Coronavirus and Walt Disney World general discussion

[MichWolv]

The tipping point in public awareness was only within the last few days. I wouldn't expect any impact to begin to be felt until after the weekend. Gauging the overall mood from various sites, my impression is that people with trips in the near future are still planning on showing up but there seems to be a gathering apprehension and talk of cancelling / delaying once you get past mid-March.

Its happening to some extent. I have a trip planned for two weeks from now. Haven’t booked hotel yet and prices are dropping and availability is higher than it was a few weeks ago. Still can’t get FPs for the top attractions, though.

 

[thecouch]

When will we see this trend start up?

It would be happening now for overseas guest . Saw pics of a few airports in Australia. I've never seen anything like it. They were empty. You would think Domestic booking this week if not already. The amount of cases all over USA in todays news has really taken off. From the outside it looks like US government has been trying to cover up the news more then contain the virus. but looks like the dam has broken on the news front

 

[VaderTron]

Its happening to some extent. I have a trip planned for two weeks from now. Haven’t booked hotel yet and prices are dropping and availability is higher than it was a few weeks ago. Still can’t get FPs for the top attractions, though.

That's normal. People book rooms so they can get early access to FP+ then cancel the room when within the 30 day window so they can keep their FP+ reservations and stay at the offsite hotel they also booked (or their house for locals). As long as they do so more than a week in advance they can get a full refund. Also, those who had a room booked and switch to another hotel once a price drop happens provides the illusion of more rooms opening up. It's just that different options are coming available.

I'm sure some are legit cancellations, but that also happens around this time before full refunds expire.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Its happening to some extent. I have a trip planned for two weeks from now. Haven’t booked hotel yet and prices are dropping and availability is higher than it was a few weeks ago. Still can’t get FPs for the top attractions, though.

Sounds like you missed part of your “planning”

...fast passes are ride rationing because they haven’t built enough capacity in rides do serve the crowd level by sitting on their hands for most of 20 years...

That wouldn’t be affected as it’s short supply by management design

 

[thecouch]

That's normal. People book rooms so they can get early access to FP+ then cancel the room when within the 30 day window so they can keep their FP+ reservations and stay at the offsite hotel they also booked (or their house for locals). As long as they do so more than a week in advance they can get a full refund. Also, those who had a room booked and switch to another hotel once a price drop happens provides the illusion of more rooms opening up. It's just that different options are coming available.

I'm sure some are legit cancellations, but that also happens around this time before full refunds expire.

The fastpass part is not true. You lose your fastpass after 24hrs without another onsite booking

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

That's normal. People book rooms so they can get early access to FP+ then cancel the room when within the 30 day window so they can keep their FP+ reservations and stay at the offsite hotel they also booked (or their house for locals). As long as they do so more than a week in advance they can get a full refund. Also, those who had a room booked and switch to another hotel once a price drop happens provides the illusion of more rooms opening up. It's just that different options are coming available.

I'm sure some are legit cancellations, but that also happens around this time before full refunds expire.

You’re “wayyyy” overstating that circumvention technique.

Very few people bother to book and cancel. Hanging out on boards like this will lead to false perceptions

 

[durangojim]

There are other posts where diarrhea is one of the symptoms.

Diarrhea has been found to be hereditary -

It runs in your jeans.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

It would be happening now for overseas guest . Saw pics of a few airports in Australia. I've never seen anything like it. They were empty. You would think Domestic booking this week if not already. The amount of cases all over USA in todays news has really taken off. From the outside it looks like US government has been trying to cover up the news more then contain the virus. but looks like the dam has broken on the news front

Indeed that is what it appears has been going on...

Anyone shocked? Nope...scandal a day. In case anyone is curious and doesn’t look for news - it appears there was a gag order in DC not to talk about this at all...trying to protect the stock market for obvious reasons.

The game was up and the leaks forced the awful response we have been seeing.

Anyone else still wondering why bob Iger left his position?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Diarrhea has been found to be hereditary -

It runs in your jeans.

...sometimes all the way down them

 

[durangojim]

My wife and I have a long. Weekend trip planned for mid April for the Star Wars rundisney races. Yesterday to upgrade our ticket to first class from Detroit to Orlando on Delta was $400. Today it’s down to $250. I’m sure people are canceling and it will become more prevalent as time goes on

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

My wife and I have a long. Weekend trip planned for mid April for the Star Wars rundisney races. Yesterday to upgrade our ticket to first class from Detroit to Orlando on Delta was $400. Today it’s down to $250. I’m sure people are canceling and it will become more prevalent as time goes on

One of the airline ceos - when pressed about discounts the other day - said “it Wouldn’t matter is we did...”

Aka they weren’t gonna do it. Boy that sounds like speaking with your wallet - not your brain.

Bet that tune is changing

 

[techgeek]

That's normal. People book rooms so they can get early access to FP+ then cancel the room when within the 30 day window so they can keep their FP+ reservations and stay at the offsite hotel they also booked (or their house for locals). As long as they do so more than a week in advance they can get a full refund. Also, those who had a room booked and switch to another hotel once a price drop happens provides the illusion of more rooms opening up. It's just that different options are coming available.

I'm sure some are legit cancellations, but that also happens around this time before full refunds expire.

I disagree that this is anything like the normal cancellation cycle. I think the best insight we currently have is this post from @lentesta a few pages back:

We're trying to figure out the upcoming impact. There's not a recent precedent for this, obviously.

For what it's worth, we're hearing cancellation rates for upcoming trips were around 10% last week, much higher than usual. Lots of people pushed trips to late 2020 or into 2021. Still, new bookings could be down as much as 20%. Both of those numbers got larger as the week went on.

Our year-over-year sales for the past week are down about 18%, which is right in the middle of those numbers. (Before last week we were +7% YTD, so potentially a -25% swing). That includes refunds to people who cancelled trips. Since our users are almost certainly planning a trip, I think that's a decent proxy too.

 

[TashK]

Re: the discussion about Australia.
We have just had a Dr return from 12 days in Colorado whom has exposed 70 patients before being diagnosed positive for COVID-19.
I think this is going to affect Australians travelling to the US as it is being widely reported that the US hasn't been testing and the data on the number of US infections is considered inaccurate.

Coronavirus-infected GP hits back after criticism from Victorian Health Minister

A GP who tested positive for the coronavirus after treating dozens of patients lashes out at Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos who was "flabbergasted" he returned to work.

www.abc.net.au

 

[disney4life2008]

Fully expect refillable popcorn to go away.

 

[marni1971]

People will be definitely cancelling trips. In big numbers. You just have to look at panic buying of toilet paper. You should see Australian news . Been empty shelfs for over a week, fights in the Isles, they put a limit of 2 packets person and just today they dropped that to 1 packet person at the 2 major stores. Its crazy. People are over reacting big time. I believe this is a serious virus but come on fights over toilet paper

You should see every country in Europe. Supermarkets are seeing lots of empty shelves. People panic then life goes on.

Six Nations at Twickenham yesterday saw 80,000 people gathered to watch the match. There’s 18 cases in Greater Manchester, my home town. But we’re not under quarantine, being tested, or seeing any deviation from the norm. Aside from some choice market shelves. I’m going to the theatre tomorrow evening and am looking forward to it. And then I’ll go to work on Tuesday.

One of the worst threats is misinformation:

Coronavirus: How a misleading map went global

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-51504512

 

[esskay]

You should see every country in Europe. Supermarkets are seeing lots of empty shelves. People panic then life goes on.

Six Nations at Twickenham yesterday saw 80,000 people gathered to watch the match. There’s 18 cases in Greater Manchester, my home town. But we’re not under quarantine, being tested, or seeing any deviation from the norm. Aside from some choice market shelves. I’m going to the theatre tomorrow evening and am looking forward to it. And then I’ll go to work on Tuesday.

One of the worst threats is misinformation:

Coronavirus: How a misleading map went global

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-51504512

Yup I’m over in Sheffield and other than the toilet roll isle looking a bit of a mess (but still plenty there) you’d not really know anything was up.

Went to see Onward last night in a busy cinema, again nothing out of the norm going on there.

I keep seeing some real stupid comments on twitter where people are claiming that the UK and Europe are practically in anarchy. In reality it’s only having a big impact on Italy right now.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

Yup I’m over in Sheffield and other than the toilet roll isle looking a bit of a mess (but still plenty there) you’d not really know anything was up.

Went to see Onward last night in a busy cinema, again nothing out of the norm going on there.

I keep seeing some real stupid comments on twitter where people are claiming that the UK and Europe are practically in anarchy. In reality it’s only having a big impact on Italy right now.

Must say that in the Netherlands everyone is talking about coronavirus and numbers have shot up in the past week, but I haven't noticed any panic. Even the supermarkets don't seem any busier or emptier than normal.

I am, though, getting a lot of ads every time I visit this site for cheap rail tickets from Amsterdam to Disneyland Paris!

 

[esskay]

Must say that in the Netherlands everyone is talking about coronavirus and numbers have shot up in the past week, but I haven't noticed any panic. Even the supermarkets don't seem any busier or emptier than normal.

I am, though, getting a lot of ads every time I visit this site for cheap rail tickets from Amsterdam to Disneyland Paris!

Yup I keep seeing adverts for N95 masks here, mostly on mobile (and its not personalised, I've not searched for them and have trackers disabled).

 

[DisneyCane]

It would be happening now for overseas guest . Saw pics of a few airports in Australia. I've never seen anything like it. They were empty. You would think Domestic booking this week if not already. The amount of cases all over USA in todays news has really taken off. From the outside it looks like US government has been trying to cover up the news more then contain the virus. but looks like the dam has broken on the news front

Cover up the news? All that has happened is that the tests which weren't widely available have become more available. More tests=more confirmed cases. I don't understand why the CDC and NIH weren't preparing testing capacity once China started getting out of control but it isn't some cover up. It's just failure by those agencies to prepare.

Regarding the US Government and their containment actions, people need to understand that the Federal Government does not have the authority to do things that you are seeing in other countries. The Federal Government can quarantine people entering the country (which they have done). They can also limit or ban travel between states (which they have not done). What they can not do is lock down cities or counties as has been done in China or Italy. Each State may or may not have laws on the books that allow the State Government to take these types of actions.

I'm still waiting for somebody to explain the run on toilet paper. Did some "influencer' on social media post about stocking up on toilet paper or something? Hand sanitizer or disinfectants I can sort of understand. If the zombie apocalypse happens and toilet paper production comes to a halt, I think I would manage to use leaves.

 

[HauntedMansionFLA]

They just announced the first case in central Florida on the news this morning.