Coronavirus and Walt Disney World general discussion

[ImperfectPixie]

The Governor wants the CDC to allow cruise lines to sail but doesn’t want cruise lines to be able to require what they want to require for sailing to resume.

Ugh.

I thought he was pro-business?

IMO, if cruise lines (or any business for that matter) want proof of vaccination, let them have it. It shouldn't be anyone else's business but the company and those who wish to do business with them. DeSantis is one of those politicizing the virus and it's despicable.

 

[monothingie]

The Governor wants the CDC to allow cruise lines to sail but doesn’t want cruise lines to be able to require what they want to require for sailing to resume.

Ugh.

I thought he was pro-business?

While there is a point to his order, in terms of privacy and equal access to services, at the end of the day, the cruise lines are not under his jurisdiction.

 

[GoofGoof]

I think that's more "new hotness" than anything. It will be replaced by Epcot once Rat opens. Did DHS ever hit phase closing prior to COVID?

Yep, same with when Pandora opened. There will always be MK and whatever the hot ticket is.

 

[ToTBellHop]

IMO, if cruise lines (or any business for that matter) wants proof of vaccination, let them have it. It shouldn't be anyone else's business but the company and those who wish to do business with them.

The courts, in general, support that. Of course, here we dip into maritime law, which is messy. With that said, they sail to the Bahamas. If the Bahamas was vaccination, they’ll get it. Nothing the Governor can do about that.

 

[ToTBellHop]

While there is a point to his order, in terms of privacy and equal access to services, at the end of the day, the cruise lines are not under his jurisdiction.

Oh, I agree. It is international travel. He has no power to regulate that. He could ban Disney from requiring a vaccine passport for the parks, but they have no plan to do that, anyway. And honestly, I agree with him on this—we are a country working to protect our own interests. Given the nationwide vaccination campaign, we should reach a point when any American can participate in any activity that would normally be allowed while staying in America. Different rules will be necessary for international trabel for awhile.

 

[hopemax]

There are different types of guests though.

The biggest group are probably people who pre-planned FPs and would continue to pre-plan Park Pass.

There are other people who hated the mandatory pre-planning and missed the spontaneity of waking up in the morning and picking which park to go to that day. We read that here all the time. Those people will only pre-plan if forced to, so Disney is going to lose their data.

So some people are going to pre-plan in either scenario. Others are going to stop planning. I can't imagine there's a type of guest who *didn't* pre-plan their FastPasses but *will* pre-plan a park pass. So I see it as a net data loss.

That would be my Dad. Due to the 7 day limit on making FP+ for Main Entrance Passes. When he would go to a park to shop (scheduled pin releases or Funko releases) or check out festivals / holiday stuff. He hates FP+, and the things he would want to ride would be unavailable at the time of day he planned to visit, so no FAstpasses. But he did book the Park reservation because he had too. Until everyday was a ME pass blockout. The only days he would have FP were the days I was there and I would make them.

Local APs, like my Dad’s friends do similar type days. They do know a specific day they want to be there and wouldn’t want to miss it, but the purpose of the trip is not a traditional “park day.”

 

[GoofGoof]

The courts, in general, support that. Of course, here we dip into maritime law, which is messy. With that said, they sail to the Bahamas. If the Bahamas was vaccination, they’ll get it. Nothing the Governor can do about that.

He can’t stop the cruise line from checking proof of vaccination to get on and off the ship in the Bahamas. He is attempting to stop that from happening on the ground at the port in FL. All he can really do is tie it up in court. The Governor’s office confirmed that they believe the EO and now bill includes cruise lines leaving from FL ports.

 

[Kevin_W]

We will agree to disagree, I don’t care about lag, hospitalizations and deaths over time is the true measurement of where we are at on this in my mind.

I'm not disagreeing with you that hospitalizations and deaths are the most important measurement. I'm just pointing out: cases have a good correlation. Take a look at the US data:

 

[ToTBellHop]

He can’t stop the cruise line from checking proof of vaccination to get on and off the ship in the Bahamas. He is attempting to stop that from happening on the ground at the port in FL. All he can really do is tie it up in court. The Governor’s office confirmed that they believe the EO and now bill includes cruise lines leaving from FL ports.

It is well-supported that the federal government retains jurisdiction whenever a person is traveling outside of the country, which is the case here. He will lose the case and if he pushes too hard, cruise lines will suddenly begin sailing to the Bahamas from Wilmington, NC.

 

[DisneyCane]

Here's a quick story that shows the multifaced issue with getting vaccine shots in people's arms. I texted a friend of mine yesterday and asked if him and his wife had been vaccinated yet. He told me his wife got her first shot but he was still waiting. I thought I might be dealing with somebody with vaccine hesitancy so I asked what he was waiting for. He told me he registered but hadn't heard back yet.

He was surprised when I told him he could get an appointment at Publix for pretty much any day and time he wanted. He was completely unaware that appointments were readily available. If you have friends or family who have not gotten a shot yet, this could be a reason so ask people and inform them when the opportunity arises.

It seems more marketing is needed about how easy it is to get an appointment. Maybe Publix should put up banners with a QR code link to the appointment site so that everybody sees them when they go shopping.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Here's a quick story that shows the multifaced issue with getting vaccine shots in people's arms. I texted a friend of mine yesterday and asked if him and his wife had been vaccinated yet. He told me his wife got her first shot but he was still waiting. I thought I might be dealing with somebody with vaccine hesitancy so I asked what he was waiting for. He told me he registered but hadn't heard back yet.

He was surprised when I told him he could get an appointment at Publix for pretty much any day and time he wanted. He was completely unaware that appointments were readily available. If you have friends or family who have not gotten a shot yet, this could be a reason so ask people and inform them when the opportunity arises.

It seems more marketing is needed about how easy it is to get an appointment. Maybe Publix should put up banners with a QR code link to the appointment site so that everybody sees them when they go shopping.

Yes, and they need to ditch appointments altogether. That seems to be the next phase. People can pop into CVS and get their shot right then and there before buying makeup and candy that would be cheaper at Walmart.

Let’s get shots in every Walmart without appointments required...

 

[sullyinMT]

Yes, and they need to ditch appointments altogether. That seems to be the next phase. People can pop into CVS and get their shot right then and there before buying makeup and candy that would be cheaper at Walmart.

Let’s get shots in every Walmart without appointments required...

Only fear with that would be dose wasting if they thaw too many. Now, if they add a “sign spinner” at the door, actively recruiting people to the pharmacy ...

My local CVS inside Target is doing JnJ now that it’s back on the market. Easier to do in that situation.

 

[DisneyCane]

Yes, and they need to ditch appointments altogether. That seems to be the next phase. People can pop into CVS and get their shot right then and there before buying makeup and candy that would be cheaper at Walmart.

Let’s get shots in every Walmart without appointments required...

100% agree. There are so many appointments available, I can't imagine it would cause an issue to allow walk ins as well. If you make an appointment then you get a guaranteed time slot with no wait. A walk in may have to wait a few minutes.

Based upon yesterday's report, here is my current calculation of percent vaccinated by age group in FL as well as the number of vaccinated individuals added from the 4/27 report to the 4/28 report:

Age	% Vaccinated	Increase 4/27-4/28
16-24	18.9%​	7963​
25-34	24.8%​	9400​
35-44	34.9%​	10397​
45-54	43.1%​	11038​
55-64	59.7%​	8035​
65-74	85.4%​	5133​
75-84	84.6%​	2385​
85+	70.7%​	740​
Total	40.3%​	55091​

65+ combined is currently 83.2%. Total percentage is out of the whole population, not 16+. 16-24 is slightly higher in reality because my pop data is 15-24.

 

[GoofGoof]

It is well-supported that the federal government retains jurisdiction whenever a person is traveling outside of the country, which is the case here. He will lose the case and if he pushes too hard, cruise lines will suddenly begin sailing to the Bahamas from Wilmington, NC.

The federal government has jurisdiction over the customs portion of the port for sure. Similar to TSA at the airport. The question for the courts to decide is whether the cruise lines are considered “doing business in FL” when they are docked at port. A cruise ship and the passengers are required to follow all state and federal laws while in port. The example I’ve seen is when a state banned smoking in indoor public spaces that applied to airports too even though TSA is federally run. The ports like an airport are a joint venture and share federal and state jurisdiction. I think a court could easily side with the cruise lines but it will take time if the gov decides to fight it in court.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Only fear with that would be dose wasting if they thaw too many. Now, if they add a “sign spinner” at the door, actively recruiting people to the pharmacy ...

My local CVS inside Target is doing JnJ now that it’s back on the market. Easier to do in that situation.

Even the ultra-cold vaccines can be stored at temperatures any pharmacy could manage for a few days, now, so it’s less of an issue. Pfizer can go in a refrigerator for up to 5 days now.

 

[ToTBellHop]

The federal government has jurisdiction over the customs portion of the port for sure. Similar to TSA at the airport. The question for the courts to decide is whether the cruise lines are considered “doing business in FL” when they are docked at port. A cruise ship and the passengers are required to follow all state and federal laws while in port. The example I’ve seen is when a state banned smoking in indoor public spaces that applied to airports too even though TSA is federally run. The ports like an airport are a joint venture and share federal and state jurisdiction. I think a court could easily side with the cruise lines but it will take time if the gov decides to fight it in court.

There would be a point where Florida stops managing. Even if they have to play a silly game where they check your vaccine once you are on the ship instead of in the port building. Or they require that you upload an image to the website before you even travel. Florida can’t run the internet. Suddenly Royal Caribbean starts “running” its website out of a small building in Virginia while the staff stay in Miami.

But, again, cruise lines have already shown willingness to leave. If North Carolina says, “you can check your vaccine passports here,” they’ll move. You’ll start seeing interstate political games play out. Maybe even Georgia says, “sail out of Savannah and pick your own rules” so they get money Florida loses.

I do not see a scenario where FL wins, in the end. They might put a cruise line or two out of business, however.

 

[Jrb1979]

European Parliament votes to introduce EU Covid-19 passports - with some changes

MEPs said that the Covid certificate system should not be in place for longer than 12 months.

www.thejournal.ie

 

[Chi84]

The federal government has jurisdiction over the customs portion of the port for sure. Similar to TSA at the airport. The question for the courts to decide is whether the cruise lines are considered “doing business in FL” when they are docked at port. A cruise ship and the passengers are required to follow all state and federal laws while in port. The example I’ve seen is when a state banned smoking in indoor public spaces that applied to airports too even though TSA is federally run. The ports like an airport are a joint venture and share federal and state jurisdiction. I think a court could easily side with the cruise lines but it will take time if the gov decides to fight it in court.

The issue is that vaccination requirements do not affect only what happens in port. I'm absolutely shocked there hasn't been more analysis of this. What happens if there is an emergency at sea and people need to be let off in a location that requires vaccination to enter? Florida laws can control what happens in Florida, but the governor is trying to extend his reach past that.

 

[Figgy1]

Yes, and they need to ditch appointments altogether. That seems to be the next phase. People can pop into CVS and get their shot right then and there before buying makeup and candy that would be cheaper at Walmart.

Let’s get shots in every Walmart without appointments required...

Appointments are still filling here so it would be a cluster with people just showing up

 

[havoc315]

I have no idea what the construction timeline for Fantasmic is. If they expect the repairs to take another 3-4 months than I guess that would exclude it. I was under the impression the repairs started a while back and were close to finishing up. I know your opinion on FP and I certainly am not saying it will be back, but the issue with the park pass system seems unlikely to be the reason.

Recent aerial photos of Fantasmic shows still in mid-repair. One of the barges is still gone. I have no idea if it's 2 months away or 4 months way. But those with knowledge suggest it takes 2+ months to re-launch Fantasmic once they start calling back cast. So mid-summer seems the absolute earliest possible.

FP -- the park pass system isn't the "reason" -- The reason is they have long wanted to phase out fastpass. Since they were getting rid of it anyway, they stuck the park pass system into the location.

Analogous would be: If they took the Great Movie Ride building, and modified and changed it to Runaway Train. Now, could they still bring back Great Movie Ride and keep Runaway Train? Sure, they could... but they would have to start construction on a whole new building.
That's what happened with FP -- They can't just turn it "on" because the software is already running -- It is park pass.
They would have to re-construct the entire DME code, de-bug the new software, etc.... In order to bring back the old FP+ system.

If Disney wanted to bring FP back by July 1 they could overcome any IT issues in less than 2 months.

Took over a year, IIRC, to construct and debug the original FP+ system. It would have to be entirely rebuilt. While it might not take as long as previously, it would take a long time. But as I said, they have wanted to phase it out anyway.
Notice they recently talked about "Genie"... not the return of FP+. In fact, through the entire WDW website and DME, there is almost no mention of FP. It's gone.

Again, not saying it will be back by July 1st but it won’t be because of IT issues. There’s still a very real limitation with spacing in the queues.

Queues was never the real reason. It was more about capacity. But queues were an easier way to explain it to the public.

Last I checked the unemployment level in FL is still pretty high so I don’t think there’s an issue with finding workers.

Read up on the Patina jobfair -- They find they have to offer $300-$500 sign-on bonuses to find labor. Some people are quite happy on unemployment until September, as they can make up to about $14 per hour on unemployment.

It's actually a very severe restaurant labor shortage:

Here’s how officials plan to close the gap in Florida’s restaurant labor shortage

Over the past couple of weeks, restaurants across Central Florida have reported that they’re struggling to hire new staff, despite having many open positions.

www.clickorlando.com

Offering a signing bonus is a way to poach some workers from competitors. If there is a major issue finding workers that stuff will attract people in from other parts of the country too. Thousands of restaurants closed and will never reopen. We have no shortage of restaurant workers in the US.

Well, tons of news reports beg to differ.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Over the past couple of weeks, restaurants across Central Florida have reported that they’re struggling to hire new staff, despite having many open positions.

Some have even had to close their doors early on certain days because of the shortage in labor.
“It’s been challenging. We didn’t think a year ago that this would be the problem that we would have coming on the other side of the pandemic,” said Keri Burns, the Central Florida Regional Director for the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association.


As I said -- major restaurant labor shortage in Orlando right now.