions that differ from or expand on Florida State (Governor)

• Permits from local jurisdictions are still required to start or add to outdoor dining.
  • [I wonder if Reedy Creek would give Disney Springs restaurants a hard time about this? ]

While Disney Springs restaurants *could* open this Monday. And if Reedy Creek allows (as if they wouldn't), put out a lot more outdoor seating... They won't. For now.

Disney Reiterates Disney Springs Closure Via My Disney Experience App Notification as Florida Begins to Reopen

Walt Disney World news, photos, and reviews! We provide you with daily news from the Walt Disney World theme parks and beyond

blogmickey.com

 

[zengoth]

Upshot from Mayor's and Task Force press conference:

• some units within the parks might open now in Phase I

What the heck's a "unit" within a theme park?

 

[MisterPenguin]

What the heck's a "unit" within a theme park?

Just the water parks. Just the resorts. Just the restaurants. Just the golf courses. Just the campgrounds. Just the monorail resorts. Just one of the parks. Just the retail stores.

 

[twilight mitsuk]

It could be they have already sold past the capacity limit they are expecting in July, or in general the extra cost associated with it needs to be redirected to other areas.

Extra capacity with Epcot closed

 

[WDWTrojan]

What the heck's a "unit" within a theme park?

What @MisterPenguin said but in this case it's individual departments that exclude the theme parks and water parks themselves (resorts, restaurants, etc).

It could be they have already sold past the capacity limit they are expecting in July, or in general the extra cost associated with it needs to be redirected to other areas.

Possibly but it would be unlikely they would cancel the whole event. The attendance to those is capped at a pretty low number. The email specifically cites the closure as the reason for cancellation.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Winter Summerland and Fantasia Gardens CONFIRMED as only WDW units opening before Christmas.

I hear amphicars will open in November!

 

[lilypgirl]

I was just able to but tickets for July 6.