Coronavirus and Walt Disney World general discussion

[Tink242424]

Not Disney but one of the biggest and arguably the theme park that is most popular in Europe, Europa Park is opening on May 29th. They also will have modified operations and will require a date based ticket. Could be something we can watch as a community and I would think that Disney would also watch to see how well (or not well) it goes.

https://www.europapark.de/en/info/all-information-regarding-re-opening

 

[ToTBellHop]

But as you know Springs, as a mall, is entirely outdoors. Most individual tenants have indoor spaces but those indoor spaces generally speaking do not attract locals, relative to tourists especially when it comes to buying.

As a local who has been to Springs say 200 times....high, low, any season, weekends and weekdays, early and late in the days:
The only meaningful demographic tapping Springs in the early reopening days will be locals. They go to walk around for lake the scenery, grab a Starbuck coffee, happy hour at Irish Pub. They are not normally in the business of eating at the likes of expensive Paddlefish and gaudy T Rex. (Sure if celebrating something once a year like anniversary or child birthday)Locals will line up for a concert at House of Blues, kick back and people watch or do quick service treats.

Shopping indoors not so much.

There is a tremendous pent-up demand for in-person soap-shopping in America.

54% of Floridians report that what they miss most during the pandemic is Art Smith’s Hummingbird Cake.

 

[Disstevefan1]

I just was talking to member services about a few waitlists that I wanted to put in place. I had booked this Nov-Dec trip this year before any of this started. I asked about the second week of my vacation and she said I could put in a waitlist as long as it didn’t exceed the points already being used. In other words if the resort I was putting in for was even one point over what I used it wouldn’t be allowed because of the 50% rule they have in place now. Even though I was grandfathered in I still would have to abide by that rule. So now if my waitlist does come through, I will have points coming back to me and can be put into the use year of those points. Since I borrowed it would go back into my 2021 and not have to be used this year. She also said things may change and if they do I’ll be stuck trying to use the extra points this year if the waitlist comes through. Confusing enough?
My head hurts.

Assuming they open this year, I gotta think loads of folks already changed plans and your waitlist will come through.

I am hearing that even if the resorts remain closed and your points expire during that time DVC is not going to do anything. Is this true?

 

[HongKongFooy]

The last few times I was at Disney Springs there was an Orange County Sheriff at the bottom of the escalator I took from the parking garage.

I can tell you with certainty that sheriff is in the house during operating hours

Always

 

[DisneyDebRob]

There is a tremendous pent-up demand for in-person soap-shopping in America.

54% of Floridians report that what they miss most during the pandemic is Art Smith’s Hummingbird Cake.

That’s what I miss for sure.

 

[GoofGoof]

But as you know Springs, as a mall, is entirely outdoors. Most individual tenants have indoor spaces but those indoor spaces generally speaking do not attract locals, relative to tourists especially when it comes to buying.

As a local who has been to Springs say 200 times....high, low, any season, weekends and weekdays, early and late in the days:
The only meaningful demographic tapping Springs in the early reopening days will be locals. They go to walk around for lake the scenery, grab a Starbuck coffee, happy hour at Irish Pub. They are not normally in the business of eating at the likes of expensive Paddlefish and gaudy T Rex. (Sure if celebrating something once a year like anniversary or child birthday)Locals will line up for a concert at House of Blues, kick back and people watch or do quick service treats.

Shopping indoors not so much.

So you think people will show up at 9am and walk around outside for 10 or 12 hours? I doubt that many will. People will pop in, walk around for an hour or two, including stops in a few stores and maybe grab a bite to eat. People may not go to Boathouse or one of the high end places but there are quick service food options too. It’s also May. It would feel hot to me down there now but maybe not as bad for locals. There’s a huge, huge difference between spending a few hours at Disney Springs in May wearing a mask when you are not eating and getting to MK at rope drop in August and staying for 10 to 12 hours in a mask.

 

[HongKongFooy]

So you think people will show up at 9am and walk around outside for 10 or 12 hours? I doubt that many will.

I'm not sure why you wrote that. No, I don't think that. I agree with you.

 

[DisneyDebRob]

Assuming they open this year, I gotta think loads of folks already changed plans and your waitlist will come through.

I am hearing that even if the resorts remain closed and your points expire during that time DVC is not going to do anything. Is this true?

Don’t believe that to be true but hasn’t been any announcements yet. DVC is playing it very close to the cuff here. They are getting complaints daily from what I’ve been told about how things should be set up and run during this. Guidelines have been changed a few times already. They got tons of backlash from members about others possibly being able to use double their points for the rest of this year and next year because with all those people using many more points, the others would not be able to get a vacation in. The 50% seems to have put some water on that fire.
As for waitlists coming through, depends on how long this lasts. There was nothing available in November and December except for a night here or there at every DVC resort. I’m sure most will hold on to them until they know what the parks will be. I’m going to do the same. But I will be canceling if social distancing and masks and limited attractions are still in place.

 

[DCBaker]

Tokyo Disneyland has pushed back their reopening announcement that was expected mid-May.

"The temporary closures of Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea have been extended in response to the state of infections of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) as well as requests from the government and local municipalities.

The reopening of the Parks was to be decided in mid-May; however, based on the extension of the state of emergency declaration, hereafter, the decision on the reopening date will be made and announced once the requests from Government and local municipalities have been lifted.

Additionally, the opening date for the Tokyo Disneyland major expansion area will be determined once the situation can be gauged after reopening both parks."

東京ディズニーリゾート・オフィシャルウェブサイト

東京ディズニーリゾートでは、遊ぶこと、泊まること、食べること、ショッピング、すべてがエンターテイメント！東京ディズニーランド、東京ディズニーシーの2つのテーマパークを中心とした滞在型テーマリゾートです。

www.tokyodisneyresort.jp

 

[GoofGoof]

Blind No but you can bet the governor is pushing them to open. It's going to happen if Disney/Universal do not open the majority of the businesses in Orange and Osceola County that rely on the traffic from the both may never open again. Let's face it we need to tourism to keep this area going that is what we are we are like Las Vegas with out the Casinos on the strip and downtown open they have nothing. We are not like So Cal where Disneyland does not control the area we do not have much to fall back on. If say Disney and Universal say we will not open until Spring 2021 the domino's will fall and fall hard from the small businesses, tourism, travel, conventions, construction, the list goes on and on.

This is all true. Even one of the airlines recently mentioned that they need stuff to be open for people to want to fly somewhere. They specifically mentioned Disney World opening to draw visitors to Florida. Then you have all the hotels on I-drive and all of the lower end attractions near them that basically exist because of Universal and Disney. They don’t have access to cheap cash like TWDC. They didn’t borrow $6B at an interest rate lower than some people‘s mortgage. If they don’t open soon they can and will go under. The governments in Florida (State and Local) have every reason to push Disney to open and as soon as possible.

All that being said, TWDC is an International company so their primary concern isn’t going to be the local or even state economy in FL. An outbreak of virus from the Best Western on I Drive isn’t national front page news, but an outbreak linked to Disney CMs or their parks is. They will likely play it safe. Disney wants to get their parks open as fast as possible for their own situation financially, but that’s not the only aspect of the decision they will need to weigh.

 

[GoofGoof]

I'm not sure why you wrote that. No, I don't think that. I agree with you.

Sorry, I thought you were saying DS is similar to the parks because they are both primarily outside. Need coffee

 

[DCBaker]

Seaworld note from investor call -

 

[Lilofan]

So you think people will show up at 9am and walk around outside for 10 or 12 hours? I doubt that many will. People will pop in, walk around for an hour or two, including stops in a few stores and maybe grab a bite to eat. People may not go to Boathouse or one of the high end places but there are quick service food options too. It’s also May. It would feel hot to me down there now but maybe not as bad for locals. There’s a huge, huge difference between spending a few hours at Disney Springs in May wearing a mask when you are not eating and getting to MK at rope drop in August and staying for 10 to 12 hours in a mask.

There are third party stores at Disney Springs called Sephora and Basin. They are known for sample testing, touch, smell etc of the perfume, colonge and handmade soap products. It would interesting to see if these products are all hands off with the current corona times.

 

[DisneyDebRob]

There are third party stores at Disney Springs called Sephora and Basin. They are known for sample testing, touch, smell etc of the perfume, colonge and handmade soap products. It would interesting to see if these products are all hands off with the current corona times.

I’m thinking they would have to be. Even if cm’s were to hold the product for you to smell that would mean moving your mask? Guess you can smell through the mask but still would make it tough to move a product they want to sell to someone’s face.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Don’t believe that to be true but hasn’t been any announcements yet. DVC is playing it very close to the cuff here. They are getting complaints daily from what I’ve been told about how things should be set up and run during this. Guidelines have been changed a few times already. They got tons of backlash from members about others possibly being able to use double their points for the rest of this year and next year because with all those people using many more points, the others would not be able to get a vacation in. The 50% seems to have put some water on that fire.
As for waitlists coming through, depends on how long this lasts. There was nothing available in November and December except for a night here or there at every DVC resort. I’m sure most will hold on to them until they know what the parks will be. I’m going to do the same. But I will be canceling if social distancing and masks and limited attractions are still in place.

I am not a DVC owner, but I hope in the end Disney does the right thing for is most loyal guests, the DVC owners.

 

[HongKongFooy]

Even if cm’s were to hold the product for you to

Those aren't Disney personnel.
Neither is Starbucks or many, many others at Springs, hence Lilofan's use of "third party stores"

 

[Chip Chipperson]

There are third party stores at Disney Springs called Sephora and Basin. They are known for sample testing, touch, smell etc of the perfume, colonge and handmade soap products. It would interesting to see if these products are all hands off with the current corona times.

I've been fortunate that I haven't been dragged into Sephora yet so I can't comment on the amount of open space in there, but I always feel cramped in Basin even when it's not that busy. I would see them possibly needing to remove some of the bins to allow for social distancing and maybe even putting some sort of cover over whatever bins remain in place to keep people from touching everything. If they're one of the first stores to open, they might just have to have people line up outside and wait until they get inside to ask a salesperson for whatever they want, no touching or smelling allowed (just guesses on my part, obviously).

 

[DisneyDebRob]

Those aren't Disney personnel.
Neither is Starbucks or many, many others at Springs, hence Lilofan's use of "third party stores"

I realize that. I should have been more careful in choosing my words. Forgive me.

 

[Peter Pan's Shadow]

Found it interesting that in the Universal Studios survey yesterday there were more than a few questions asking what if they changed the indoor stores to outdoor stores. Maybe that will be prevalent in both.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Found it interesting that in the Universal Studios survey yesterday there were more than a few questions asking what if they changed the indoor stores to outdoor stores. Maybe that will be prevalent in both.

We can understand why they would want to do this, but it was always nice to do some indoor browsing or shopping to get out of the heat once in a while during the day.