Coronavirus and Walt Disney World general discussion

[DisneyCane]

We would all hope that staff when wiping down uses clean rags but from what I can I see not just in WDW, but surfaces are wiped down with the same dirty filthy rag.

This also applies to maids cleaning hotel rooms. Hence I always (before this) disinfected the room upon check-in to any hotel and refuse housekeeping service unless it is a very long stay. If I do get service I disinfect again.

 

[Lilofan]

This also applies to maids cleaning hotel rooms. Hence I always (before this) disinfected the room upon check-in to any hotel and refuse housekeeping service unless it is a very long stay. If I do get service I disinfect again.

Scary housekeeping practice I have seen. I prefer using the plastic throw away cups wrapped up like you see in the cheapo motels. In regards to real glass cups by the mini bar / ice bucket and inside the hotel room bathroom in my business travels, I have seen and addressed to the cleaning staff cleaning the drinking glass with a dirty rag used to wipe other surfaces. My Spanish comes in handy!

 

[Polynesia]

I would like to see Disney put hand sanitizer stations at each attraction right before a guest goes on a ride. This way clean hands are touching the bars, etc. at the beginning. Each guest would get on clean and it would save having cast members trying to wipe down after a ride. Other stations set up throughout the park where guests could use as needed would also help. It’s unrealistic to think Disney or any business can completely stop the spread. Eventually it will open and people will have to decide if they want to go or not. It’s estimated this will peak on April 14 with zero deaths by July. A June 1 opening looks very promising.

 

[Tavernacle12]

It’s weird to me they let go so much maintenance staff.

A. They’re paying most of them anyways for awhile.
B. You’d think paying them would cost less than fixing the potential damage of leaving things idle later on.

Is it conceivable they’d open Animal Kingdom first instead of MK? The Animal Exhibits would be easier than rides to keep social distancing up with, and they could allow one family each onto Dinosaur/Kali vehicles/rafts or something.

Part of me thinks they’d open small bits at a time throughout the resort and limit capacity severely. Like a old fashioned up charge event. Then again, they can’t do if there’s a lock down in place.

 

[ProfessorPepper]

You guys do realize how exponential functions work? If Disney opened June 1, there are still going to be coronavirus cases out there albeit far less than there are now but with 99% of our population still susceptible (Dr. Fauchi stated they think they can keep it under 1% of Americans getting infected which is ~3,300,000 people) that if one infected person goes to WDW on June 1 this whole thing will start over again.

We may be able to have gatherings of 50 or maybe even 250 people after June 1 but it will be many more months before places like Disney can open. Mark my words. Safety is their number one key of the four keys.

 

[Touchdown]

Same here! If Disney and Universal are open for our late July vacation we will absolutely be going. I think it is not only important to start putting money back in the economy but to go on living our lives.

This virus is very scary and the severe disease is horrible. We should absolutely be doing these measures now and it will save countless lives. Here is what needs to happen to have everything return to normal:

-Widespread testing, ideally every American should be tested once the antibody test is available so that every American knows where they stand in these categories:

Antibody -, Antigen -: You do not have Covid and never have, if you get symptoms you need to be tested immediately and continue to be vigilant.

Antigen +, Antibody -: You are in the early stages of the disease and need to be on the lookout for symptoms. Quarantine yourself now, retest in 7 days if no symptoms present

Antigen +, Antibody +: You are in the later stages of the disease and if you don’t have symptoms you likely won’t, retest in 3 days. Quarantine until then.

Antigen -, Antibody +: You’ve had the disease and are immune, live your life as normal

-An extremely low incidence of active disease such that the CDC can track down all contacts and test/quarantine individuals who need to be

-Ideally we have treatment

I do think we will at that point by June.

 

[VaderTron]

The "Staycation" was born after 9/11 and furthered after the housing crisis in '08. I agree with you.

I'm about to start my 4th week. Unfortunately I only have 6 weeks of staycation a year. I don't know what I'm going to do after that.

 

[Polynesia]

You guys do realize how exponential functions work? If Disney opened June 1, there are still going to be coronavirus cases out there albeit far less than there are now but with 99% of our population still susceptible (Dr. Fauchi stated they think they can keep it under 1% of Americans getting infected which is ~3,300,000 people) that if one infected person goes to WDW on June 1 this whole thing will start over again.

We may be able to have gatherings of 50 or maybe even 250 people after June 1 but it will be many more months before places like Disney can open. Mark my words. Safety is their number one key of the four keys.

The same can be said going to any job on June 1. Someone in your office could infect everyone and they go out to dinner someplace and infect others. There is no perfect safe place. Even with a vaccine there will be people who don’t get it. I think Disney will reopen June 1.

 

[Lilofan]

I'm about to start my 4th week. Unfortunately I only have 6 weeks of staycation a year. I don't know what I'm going to do after that.

Some I know have staycation being paid a full salary. They hustled and are doing side jobs for cash under the table. More lucrative staying home and earning more $$ per week. It's a personal choice to get ahead or not.

 

[monykalyn]

As for a Disney related thought I’m not sure I’d want to go if it’s not 100% fully operational. It’s an awful lot of money to go for a half product. I’m kind of regretting getting APs in January now. I’d frankly rather have the option to freeze the pass and reactivate when the parks are 100% (construction and all), but I get why that’s probably not going to happen.

 

[VaderTron]

Ok. Dough is done. Gonna let it sit for a while. Then I'm going to try and replicate a Mezzo Metro - Via Napoli style - and pair it with a knock off Lapu Lapu recipe.

Tomorrow my wife and I are doing Poly noodles w/ vegetables, pot stickers, sticky wings, and one of the Trader Sam's drinks in our ceramic Nautilus.

 

[ProfessorPepper]

The same can be said going to any job on June 1. Someone in your office could infect everyone and they go out to dinner someplace and infect others. There is no perfect safe place. Even with a vaccine there will be people who don’t get it. I think Disney will reopen June 1.

Which is why I'm now telling you don't be surprised when these "social distancing guidelines" are continually pushed back through summer. If Disney opened June 1 because "there is no safe place" they would have never closed in the first place.

 

[Disstevefan1]

The park that could afford to close is Epcot. They sent home the international CMs anyway and its radically under construction. Just close it and ramp up construction without the "interference" (no offense) of guests during the day. They could make up for lost time.

Drastic times call for drastic measures. Its really too bad if they close EPCOT. In the mobbed times you could count on EPCOT to at least be the least mobbed (although last year we went on a random weekend during F&W and it was so jammed packed we didn’t visit even visit one food booth)

Now that EPCOT is/was almost a year round food festival with $7 samples, the amount of money the will lose will be astronomical when they keep EPCOT closed. Truly drastic times...

 

[The Mom]

I deleted a bunch of the same old back and forth "people die all the time" "we're over/under reacting" etc arguments. No one knows for certain how this is going to play out, so there is no reason to keep arguing about it.

 

[VaderTron]

Here's a great example of people who can't follow the rules. Near Pensacola.

People are constantly told from infancy up:

"You can be whoever you want to be."
"No one can live your life for you."
"Fight for your rights."
"Think for yourself."
"Question everything."
"Fight for freedom."

Then, when no one wants to listen to anyone else and just wants to do what they want to do, society is shocked.

 

[VaderTron]

I can tell you that Iowans consider themselves part of the Midwest.

That's because they are modest and realize the state doesn't deserve to be called "Great" anything...even Great Plains.

 

[DisneyCane]

I would like to see Disney put hand sanitizer stations at each attraction right before a guest goes on a ride. This way clean hands are touching the bars, etc. at the beginning. Each guest would get on clean and it would save having cast members trying to wipe down after a ride. Other stations set up throughout the park where guests could use as needed would also help. It’s unrealistic to think Disney or any business can completely stop the spread. Eventually it will open and people will have to decide if they want to go or not. It’s estimated this will peak on April 14 with zero deaths by July. A June 1 opening looks very promising.

I like this idea but it will be difficult to get children to properly use the sanitizer. It has been said that you need to make sure the sanitizer is wet for 10 seconds to be fully effective. I think that sanitizer upon exiting the ride may be even more effective. For rides where load and unload are in different locations, it should be possible to install a spray system to sanitize the ride vehicles between guests. For simulator rides and shows it would lower capacity but the seats could be sprayed by CMs between loads.

If places like WDW would implement some of this stuff long term and if we all washed hands and covered coughs and sneezes properly it would cut down on all kinds of illnesses. Part of why I'm a germaphobe is because I hate being sick even with a cold. I'd be ecstatic if civilization as a whole made it so that everybody would get sick far less frequently.

You can never completely eliminate the spread of illness but the less of it, the better. As crazy as I am in general, I still get sick sometimes. That's with having a hand sanitizer addiction and crazily holding my breath and fleeing the vicinity if I hear somebody cough or sneeze anywhere near me.

 

[PrincessNelly_NJ]

I think people worried when their vacation will be need their head checked. This train is just starting to build steam...

How to holiday should be the lowest thing in your list of worries right now.

Vacations keep us motivated. While we are worried about many other things, the thought of eventually being able to travel and get away is encouraging.

 

[HauntedPirate]

Without other complications there’s around a 7 day lead time before opening. Then add in new training. And new protocols. Then you have cleaning, sanitising and fixing. The parks are in a mess and that’s only after two weeks. Imagine the mess after 2-3 months.

To be clear June 1 is an aspirational date it seems in the community. There is no reopening date as things stand. Obviously to say it would be preferable for pretty much everyone is an understatement.

On my take off the top of my head, -- dirt, dust, grime, mildew, on many covered surfaces outside and inside, overgrown and weedy landscaping, rotten and expired food in kitchen storage areas, outdoor resort swimming pools and water park facilities bodies of water floating with debris of many kinds including contamination. If Disney shut off the power or AC to buildings to save money, one could smell the stench of mildew.

Please please PLEASE tell me they didn't turn the AC off in buildings to save money. And they are doing at least enough to keep the mold and mildew away.

Edit: And I'd imagine that rides and attractions would need to be run at least daily to ensure the mechanics stay in working order.

 

[The Mom]

Please please PLEASE tell me they didn't turn the AC off in buildings to save money. And they are doing at least enough to keep the mold and mildew away.

I once left my FL home for a month, so set the A/C at 80, thinking that would be cool enough to stop mildew. It wasn't.