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

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I hope Epcot's mid-July opening gives international CMs time to travel (when allowed to) and quarantine. I would guess that's just one of the reasons to open Ecpot later.

I don’t see them bringing them back in a relative “rush”....

I would think it’s maybe advantageous to offer it and supplement the staff with redistribution as required...

 

[polynesiangirl]

I...have a lot of questions about how any of this is actually going to work in real life. I guess we'll get to see how some of it plays out at Universal etc first. And by mid-July we'll be able to see (to an extent) what the impact on caseload/hospitalizations was from the general easing of restrictions nationwide.

I just don't buy that people are actually going to follow these rules, based on decades of observing terrible/careless guest behavior. And wearing a mask in the Florida summer heat still sounds absolutely awful (and I am generally not opposed to mask-wearing overall. I just would not be willing to spend Disney-levels of vacation dollars to experience the parks this way.)

It's going to be interesting to watch the next couple of months play out.

 

[DVCakaCarlF]

I’ve skimmed through the threads, but I can’t seem to find this question or answer: If I’m non DVC, but I have a reservation at a DVC resort, does that mean I can hold my reservation prior to park opening? Also, what about non DVC rooms?

For example, I have a booked club level room to the weekend of July 4th.

 

[Lilofan]

A few other things to remember here. First, masks will get very sweaty quickly, and once damp will harbor bacteria, which can cause other infections. I don’t think Disney really wants that to happen either. My bet is they expect to be able to cancel the mask requirement before or shortly after they reopen.

So that's goes the same for the guests whose t-shirts are drenched with sweat the guests wear all day by vacationing in the former swamp they call WDW?

 

[Disstevefan1]

About right...and in-line with the concerns I believe Disney already had.

Not rushing into anything.

The mask requirement is the big issue now. Enjoy bastille day in Epcot with a mask in a 115 heat undex.

I’m curious to see what demand will be?

At least EPCOT is large enough to social distance... oh wait, all those construction walls.... Nevermind

 

[WDW Pro]

Remember...they also “had” to open in April...then may...then June...

People want everyone to forget the clueless things they said. Don’t think it will happen though

90% of what was proposed in secure circuit is in, and the remaining 10% hasn't been announced officially yet. Literally the only change from what was posted weeks ago is Animal Kingdom is opening simultaneously (which I said they were considering). No fireworks, no meet and greets, mandatory masks, virtual queues, mandatory health screenings, e.t.c... all of it turned out to be accurate, and I called it way before Shanghai opened or anything else came out. Oh, and after Universal came out aggressively, my statement about reopening was still within two weeks.

But some will never admit they were wrong.

 

[Beacon Joe]

When they figure out how to Space 220 tables apart to ensure social distancing.

Dude, I'm seriously at the point where I just want to sign a waiver and sit in a packed section full of fellow grumpy old statisticians. Heck, I'll even sign a waiver stating that I accept all legal and medical responsibility for rubbing my hands all over Pooh's honey wall.

 

[GoofGoof]

I...have a lot of questions about how any of this is actually going to work in real life. I guess we'll get to see how some of it plays out at Universal etc first. And by mid-July we'll be able to see (to an extent) what the impact on caseload/hospitalizations was from the general easing of restrictions nationwide.

I just don't buy that people are actually going to follow these rules, based on decades of observing terrible/careless guest behavior. And wearing a mask in the Florida summer heat still sounds absolutely awful (and I am generally not opposed to mask-wearing overall. I just would not be willing to spend Disney-levels of vacation dollars to experience the parks this way.)

It's going to be interesting to watch the next couple of months play out.

I think Disney has thrown in the towel on hoping to open with less restrictions. It sounded like maybe that was their plan at one point but Universal jumped the gun and announced a shotgun reopening. They fell victim to peer pressure and we get this plan. There are so many logistical nightmares around this reopening. If Disney waited a little longer there’s a shot they could have opened with much fewer restrictions. They would have come out of this looking so much better and would,have never had to compromise customer experience to this extent. Guests wouldn’t be forced to jump through all these hoops all while paying top dollar for the right. It’s going to leave a bad taste in a lot of people’s mouths. Will it matter long term? Probably not.

In relation to your point on following rules, it won’t happen. Some people have already said they don’t intend to follow them. Many others who have good intentions are going to fall victim to the heat and humidity. If the choice is follow a rule or pass out people will take the masks off. That’s going to lead to guest on guest conflict. We’ve seen videos from all over of people confronting other people in stores over masks. Disney isn’t exempt from that. Kids are going to be the biggest problem. When a 3 year old won’t keep their mask on but someone calls out the parents that’s a recipe for fireworks. Since those are the only fireworks people will see I guess just sit back and enjoy, but it doesn’t sound ”magical” to me.

 

[Mainahman]

Dude, I'm seriously at the point where I just want to sign a waiver and sit in a packed section full of fellow grumpy old statisticians. Heck, I'll even sign a waiver stating that I accept all legal and medical responsibility for rubbing my hands all over Pooh's honey wall.

Is there an extra waiver for licking it? #askingforafriend

 

[GoofGoof]

90% of what was proposed in secure circuit is in, and the remaining 10% hasn't been announced officially yet. Literally the only change from what was posted weeks ago is Animal Kingdom is opening simultaneously (which I said they were considering). No fireworks, no meet and greets, mandatory masks, virtual queues, mandatory health screenings, e.t.c... all of it turned out to be accurate, and I called it way before Shanghai opened or anything else came out. Oh, and after Universal came out aggressively, my statement about reopening was still within two weeks.

But some will never admit they were wrong.

You were pretty much dead on. I give credit where credit is due

Of course I never said you weren’t right so I’m not admitting I was wrong Some others I think will conveniently avoid this conversation

 

[Beacon Joe]

Is there an extra waiver for licking it? #askingforafriend

Hey, if you go on the first day, that wall will be the cleanest it's ever been. May as well!

I'm pretty sure that my lips have accidentally touched Injun Joe's Cave.

 

[NoBreyner60]

I'm surprised they're opening Epcot this early. Every rumor I've heard speculated that Epcot would come back last because of the amount of work it needs. That isn't even to mention the international castmembers needed for the pavilions. Weren't applications for international positions were to be submitted in August?

 

[marni1971]

I hope Epcot's mid-July opening gives international CMs time to travel (when allowed to) and quarantine. I would guess that's just one of the reasons to open Ecpot later.

As fat as I know the US borders are still closed to European international air travel. And Mexico. And Canada. And China.

Morocco or Japan it is then.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

90% of what was proposed in secure circuit is in, and the remaining 10% hasn't been announced officially yet. Literally the only change from what was posted weeks ago is Animal Kingdom is opening simultaneously (which I said they were considering). No fireworks, no meet and greets, mandatory masks, virtual queues, mandatory health screenings, e.t.c... all of it turned out to be accurate, and I called it way before Shanghai opened or anything else came out. Oh, and after Universal came out aggressively, my statement about reopening was still within two weeks.

But some will never admit they were wrong.

Easy, Tiger...

I’m not doing that “insider” thing with you. I’ll let you live in your world.

I was more highlighting the clueless that kept insisting Disney was:
1. In a hurry
2. “Had” to open.

A lot of that was selfishness...but Most was immaturity and a general lack of understanding of Disney’s theme park business.

 

[Mainahman]

Hey, if you go on the first day, that wall will be the cleanest it's ever been. May as well!

I'm pretty sure that my lips have accidentally touched Injun Joe's Cave.

We dont arrive to the 9th of august.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

As fat as I know the US borders are still closed to European international air travel. And Mexico. And Canada. And China.

Morocco or Japan it is then.

Thank you...

I didn’t know for sure...but educated guess says no CPs/IPs till 2021 at the earliest.

If they’re on lower capacity...they’ll want to redistribute the full time staff anyway to maximize the squeeze out of them anyway.

 

[polynesiangirl]

In relation to your point on following rules, it won’t happen. Some people have already said they don’t intend to follow them. Many others who have good intentions are going to fall victim to the heat and humidity. If the choice is follow a rule or pass out people will take the masks off. That’s going to lead to guest on guest conflict. We’ve seen videos from all over of people confronting other people in stores over masks. Disney isn’t exempt from that. Kids are going to be the biggest problem. When a 3 year old won’t keep their mask on but someone calls out the parents that’s a recipe for fireworks. Since those are the only fireworks people will see I guess just sit back and enjoy, but it doesn’t sound ”magical” to me.

God, I didn't even think about the whole "guests attempting to police each other with almost certainly bad results" element to all this. Having seen people go absolutely crazy at each other over much, much less over the years at WDW, I can only imagine what's going to happen now.

This makes me wonder if they're just banking on the idea that by mid-July everyone will have more or less given up on masks entirely (for good or bad). But if there's some huge spike in cases or something in the next couple of months (I'm not saying there WILL be, just that this is a possibility given that more and more people are going out again), how can they NOT require them? Ugh. No good options, really.

 

[note2001]

Mask will be issue with Excess CO2 building as you wear a mask as will Hypercapnia!! Face Coverings in the FLORIDA SUN with HEAT and HUMIDITY will be Sweat Rags that Breed Infections and Skin Issues!! Masks will be ovens!! Relief areas will not cut it!! When people start passing out due to the increase of CO2 Disney will have problems with people passing out, headaches and more!! The body expels CO2 when Exhaling and any Mask or Covering limits the release and the CO2 returns into Body as it builds over an 6 to 8 to more Hour Day in the FLORIDA SUN and HEAT it will not be pretty! Disney Springs is not MK or EPCOT!! Masks should be optional because COVID is basically killed in the Sun in about 60 secs...The PARTICLES people speak of when in HIGH HUMIDITY are ABSORBED and weighed down which makes COVID in the FLORIDA SUN and HUMIDITY extremely difficult to pass and survive!! Universal Volcano Bay will not require MASKS I think because of the IN and OUT of WATER!! Volcano Bay will do extremely well!! Disney will have to look to Open Blizzard Bleach and Typhoon Lagoon ASAP!! The Resorts should open!! Hotels are OPEN ALL OVER FLORIDA and there is no reason Disney cannot Manage!! Universal will be out shortly with HOTEL PLANS as well!

There is so much wrong with your post, I don't know where to start.

We'll be wearing fabric or paper face masks. These do not trap exhaled gases, but will stop aerosols. These masks will not asphyxiate. What you're referring to is known as a plastic bag. Last time I checked we were supposed to keep them away from our children for exactly this reason.

Sunshine down at our living level will not kill this virus. Stop reading the sites that push this information as they're just spreading dangerous stories. Here's the info you're looking for with some bonus technical papers attached throughout:

source: https://www.cnet.com/health/does-uv-light-kill-coronavirus-what-the-science-says/​

​

There are three classes of UV light: UV-A, UV-B and UV-C.​

​

UV-A and UV-B light cause sunburns and premature skin aging, and exposure to both is associated with the development of skin cancer. UV-C light, which has the most energy of all three types, is the most harmful, but it fortunately doesn't reach the Earth's surface because our atmosphere absorbs it.​

​

There's man-made UV-C light, too: It's what's in the UV light sanitizers that companies claim kill the coronavirus. According to the National Academy of Sciences, it's probable that this is true, because UV light has been used to disinfect surfaces and water for a long time, and it's generally successful.​

​

It works because UV-C light is strong enough to destroy the genetic material -- either DNA or RNA -- of viruses and bacteria. There's no evidence right now that typical sun exposure can kill the coronavirus, so no, going outside on a sunny day won't reduce your risk of catching it.​

​

​

 

[Lilofan]

God, I didn't even think about the whole "guests attempting to police each other with almost certainly bad results" element to all this. Having seen people go absolutely crazy at each other over much, much less over the years at WDW, I can only imagine what's going to happen now.

This makes me wonder if they're just banking on the idea that by mid-July everyone will have more or less given up on masks entirely (for good or bad). But if there's some huge spike in cases or something in the next couple of months (I'm not saying there WILL be, just that this is a possibility given that more and more people are going out again), how can they NOT require them? Ugh. No good options, really.

I've seen people confront each other inside stores with ice cold AC where I live. Guests in the heat and humidity mixed with a lot of alcohol (Epcot) is a bad mix arguing over masks and social distancing.

 

[csmat99]

Thank you...

I didn’t know for sure...but educated guess says no CPs/IPs till 2021 at the earliest.

If they’re on lower capacity...they’ll want to redistribute the full time staff anyway to maximize the squeeze out of them anyway.

How hard is it to say thank you for spending $15 for a bud light in different language?