Coronavirus and Walt Disney World general discussion

[LittleBuford]

I’ll have to look it up again. I did see it mentioned in a couple of articles I read.

Please do provide the links when you find them. It's a big claim to be making.

 

[hopemax]

The sports leagues are the the cue for what Disney will do. The NBA and MLB are trying to figure out how to hold games. But no where does their plan involve fans in the seats. If the NFL's plan includes empty stadiums, US Disney Parks are not anywhere near opening.

 

[ifan]

USA Update:
Deaths today are going up and will continue to increase this week before decreasing.
New cases, hospitalizations, ventilator usage is decreasing in the big hot spots (NY, Jersey, etc.)

Happy to report that any person who has needed a ventilator in the USA has received one, but the prognosis of those patients is very poor (super low survival rate.)

Next week will will start to see deaths decrease or at least stabilize (lagging indicator) following the already seen decrease in new cases.

Next steps will be a further increase in rapid testing and the hopefully soon FDA approval of antibody testing/mass production. Admiral Giroir is hopeful that if things go well we will have millions/tens of millions of antibody tests available before May.

 

[thomas998]

I honestly think Disney will do temp checks and nothing more. I don’t think they would ever do virus testing because it just opens up a huge can of liability worms. I don’t know what they’d do if a guest had a fever, though.

I mean, I know it is a completely different situation, but it’s not Disney’s fault if you caught the flu on your trip and it turned into pneumonia and you became extremely ill. Disney is not a necessity, and if you’re going to the park you have to calculate that risk. I just don’t think park-wide testing is feasible, but of course I could be proven wrong.

The problem with doing temp checks is that it only catches the people that are showing symptoms. Remember up to 80% are asymptomatic so your temp check is going to miss more than half the people that are infected. Now throw in the people that spent lots of money on a trip and know they are sick but take tylenol to hide the fever... Is Disney a place most parents would want to take their family?

At the moment I could go because I've had the virus and could probably tap dance through a NYC hospital without any worries... but I also know the h**l I experienced with it and wouldn't let my wife or kids take any sort of risk sense they have been fortunate enough not to have gotten it... so unless you have a family where everyone had already had it what families would take the risk?

 

[MisterPenguin]

That’s another reason to cut fireworks, parades, and other nightime shows. The whole point of fireworks is to keep people in the park till close, without them, people will naturally spread out their departure.

If there is still mandatory social distancing, there will be no parks open.

You cannot socially distance and run a theme park.

So, please (and not just you but others who have floated the Disney-but-no-fireworks fantasy), stop thinking that Disney can open with just holding back a few things. If there's distancing, there is no Disney.

Now, there may be hand sanitizers stations everywhere, maybe enforced use of masks, maybe temperature checks (at all the transportation stations, too). Yes, it sounds unwieldy. But social distancing as a tool in a theme park is just impossible.

 

[TheDisneyDaysOfOurLives]

I would be shocked if large gathering places were allowed to be opened in May. Frankly I see no way you could justify opening amusement parks until there is a vaccine... or until we reached the point where an overwhelming majority of the people had already contracted the virus.

That's not reasonable in the least bit in regards to not opening until there is a vaccine. What if it takes 2-3 years to do so? That's a nearly $100 billion dollar industry that's been snuffed out of existence. In regards to the point about waiting until most people have contracted the virus, there's been some questions around how long your 'immunity' really is for. A month? Three months? That's a question that won't be answered quickly.

 

[John park hopper]

The problem with doing temp checks is that it only catches the people that are showing symptoms. Remember up to 80% asymptomatic so your temp check is going to miss more than half the people that are infected. Now throw in the people that spent lots of money on a trip and know they are sick but take tylenol to hide the fever... Is Disney a place most parents would want to take their family?

At the moment I could go because I've had the virus and could probably tap dance through a NYC hospital without any worries... but I also know the h**l I experienced with it and wouldn't let my wife or kids take any sort of risk sense they have been fortunate enough not to have gotten it... so unless you have a family where everyone had already had it what families would take the risk?

Don't know if I tap dance in any hospital the jury is still out on length of immunity

 

[Disney Analyst]

That's an unfair and unreasonable expectation to enforce upon any company.

Hey, it's not my expectation... but I know it the reality of this situation and environment we find ourselves in. People have always expected more of Disney, to provide and account for all possible scenarios. The Gator situation shows what can happen, and they handled it as well as they could.

But I know after that tragedy, they are thinking internally about being extremely cautious with this situation, as they know they do not want any of that attention directed towards them again.

 

[GhostHost1000]

If there is still mandatory social distancing, there will be no parks open.

You cannot socially distance and run a theme park.

So, please (and not just you but others who have floated the Disney-but-no-fireworks fantasy), stop thinking that Disney can open with just holding back a few things. If there's distancing, there is no Disney.

Now, there may be hand sanitizers stations everywhere, maybe enforced use of masks, maybe temperature checks (at all the transportation stations, too). Yes, it sounds unwieldy. But social distancing as a tool in a theme park is just impossible.

this is exactly right - we've heard all the rumors... limit guests, close Epcot, no fireworks/parades, check temps at the gate, etc. but there's just no way you can social distance at all times at WDW.

 

[Andrew C]

can we stop with the suicide conjecture?

why? Not sure of the exact extent but it’s a legit concern. I believe 10,000 suicides were linked to the 2008 recession based on a study.

More Than 10,000 Suicides Tied To Economic Crisis, Study Says

During the economic downturn there were more than 10,000 "excess suicides," researchers say.

www.forbes.com

And right now...

L.A. suicide hotline sees rise in coronavirus-related calls. Counselors feel the pain

Crisis counselors at Didi Hirsch in Century City, whose job it is to reassure, now need some reassurance of their own — because the coronavirus knows no boundaries.

www.latimes.com

Faced with their own coronavirus fears, crisis hotline counselors answer surge in calls

“Suddenly our counselors are experiencing some of the same crises that callers and chat visitors are.”

www.nbcnews.com

 

[Seanual757]

The problem with doing temp checks is that it only catches the people that are showing symptoms. Remember up to 80% are asymptomatic so your temp check is going to miss more than half the people that are infected. Now throw in the people that spent lots of money on a trip and know they are sick but take tylenol to hide the fever... Is Disney a place most parents would want to take their family?

At the moment I could go because I've had the virus and could probably tap dance through a NYC hospital without any worries... but I also know the h**l I experienced with it and wouldn't let my wife or kids take any sort of risk sense they have been fortunate enough not to have gotten it... so unless you have a family where everyone had already had it what families would take the risk?

If that is the case you can kiss WDW, Sea World, Bush Gardens, Universal good by forever. No company can weather being closed for 12 months with zero income. As stated Disney is losing between 10-20 million per day a 60 day closure has losses into the billions, a 12+ month closure will not only cripple disney but the world economy as a whole.

Disney is gonna get hit not only from all sides resorts, parks, merchandise, sports, and movies.

Social distancing can be done in a theme park and it will be done. We are doing it in stores now, airplanes it will be the way of life going forward until a vaccine is available. We will had to adapt no other way around it.

 

[TheDisneyDaysOfOurLives]

Hey, it's not my expectation... but I know it the reality of this situation and environment we find ourselves in. People have always expected more of Disney, to provide and account for all possible scenarios. The Gator situation shows what can happen, and they handled it as well as they could.

But I know after that tragedy, they are thinking internally about being extremely cautious with this situation, as they know they do not want any of that attention directed towards them again.

I would be shocked if anyone had the expectation that no one will get COVID-19 or die from COVID-19 as a result of visiting a Disney park. Absolutely shocked.

As has been mentioned, if you're asymptomatic and don't show symptoms, you still could potentially get someone else sick. Disney is not liable in that situation. I don't believe they can even be held liable if someone is sick and someone else gets sick as a result. May someone try? Of course. I don't see them being successful in that regards.

Unless Disney is willing to perform tests on everyone, via blood draw or swabbing, they will not be able to offer definitive proof. Even if they do it, they now have become a company that holds onto people's medical information and there's no reason for that. Medical professionals are not going to be lining up at the front gates to perform medical tests and enter it into a secure database/platform that allows them to say definitely whether Susie Jane had COVID-19 or not. Just not happening. It's not realistic. No one should have those expectations of ANY company, whether it be Wal-Mart, Target, Disney, or Cinemark. Just not realistic.

 

[Lilofan]

If there is still mandatory social distancing, there will be no parks open.

You cannot socially distance and run a theme park.

So, please (and not just you but others who have floated the Disney-but-no-fireworks fantasy), stop thinking that Disney can open with just holding back a few things. If there's distancing, there is no Disney.

Now, there may be hand sanitizers stations everywhere, maybe enforced use of masks, maybe temperature checks (at all the transportation stations, too). Yes, it sounds unwieldy. But social distancing as a tool in a theme park is just impossible.

If anyone can do it, Disney can. It won't be easy, period.

 

[GhostHost1000]

If that is the case you can kiss WDW, Sea World, Bush Gardens, Universal good by forever. No company can weather being closed for 12 months with zero income. As stated Disney is losing between 10-20 million per day a 60 day closure has losses into the billions, a 12+ month closure will not only cripple disney but the world economy as a whole.

Disney is gonna get hit not only from all sides resorts, parks, merchandise, sports, and movies.

Social distancing can be done in a theme park and it will be done. We are doing it in stores now, airplanes it will be the way of life going forward until a vaccine is available. We will had to adapt no other way around it.

think back at previous WDW vacations and now think how you could stay away 6ft from people at all times? I don't see how that is possible in any way all day.

it is sad for all the theme parks... at some point we have to get back to normal even before a complete vaccine...hopefully we'll have plenty of works drugs soon to help fight the virus and then it would be more like the flu

 

[John park hopper]

WDW has you sign a waver you have been informed of the risk and can not sue us for your actions

 

[trainplane3]

Grim news from airline Lufthansa today



More at https://newsroom.lufthansagroup.com...ackage/s/0695cc64-1a64-4939-b409-7da5d5b2c0d3

I know airlines are slowly starting to retire the A380 already but Lufthansa seems to be moving quickly with that:

Lufthansa To Immediately Retire 6 Airbus A380s

simpleflying.com

And BA is sending some out for storage. I guess Airbus made a smart move with ending production of it so "early" (2021). This whole situation will probably end the A380 for most airlines.

 

[Disney Analyst]

I would be shocked if anyone had the expectation that no one will get COVID-19 or die from COVID-19 as a result of visiting a Disney park. Absolutely shocked.

As has been mentioned, if you're asymptomatic and don't show symptoms, you still could potentially get someone else sick. Disney is not liable in that situation. I don't believe they can even be held liable if someone is sick and someone else gets sick as a result. May someone try? Of course. I don't see them being successful in that regards.

Unless Disney is willing to perform tests on everyone, via blood draw or swabbing, they will not be able to offer definitive proof. Even if they do it, they now have become a company that holds onto people's medical information and there's no reason for that. Medical professionals are not going to be lining up at the front gates to perform medical tests and enter it into a secure database/platform that allows them to say definitely whether Susie Jane had COVID-19 or not. Just not happening. It's not realistic. No one should have those expectations of ANY company, whether it be Wal-Mart, Target, Disney, or Cinemark. Just not realistic.

I am just sharing my hypothesis as to why I think Disney will be waiting to reopen longer then many on here think

 

[DisneyCane]

Many, many pages ago I mentioned a German study involving a plane of people returning from Israel. The viral load in the samples from asymptotic people was higher than those with symptoms.

They have been studying this. The results from asymptotic people is a big factor into why everything got locked down so suddenly. And why people were face palming at the Georgia governor who claimed he just found out about the risks of asymptotic people right before he finally issued Georgia’s stay at home order. Asymptotic spread is also the reason they changed the guideline and we are supposed to be wearing masks when we go out now.

So I am going to postulate option #3. The first part of your option 1. But we figured it out just in time so the spread had not reached a critical mass point. Our actions did affect the outcome, and aside from NY, Nola and Seattle the virus arrived later than the lay people think it did, in most communities. And the number of people who will test positive for antibodies is somewhere between your two scenarios.

Which leaves a ton of wiggle room to continue to argue about the appropriate course of action. In the past and going forward.

Do you still have the link? I haven't found it and must have missed it when you posted.

While it is possible that we acted just in time, my opinion is that it is unlikely. The volume of travel between China and the USA prior to the ban makes it highly unlikely that only one infected person came in on January 15th. If it is as contagious as reported and there are as many asymptomatic (and contagious) cases as speculated it makes no sense that a large scale outbreak didn't start until mid March. There had to be at least hundreds of infected people that traveled from China in early January.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

So, please (and not just you but others who have floated the Disney-but-no-fireworks fantasy), stop thinking that Disney can open with just holding back a few things. If there's distancing, there is no Disney.

You’ll have to tell that to the owners of this very site...

Disney is exploring a modified park experience to be deployed as soon as park reopening is possible

When the parks do reopen, expect a modified experience for some time as the world continues to fight coronavirus.

www.wdwmagic.com

 

[MisterPenguin]

If anyone can do it, Disney can. It won't be easy, period.

Wait, wha?

Are you saying that a theme park such as WDW can be run while keeping everyone 6 feet away from one another?