Coronavirus and Walt Disney World general discussion

[Polynesia]

In a perfect world, that would be great but I don't exactly trust 16 and 17 year olds with sanitizing properly. Also why would Bowling Alleys be given that opportunity to open but many of the nature trails and parks will still be closed?

I’m just saying when they open. Not that should be open before nature trails and parks. That was never in my post

 

[DisneyDebRob]

Redirect Notice

Good news: Social distancing is working

The U.S. now predicts significantly fewer deaths just so long as everyone keeps it up.

www.google.com

It works again.

 

[DisneyCane]

And what is it with gyms?

Just about every national, state, and local guidelines or laws about what can or can't be open specifically mentions gyms.

When you say "essential services only," why mention that gyms are not essential services? No one goes out of their way to say that shoe stores aren't essential services. Or mattress stores. Or arcades. Or bowling alleys.

And even with the new Federal guidelines of "phases," in each phase they mention what the status of gyms are for that phase.

With how often gyms are mentioned right up there with grocery stores and doctors' offices you'd think that Americans would be much more fit than they currently are.

Will WDW give a breakdown of which parks and hotels are going to open each phase as well as whether the fitness center of that hotel will be open, because, you know... gotta let everyone know the status of the gyms.

While there are a lot of Americans who are unhealthy and obese there are also a lot of Americans who exercise regularly and eat relatively healthy. The latter just aren't publicized because it isn't a problem to solve .

It is around a $28 billion industry. I think the reason they specify gyms is because on one hand they say exercise is essential while on the other hand they are closing gyms. I think it is just to be specific so there isn't any confusion with the guidelines. If they didn't, "exercise is an essential activity" can be interpreted as "gyms can be open."

 

[Polynesia]

I don’t know if reopening so many businesses in Georgia is good or bad. Time will tell. But it will provide a good model to evaluate. If numbers creep up substantially this will be a clear message to other states to perhaps ratchet things down a bit. This is new to all countries and we learn as we go. The same goes for Florida. If numbers aren’t good then it will signal to the theme parks they’re not ready to open. As anxious as I am to see Disney and Universal reopen, safety has to be the priority. There’s always going to be a risk but it needs to be as small as is reasonable.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

I don’t know if reopening so many businesses in Georgia is good or bad. Time will tell. But it will provide a good model to evaluate. If numbers creep up substantially this will be a clear message to other states to perhaps ratchet things down a bit. This is new to all countries and we learn as we go. The same goes for Florida. If numbers aren’t good then it will signal to the theme parks they’re not ready to open. As anxious as I am to see Disney and Universal reopen, safety has to be the priority. There’s always going to be a risk but it needs to be as small as is reasonable.

We'll need patience, too. There won't be an immediate uptick if there's going to be one...

 

[GoofGoof]

Why is it all or nothing? When WDW opens there may be restrictions on who can visit but it won't be WDW making that decision it will be the state or county. Let's say WDW opens June 1st - Then it is VERY LIKELY that FL will have a mandatory quarantine for anyone coming from the NE or a hotspot. That makes it very easy to ensure that those people who are most likely to be carrying the virus are kept out or have made it through the quarentine and are deemed fine to move about society.

We have already seen the quarantine orders for states and I would ABSOLUTELY expect that those bans have no bearing on if WDW opens or not. WDW will open IF & WHEN they decide that they can protect their guests and employees to a reasonable degree AND when they feel like they can make enough money to allow them to be open.

My post was in response to several posters suggesting Disney would implement their own ban on certain states or areas. I stand by my opinion that that will never happen whether it’s legal or not. If there is still some form of government imposed travel ban that’s mandated by the state it won’t be Disney enforcing that people can’t get in. That will happen at airports or on highways. In other words we won’t see CMs at the front gate checking drivers licenses. The one exception would be if they do a soft opening for FL residents only.

Outside of a “FL resident only” opening I do not think Disney actually opens WDW while other state’s residents have mandatory quarantine orders in Florida. If that’s the case it means it is still not safe for people from across the country to be mixing there. Too much liability for TWDC. Nobody in the state of Florida has any real say in when Disney opens WDW. That will be decided in CA by a handful of execs and the BoD. I agree it will only open once it’s safe and can make money. I’m skeptical that a June 1 date is feasible at this point for a full opening. By the time the big wigs in CA green light a full opening the FL state quarantine bans will be long in the past.

 

[Polynesia]

We'll need patience, too. There won't be an immediate uptick if there's going to be one...

So true. It will take several weeks to see any uptick. I just hope states don’t get ahead of themselves. On the other hand, we don’t know how hot weather will play in to this for certain.

 

[danlb_2000]

And what is it with gyms?

Just about every national, state, and local guidelines or laws about what can or can't be open specifically mentions gyms.

When you say "essential services only," why mention that gyms are not essential services? No one goes out of their way to say that shoe stores aren't essential services. Or mattress stores. Or arcades. Or bowling alleys.

And even with the new Federal guidelines of "phases," in each phase they mention what the status of gyms are for that phase.

With how often gyms are mentioned right up there with grocery stores and doctors' offices you'd think that Americans would be much more fit than they currently are.

Will WDW give a breakdown of which parks and hotels are going to open each phase as well as whether the fitness center of that hotel will be open, because, you know... gotta let everyone know the status of the gyms.

I could be because gyms are not easily categorized with other businesses. They aren't retail, they aren't resturants, and they aren't really services like a hair dresser of hair salon, so it's probably good to call then out specifically.

 

[Lilofan]

I don’t know if reopening so many businesses in Georgia is good or bad. Time will tell. But it will provide a good model to evaluate. If numbers creep up substantially this will be a clear message to other states to perhaps ratchet things down a bit. This is new to all countries and we learn as we go. The same goes for Florida. If numbers aren’t good then it will signal to the theme parks they’re not ready to open. As anxious as I am to see Disney and Universal reopen, safety has to be the priority. There’s always going to be a risk but it needs to be as small as is reasonable.

To open up gyms at this point is complete insanity. I sure miss the gym and my fellow gym rats that I used to see and work out with. Just trying to be inventive at home to keep doing my cardio and strength training. Georgia is a good model. I hope they are successful. If not, don't expect WDW to open until 2021 at the earliest. If that is the case and no more stimulus money to the people after it runs out in 4 months, the financial outlook of Florida which tourism is the #1 driver, is going to get extremely ugly.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I could be because gyms are not easily categorized with other businesses. They aren't retail, they aren't resturants, and they aren't really services like a hair dresser of hair salon, so it's probably good to call then out specifically.

As has been mentioned they also center around an exempt activity.

 

[Jrb1979]

So true. It will take several weeks to see any uptick. I just hope states don’t get ahead of themselves. On the other hand, we don’t know how hot weather will play in to this for certain.

We do though. Look at Singapore, they have 9000 cases and it's been around 90 degrees since the end of March. It doesn't look like hot weather makes much of an impact.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

It is not a concern about the rain for me but extreme lightning, sometimes every ten minutes in the summer months. So on the same day people have been in waiting extreme heat, you would have to close an outdoor attraction and ask everyone to leave the line, or at best an attraction that does not close ask everyone outside to leave the line and close it because they cannot permit have people wait outside with lightning risk. (In traditional operation it was already frustrating to guests who are asked to leave and have a line close on them due to lightning in the area with no rain or both.)

The daily 3:15 downpours...immediately Proceeded and followed by 97 degree radiant heat...prolly won’t go over well for high spending customers in outdoor snake queues.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

"The company's press release said it will purchase fresh produce and milk from farmers impacted by the COVID-19 crisis and donate the goods directly to Feeding America food banks that are in its "operating area." During the first week of the initiative alone, some 150,000 pounds of produce and 43,500 gallons of milk is expected to be donated, the company said."

Publix is buying excess milk and produce from farmers — and donating it to food banks

Farmers around the U.S. have been forced to dump milk and destroy produce as schools, restaurants and other institutions remain closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

www.cbsnews.com

Good for them...

The food banks in most cities are completely overrun. I saw a clip about Miami waits for free food that realy was depressing.

Solid of Publix to at least try to stem the tide a little

 

[wdisney9000]

That is my confusion. I live just outside Atlanta and I can tell you most if not all my family and friends are stunned and confused but will continue to self Shelter in place. It's really reckless. I really hope Florida doesn't follow in the terrible footsteps of our "decision" makers.

As Kemp said, nobody is forcing businesses to open or forcing people to not shelter in place.

Grocery stores and large stores such as Target and Walmart have been open since the beginning of this. it's nearly impossible to keep everything completely sanitized in those type of stores when people are constantly touching things and putting them back. I see it each time I'm in the store.

A restaurant is a much more easily controlled environment. I have a friend that owns two restaurants in my area. they can keep tables 6 to 10 feet apart and completely wipe down and sanitize everything from tables, chairs, and even the door handles after each guest leaves. any condiments can be individual servings so no one will be touching salt or pepper shakers, ketchup bottles, etc.

how is that less safe than a place like a grocery store which is again, nearly impossible to keep anything sanitized? the only thing I have seen them keep clean are the shopping carts. The self-checkout lanes with touch screens are not wiped down after each customer nor are the bagging areas that people put their hands on to spin them around. and groceries and big box stores have far more people in them at any given time than any restaurant could hold.

 

[Kevin_W]

Redirect Notice

Good news: Social distancing is working

The U.S. now predicts significantly fewer deaths just so long as everyone keeps it up.

www.google.com

It works again.

In fairness, though. Those articles are just saying (literally) that the models have come down therefore social distancing is working. We've talked ad nauseam about the models on here and how correlation isn't causation. The models made a lot of wrong assumptions and came down significantly even after social distancing/lockdown was in place.

 

[Ronnie Sanford]

By and large, is having enough toilet paper in stock a real concern for custodial?

 

[George]

what is the current rule for people coming to Florida from other states?

Shot upon crossing the state line. At least that was my experience the other night. Thank god for body armor!

 

[marni1971]

Nobody really knows for sure. Social distancing is a theory that has never been tried before. To really prove it you would have to have various groups from Wuhan style lockdown through doing nothing with similar population densities and demographics. Then the curves would need to be compared. You can't prove a result compared to a mathematical model.

I was moreso illustrating countries with somewhat extreme lockdowns. I don't think the curves would be much different if it was just social distancing/masks but without the restrictions on what business or public recreation is allowed.

Exactly.

I’d rather not find out. But I know the UK figures for a “do nothing” scenario.

 

[DisneyCane]

As Kemp said, nobody is forcing businesses to open or forcing people to not shelter in place.

Grocery stores and large stores such as Target and Walmart have been open since the beginning of this. it's nearly impossible to keep everything completely sanitized and those type of stores when people are constantly touching things and putting them back. I see it each time I'm in the store.

A restaurant is a much more easily controlled environment. I have a friend that owns two restaurants in my area. they can keep tables 6 to 10 feet apart and completely wipe down and sanitize everything from tables, chairs, and even the door handles after each guest leaves. any condiments can be individual servings so no one will be touching salt or pepper shakers, ketchup bottles, etc.

how is that less safe than a place like a grocery store which is again, nearly impossible to keep anything sanitized? the only thing I have seen them keep clean are the shopping carts. The self-checkout lanes with touch screens are not wiped down after each customer nor are the bagging areas that people put their hands on to spin them around.

This is why I've never understood why the stores reduced hours and said it was partially to increase sanitizing. What are they sanitizing over night that really matters? The issue is, like you said, people touching surfaces one after another.

When I was at Lowes yesterday, they put flexible plastic over the keypad on the credit card pad. While this makes it easier to sanitize because you eliminate the crevices around the buttons, it doesn't really do much if you don't sanitize it after each use.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

So true. It will take several weeks to see any uptick. I just hope states don’t get ahead of themselves. On the other hand, we don’t know how hot weather will play in to this for certain.

The hot weather stuff is not a proven medical theory at this point...but people are generally more happy in the summer

My fear of people “getting ahead of themselves” is mostly due to them being ENCOURAGED to get ahead of themselves by officials who aren’t being clear or consistent. Consistency is more of an issue...needs to be a strict script for everything.

People want a “re-opening”...no question. But you probably get to it more quickly across the board if 51 children don’t dip their toes in at different times or hide on the pool deck under a chair...

Less chance of drowning too