Universal Puts Disney's Reopening on Defensive

[yensidtlaw1969]

Yep... and it's really strange that the less important something is... the more upset people get. I've worked guest relations at a non-Disney park and I've also worked as management at a very large bank. The people at the bank who I talk to about issues they are having with amounts of money that get into the 6 or 7 digits are always super calm about it. But tell one mom that her kid is too short to ride a giant roller coaster and you won't hear the end of it.

Part of me always wonders if this sort of thing works out because of relative importance - if you have very little, very little things look a lot bigger. But if you have the kind of money where you can have issues with figures in the 6 or 7 digits, there's also a higher liklihood that you can afford to navigate that problem without it being a major inconvenience.

Which isn't to justify anyone's behavior - for sure I've seen people have disgusting reactions to minor inconveniences in service and retail and I have no intention of giving those a pass. But if your kid is too short for Space Mountain after you saved for 7 years to take them, that's a bigger problem for you than it is for the guy who can afford to bring their kid back next year like it's nothing.

 

[pdude81]

The CDC should have been using their later message about face-coverings from the start - we'd be seeing much better compliance if they had and that was 100% a failure on their part.

The reason it shouldn't just be a recommendation is because masks require a large majority of people using them for them to be effective at reducing spread. Combine face-covering with social distancing, and spread is DRAMATICALLY reduced. That there are governors not willing to make face-coverings mandated is shocking and disappointing...because even if an area has seen low confirmed cases, the virus is still there and active, and they are likely to see a bad second wave of cases as things re-open if no one is taking precautions.

@WDW Pro I literally just mentioned socio-economic, educational, and core-belief system factors contributing to safety recommendation compliance on another thread. Just in the town I live in, there are extreme differences depending upon where you go. Walmart = absolute disaster/Stop & Shop = STELLAR and what the goal should be everywhere.

Right. Stop & Shop is where you pay more for your groceries so you don't have to clip handles with carts going in the other direction at Shoprite. And Target plays that same role relative to Wal-Mart.

 

[brianstl]

I'll take the Neilson Company's take on it instead. Neilson puts it in the same ratings class and I'll just leave it with the people whose entire company's focus is to provide viewer ratings for media companies and advertisers.

Gutfeld is a weekend show that airs in prime time. It isn’t a late night show.

 

[Giss Neric]

I really hate when people are still at it with the comparisons.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I really hate when people are still at it with the comparisons.

...see...

I’m wondering now if they’re right?

To be clear for me: I don’t think Disney is waiting for “maximum caution”...I think they can’t figure out how to operate in a pressure cooker under the current travel conditions and make any money.

 

[pdude81]

Okay, I’ve gotten a couple messages about WDW Pro and some other people here have been asking me some things, so here goes:

I have no idea who WDW Pro is.

My sources seem to indicate that “secure circuit” doesn’t seem to exist. It never did. I don’t know if my sources are mistaken, but these are the same internal sources (not the ones at Turner) who told me the GMR was closing. I tend to trust them.

WDW has been investigating multiple opening plans, and one includes ONLY World Showcase in Food and Wine festival mode, and only the Epcot resorts open, as well as Hollywood Studios. The idea here is the transportation systems can accommodate social distancing via Skyliner, and no buses, boats, or monorails will need to be operated. The problem with Magic Kingdom is the walkable nature, or rather, lack there of.

There is simply no way to operate the Magic Kingdom transportation with social distancing in place with normalization of park hours. The only way this can be established is if they require not only timed entry to the park, but also timed exits from the park. Reopening the MK is disaster because of the parking situation. The only solution being talked about is to run parking trams up and down World Drive under the water bridge and have it work as a massive exodus system, a la Disneyland and the Mickey & Friends Parking garage. Even then, they would still need to use ferry boat service to reach a decent capacity, and re-allocate parking teams from other parks.

Re-opening the parks will be a disaster, but the MK is a disaster waiting to happen or epic proportions. It’s very likely that MK will be the last to open.

I can’t speak for anything else WDW Pro is saying, although nothing seems all that far off. Anyway, take this with a grain of salt.

The skyliner is an odd choice because it's an enclosed space with ventilation. So there is 0 chance you can wipe these down between guests or at any regular frequency, but since there is some ventilation you won't necessarily give the virus to the party they cram in with you.

Now perhaps in this environment they will actually just sit one party in a skyliner at a time, but you know nobody is wearing masks in there when it's just their family, and if someone were to cough or sneeze into their elbow and really just sneeze on the seat next to them, that's all over the seat where people often rest their hands. I totally get the idea that walking to/from those two resorts presents a great opportunity for social distancing, but I'm not sold on the skyliner. I'd rather be on a low capacity bus that gets wiped every now and then. Sure the CDC is saying surfaces aren't the primary transmission method, but that may well be due to how paranoid people are about surfaces after the initial guidance was issued.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Gutfeld is a weekend show that airs in prime time. It isn’t a late night show.

Good call...

I thought it was nightly...

Ok, confession: I’m not a viewer


So it’s more akin to the Graham Norton Show than Fallon

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

The skyliner is an odd choice because it's an enclosed space with ventilation. So there is 0 chance you can wipe these down between guests or at any regular frequency, but since there is some ventilation you won't necessarily give the virus to the party they cram in with you.

Now perhaps in this environment they will actually just sit one party in a skyliner at a time, but you know nobody is wearing masks in there when it's just their family, and if someone were to cough or sneeze into their elbow and really just sneeze on the seat next to them, that's all over the seat where people often rest their hands. I totally get the idea that walking to/from those two resorts presents a great opportunity for social distancing, but I'm not sold on the skyliner. I'd rather be on a low capacity bus that gets wiped every now and then. Sure the CDC is saying surfaces aren't the primary transmission method, but that may well be due to how paranoid people are about surfaces after the initial guidance was issued.

They won’t mix parties..

But there is ZERO way they wipe them
Down without completely hampering the effectiveness as transport and there really isn’t ventilation at all.

I wouldn’t be confident somebody hasn’t sneezed on the monsters inc car before I got in

 

[DVCakaCarlF]

You all do know Asian countries have been wearing masks for years now with humidity and high heat. If they can do, it American's can do it. All I'm hearing is excuses. If you can't handle the heat, stay home.

‘Merica - **** yeah

 

[NearTheEars]

I'm local but I just cannot imagine someone wanting to spend the amount of money a WDW vacation costs to visit under these restrictions and limited park access. And that's nothing against Disney. Save your money for a safer, more enjoyable time.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

‘Merica - **** yeah

Ok...today’s winner.

Have to acknowledge that before it gets wiped.

 

[pdude81]

I'm local but I just cannot imagine someone wanting to spend the amount of money a WDW vacation costs to visit under these restrictions and limited park access. And that's nothing against Disney. Save your money for a safer, more enjoyable time.

Some visit multiple times a year and may have had 2 trips heavily impacted. So for the cost of one of the two trips to have some semblance of your happy place functioning..... it's not crazy. But I think everybody understands the experience is going to be very different

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Some visit multiple times a year and may have had 2 trips heavily impacted. So for the cost of one of the two trips to have some semblance of your happy place functioning..... it's not crazy. But I think everybody understands the experience is going to be very different

Ok...I’m gonna “resemble” the following remarks...

But if the “problem” is you’ve had “multiple” trips impacted by a 75 day shutdown and the aftershocks...ya don’t need it.

I’d like to be there and I don’t need it.

And if you do...you’re likely DVC and that’s all sortsa shot to hell. I don’t think they even know how bad?
Side note: my BIL was allowed to bank his expiring 2018 points...that’s terrible. Math won’t work if that becomes a trend.

 

[Rider]

I really hate when people are still at it with the comparisons.

...see...

I’m wondering now if they’re right?

To be clear for me: I don’t think Disney is waiting for “maximum caution”...I think they can’t figure out how to operate in a pressure cooker under the current travel conditions and make any money.

Having been to both today I wouldn't say that Universal is "ahead of the game". Both were the same in terms of the setups they had for screening at CW and DS. But Universal do have several factors in their favor to reopen the parks:

1. Guest attitude. As I already mentioned almost all the guests at Universal were following all the rules today. I haven't done any studies or anything but if I had to guess I would say this is because Uni has never been known as pushovers by locals/APs/guests.

2. Logistics. The central parking garages and security makes the whole thing a lot easier. To get all the parks and resorts open Disney will need to deploy a lot more cast members to screen everyone. Plus the issues with transportation that Universal just doesn't have. Maybe it's time to pave the Seven Seas Lagoon?

3. Scale. Disney's size make their work bigger by an order of magnitude.

But just opening City Walk (with a few stores and restaurants) may not translate into opening two theme parks and a water park safely and with no issues. It will be interesting to see how they handle it.

 

[monothingie]

Gutfeld is a weekend show that airs in prime time. It isn’t a late night show.

Nielsen says it is. They know more than you.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Having been to both today I wouldn't say that Universal is "ahead of the game". Both were the same in terms of the setups they had for screening at CW and DS. But Universal do have several factors in their favor to reopen the parks:

1. Guest attitude. As I already mentioned almost all the guests at Universal were following all the rules today. I haven't done any studies or anything but if I had to guess I would say this is because Uni has never been known as pushovers by locals/APs/guests.

2. Logistics. The central parking garages and security makes the whole thing a lot easier. To get all the parks and resorts open Disney will need to deploy a lot more cast members to screen everyone. Plus the issues with transportation that Universal just doesn't have. Maybe it's time to pave the Seven Seas Lagoon?

3. Scale. Disney's size make their work bigger by an order of magnitude.

But just opening City Walk (with a few stores and restaurants) may not translate into opening two theme parks and a water park safely and with no issues. It will be interesting to see how they handle it.

I think the fact universal is “walkable” in the end makes a huge difference. Not “comfortably” walkable...but possible.

 

[brianstl]

...see...

I’m wondering now if they’re right?

To be clear for me: I don’t think Disney is waiting for “maximum caution”...I think they can’t figure out how to operate in a pressure cooker under the current travel conditions and make any money.

Gutfeld’s ratings are pretty impressive for a Saturday night on a cable news network, though. Especially when you consider what he pulls in demos Fox News normally falters in compared to their overall ratings.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Nielsen says it is. They know more than you.

Wait a second...Saturday at 10 is late night now?

Neilsen has been “adjusting” for along time like the rest of us...just saying

 

[Bullseye1967]

I can confirm my observations have included the firm enforcement of selfie sticks and that there appears to be a pretty high level of compliance. In should say I’m not a local and only spend about 22 days a year on property. I witnessed enforcemenr on two separate occasions. Addressed by a CM at the entrance to POC. Was even offered a locker for free to store it in when she started to get cranky. Refused. Manager called and again offered this option. Refused to store it or take it out of the park. Manager politely let her know that she would need to leave the park if unwilling. The manager along with 2 security politely escorted her that way.
Second occasion was at AK. Kilimanjaro Safari. CM and Guest were both polite and Guest secured it in her bag.

Not really on either side here, but to compare wearing masks to selfie sticks is just nonsense. 100% of people will have to wear masks, vs maybe 5% that brought a selfie stick into the park to begin with. That number was probably cut to 1% after most acknowledged the ban and complied. Also as a retired LEO I can tell you it is much easier to tell someone they can't do something as opposed to something you are forcing someone to do. Here in Chicago I see about 90% wearing masks indoors and 50% outdoors. Unfortunately, at least 25% of both groups are not wearing their masks correctly. This includes employees. In Illinois masks are mandatory. Just my two cents.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Gutfeld’s ratings are pretty impressive for a Saturday night on a cable news network, though. Especially when you consider what he pulls in demos Fox News normally falters in compared to their overall ratings.

You quoted the wrong post...but I get your point