News Walt Disney World's COVID-19 reopening plans announced - July 11

[Rich Brownn]

Happy campers or not the CEO has said since before the parks re-opened (and repeated again yesterday in the earnings call) that they wouldn’t open the parks or keep them open if they couldn’t cover the variable costs. If the 2 choices are close 1 or 2 parks on certain days to cut costs or close all of WDW, they will probably try for option 1. Not an ideal situation, but a lot of the people going now are Disney fanatics so a lot of them may still go. They aren’t getting as many of the average tourist crowd as they want.

As far as Universal goes they don’t own the hotels so they are less concerned with occupancy. If they wanted to close just 1 park they could keep both Potterlands open and the train even if one or the other parks is closed. If the Studios park is closed you just make it so the only way to get to Diagon Alley is using the HE. I know they would lose the benefit of selling a multi-day ticket but you save a lot on operating costs closing a whole park. The other option is to close both parks a few days a week instead of 1 park each day. Neither is a great option.

Universal may not own the hotels, but they do have obligations to Loews

 

[Purduevian]

I imagine WDW would keep MK open 7 days and rotate the other 3 to have one closed a day M-F.

I don't think they need to close DHS either... It sounds like that is close to capacity every day.

 

[JoeCamel]

As far as Universal goes they don’t own the hotels so they are less concerned with occupancy. If they wanted to close just 1 park they could keep both Potterlands open and the train even if one or the other parks is closed. If the Studios park is closed you just make it so the only way to get to Diagon Alley is using the HE. I know they would lose the benefit of selling a multi-day ticket but you save a lot on operating costs closing a whole park. The other option is to close both parks a few days a week instead of 1 park each day. Neither is a great option.

Universal may not own the hotels, but they do have obligations to Loews

I'm not sure why this keeps being repeated here. Universal DOES own the hotels, they have Lowes operate them for them.

This is the trim notice for Cabana Bay, you can look up the others if you wish. Note the owner's name, the others are the same.

Page Not Found

trimnet.ocpafl.org

 

[GoofGoof]

I'm not sure why this keeps being repeated here. Universal DOES own the hotels, they have Lowes operate them for them.

This is the trim notice for Cabana Bay, you can look up the others if you wish. Note the owner's name, the others are the same.

Page Not Found

trimnet.ocpafl.org

It’s a partnership. Universal contributed the land and Loews contributed everything else. Loews is the majority owner and also has a contract to operate the hotels. Universal has a minority ownership interest only in the hotels.

 

[JoeCamel]

It’s a partnership. Universal contributed the land and Loews contributed everything else. Loews is the majority owner and also has a contract to operate the hotels. Universal has a minority ownership interest only in the hotels.

You got something for me to look at? Not what I understand at all.

UNIVERSAL CITY DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS LTD is the same company that has UOR total?

 

[GoofGoof]

You got something for me to look at? Not what I understand at all.

UNIVERSAL CITY DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS LTD is the same company that has UOR total?

Universal owns all of the land. The resorts themselves are a 50/50 joint venture and since Loews also has a contract with the joint venture to operate the hotels they consolidate them on their financial statements.

From Loews 2Q 2020 Earnings Highlights:

 

[ParentsOf4]

From Comcast's annual report:

Universal Orlando also includes Universal CityWalk Orlando, a dining, retail and entertainment complex, and features onsite themed hotels in which we own a noncontrolling interest.​

 

[JoeCamel]

From Comcast's annual report:

Universal Orlando also includes Universal CityWalk Orlando, a dining, retail and entertainment complex, and features onsite themed hotels in which we own a noncontrolling interest.​

So Universal does own hotels and should be concerned with occupancy?

 

[GoofGoof]

So Universal does own hotels and should be concerned with occupancy?

As I said in the original quote Universal is less concerned with the occupancy of their hotels than Disney. That’s 100% true. Disney makes as much of more from the resorts than they make from the theme parks themselves, for Universal that’s not the case.

 

[wdwmagic]

PHOTOS - Aerial views of Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon as both remain closed

Blizzard Beach News

The main parks reopened in mid-July but there is still no expectation for when we may see Walt Disney World's water parks reopen.

www.wdwmagic.com

 

[GoofGoof]

PHOTOS - Aerial views of Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon as both remain closed

Blizzard Beach News

The main parks reopened in mid-July but there is still no expectation for when we may see Walt Disney World's water parks reopen.

www.wdwmagic.com

Considering how packed those waterparks always are in July/August it’s surreal to see them empty like that. Still looks refreshing though. Can’t wait to fight that wave pool again once this all blows over

 

[surfsupdon]

PHOTOS - Aerial views of Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon as both remain closed

Blizzard Beach News

The main parks reopened in mid-July but there is still no expectation for when we may see Walt Disney World's water parks reopen.

www.wdwmagic.com

Thanks Steve, I miss Typhoon. Fortunately I get waves where I live, but with an impending cold winter looming ahead, I want some perfect 6ft peelers every 90secs on my Disney trips!
I heard that the water park CMs are the ones over in Epcot while the cultural CMs are not able to be there.

Does that make sense? Sorry if it were already discussed, too.

 

[DCBaker]

"Now, Disney has announced that all four Walt Disney World theme parks will have shortened hours beginning September 8th. Here are the updated hours:

Magic Kingdom – 9am to 6pm (previously closed at 7pm)
EPCOT – 11am to 7pm (previously closed at 9pm)
Disney’s Hollywood Studios – 10am to 7pm (previously closed at 8pm)
Disney’s Animal Kingdom – 8am to 5pm (previously closed at 6pm)"

All Four Disney World Theme Parks Shortening Hours Beginning September 8th

Walt Disney World news, photos, and reviews! We provide you with daily news from the Walt Disney World theme parks and beyond

blogmickey.com

 

[Magic Feather]

"Now, Disney has announced that all four Walt Disney World theme parks will have shortened hours beginning September 8th. Here are the updated hours:

Magic Kingdom – 9am to 6pm (previously closed at 7pm)
EPCOT – 11am to 7pm (previously closed at 9pm)
Disney’s Hollywood Studios – 10am to 7pm (previously closed at 8pm)
Disney’s Animal Kingdom – 8am to 5pm (previously closed at 6pm)"

All Four Disney World Theme Parks Shortening Hours Beginning September 8th

Walt Disney World news, photos, and reviews! We provide you with daily news from the Walt Disney World theme parks and beyond

blogmickey.com

I’m under the impression that this (and more attraction-specific reduced hours that haven’t come out yet) are being done instead of closing select parks on select days, which was another proposal that some Orlando parks are already doing, and others may adopt in the near-ish future.

 

[oceanbreeze77]

I’m under the impression that this (and more attraction-specific reduced hours that haven’t come out yet) are being done instead of closing select parks on select days, which was another proposal that some Orlando parks are already doing, and others may adopt in the near-ish future.

like wdw parks? are they just seeing how this goes first?

 

[DCBaker]

"Now, Disney has announced that all four Walt Disney World theme parks will have shortened hours beginning September 8th. Here are the updated hours:

Magic Kingdom – 9am to 6pm (previously closed at 7pm)
EPCOT – 11am to 7pm (previously closed at 9pm)
Disney’s Hollywood Studios – 10am to 7pm (previously closed at 8pm)
Disney’s Animal Kingdom – 8am to 5pm (previously closed at 6pm)"

All Four Disney World Theme Parks Shortening Hours Beginning September 8th

Walt Disney World news, photos, and reviews! We provide you with daily news from the Walt Disney World theme parks and beyond

blogmickey.com

One note on this - I checked the app to see if park passes have been updated and it shows 9-5 for AK in September -

 

[durangojim]

I wonder if this means they’ll extend APs again.

 

[GoofGoof]

I’m under the impression that this (and more attraction-specific reduced hours that haven’t come out yet) are being done instead of closing select parks on select days, which was another proposal that some Orlando parks are already doing, and others may adopt in the near-ish future.

Makes sense. I think if I was going to WDW I’d rather have 1 park a day closed and longer hours but I can under sat and how the way they are doing it probably makes more sense economically. Either way, tough times for the mouse house, but so far they are making it work for the limited people willing to try it. I imagine the crowds will be even less if you go in Sept once all the schools are back.

 

[techgeek]

A little surprised they cut 7-9p at Epcot and didn’t trim it off the opening time. 1-9p wouldn’t have been a bad 8 hour operating day. I would have thought those last two hours would have been valuable in festival sales.

 

[zengoth]

A little surprised they cut 7-9p at Epcot and didn’t trim it off the opening time. 1-9p wouldn’t have been a bad 8 hour operating day. I would have thought those last two hours would have been valuable in festival sales.

I'm sure they want every trashcan top bar table to be ready for max lunchtime food/wineage . The long-suffering world showcase restaurants probably want the same thing. I'm a 2pm-3pm meal guy from way back in order to avoid the crowds.