Coronavirus and Walt Disney World general discussion

[Kevin_W]

1) Galaxy's Edge. Wonderful, top notch theming. But it feels cold and heartless, like walking through European ruins of a long-lost civilization. It's dead. And it's dead because, by most accounts, the "streetmosphere" planned was cut from the budget and never arrived. Again, wonderfully themed and realized "world." But having front line Cast Members working in stores as your "performeers" hasn't worked. It was clearly a budgetary decision, but it shows the seams.

2) Ditto World Showcase. Again, wonderfully realized countries. It's my favorite park. And all of the international Cast Members and cultural representatives are gone; many of the stores are closed. You felt a palpable connection to the represented country. I went back in September, and it felt like I was walking through the Forum in Rome.

Good points on both of these. On one hand, my boat ride through Frozen is the same whether the girl that put me int eh boat was from Oslo or Indianapolis. and my Via Napoli pizza tasted the same whether the server was from Rome or Orlando... but on the other hand it isn't the same. Having the international Cast Members really does add something and I love being able to chat with them for a minute in a restaurant/shop/kidcot station.

And all the lands, not just Galaxy's Edge, feel much emptier without performers.

 

[kong1802]

Are they charging by the hour?

You know how much they wanted to. I guess the silver lining here is that shift has been stalled. Hopefully permanently.

Cause it’s about profits...not just being open

Exactly. It's all about margin. They've shown they are fine cutting off lines and sending you to walk around Gertie for an hour instead of paying employees to entertain you.

 

[SamusAranX]

Are they charging by the hour?

Cause it’s about profits...not just being open

No, but:

1. The early park closures/limited hours was viewed as a sign of Disney tightening the belt due to decreased revenue and low demand. Them extending those hours in an encouraging sign that they are bringing in more revenue then expected and expect higher demand

2. More hours = people staying in the park longer = more ancillary purchases of food and merchandise

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

No, but:

1. The early park closures/limited hours was viewed as a sign of Disney tightening the belt due to decreased revenue and low demand. Them extending those hours in an encouraging sign that they are bringing in more revenue then expected and expect higher demand

2. More hours = people staying in the park longer = more ancillary purchases of food and merchandise

It’s all theater...they won’t push the details until they can get their customer base back...Florida residents will be out of money soon

An extra hour is cute though.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

X

You know how much they wanted to. I guess the silver lining here is that shift has been stalled. Hopefully permanently.



Exactly. It's all about margin. They've shown they are fine cutting off lines and sending you to walk around Gertie for an hour instead of paying employees to entertain you.

And as long as people go along with that...they have no reason to disrupt their new “status quo”

It’s been this way for Disney for 20+ years....they will do what the CUSTOMER allows them to do...they just don’t get any responses.

 

[Jrb1979]

It’s all theater...they won’t push the details until they can get their customer base back...Florida residents will be out of money soon

An extra hour is cute though.

I'm still amazed by how many still have the belief that Disney is doing fine.

 

[baymenxpac]

I'll let everyone know to stop talking about "American exceptionalism" because you really can't compare countries to one another -- they're just so different! Without comparisons, none can be 'exceptional.'

what...are you talking about? the subject was covid deaths, which -- in case you've been living under a rock for the past eight months -- have a HUGE age gradient to them, not to mention a disproportional effect on sicker, frailer patients.

you don't think a country's age and underlying health should be considerations, thus making comparison difficult? you don't think how patients were treated makes a difference in mortality, especially when you considering some of the most densely populated US area were hit first widely used ill-advised treatment protocols from the WHO? you don't think the time from receiving a positive test to death (new jersey just counted a death this week where the positive test occurred six months ago) is relevant?

or you just had that american exceptionalism line cued up, thought it was clever, and just *had* to use it?

 

[Touchdown]

Japan is one of the most densely populated nations on the planet, it is also one of the oldest.

The age of Americans isn’t the reason for our deaths.

 

[Jwink]

@The Mom

Since this thread now contains a "Political" designation, do the rules against using laughing emojis on posts that aren't meant to be humorous apply here the same way they do in the Politics and Social Issues Forum?

Wow...just, wow.

I don’t have a “choice” to quit my job, and putting that onus on me, rather than the person who’s out engaging in risky behavior is a classic example of what is wrong in our society.

So. Much. Selfishness.

I carry insurance for our family. I bring home the lion’s share of $. My partner is currently furloughed, likely to be unemployed soon.

I can’t “just quit”.

Absolutely! ‘Just quit’ I loathe when people say that! They always argue ‘yeah it’s a choice to work where you work’...

How can they be SO nonchalant?! Like my husband can’t just quit because he doesn’t feel safe... he’s had the same job for nearly 16 years now! It’s not that easy

 

[baymenxpac]

Another well written article on herd immunity. The more studies.. the more I hear epidemiologists talk about it’s not the way to go, the more I think it shouldn’t even be brought up. It’s a very fine read.

Herding People to Slaughter: The Dangerous Fringe Theory behind the Great Barrington Declaration and Push toward Herd Immunity

Officials at the highest levels are discussing the possibility of caving in on controlling the coronavirus and instead letting it run rampant throughout the United States until we reach “herd immunity,” the point where the virus runs out of people to infect. More than 6,200 scientists, health profes

blog.ucsusa.org

herd immunity isn't a theory. herd immunity is a scientific fact, just like gravity. any vaccination strategy ALSO relies on herd immunity. it is not a "fringe theory." this article you posted is not only bias garbage, it's fundamentally wrong. it cites tom friedman (google him and see how upstanding a citizen he is, by the way) and his completely ridiculous calculations that assume that there is ZERO pre-existing immunity in the population: the exact same modeling assumption that lead the IHME, imperial college, and other alarmist models to be SO WRONG. it also cites mask modeling studies that assume masks are useful to say...masks are useful. GEE, I CAN'T BELIEVE THE FINDINGS!!! (by the way, IHME predicted at the end of september over 400,000 deaths by the end of the year, then revised it down to 360k by the end of the year just two weeks later. their current prediction is 385k by february 1. they literally do nothing but get predicitons wrong.

the scientists behind the great barrington declaration are three supremely credentialed scientists, two of which have politics that are left-of-center. sunetra gupta is literally one of the premiere voices in virology and immunology.

 

[oceanbreeze77]

Those numbers suck...and I heard a story of how Florida is allegedly actively discouraging/limiting testing this morning...but it isn’t corroborated at this point...

how so??

 

[Lilofan]

Japan is one of the most densely populated nations on the planet, it is also one of the oldest.

The age of Americans isn’t the reason for our deaths.

Trying to compare Japan vs the USA is like night and day. How Japan continues to control covid is for one thing - the government asked, the people listened and complied.

 

[MaryJaneP]

Herd immunity is a flawed concept, hardly a reliable scientific fact, and an opinion to which few responsible parties pledge fealty. It also is reportedly a nonsensical response that has never been used or suggested as a way to respond to an existential crisis. But feel free to believe otherwise, just know that your "facts" are not so factual.

 

[SamusAranX]

It’s all theater...they won’t push the details until they can get their customer base back...Florida residents will be out of money soon

An extra hour is cute though.

I guess in some ways it’s theaters, but I also see it as baby step that Disney is a tiny bit better then we assumed (at the moment) and feel confident enough to open Magic Kingdom until 9 pm

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Apologies. I just can't believe we've got people still fighting against what science says are the best tools to use against a pandemic.

It makes your brain hurt doesn’t it?

Trying to compare Japan vs the USA is like night and day. How Japan continues to control covid is for one thing - the government asked, the people listened and complied.

So those 2 things work then?

 

[baymenxpac]

Herd immunity is a flawed concept, hardly a reliable scientific fact, and an opinion to which few responsible parties pledge fealty. It also is reportedly a nonsensical response that has never been used or suggested as a way to respond to an existential crisis. But feel free to believe otherwise, just know that your "facts" are not so factual.

are...you freakin kidding me? you're wrong. sorry, no more nuanced comment than that. herd immunity IS THE WHOLE REASON VACCINATION PROGRAMS WORK.

 

[SamusAranX]

I'm still amazed by how many still have the belief that Disney is doing fine.

they’re bleeding money to stay open, still no doubt. But perhaps they’re bleeding a bit less then anticipated, and I don’t think they regret reopening. Especially now that DLP is shutting down again.

 

[kong1802]

herd immunity isn't a theory. herd immunity is a scientific fact, just like gravity. any vaccination strategy ALSO relies on herd immunity. it is not a "fringe theory." this article you posted is not only bias garbage, it's fundamentally wrong. it cites tom friedman (google him and see how upstanding a citizen he is, by the way) and his completely ridiculous calculations that assume that there is ZERO pre-existing immunity in the population: the exact same modeling assumption that lead the IHME, imperial college, and other alarmist models to be SO WRONG. it also cites mask modeling studies that assume masks are useful to say...masks are useful. GEE, I CAN'T BELIEVE THE FINDINGS!!! (by the way, IHME predicted at the end of september over 400,000 deaths by the end of the year, then revised it down to 360k by the end of the year just two weeks later. their current prediction is 385k by february 1. they literally do nothing but get predicitons wrong.

the scientists behind the great barrington declaration are three supremely credentialed scientists, two of which have politics that are left-of-center. sunetra gupta is literally one of the premiere voices in virology and immunology.

She also argued in May that the virus was on its way out.........oof

 

[Touchdown]

are...you freakin kidding me? you're wrong. sorry, no more nuanced comment than that. herd immunity IS THE WHOLE REASON VACCINATION PROGRAMS WORK.

Herd immunity in the absence of a vaccine is complete bunk. It’s a belief held only by those who think nothing we do can modify risk.

 

[GoofGoof]

No, but:

1. The early park closures/limited hours was viewed as a sign of Disney tightening the belt due to decreased revenue and low demand. Them extending those hours in an encouraging sign that they are bringing in more revenue then expected and expect higher demand

2. More hours = people staying in the park longer = more ancillary purchases of food and merchandise

The hours have only been increased for a few weeks through the holidays. Unfortunately they go back to MK closing at 6pm in January. I wouldn’t take it as a meaningful bump in demand, just more locals with APs visiting while they have time off around the holidays and to see the decorations. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but years ago WDW transitioned from the amusement park model to resort destination. They rely on profits from the hotels and restaurants as much or more than the parks these days. Having all those rooms shut down still is a bad sign. It’s going to be a while before things get back to normal and that daily case average keeps moving further from the level needed to get off the travel quarantine lists.