Coronavirus and Walt Disney World general discussion

[flynnibus]

If the impact of this virus lasts that long, we will be living in a dramatically different world then we currently do.

My point is... we already are. The kind of activities going on right now in the financial market are beyond the point of no return. The stuff going on with private businesses are going to have impacts for the next 1-2years at least.

At this point it's not a question of 'if' - it's only what state we end up in. A propped up economy with inflation and debt with no plan to unwind.. a nationalized economy.... or civil unrest.

The world has already turned... if you're worried about what date to move your holiday to... you're watching the wrong ball.

 

[The Mom]

I deleted some posts that were getting way off topic.

 

[Andrew C]

My point is... we already are. The kind of activities going on right now in the financial market are beyond the point of no return. The stuff going on with private businesses are going to have impacts for the next 1-2years at least.

At this point it's not a question of 'if' - it's only what state we end up in. A propped up economy with inflation and debt with no plan to unwind.. a nationalized economy.... or civil unrest.

The world has already turned... if you're worried about what date to move your holiday to... you're watching the wrong ball.

Besides looking at what is going on with the virus, I am keeping an eye on what will happen to small businesses within the next month or so. I can imagine a good chunk probably don't have more than a couple weeks of cash on hand. It will be devastating for them and their workers. Many may not come back.

 

[The Mom]

Macy's announced they will furlough 125K staff members.

Unfortunately, Macy's was having a downturn before the virus. This may be the final nail in the coffin.

Why Macy's Is Closing More Stores in 2019 | The Motley Fool

The largest U.S. department store chain still has too much overlap among its locations.

www.fool.com

 

[skiir97]

The world has already turned... if you're worried about what date to move your holiday to... you're watching the wrong ball.

IMO, thinking about a vacation is basically the only positive/happy thing to think about right now which is why so many people are focusing on them.

 

[Lilofan]

I'm actually shocked. This is a welcomed surprise. I do hope that furloughs won't be necessary.

It's the right thing to do. Iger is worth over $300 million, Chapek earned over 9 million last year including his bonus.

 

[Archie123]

Besides looking at what is going on with the virus, I am keeping an eye on what will happen to small businesses within the next month or so. I can imagine a good chunk probably don't have more than a couple weeks of cash on hand. It will be devastating for them and their workers. Many may not come back.

Restaurants, including some at Disney, will also be adversely affected. There will be many that close and never come back.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Email from Bob Chapek:

[...]

In light of this, we are going to be implementing a variety of necessary measures designed to better position us to weather these extraordinary challenges. Among them, we will be asking our senior executives to help shoulder the burden by taking a reduction in pay – effective April 5, all VPs will have their salaries reduced by 20%, SVPs by 25%, and EVPs and above by 30%. I will be taking a 50% reduction in my salary. This temporary action will remain in effect until we foresee a substantive recovery in our business. Our executive chairman, Bob Iger, has chosen to forgo 100% of his salary.

[...]
Best,
Bob


Shared the relevant part from a letter to CMs a friend posted on FB

How great would it be to pool all this money and GIVE IT TO THE FRONT LINE CASTMEMBERS AT THE PARKS who work like dogs everyday for little pay and who will be on the front lines exposed to the next spike when the parks reopen.....

 

[skiir97]

Besides looking at what is going on with the virus, I am keeping an eye on what will happen to small businesses within the next month or so. I can imagine a good chunk probably don't have more than a couple weeks of cash on hand. It will be devastating for them and their workers. Many may not come back.

Canada just announced a 75% wage subsidy on the first ~$58,000 per employee regardless of the number of employees that the business has on payroll; as long as the business has lost 30% or more of its revenue. I feel like drastic policies like this are the only way to save the smaller businesses

 

[VaderTron]

We made the Perkins Thai Noodles from Skipper Canteen last week and it was real hit in our house. My 2-year old devoured hers (and although we didn't put as much Sriracha in hers, it was still spicy...she is definitely my daughter ).

Here's the recipe for anyone who's interested.



My sister is a reading teacher for at-risk kids in a tough neighborhood. She said most of her kids haven't even logged in. She continues to work all day uploading lessons, but these are kids who already weren't getting reinforcement of learning at home. She went back for another master's to become a literacy specialist, but was previously a library media specialist (she's the overachiever of the family) for her K-8 Charter School in an area where 98% of the kids live below the poverty line. When she ran book fairs as the librarian, a vast majority of the kids couldn't afford books, and didn't have a single book at home. My sister would ask family and friends for donations so that she could buy books for the kids, which the kids would "win" so that they didn't feel as if they were given the books from charity.

Although I agree 100% with keeping kids home, it's just such a tragedy for kids like my sister's students, who are likely not getting ANY sort of educational value at all while they're at home, and so many were already far behind

These underlying problems resulting from societies choices over the decades will continue to rear their ugly heads with increasing transparency as this situation moves forward. Many easily ignored them by staying focused on their daily routines and filling the rest of their schedules with entertainment/dining. Now with much of that stripped away, many more are forced to look at the messes that have always been hiding in plain sight.

 

[flynnibus]

The same can be said going to any job on June 1. Someone in your office could infect everyone and they go out to dinner someplace and infect others. There is no perfect safe place. Even with a vaccine there will be people who don’t get it. I think Disney will reopen June 1.

Difference is... people goto work because they NEED resources to stay alive. Not go somewhere, spend 5-10% of their income, and also risk that... while not knowing what the future holds for them.

Earlier in this thread people made the claim that the 100k number being thrown around for stimulus checks would cover most of the fans here (I strongly disagree.. but let's accept the assumption). That means a 5k Disney vacation is what.. 5,10,15% of their take-home money?

There is all kinds of stuff I could be buying right now because people are dumping it cheap... but I'm not because of the uncertainty of what resources I will need in the next 12 months. If can't eat it or protect my family with it... It's highly scrutinized as 'can this wait'

 

[Clyde Birdbrain]

You guys do realize how exponential functions work? If Disney opened June 1, there are still going to be coronavirus cases out there albeit far less than there are now but with 99% of our population still susceptible (Dr. Fauchi stated they think they can keep it under 1% of Americans getting infected which is ~3,300,000 people) that if one infected person goes to WDW on June 1 this whole thing will start over again.

We may be able to have gatherings of 50 or maybe even 250 people after June 1 but it will be many more months before places like Disney can open. Mark my words. Safety is their number one key of the four keys.

Exactly. Without herd immunity or a vaccine and 99% of the population still susceptible, you can't just lift social distancing in the summer and go back to normal. You have to go slowly. It was just one person in China who started all this.

Look at graphs of previous flu pandemics and there is often a second and third wave. The second wave of the 1918 pandemic in the fall was much worse than the first, followed by a small wave the following year. The 2009 Swine flu in this country had a peak in February and then another one in October.

I imagine they may gradually increase allowed group sizes, perhaps allow a certain number of people back in restaurants, open cinemas carefully by keeping empty seats/rows, etc. Opening a theme park may be one of the last things you would do in a gradual approach.

 

[MaximumEd]

With seeing what Johnson & Johnson is saying about the vaccine, it makes me wonder how quickly other diseases could be treated if we treated them as seriously as this.

 

[eliza61nyc]

Have any other huge companies reduced salaries yet? I've heard of it from some medium and small size retailers and stuff as well as big sports teams in Europe but cant think of anyone else. Although Disney is in a precarious situation considering their portfolio...

So I work for one of the largest chemical companies headquarters in Wilmington De. basically we are in a day by day pattern. Currently the research center is closed but we are being paid up until 4/3 for certain. Last friday we had a company meeting with ceo (via skype) and were told that basically nothing was off the table. That included, layoffs, furloughs, reduced hours, vacation buybacks. We were told that our merit raises which were already budgeted for will go through and that our health benefits would not be touched.

They only committed to saying they will hold weekly meetings and update then.

I suspect that the effect of this is going to be pretty widespread.

 

[flynnibus]

I actually went to bed last night trying to scheme how a UV drive-through could be built on attractions to clean ride vehicles. But then quickly got deflated when realizing most attractions don't use separate unload platforms... and of course the problem that UV disinfecting takes way more time than any attraction cycle.

Maybe everyone will get a tyvec suit and respirator with admission

 

[Andrew C]

With seeing what Johnson & Johnson is saying about the vaccine, it makes me wonder how quickly other diseases could be treated if we treated them as seriously as this.

Keep in mind that they did not have to start from scratch on this vaccine. Apparently, they were able to build on what was previously started to deal with other viruses like SARS.

 

[VaderTron]

How great would it be to pool all this money and GIVE IT TO THE FRONT LINE CASTMEMBERS AT THE PARKS who work like dogs everyday for little pay and who will be on the front lines exposed to the next spike when the parks reopen.....

The parks won't reopen if they give the money to CM's and stockholders will be furious the money wasn't used to support the business and the parks. Significant funds will be needed to alter the parks to attain new changes involving forced reduction in capacity for rides, theaters, etc. It will also be needed to counteract the vacuum caused by reduced revenue resulting from forced reductions in capacity.

 

[flynnibus]

At this point, I can't see any schools re-opening this year. I have to feel for parents who are struggling to find someone to stay home with their kids & still working. I also feel for the kids.

My cousin is a teacher in VA and her district has not mandated school work as a requirement for the students. She said on 7 of her 155 students have actually completed assignments. In NJ although the work isn't being graded, it is required they complete it daily or they'll be considered absent.

This is going to seriously hurt children's education.

In VA school facilities are closed for rest of the year. Teachers are giving out assignments, but are not allowed to teach NEW material yet and nothing is allowed to be graded. Still no forecast if they are going to be able to change that aspect of it yet.

 

[21stamps]

Link to story

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/coronavirus/article241609941.html

To be clear though, these counties were not operating as normal to begin with. They already had locally imposed orders. DeSantis unifies them, and also adds a layer.

 

[Disstevefan1]

These screams ignorance to me. This was a choice the executives didnt have to make. Furthermore cast members are being paid.

Thanks for noticing.... Ok, ok, it is a nice gesture...