Of course it will lead to a surge in demand. The CDC is finally putting its money where its mouth is in terms of the effectiveness of these vaccines! You don't know how many times I heard (or read) someone say the vaccines probably aren't all that good because you still have to wear masks and stay away from people after you get them - or that you can avoid getting sick but still make other people sick. Finally!
Yup I agree.
Big Tony, (not Riggatone!!!! @Darstarr claims rights to that title for her boo-thangCome on. I know you enough to know that you know it's not "theater."
"Cats" is theater. And it's awful.
Re: temperature checks and sanitizing: that's not theater. That was erring on the side of caution when not enough information was known.
You can't expect a brand new virus to appear and then *bam!* slap it under a microscope and know everything there is to know about it.
What we "knew" was just based on reports unfolding before our eyes. I watched very closely. You'd hear idiotic things like "kids don't get it" as if the germs could tell the difference between a child and an adult, when really the children were just protected more by being isolated because schools were closed. What we "knew" was largely anecdotal and constantly evolving. Conclusions were drawn where perhaps they shouldn't have been.
With that said, if they thought (as they said early on) that it might be able to live on surfaces for days, then using sanitizer isn't and wasn't theater. It was erring on the side of caution. It was taking reasonable steps based on preliminary information.
Temperature checks never made sense to me, and I never instituted them in my place of business. But if a place like WDW, with a lot more foot traffic, wanted to reduce their exposure by ejecting people with a temperature, I get it. And that's not theater, either. It's being extra careful in a situation that warrants such care. If a local ordinance insisted I do temperature checks, I would have complied. No harm other than the cost of the thermometer.
I have always had sanitizer at my counters long before COVID. What changed is we put an extra one by the front door and asked every customer to use it before they shopped. Was that perfect? No. If they brought something in on their hands, it could help. If they were actively shedding virus, it wouldn't help for long. We also offered optional gloves. IMO, those were the better answer, but were not used as often.
As we learned it was less about surfaces and more about air, I didn't get angry because they were understandably incorrect in some assumptions, and I know it's not "flip-flopping." I still have the sanitizer out by the front door, but we don't actively ask everyone to use it if they walk past it. I've bought my last box of overpriced gloves. I still spray high-touch surfaces often, like doorknobs and credit card machines. I leave at least one door open at all times for air flow.
Is that perfect? Still, no. What if a new variant pops up that IS able to live longer on surfaces? We won't know about it for weeks after people start catching it.
Social distancing and masks are still mandatory; neither are theater. This is a balanced and sensible approach - erring on the side of caution.
Re: strict protocols for discarding masks: down here, I believe it was part of the ordinance that you couldn't just throw them anywhere. But there's an easy answer to your question: masks are not hosts, they are (porous) surfaces. In the worst cases, they used to think it could live on less porous surfaces for a few days, so a pile of masks in a garbage dump is no risk to anyone, the virus dies on them. Further, it's likely most masks were precautionary and had no actual germs on them.
See ya in the you-know-where. (First rule about fight club...)
) , let me start by saying I have nothing but respect for you and I appreciate your response. 
). @lostpro9het can chaperone 
and maybe I'll even get him to drink a seltzer or three. 
)
So demand domestically for WDW is about flat with 2019 which is really good for Disney. All they will be missing is the 20% from international guests which may not be back this Summer. Makes sense that roughly 20% of hotel rooms are still shut down.
️
I am immunosuppressed. And at this time, there isn’t a lot of information (studies) as to how well the vaccine works on people like me.
www.medpagetoday.com
To be fair, Chapek said some degree of masking.A couple more items from the earnings call from the other thread:
So demand domestically for WDW is about flat with 2019 which is really good for Disney. All they will be missing is the 20% from international guests which may not be back this Summer. Makes sense that roughly 20% of hotel rooms are still shut down.
On the labor side they seem to be very happy with their workforce returning. 80% CM retention seems pretty good considering the long layoff. It seems the rumors of a labor shortage keeping WDW limited for the Summer aren’t playing out. ”No problems whatsoever in terms of trying to get our cast to come back and make some magic for our guests.”
Full speed ahead:
All signs point towards the full ramp up for the Summer. What a difference from just a quarter ago earnings call where Chapek said masks and distancing for the remainder of the fiscal year and only left us a glimmer of hope of possible vaccination increases leading to some acceleration of that timeline. Good times ahead
- increased capacity
- decrease in distancing
- potential to drop masks this Summer
- Domestic guest demand high
- No issues with labor
- Nightly testing of night entertainment
I could see how you would want to continue wearing the masks for sure. Especially if you found it helped you in otherwise high flu seasons such as the winter. Hopefully places don't ostracize or criticize those who would want to continue wearing masks.I am immunosuppressed. And at this time, there isn’t a lot of information (studies) as to how well the vaccine works on people like me.
And to be clear, there are 11 million of us in the US.
An excellent article here, highlighting (1) small study that showed dismally small antibody rates among the vaccinated/immunosuppressed.
Opinion | 'It's Kind of a Catch-22': Immunosuppression and COVID-19 Vaccines
Marty Makary, MD, speaks with Dorry Segev, MD, PhD, on implications of his real-world study
Yes, long overdue.
A large part may have been empty middle row and low fares, all that is gone so you can have the complete experience of being crammed next to a stranger for hours again.
I still think Disney and every other business should make the policy no masks for vaccinated and if you are unvaccinated you still have to wear one until Covid cases go all the way to zero even if they have no intent to enforce that. Then let the Karen’s on Facebook harass the unvaccinated in an unrelenting way. You are unvaccinated and you go to WDW without a mask and post a picture you get harassed about it. Many people will cave and get the shot to avoid that “peer pressure”. I also think fundamentally most people don‘t want to break the rules or be in the wrong and some would do it just because it’s the rules. Not everyone unvaccinated right now is someone looking to rebel. Some just need motivation and that could be it. Remove WDW and sub in an all inclusive resort or a baseball game or their kid’s school for a sports event.
Based on Mayor Demings' statements (who discussed these with park operators), it looks like the plan was to remove masks certainly before WDW's 50th anniversary (October 1), and ideally by the 4th of July.
www.baynews9.com
It's only been 4ish weeks since vaccinations have been open to everybody some of whom had to wait for an appointment so IMHO we shouldn't be going after them for not being fully vaccinated
Nah...your narrative fell flat. You aren’t taking away the good vibes from todayNo, he didn't say flat domestic demand -- he said flat total demand. This is an earnings call, he can go to jail for inaccurate statements, literally. That means the domestic demand is strong enough to make up for the loss of international guests.
If you lose 20% of your employees compared to 2019, but you have the same demand as 2019.... that's a recipe for operational disaster. We are already seeing in with Disney table service dining.
???? On the contrary, the evidence keeps piling up of the staffing difficulties.
The proof is that despite the same demand as 2019, they can't open as many restaurants and resorts as 2019..
And the proof is constantly being written about:
As hospitality labor shortages grow, the industry evolves in an attempt to attract new workers
Update 05-13-2021 with details and comments regarding the new partnership. Central Florida wasn’t hit as hard by the coronavirus pandemic as many other tourist destinations,...www.orlandoweekly.com
Florida is not ending federal unemployment benefits — yet
Federal benefits currently provide $300 per week.
Ah, he said only 80% are coming back.
I know you're an optimist. But time to take off the rose colored glasses. Go try to make a dining reservation at WDW.
The mask rule won’t change tomorrow. It’s not going after them for not being fully vaccinated. They can choose to go to WDW and wear a mask if they aren’t fully vaccinated or wait until they are to go without a mask. It would be going after people who broke the rules and didn’t wear a mask when no vaccinated. I see no issue with that.
