Coronavirus and Walt Disney World general discussion

[Heppenheimer]

No, they don't. Go look up the average number of flu deaths in a year on the CDC website...~40,000 for an entire year. We've lost 220,000 to COVID in less than 8 months.

Every time we get one of those "It's no worse than the flu!" posts, it might help to review the yearly flu numbers from the CDC:

Burden of Influenza

Learn about how CDC estimates the burden of seasonal influenza in the U.S.

www.cdc.gov

Even in the worst year recently, we only hit about 60K deaths for the flu. We've already hit almost 4 times that number for COVID this year, not to mention all the "long COVID" (as the after effects are being called), cases. We're still gathering the numbers on these, but the preliminary estimates aren't pretty.

Finally... the common cold kills virtually nobody, so don't even go down that path.

PS- Yes, I would too would like FS+ to be restricted to resort guests.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Every time we get one of those "It's no worse than the flu!" posts, it might help to review the yearly flu numbers from the CDC:

Burden of Influenza

Learn about how CDC estimates the burden of seasonal influenza in the U.S.

www.cdc.gov

Even in the worst year recently, we only hit about 60K deaths for the flu. We've already hit almost 4 times that number for COVID this year, not to mention all the "long COVID" (as the after effects are being called), cases. We're still gathering the numbers on these, but the preliminary estimates aren't pretty.

Finally... the common cold kills virtually nobody, so don't even go down that path.

PS- Yes, I would too would like FS+ to be restricted to resort guests.

Cue the “CDC is a sham” response, which means we have to get the “real” numbers from somewhere.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

I liked maxpass at DLR and since we were only there for a few days and I don’t know when we will be back I wanted to get to do as much as possible. I’m not sure if I was a more regular visitor to DLR that I would buy it. That may be because it was a lighter crowd time when I visited too. They don’t need the FP kiosks to go to a maxpass system, they could make it pay or use standby lines.

Most of my friends and I are AP holders at DL and the extra $89 (iirc) to add Maxpass to a DL AP is worth every penny. The ability to make a FP for Space Mtn in DL while having drinks at Lamplight lounge in DCA is priceless, basically turns the 2 parks into 1 big one. I also love that I can go back to my hotel for an afternoon break/swim and make a FP from the hotel once I know when I’ll be heading back for the night. It’s a very user friendly system and one I’d love to see come to WDW.

 

[GoofGoof]

Most of my friends and I are AP holders at DL and the extra $89 (iirc) to add Maxpass to a DL AP is worth every penny. The ability to make a FP for Space Mtn in DL while having drinks at Lamplight lounge in DCA is priceless, basically turns the 2 parks into 1 big one. I also love that I can go back to my hotel for an afternoon break/swim and make a FP from the hotel once I know when I’ll be heading back for the night. It’s a very user friendly system and one I’d love to see come to WDW.

For sure worth it for AP holders. We were at DLR for 4 days last summer and a family of 4 so it cost us $80 a day to add maxpass. For us the photopass included was pretty good too so we could get al, the ride photos plus some group shots of all 4 of us. My kids had never been to DLR or CA for that matter so it was well worth it to make sure we got to do most of the rides we wanted. It’s a good system in general.

 

[monykalyn]

I know this won’t be a popular opinion, but I’d like to see fast passes offered to just Disney Resort guests. Something similar to what Universal does.

Express is only offered to certain hotels, with ability to buy it. UO also has the AP with Express built in. If the only way to get FP at Disney was to stay in a supremely overpriced hotel, pay several hundred a day per person or even more outrageous prices for an AP with limited ability to make FP-Disney will have effectively priced themselves out.
Talk about bad publicity-how many -after spending the equivalent of a nice new car for vacation-will be likely to repeat that experience?

 

[hopemax]

Because there is always something new to learn regarding COVID. People, don't do this!

In China, man habitually blows his nose into his hand. Touches elevator buttons. Second person arrives 2 minutes later, touches buttons then used a toothpick to clean teeth in elevator. Infected.

The evidence of indirect transmission of SARS-CoV-2 reported in Guangzhou, China - BMC Public Health

Background More than 2 months have passed since the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) first emerged in Wuhan, China. With the migration of people, the epidemic has rapidly spread within China and throughout the world. Due to the severity of the epidemic, undiscovered transmission of...

bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com

Figure this is better than conspiracy posts

 

[Miss Bella]

Express is only offered to certain hotels, with ability to buy it. UO also has the AP with Express built in. If the only way to get FP at Disney was to stay in a supremely overpriced hotel, pay several hundred a day per person or even more outrageous prices for an AP with limited ability to make FP-Disney will have effectively priced themselves out.
Talk about bad publicity-how many -after spending the equivalent of a nice new car for vacation-will be likely to repeat that experience?

They could offer fast pass plus to all Disney resort guests.

 

[DisneyDebRob]

I didn't say covid was alleged. I said the pandemic was alleged. The common cold can infect up towards 1 billion people per year. And what does the media primarily focus on? Positives cases, not deaths.

Remember the videos of asian people dropping dead in the streets when the virus started in China? The videos that had people panicking? The videos that had everybody thinking they would be next to drop dead while walking to the subway? Why haven't we seen that anywhere else? Why have no other countries had videos of a man or woman walking the street and collapsing from covid? Because that's not real. But it was shown over and over and over again in the beginning and people got scared. Now they CONSTANTLY talk about positive cases, not deaths and especially not survival rates. Why? Because it doesn't seem as scary to talk about survival.

People won't continually tune in for survival rates. They will however, continue to tune in for updates on how many people have died. They will continually tune in for updates on how they can prevent themselves from dying. I see masks littering the streets every day. The same people who will claim they wear the mask to prevent spreading the disease are the same people discarding their mask in the grocery store parking lot. They are selfish and only care about themselves. A majority of people wearing masks actually think the mask will prevent them from catching covid. They don't wear it because they are trying to protect others.

But yes, I know, comparing covid to the common cold is not allowed.

We are not in a pandemic. Comparisons to other infections and death rates prove it.

Wow.

 

[Miss Bella]

Another idea would be to offer more than three like maybe six for Disney resort guests and then continue with everyone else at 30 days out.

 

[danlb_2000]

Legitimate is the key. A mistake is a mistake and like we talked about extensively there’s some grey areas particularly with co-morbidities but there’s a big difference between legitimate errors in counting or judgement calls and a widespread conspiracy to inflate the death count. This discussion all started with an allegation that it’s widespread that hospitals are falsifying death records to get extra Covid payments from the government. I’m sure there’s some errors going both ways, there‘s also a possibility some doctor somewhere was overstating Covid deaths whether for personal financial gain or political beliefs. What I don’t find credible is the conspiracy theory that the over-reporting is widespread and therefore the numbers are exaggerated and our response an overreaction. As I said a while back in an extreme example if 10% of Covid deaths were incorrectly reported (overstated) there are still over 200K Americans dead...it doesn’t really move the needle. I don’t buy into this ”gotcha“ mentality where if you find one discrepancy (like the motor cycle accident story quoted frequently)that’s proof that the numbers are materially wrong.

Don't get me wrong, I don't believe there is widespread falsifying of death records either. I was just randomly jumping in with the point that legitimate reporting error can go either way.

 

[GoofGoof]

Don't get me wrong, I don't believe there is widespread falsifying of death records either. I was just randomly jumping in with the point that legitimate reporting error can go either way.

Yes, for sure, and with all the pressure on hospitals and doctors and the added uncertainty around Covid in general it’s not surprising to see some errors or issues with reporting. IMHO it’s unlikely that the errors are frequent or widespread enough to move the needle either way. If more concrete evidence comes out that there‘s something wrong (actual whistleblower complaints, press releases from hospitals, news stories confirmed by multiple sources, etc) then I’m willing to listen. I take anecdotal stories from social media claiming people know someone who knows about the widespread fraud with a huge grain of salt.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Because there is always something new to learn regarding COVID. People, don't do this!

In China, man habitually blows his nose into his hand. Touches elevator buttons. Second person arrives 2 minutes later, touches buttons then used a toothpick to clean teeth in elevator. Infected.

The evidence of indirect transmission of SARS-CoV-2 reported in Guangzhou, China - BMC Public Health

Background More than 2 months have passed since the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) first emerged in Wuhan, China. With the migration of people, the epidemic has rapidly spread within China and throughout the world. Due to the severity of the epidemic, undiscovered transmission of...

bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com

Figure this is better than conspiracy posts

That’s what I needed to read after dinner.

 

[Kman]

I didn't say covid was alleged. I said the pandemic was alleged. The common cold can infect up towards 1 billion people per year. And what does the media primarily focus on? Positives cases, not deaths.

Remember the videos of asian people dropping dead in the streets when the virus started in China? The videos that had people panicking? The videos that had everybody thinking they would be next to drop dead while walking to the subway? Why haven't we seen that anywhere else? Why have no other countries had videos of a man or woman walking the street and collapsing from covid? Because that's not real. But it was shown over and over and over again in the beginning and people got scared. Now they CONSTANTLY talk about positive cases, not deaths and especially not survival rates. Why? Because it doesn't seem as scary to talk about survival.

People won't continually tune in for survival rates. They will however, continue to tune in for updates on how many people have died. They will continually tune in for updates on how they can prevent themselves from dying. I see masks littering the streets every day. The same people who will claim they wear the mask to prevent spreading the disease are the same people discarding their mask in the grocery store parking lot. They are selfish and only care about themselves. A majority of people wearing masks actually think the mask will prevent them from catching covid. They don't wear it because they are trying to protect others.

But yes, I know, comparing covid to the common cold is not allowed.

We are not in a pandemic. Comparisons to other infections and death rates prove it.

Is that you Mr. President??

 

[Stitch826]

I'm sure it's lovely for Disney, but it's not great for guests. (though with y month ahead adr's, you often have essentially a park reservation).

Take yesterday, when Everest went down for the whole day. It was our only day with an AK reservation, so we don't get to ride it this trip. Nevermind the negative effect on the other rides in AK.

This. As a solo traveler, I love(d) park hopping. Spend the morning and early afternoon in one park, then hop over to another in the evening. Occasionally I even left the second and went to a third to see the nighttime fireworks or show. If I have a six day trip, the reservation system would limit me to only one day at two of the parks. If a ride is broken down that day, I wouldn’t get to experience it that trip at all. Not to mention what countless others have written here about going to another park just for a restaurant.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

This. As a solo traveler, I love(d) park hopping. Spend the morning and early afternoon in one park, then hop over to another in the evening. Occasionally I even left the second and went to a third to see the nighttime fireworks or show. If I have a six day trip, the reservation system would limit me to only one day at two of the parks. If a ride is broken down that day, I wouldn’t get to experience it that trip at all. Not to mention what countless others have written here about going to another park just for a restaurant.

Yeah... Disney sounds like a weird place to go for a solo trip right now. Maybe it’s fine once you’re there, but I feel like party of 1 may get a weird look when boarding transportation and some of the rides.

Maybe I’m over thinking it. So much just sounds like a non-magical time right now.

 

[OrlandoRising]

We are not in a pandemic. Comparisons to other infections and death rates prove it.

Seems like you’re referring to this misrepresentation of CDC data from this summer.

CDC spokeswoman Kristen Nordlund: The epidemic threshold "refers to the point at which the observed proportion of deaths is significantly higher than would be expected at that time of the year in the absence of substantial influenza, and now COVID-related mortality." Deaths are a lagging indicator of COVID-19, partly because of a delay in the processing of death certificates. Death rates alone don’t "have bearing on whether COVID-19 is still an epidemic," given that the extent of the outbreak is the primary factor.

No, CDC isn't ready to lift 'epidemic' label on COVID-19

Amid news headlines that the United States set a daily record for the number of new coronavirus cases, an article widely

www.politifact.com

 

[Touchdown]

I just filled out a very interesting survey about my AP from Disney. It asked if I plan to renew, and why I’m unlikely to. It specifically focused on if the lack of entertainment and COVID. This wasn’t a marketing survey, and didn’t seem to push you down one path; it seems like Disney is actually trying to figure out why they are losing customers. I hope a lot of people answer similar to me.

 

[Stitch826]

Yeah... Disney sounds like a weird place to go for a solo trip right now. Maybe it’s fine once you’re there, but I feel like party of 1 may get a weird look when boarding transportation and some of the rides.

Maybe I’m over thinking it. So much just sounds like a non-magical time right now.

True. I certainly have no plans on returning until the mask mandates and social distancing are gone, park hopping is restored, and fireworks are back.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

True. I certainly have no plans on returning until the mask mandates and social distancing are gone, park hopping is restored, and fireworks are back.

If Disney were open as usual but with masks and distancing I’d be there. But limited entertainment, no park hopping, no fireworks, and so many closed restaurants and shops... doesn’t seem worth it to me.

Good thing I’m just a lowly AP that Chapek doesn’t want anyways.

 

[Stitch826]

I just filled out a very interesting survey about my AP from Disney. It asked if I plan to renew, and why I’m unlikely to. It specifically focused on if the lack of entertainment and COVID. This wasn’t a marketing survey, and didn’t seem to push you down one path; it seems like Disney is actually trying to figure out why they are losing customers. I hope a lot of people answer similar to me.

It would be great if they emailed that survey to previous vacation guests as well who vacationed recently (prior to the pandemic). If they really cared about our thoughts...