Coronavirus and Walt Disney World general discussion

[MrHappy]

I'm going to vomit, not because of Covid19. Between Fox News and CNN and the extreme cautious to the extreme flip.
I can't wait for this wash away.

EDIT: and we return to our normal lives of arguing about IPs

 

[DisneyCane]

Here in SoCal, the massive Coachella outdoor music festival was just postponed until October. And now TV shows like Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy just announced this morning they will no longer allow a live audience to attend their tapings. But Disneyland is still open, which makes no sense.

Here is why I think these actions are nonsensical for the most part. If you are going to ban gatherings of over 1000 people like Santa Clara county did, why are Walmart Supercenters not closed? They have thousands of people a day go through them and there are areas like the checkout lines where people are in close proximity. A person at an NHL game who is infected isn't going to come into close contact with that many more people than they would if they shopped at Walmart. Most of the exposure will be the people sitting next to, in front of and behind them. If Walmart is crowded it is not unusual to have a bunch of people near you while standing on line.

At a theme park there will be a bit more exposure because each line has different people near the infected person. If they ride 10 rides there is potential for more spread.

By far, the biggest issue related to WDW is somebody that has a vacation planned and then tests positive and is told to quarantine but decides that they are more important than everybody else and they just feel like they have a little cold so they go to WDW anyway. Of course, this same person is going to do whatever else they want and expose people all over the place.

 

[Kamikaze]

I would want the facts to be the facts and people to realize that it is a horrible flu but most get over it and most survive... Not OMG 4% die...

So I agree something needs to happen but it is more then just stopping an outbreak that is going to effect maybe on a worse case .29% of the population in this country.

40% of the US is considered obese. Obesity is one of the risk factors for this virus and the flu in general.
15% of the US is elderly, another risk factor.

Seams a little radical.... and that is people getting the virus. You would need to get to 3M cases in US to be even 1% of the population.

Our medical system is the best in the world so our death rate when you factor in all the healthy people that will be in that number will not run as high as China....

Highly debatable that its the best in the world, and its only that if you can get it AND if you can afford it.

Just facts that need to be put out.... As I dont know how the gov bailouts 350M people after two weeks of no pay and companies not having revenues to pay rents etc.

Thats simple. Put out an executive order that all bills are pushed back 30 days.

 

[DisneyCane]

Who's? Not the U.S.'s, not even close. Just do a search on how many hospital beds or resiprators are available for people right now if things get much worse. The U.S. is nowhere near equipped to handle a large amount of people being infected with symptoms

The governor of Massachusetts just issued instructions for those who have frequent contact with those who are most vulnerable to this virus to avoid large gatherings - sporting events, etc. He requested that businesses limit any travel and instead switch to virtual meeting options.

80% of people who become infected by this virus WILL NOT need hospitalization.

Also, all of the infections/hospitalizations don't happen simultaneously. There is a giant chasm between the situation right now and it getting much worse to the point where hospital beds are an issue. Even approaching 1000 cases there still seem to only be a "handful" (Andrew Cuomo's quote from 2 days ago) in the hospital.

 

[Hcalvert]

We have three cases of coronavirus in Northeast Ohio (all in Cuyahoga County) and one of the people diagnosed not only is from the town my school is located but this person also entered a school in my district when infected thus exposing it to at least 1,000 adults and students. We are still not closing even though the kids are all going nuts and it is chaos at the schools. At this time, we aren't even being provided hand sanitizers and tissues and being told not to speak to concerned parents about it.

 

[Lilofan]

Also, all of the infections/hospitalizations don't happen simultaneously. There is a giant chasm between the situation right now and it getting much worse to the point where hospital beds are an issue. Even approaching 1000 cases there still seem to only be a "handful" (Andrew Cuomo's quote from 2 days ago) in the hospital.

Seems like it may be an issue when the National Guard has to be dispatched by Cuomo to control the outbreak in Westchester County , NY. Hopefully they are wearing some protective clothing when carry their firearms.

 

[techgeek]

Here is why I think these actions are nonsensical for the most part. If you are going to ban gatherings of over 1000 people like Santa Clara county did, why are Walmart Supercenters not closed? They have thousands of people a day go through them and there are areas like the checkout lines where people are in close proximity. A person at an NHL game who is infected isn't going to come into close contact with that many more people than they would if they shopped at Walmart. Most of the exposure will be the people sitting next to, in front of and behind them. If Walmart is crowded it is not unusual to have a bunch of people near you while standing on line.

At a theme park there will be a bit more exposure because each line has different people near the infected person. If they ride 10 rides there is potential for more spread.

By far, the biggest issue related to WDW is somebody that has a vacation planned and then tests positive and is told to quarantine but decides that they are more important than everybody else and they just feel like they have a little cold so they go to WDW anyway. Of course, this same person is going to do whatever else they want and expose people all over the place.

I think the biggest issue with all gathering places is to be able to adapt to social distancing measures.

In Italy, the guidelines for shops and restaurants are that 1 meter be allowed between individuals. Obviously with a little adaptation this could be managed in a Walmart, by limiting the capacity of the store and strongly managing customer flow. Perhaps it will become feasible that sports, theatrical performances, and meetings could continue if the seating were significantly reduced / staggered to leave empty seats between individuals. Reduce touch-points by encouraging contactless card or phone transactions, having staff and resources available to wipe down surfaces frequently.

Your average theme park environment could be significantly trickier. Maybe if you cut overall park capacity significantly, half-load shows, re-route lines to avoid switchbacks and encourage distancing in lines... Challenging perhaps, but perhaps better than the alternative of a long duration complete shutdown.

I agree that this half-attempt at limiting gatherings needs to be better defined and applied uniformly. Of course, that means a park closure could come sooner rather than later if these sort of connections are made and 'uniform' bans are quickly adopted.

 

[Lilofan]

I think the biggest issue with all gathering places is to be able to adapt to social distancing measures.

In Italy, the guidelines for shops and restaurants are that 1 meter be allowed between individuals. Obviously with a little adaptation this could be managed in a Walmart, by limiting the capacity of the store and strongly managing customer flow. Perhaps it will become feasible that sports, theatrical performances, and meetings could continue if the seating were significantly reduced / staggered to leave empty seats between individuals. Reduce touch-points by encouraging contactless card or phone transactions, having staff and resources available to wipe down surfaces frequently.

Your average theme park environment could be significantly trickier. Maybe if you cut overall park capacity significantly, half-load shows, re-route lines to avoid switchbacks and encourage distancing in lines... Challenging perhaps, but perhaps better than the alternative of a long duration complete shutdown.

I agree that this half-attempt at limiting gatherings needs to be better defined and applied uniformly. Of course, that means a park closure could come sooner rather than later if these sort of connections are made and 'uniform' bans are quickly adopted.

These ideas are good and may work on paper but cast can't even control guests smoking or the guests cutting in the queue line.

 

[Parker in NYC]

Your average theme park environment could be significantly trickier. Maybe if you cut overall park capacity significantly, half-load shows, re-route lines to avoid switchbacks and encourage distancing in lines... Challenging perhaps, but perhaps better than the alternative of a long duration complete shutdown.

Drag your bodies away from the walls and into the dead center of the room now has a much more sinister edge.

 

[TheGuyThatMakesSwords]

We have actually cancelled our APR 2020 trip to WDW. But this was only partially due to the potential WDW situation....

At 68 and 67? Our primary concern was getting TO WDW, and BACK - on commercial airlines.
Yes, we also worried about most rides - with few exceptions, enclosed buildings.
Social distancing? At WDW? No way to stay 6 feet away from others.

Now, we are KEEPING our NOV 2020 reservation. Even renewing our AP in May. We just felt that at this time, it might be better to stay close to home base.

Addition: A total shout out to Delta Airlines . We had non-refundable tickets. I expected to get nailed for these, when we cancelled.
These wonderful people REFUNDED our ticket costs - even though we bought those tickets around June 2019. The US has an issue - but there ARE good Companies out there, willing to work with America, and it's people when things get really sticky.

 

[techgeek]

These ideas are good and may work on paper but cast can't even control guests smoking or the guests cutting in the queue line.

I think they would need a lot more traffic cones...er.. cast members... in play, for much less capacity. But that's not exactly how WDW likes to manage labor is it?

 

[VaderTron]

Here in SoCal, the massive Coachella outdoor music festival was just postponed until October. And now TV shows like Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy just announced this morning they will no longer allow a live audience to attend their tapings. But Disneyland is still open, which makes no sense.

Here in Florida, The Players Championship is about to begin. For those who don't know about the location, it's in Ponte Vedra (just south of Jacksonville) and hosted by the Marriott Sawgrass hotel. The course is just behind the main hotel building. I was doing some contract work there today. All the players and their families plus tons of fans are crowding in there (took an extra 15 minutes to drive down A1A this morning at 7am!). Lots and lots of travelers from all over the world. Seems like this would be something on the same level or worse than being in a theme park. Look at the way those people are all packed together:

P.S. I walked out the front entrance just as Michelle Wie was summoning her car from valet. I did not realize how tall she is! Almost as tall as me.

P.P.S. The idiot valet must not have known who she was because he asked her name to find the key. She said, "Wie. W. I. E."
Come on! You're front of house. Learn the top players names so you don't look like a doofus!

P.P.P.S. If I didn't get Coronavirus today it will be a miracle. People from all over the world shared the same air as me, and I heard a number of coughs! So...about to find out how good my immune system is!

 

[Lilofan]

I think they would need a lot more traffic cones...er.. cast members... in play, for much less capacity. But that's not exactly how WDW likes to manage labor is it?

WDW would shed labor if the chance arises.

 

[Lilofan]

Here in Florida, The Players Championship is about to begin. For those who don't know about the location, it's in Ponte Vedra (just south of Jacksonville) and hosted by the Marriott Sawgrass hotel. The course is just behind the main hotel building. I was just doing some contract work there today. All the players and their families plus tons of fans are crowding in there (took an extra 15 minutes to drive down A1A this morning at 7am!). Lots and lots of travelers from all over the world. Seems like this would be something on the same level or worse than being in a theme park. Look at the way those people are all packed together:

P.S. I walked out the front entrance just as Michelle Wie was summoning her car from valet. I did not realize how tall she is! Almost as tall as me.

P.P.S. The idiot valet must not have know who she was because he asked her name to find the key. She said, "Wie. W. I. E."
Come on! You're front of house. Learn the top players names so you don't look like a doofus!

Similar situation, Chinese -American basketball player Jeremy Lin was given a hard time trying to enter at the players entrance at MSG in NYC years ago. The security guard did not believe he played for the Knicks.

 

[esskay]

Coronavirus vaccine could be ready by April, Chinese officials say

“According to our estimates, we are hopeful that in April some of the vaccines will enter clinical research or be of use in emergency situations,” Zheng Zhongwei, director of the National Health Co…

nypost.com

Nice use of intentionally vague and misleading headlines from them there.

While it would take at least 12 to 18 months to ensure the vaccines are safe for the general public

 

[MAGICFLOP]

As this outbreak progresses, we can expect people to start grabbing the Toilet paper rolls out of the restrooms and hotel rooms...

 

[Lilofan]

As this outbreak progresses, we can expect people to start grabbing the Toilet paper rolls out of the restrooms and hotel rooms...

Guilty as charged.

 

[Parker in NYC]

As this outbreak progresses, we can expect people to start grabbing the Toilet paper rolls out of the restrooms and hotel rooms...

Only if it has Baby Yoda memes printed on it. Or is that passé?

 

[VaderTron]

Similar situation, Chinese -American basketball player Jeremy Lin was given a hard time trying to enter at the players entrance at MSG in NYC years ago. The security guard did not believe he played for the Knicks.

And people wonder why they can't get a better job than "security guard". To explain their plight they pull out all kinds of cards: age, race, gender, ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, etc. But sometimes it's none of those. Sometimes it's just because you're a doofus!

Guess he wasn't part of the "Lin-santiy" fan base. Instead suffered from just plain insanity.

 

[Ojo4]

Domestic parks are going to be closed very soon, I think you have about a week left before they shutdown. It's really reached the tipping point in terms of schools/events cancelling/postponing today