Coronavirus and Walt Disney World general discussion

[celluloid]

Forget about bad PR, if Disney opens the parks and does nothing they are facing a major problem with negligence. They need to at least appear to be trying to do something.

You said forget about PR but then explained why this would be a PR based move. Which can be a win win if it actually reduced anything, but when we get to that point of the parks reopening I do not think it will.

 

[George]

I’m a lawyer for the health care profession in the NYC metro area. In the last week, I’ve consulted with ER doctors, hospitalists, cardiologists and pulmonologists at leading NYC hospitals.

I'm very familiar with the CYA idea. The things at work that could kill or injure me are a) radiation, b) flame, c) high voltage...a bit of a misnomer, there has to be current to but you get the idea, d) asphyxiation...in a small area with a liquid nitrogen dewar that could go at any moment or the tandem Van de Graaf accelerator starts to leak gas at a high rate, e) falling in a rarely visited area f) chemicals generally, g) hydrofluoric acid specifically (we work with a lot) and h) I'm going to stop listing things now or I'll never return to work. But, I know that you can't prevent anything bad from happening. Safety training helps. However, it exists in part for legal reasons. It does make us safer too. So, you're big picture idea of how WDW could reopen makes perfect sense to me.

 

[Tinkwings]

WDW can match custom masks to magicband choices.....coordination matters!!!

 

[GoofGoof]

You said forget about PR but then explained why this would be a PR based move. Which can be a win win if it actually reduced anything, but when we get to that point of the parks reopening I do not think it will.

Not PR based, a CYA on legal liability. The bigger problem is a major lawsuit not the PR hit from a few unhappy guests being turned away from MK.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

Just like the 2015 measles outbreak at DLR where cast members were infected? You know - measles with a 15% case-fatality rate? If every place was held to that standard, you couldn't go to the grocery store EVER. Where does this stop?

If it were up to certain segments of the population, it will never stop. (those refusing to follow guidelines, anti-vaxxers, those purposely coughing on food/people, etc.)

 

[Seanual757]

Do you folks really not think Disney is not preparing for re-opening and how to handle the crowds and distancing?

Disney is already preparing it’s going to be simple they already had some of the precautions in place weeks before the shutdown…

Hand washing stations at the parks and hand sanitizer at the resorts, people cleaning all the time surfaces like hand rails, elevators, ect… this will continue

-Disney will open the resorts 1st (they have been cleaned as well as the parks)

-Parks will slowly re-open with limited rides and limited access.

-Resort guests will be the 1st ones to have access to the parks, since resorts will NOT be full once they re-open Disney can manage the crowds better.

-Face Masks might be offered and or required for guests.

-Plan on Queues for most if not all rides (guests will be spread out maybe ever other car and a quick clean of those cars after each rider)

-Markers on the ground will keep guests spread apart

-Cleaning crews more regularly at the resorts and parks.

-Everyone with a bad has a bag checked everyone entering the park will have a temperature scan.

The next phase will be opening the parks to pass holders again they may require pass holders and guests to obtain fast passes this allows for smaller crowds.

Disney is a corporation they cannot stay closed for ever like the airlines they have limited amount of $$$ on hand to ride the storm before they fall into cash flow trouble.

Disney is losing between 20-30 million daily add that up anything longer than 60 days and the Mouse House is in trouble a loss of 1.2 BILLION dollars of Zero income (if they are losing 20 million a day). Imagine 120 days 4-5 Billion is losses not to mention the Hugh economic disaster this could be for Everyone.

Do not be surprised as long as the trend in Florida is heading down that Disney opens for Business June 1st. Once you see cast members recalled to work you know it’s coming.

The world has gone to hell in 2 weeks we still have close to 8 weeks to turn things around.

My bet is 6/1 for re-opening of resorts and limited Park access for the 1st 30 days for resort guests.

 

[GoofGoof]

Just like the 2015 measles outbreak at DLR where cast members were infected? You know - measles with a 15% case-fatality rate? If every place was held to that standard, you couldn't go to the grocery store EVER. Where does this stop?

95% of the population is vaccinated for measles. Totally different.

There‘s a big difference between a grocery store and 25,000 people standing in a mob on Main Street watching fireworks. Disney will need to look to other similar large group gatherings: sports stadiums, concert venues, similar theme parks. If everyone else is operating business as usual then Disney has no issue opening up. If all the other large group gatherings remain on hold or are held but mitigation measures are put in place and Disney does nothing they face a potential negligence liability. Putting in some additional screenings and protocols will go a long way towards at least the appearance of making the parks safe.

 

[Polynesia]

Do you folks really not think Disney is not preparing for re-opening and how to handle the crowds and distancing?

Disney is already preparing it’s going to be simple they already had some of the precautions in place weeks before the shutdown…

Hand washing stations at the parks and hand sanitizer at the resorts, people cleaning all the time surfaces like hand rails, elevators, ect… this will continue

-Disney will open the resorts 1st (they have been cleaned as well as the parks)

-Parks will slowly re-open with limited rides and limited access.

-Resort guests will be the 1st ones to have access to the parks, since resorts will NOT be full once they re-open Disney can manage the crowds better.

-Face Masks might be offered and or required for guests.

-Plan on Queues for most if not all rides (guests will be spread out maybe ever other car and a quick clean of those cars after each rider)

-Markers on the ground will keep guests spread apart

-Cleaning crews more regularly at the resorts and parks.

-Everyone with a bad has a bag checked everyone entering the park will have a temperature scan.

The next phase will be opening the parks to pass holders again they may require pass holders and guests to obtain fast passes this allows for smaller crowds.

Disney is a corporation they cannot stay closed for ever like the airlines they have limited amount of $$$ on hand to ride the storm before they fall into cash flow trouble.

Disney is losing between 20-30 million daily add that up anything longer than 60 days and the Mouse House is in trouble a loss of 1.2 BILLION dollars of Zero income (if they are losing 20 million a day). Imagine 120 days 4-5 Billion is losses not to mention the Hugh economic disaster this could be for Everyone.

Do not be surprised as long as the trend in Florida is heading down that Disney opens for Business June 1st. Once you see cast members recalled to work you know it’s coming.

The world has gone to hell in 2 weeks we still have close to 8 weeks to turn things around.

My bet is 6/1 for re-opening of resorts and limited Park access for the 1st 30 days for resort guests.

Very nicely thought out and presented. I believe that you’re spot on. Some cast members should be called in by mid May in preparation. With the curve in Florida now moved up to April 21 this puts Disney in an even better position to reopen. Watching the daily graph I have to wonder if the peak will be before April 21, also.

 

[Lilofan]

that might be true. There is huge pressure to re-open. From a pure public safety perspective, it may not really be advisable to re-open for anywhere from 6-18 months.

but I suspect it will re-open sooner with restrictions.

Disney is forecasting the what ifs, no surprise they canned the huge college program arrivals for summer and fall. If the cast are furloughed through the summer it is the right business move to not have the CP cast who come from all over the country and the ICPs from Asia, Europe and the Middle East not start their summer and fall programs.

 

[Tom P.]

Disclaimer: I do not want to reignite a debate about COVID-19 itself. This is just a statement of opinion related specifically to the re-opening of Walt Disney World and Disneyland. Please refrain from political debates about COVID-19 response so that I do not get in trouble with The Mom. Thank you.

The fact is that while it is likely for there to be a vaccine and we hope and pray there is a vaccine, a vaccine is not a 100% guarantee. We also do not know exactly when a vaccine will likely be available to the general public beyond clinical trials and emergency use cases. Also, while there are some potential treatments that show initial promise, we also do not know with any certainty where those trials may lead. In other words, there remains a great deal of uncertainty surrounding the future of COVID-19.

But here's the thing. Our social distancing measures are designed as a short-term measure to help flatten the curve and allow our medical system to cope and, thereby, to save lives that would have been lost if the system couldn't cope. But it is not meant to be a long-term solution to the problem. You simply cannot keep the country shut down and people isolated from one another indefinitely. No, I'm not one of those suggesting we need to just open things back up right now. I think what we are doing makes sense. But we can't be in this same place a year from now. It's just not possible.

At some point, people are going to demand to have their recreation and entertainment options available to them once again, and many people will make the risk assessment for themselves that they are willing to risk exposure, vaccine or not. With that kind of pent up demand, I just do not see a company like Disney continuing to stay shut down and refusing to serve those paying customers. I could be wrong. But while I certainly think those who are expecting WDW to reopen in May are way off the mark, I also think those who are predicting it could be shut down for 18 months are wrong as well. My uneducated best guess? Mid-summer and you will start to see the parks open again.

 

[electric]

Plus, they stood in line at security at the airport, the rode a packed airplane, they rode the ME to the hotel, they stood in line to check-in. They could easily infect many people at Disney without ever stepping foot inside the park. If Disney doesnt want to be sued for someone getting sick on their property, they need to not let sick people into their property. But let’s say they do get on property. Can Disney really send them back home when their stay is up? Wouldn’t Disney be in trouble with the airlines for knowlingly sending a sick person home on a plane? So, does Disney need to force quarantine the person? What about their family, who should now be quarantined for 2 weeks? Is Disney going to let them extend their stay for free? Who is gonna pay for them to change their flight back home? Who is going to pay for their additional missed work.

All of that is, of course, ridiculous. This whole thing is ridiculous. I can’t believe we’re discussing Disney not allowing a family in for a fever, and that somehow refunding their ticket and then giving them a free ticket for a future visit is gonna make up for it. Who is gonna pay for their next airplane ride? How is Disney gonna make up for the time they took off work for nothing? Will people sue if they get sick at Disney? Probably. That already happens. But people are also going to sue if they’re not allowed into the park because of a fever and they’re later proven to not have covid-19.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not taking this lightly. I know people are dying. But I’m also wary of these ridiculous policy changes, which most of us agree are security theater at best. I feel like we are on a very slippery slope toward a police state (as a whole, not specifically for getting into Disney), and this kind of talk is scaring me far more than the virus is.

I agree with this ENTIRE post

 

[GoofGoof]

Do you folks really not think Disney is not preparing for re-opening and how to handle the crowds and distancing?

Disney is already preparing it’s going to be simple they already had some of the precautions in place weeks before the shutdown…

Hand washing stations at the parks and hand sanitizer at the resorts, people cleaning all the time surfaces like hand rails, elevators, ect… this will continue

-Disney will open the resorts 1st (they have been cleaned as well as the parks)

-Parks will slowly re-open with limited rides and limited access.

-Resort guests will be the 1st ones to have access to the parks, since resorts will NOT be full once they re-open Disney can manage the crowds better.

-Face Masks might be offered and or required for guests.

-Plan on Queues for most if not all rides (guests will be spread out maybe ever other car and a quick clean of those cars after each rider)

-Markers on the ground will keep guests spread apart

-Cleaning crews more regularly at the resorts and parks.

-Everyone with a bad has a bag checked everyone entering the park will have a temperature scan.

The next phase will be opening the parks to pass holders again they may require pass holders and guests to obtain fast passes this allows for smaller crowds.

Disney is a corporation they cannot stay closed for ever like the airlines they have limited amount of $$$ on hand to ride the storm before they fall into cash flow trouble.

Disney is losing between 20-30 million daily add that up anything longer than 60 days and the Mouse House is in trouble a loss of 1.2 BILLION dollars of Zero income (if they are losing 20 million a day). Imagine 120 days 4-5 Billion is losses not to mention the Hugh economic disaster this could be for Everyone.

Do not be surprised as long as the trend in Florida is heading down that Disney opens for Business June 1st. Once you see cast members recalled to work you know it’s coming.

The world has gone to hell in 2 weeks we still have close to 8 weeks to turn things around.

My bet is 6/1 for re-opening of resorts and limited Park access for the 1st 30 days for resort guests.

This sounds about right to me at this time. The only things I would add is limiting capacity at restaurants with moving tables at least 6 feet apart and potentially requiring counter service meals to be ordered via the app. There will probably also be changes to transportation. Limiting the number of people on a bus or boat. Large shows and fireworks are also in jeopardy of being on hold for a little while.

Like you said its still 8 weeks away. Lots can change. Even a week ago the federal guidelines were that people should not wear masks unless they were medical workers or directly caring for a sick person. Now they are suggesting everyone wears a mask when in public. That could change again in 8 weeks or other things we aren‘t even thinking of will come up.

 

[JoeCamel]

I have approved the following masks as acceptable for Batuu Cast Members to wear:
View attachment 461571

But not this one??

 

[Patcheslee]

It's upsetting because I have/(I guess had) a job at a Cedar Fair park and have no clue what they are gonna do as a lot of those parks are only open during the summer and most where pretty much prepared to open for the season and this happened.

Care to share which park?
I'm hoping they have enough non-operational days like when they switch to weekends only available to make up for the season. Alot is effected by school schedules though. KI was previously scheduled for April 11th public opening, believe only 5 public operating days in April, and not open weekdays until mid-May, then back to weekends in August. I'm hopeful it doesn't cut into a large portion of days.
Knotts being the only year round park has made season passes AND add-ons good for all of 2021, and paused payments until they reopen.

 

[Lilofan]

This sounds about right to me at this time. The only things I would add is limiting capacity at restaurants with moving tables at least 6 feet apart and potentially requiring counter service meals to be ordered via the app. There will probably also be changes to transportation. Limiting the number of people on a bus or boat. Large shows and fireworks are also in jeopardy of being on hold for a little while.

Like you said its still 8 weeks away. Lots can change. Even a week ago the federal guidelines were that people should not wear masks unless they were medical workers or directly caring for a sick person. Now they are suggesting everyone wears a mask when in public. That could change again in 8 weeks or other things we aren‘t even thinking of will come up.

Limiting transportation numbers riding on Disney transportation options even though inevitable, would be a nightmare for a family if they are trying to plan a dining reservation at location B if they are at location A, unless multiple buses are coming every few minutes. The traffic around the locals roads in WDW is challenging already.

 

[DCBaker]

Change is tough for all. Universal Studios Singapore somehow is conducting temp checks at the entrance and denying entrance to impacted ones with a fever.

Universal Singapore is closed...

From 6 April 2020 through 4 May 2020, Universal Studios Singapore will be temporarily closed in line with elevated safe distancing measures.

Announcement - Resorts World Sentosa

Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) fully supports this latest round of measures and will temporarily suspend all guest offerings including Universal Studios Singapore, S.E.A. Aquarium, Adventure Cove Waterpark and Dolphin Island, and casino from Monday, 6 April 2020 until Monday, 4 May 2020 in line...

www.rwsentosa.com

 

[John park hopper]

Just like the 2015 measles outbreak at DLR where cast members were infected? You know - measles with a 15% case-fatality rate? If every place was held to that standard, you couldn't go to the grocery store EVER. Where does this stop?

Measles death rate in 3rd world countries runs 10% due to malnutrition, not being vaccinated, poor healthcare. Much lower here in the States

 

[DisneyDoctor]

That holds true for everywhere you will go whether it be Disney or the supermarket. You can get sick anywhere. When they reopen with extra precautions it will be up to each guest if the risk is acceptable. Personally, I think the fallout from the damage being done to a persons psyche is going to be huge. Many people are stressed, anxious and depressed. They expect the suicides from this to surpass the fatalities from the virus. I’m not saying we shouldn’t be doing this. We should do all we can to curb this. But the reality is the consequences of tens of millions losing their jobs will be devastating.

From a public health perspective WDW is wayyyy more risky to open than a local grocery store. Here's an imaginary scenario: person from California comes to WDW, said person is an asymptomatic shedder, bumps up with people from Iowa, Nebraska, Michigan, Belgium, Brazil, and South Africa, person unknowingly infects these people, these people now bring back the virus to their community.

It's irresponsible to not acknowledge the huge diversity of places WDW guests are from.

 

[Seanual757]

Very nicely thought out and presented. I believe that you’re spot on. Some cast members should be called in by mid May in preparation. With the curve in Florida now moved up to April 21 this puts Disney in an even better position to reopen. Watching the daily graph I have to wonder if the peak will be before April 21, also.

I can only hope so I live in Florida (N. Orlando area) we are still working (construction) my neighbor works for Disney in an upper management position this will happen. I have 4 more trips planned at our DVC resorts (June, July, September, and November).

We stayed March 6-8 at Jambo House and Disney was cleaning very well back then as this mess started they will take every precaution they can to keep guests safe

We are prepared as best as we can, Masks, hand sanitizer for the parks, and wipes as well. Our homemade Disney maskes with double filter pouches

.

We are prepared as best as we can, Masks, hand sanitizer for the parks, and wipes as well.

 

[SteamboatJoe]

Disclaimer: I do not want to reignite a debate about COVID-19 itself. This is just a statement of opinion related specifically to the re-opening of Walt Disney World and Disneyland. Please refrain from political debates about COVID-19 response so that I do not get in trouble with The Mom. Thank you.

The fact is that while it is likely for there to be a vaccine and we hope and pray there is a vaccine, a vaccine is not a 100% guarantee. We also do not know exactly when a vaccine will likely be available to the general public beyond clinical trials and emergency use cases. Also, while there are some potential treatments that show initial promise, we also do not know with any certainty where those trials may lead. In other words, there remains a great deal of uncertainty surrounding the future of COVID-19.

But here's the thing. Our social distancing measures are designed as a short-term measure to help flatten the curve and allow our medical system to cope and, thereby, to save lives that would have been lost if the system couldn't cope. But it is not meant to be a long-term solution to the problem. You simply cannot keep the country shut down and people isolated from one another indefinitely. No, I'm not one of those suggesting we need to just open things back up right now. I think what we are doing makes sense. But we can't be in this same place a year from now. It's just not possible.

At some point, people are going to demand to have their recreation and entertainment options available to them once again, and many people will make the risk assessment for themselves that they are willing to risk exposure, vaccine or not. With that kind of pent up demand, I just do not see a company like Disney continuing to stay shut down and refusing to serve those paying customers. I could be wrong. But while I certainly think those who are expecting WDW to reopen in May are way off the mark, I also think those who are predicting it could be shut down for 18 months are wrong as well. My uneducated best guess? Mid-summer and you will start to see the parks open again.

This is pretty spot on regarding what is most likely going to happen and what the stay-at-home orders were designed for. The economic and political pressure will be too great once the peaks have been certainly shown to have pass to keep things shut down. Yes, there may be subsequent waves that will have to be dealt with but I think the expectation is that everyone has learned from this experience and will be a lot more prepared the next time around.