Coronavirus and Walt Disney World general discussion

[Mander]

I had a Disney cruise scheduled for September that I just cancelled, mainly because I think my company will still have travel isolation restrictions in place. The travel insurance company we went through listed cancelled travel through September 30 could still be considered Covid related, they seem to be looking ahead.

I have one for November that we're planning to cancel. Even if it goes and I don't have work restrictions, I just don't see wanting to get on a cruise ship that soon. Definitely disappointing though as it was to be our first cruise and on the Disney Dream. Booked a room at AS Music instead but I'm honestly not even holding out a lot of hope for that at this point, unless something major changes.

 

[Andrew C]

Predictions of total deaths continue to be downgraded. Keep it going. Keep it going.

 

[Seanual757]

Besides the point I brought up the other day which no one has answered or seem to know. Tables spaced apart is fine, which means reduced capacity. Ok. But how does a waitress or waiter take your order from 6 ft away? Yell to you? How is the food put down on the table? Will the servers be required to wear masks when this starts? A order being taken from 6 ft away won’t be possible. Delivery of the food won’t be possible unless all the regulations change.

I think table service will be suspended until further notice and everything will be setup as quick service you will order via the app or like you do at the quick service locations just a little further distance. Disney may put up plexiglas between cast members and guests.

Disney is going to do what ever they can to make this work and it will work we may not like it we will need to adjust to the changing times. This will be even tougher for Disney Springs locations, character breakfasts, ect....

 

[Kevin_W]

But how does a waitress or waiter take your order from 6 ft away? Yell to you?

I could see this at 50's Prime Time.

 

[Lilofan]

I could see this at 50's Prime Time.

Some of those waiters at 50s Prime Time can really get under your skin but it is all in good fun.

 

[George]

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.

I dunno. I like the idea of long lines actually being long.

 

[GoofGoof]

I think table service will be suspended until further notice and everything will be setup as quick service you will order via the app or like you do at the quick service locations just a little further distance. Disney may put up plexiglas between cast members and guests.

Disney is going to do what ever they can to make this work and it will work we may not like it we will need to adjust to the changing times. This will be even tougher for Disney Springs locations, character breakfasts, ect....

I think we have to see how all restaurants operate once the restrictions loosen. If nationally restaurants go back to open for indoor seating then the same will happen at Disney. If like China they continue on take out only for a little while after the lock down ends then Disney will follow suit. It’s really not even a national thing. It will depend on what Florida allows. If recent past history is any indicator the FL governor will be one of the more liberal in allowing things to open and crowds to gather. It could be that DLR operates under a much stricter policy vs WDW. We will have to wait and see how each state handles it.

 

[George]

They could use tablets to order or even the app or wait staff in masks. No way to get the food to you without walking up to the table. Maybe food runners in masks. I think the idea is to keep guests 6ft apart similar to a grocery store now where customers are supposed to keep 6 feet apart but you have to come closer to the deli counter guy or the cashier.

if they don’t end up doing any of the social distancing in queues and they don’t cancel larger shows then what’s the point doing it at a restaurant. It may end up none of this happens or all of it could. I think we need to see how things re-open around the country before we can know which way Disney will lean.

The servers will all be wearing their super tight, "I survived Covid-19 in 2020 tees" to assure you of their vitality. We will find in this new environment that the young and beautiful will reap rewards as "the employables" while old people like me will be "at risk" and eventually wind up wearing grey "expendable" baggy sweatshirts as we wander the streets lost, rudderless, and alone.

 

[DisneyDebRob]

I could see this at 50's Prime Time.

Aren’t they doing that already?

 

[Lilofan]

I dunno. I like the idea of long lines actually being long.

You know what they say. At the state fair, the food stand with the longest lines usually serve the best food. Get in line!

 

[Overlordkitty]

I have one for November that we're planning to cancel. Even if it goes and I don't have work restrictions, I just don't see wanting to get on a cruise ship that soon. Definitely disappointing though as it was to be our first cruise and on the Disney Dream. Booked a room at AS Music instead but I'm honestly not even holding out a lot of hope for that at this point, unless something major changes.

We briefly discussed staying in Florida during our cruise dates, but decided just to hold off, the stress of the will it/won't it isn't worth the trip at this time.

I hope you are able to go in the future, even if it isn't this year. This was going to be out first cruise in 12 years, and we loved our last one. We'll try again in the future.

 

[Disney Analyst]

Good article on what needs to be in place for states individually and the country as a whole to begin “reopening”

How Will We Know When It’s Time to Reopen the Nation? (Published 2020)

Experts offer four benchmarks that can serve as a guide for cities and states, eliminating some of the guesswork.

www.nytimes.com

 

[mapleleaf1389]

I don't mean in any way to sound over-dramatic, but has anybody really considered the extreme long term effect coming from this? Having lived through the AIDS crisis in the early eighties into the nineties, there were several businesses that showed much higher risk of transmission and ultimately just kind of faded away (Bathhouses, adult cinemas, etc...). I'm not really attempting to argue the morality or appropriateness of the examples given, but if the transmission of this is so easy and some sort of immunity can't be gained I wonder how many places like Disney will fade into the sunset. Personally I don't think it's likely that Disney disappears, but smaller regional parks, six flags, other places like this may not have the staying power to make it through. I hope this isn't the case, just a thought that has been running in my mind as this has stretched on.

 

[Disney Analyst]

I don't mean in any way to sound over-dramatic, but has anybody really considered the extreme long term effect coming from this? Having lived through the AIDS crisis in the early eighties into the nineties, there were several businesses that showed much higher risk of transmission and ultimately just kind of faded away (Bathhouses, adult cinemas, etc...). I'm not really attempting to argue the morality or appropriateness of the examples given, but if the transmission of this is so easy and some sort of immunity can't be gained I wonder how many places like Disney will fade into the sunset. Personally I don't think it's likely that Disney disappears, but smaller regional parks, six flags, other places like this may not have the staying power to make it through. I hope this isn't the case, just a thought that has been running in my mind as this has stretched on.

I think the bigger concern will be places like movie theatres, night clubs. and shops/restaurants/bars.

I can’t imagine how many will end up closing. And will anyone want to go back to a store model now that we see how contactless delivery can work so well?

Every brewery here is now doing delivery...every restaurant.

This may completely change how we interact and shop. Why keep paying expensive leases?

 

[DCBaker]

"Broadway will remain closed for at least another two months, industry leaders said Wednesday, as they formally acknowledged what has been widely known: that their initial target of reopening in mid-April has become impossible because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic."

"The Broadway League, a trade association representing producers and theater owners, said the 41 Broadway houses would remain shuttered at least through June 7. But industry leaders widely expect the theaters to remain closed longer — many say that a best-case scenario is reopening following the July 4 weekend, and that it is possible that the industry will not reopen until after Labor Day."

Broadway Will Remain Closed at Least Until June, and Probably Longer (Published 2020)

The 41 Broadway theaters have been closed since March 12, and industry leaders are aware that large gatherings may be among the last forms of activity to resume when the pandemic eases.

www.nytimes.com

 

[Angel Ariel]

And will anyone want to go back to a store model now that we see how contactless delivery can work so well?

I can’t speak for anyone else, but contactless delivery is nice for some things, but there is also something to be said for the experiece of being out in a restaurant. I don’t exlect that to disappear.

 

[Disney Analyst]

I can’t speak for anyone else, but contactless delivery is nice for some things, but there is also something to be said for the experiece of being out in a restaurant. I don’t exlect that to disappear.

Oh I don’t either, but I think we may have a period of time where a lot of our favourite local restaurants no longer exist... so many have already announced permanent closing up here.

 

[Brer Oswald]

I expect a June 1st reopening. I don’t think a reopening date sometime in May is impossible though. Things can change a lot in a month’s time, for the good and the bad. The current Florida projection suggests they’ll be near the bottom of their curve by the end of May.

They cancelled DCPs starting in May. They sent home the other DCPs in March. Unless they plan to open only Magic Kingdom (which is completely counterintuitive to the purpose of this lockdown), they won’t have enough people to run the place.

They may start the reopening process on June 1st, but it’s going to take them a few weeks to get the place ready.

I wouldn’t expect anything at this point. All bets are off.

 

[jmp85]

Not true. The Disney bean counters will have the final word.

As someone who has spent 10+ years in accounting/finance at a F100, I find it funny that everyone thinks us "bean counters" have any say in how things are run. We just provide scenarios based on sets of assumptions that operations provides. Operations makes all the decisions.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

Oh I don’t either, but I think we may have a period of time where a lot of our favourite local restaurants no longer exist... so many have already announced permanent closing up here.

When the shut-downs first started happening, I had a clip from Demolition Man flash through my head...

"Taco Bell was the only restaurant to survive the Franchise Wars. Now all restaurants are Taco Bell"