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

[eliza61nyc]

No meet and greets, no playgrounds, no parades, no fireworks, plexiglass at every cash register, mandatory face coverings "while on property," which would seem to include parking lots and every other place.

This sounds like a miserable guest experience. I know it was expected but I'm disappointed. IMO, you just don't open if this is the only way you think you can do it safely.

You know Captain I thought that way also lol but it seems almost EVERY vacation venue is going to be doing the same thing. I've been googling around and just about every place is Mask, plexiglass and temperature checks.
New world

 

[eliza61nyc]

Add some Lysol spray. Haven't seen it on the shelves since March.

Lysol is having the same issues those of us in the chemical industry are. We can't get raw materials from China

 

[durangojim]

We received an email last night at 1am

 

[eliza61nyc]

I arrive at Disneyworld on August 17, you think it is possible that some of the decisions that have been made have been relaxed. In other words, the meets and greets or parades return.

My vote is not a chance. I cancelled my August 24th reservations for exactly that reason.

 

[sjhym333]

I know that everyone is itching to get back to WDW and enjoy a great vacation. Throughout the past couple of months there has been a lot of conjecture about reopening and such and a lot of it has ended up being wrong. Here is what we know about Disney moving forward:. They have been extremely cautious about this whole process. I don't think that will change. While it would be nice to see them add things back quickly I don't see that happening. We know they are running parks at reduced capacity and reduced hours through August. I also expect that without the college and international program CMs there they are working with a reduced workforce while at the same time needing CMs who will monitor social distancing and such. I think you will see announcements as things are added back in and I believe that when it happens it will include dates weeks down the road instead of more immediately.

Considering the current situation I think you have to honestly ask yourself if the things being offered, the potential of not being able to park hop or even get a reservation to a particular park, the reality of no parades or fireworks, very reduced seating at some restaurants, a park wide attraction reservation system are deal breakers for your vacation in the near future. WDW isn't going anywhere and it may be in your best interest to let this play out awhile before planning a trip.

 

[durangojim]

I know that everyone is itching to get back to WDW and enjoy a great vacation. Throughout the past couple of months there has been a lot of conjecture about reopening and such and a lot of it has ended up being wrong. Here is what we know about Disney moving forward:. They have been extremely cautious about this whole process. I don't think that will change. While it would be nice to see them add things back quickly I don't see that happening. We know they are running parks at reduced capacity and reduced hours through August. I also expect that without the college and international program CMs there they are working with a reduced workforce while at the same time needing CMs who will monitor social distancing and such. I think you will see announcements as things are added back in and I believe that when it happens it will include dates weeks down the road instead of more immediately.

Considering the current situation I think you have to honestly ask yourself if the things being offered, the potential of not being able to park hop or even get a reservation to a particular park, the reality of no parades or fireworks, very reduced seating at some restaurants, a park wide attraction reservation system are deal breakers for your vacation in the near future. WDW isn't going anywhere and it may be in your best interest to let this play out awhile before planning a trip.

Well said. As I’ve said before, if I can’t get the parks and dining we want, we won’t be going. We’ll just do something else with the probably $15K we would have spent at WDW. I’m hoping for the best but preparing for the worst.

 

[JohnByers]

Let's all take a moment to pray for the travel agents who will be trying to rebook dining, entry, ect. for all their clients that will have an immediate booking window when it opens. It's going to be stressful and unfortunately probably some not so nice clients.

Thank you, my wife’s anxiety has been the other roof with this!

 

[trainplane3]

But will it be as you knew it?

When FP returns, it'll be the perfect time to introduce the "new" paid FP that so many have mentioned for a long time now.

 

[DisneyDebRob]

I thought about Nov before Thanksgiving. One of my favorite times. It’s too soon for me. If I move Aug I want at least 6 months to get the kinks out. I’d prefer a full year but with the DVC restrictions I can’t wait that long. My kids have 3 days off around Presidents Day so we could do 9 or 10 nights and only miss 3 school days. Not ideal but better than dealing with masks and all this joy in August.

Preach!

 

[mhaftman7]

I couldn’t agree more. As a pass holder/Florida resident it seems like we are always pushed to the side even through we’re the loyal ones.

Really? I live 1,500 miles away. My inability to move within a reasonable proximity does not make me less loyal than someone who lives 30 minutes away.

 

[LuvtheGoof]

But in Shanghai you cannot use your AP to get into the park right now. You have to purchase a separate dated pass. The way it seems here is, as of July 11, AP's (those not blocked out by type) will be allowed in, so the count would start then.

Sorry, but not true. They simply have to make a reservation to visit the park. They do NOT have to purchase a ticket. Here is the policy:

Annual Pass holder Advanced Reservation flow and rules:

• Shanghai Disneyland Annual Pass holders who have redeemed their Annual Pass are required to reserve a date and time of visit prior to arriving at the resort. You need to fill out the Annual Pass number and associated government ID. If an accompanying guest is a child under the age of 3 years old or with a height of 1.0 meter and below on the day of their visit, his/her name and government ID and the Annual Pass holder’s mobile phone number are required for advanced reservation.
• Reservation is subject to the eligible dates for different Pass types on the up-to-date Shanghai Disneyland Annual Pass Calendar. Annual Pass holders have to make a reservation online within seven days before their visit. The daily quota is in limited quantities and is offered on a first come, first served basis.
• We are offering park entry sessions with different start times depending on daily operations. Please go to the Advanced Reservation page for more details and select a visitation date and a park entry session.
• Only one reservation per time per pass is permitted. The reservation is cancellable and changeable subject to the availability of the daily quota. Annual Pass holders are unable to make another reservation until the current one is redeemed, cancelled or expired. The reservation status of the accompanying child who is under the age of 3 years old or with a height of 1.0 meter and below on the day of their visit must be the same as the Annual Pass holder.
• Guests under the age of 16 years old must be accompanied by a guest aged 16 or older in order to enter the park.

ETA: Shanghai Disney has already stated that APs will be extended starting from the first closure date all the way through the park advanced reservation system being used. So at WDW, APs will be extended from park closure until Disney feels they no longer need the reservation system. There is zero reason to think that Disney will do something different at WDW or DL.

 

[DisneyDebRob]

An interesting tool available for DVC members is the availability tool. While I don’t check it daily I do look at it every week and the month to month availability within the 7 month window is getting more and more frequent. Even for busy DVC time in September, and October. So there is movement there.

Maybe now it may open now that people see what it’s going to be like. I check every few weeks also and there was no rooms to be had. I was going for 16 days end of November into December and my waitlist, even being broken down into 3 stays couldn’t be filled. I cancelled so I’m guessing more will also. As we know, with DVC, I have to use them by February so maybe this all changes by the end of the year.

 

[MaximumEd]

We have a res starting July 13th that was a rebook from a cancelled June trip that was a rebook, etc, etc, going back to March. My poor wife has planned and planned for months and now we get to start all over, provided that we can even get a park reservation. I understand why they have to do this, but it’s frustrating being inside 60 days and not knowing exactly how all this is going to work. Heck, we still don’t know what rides will be operating. Our plan is to just ride it out until we get more info, and either try to jump through the remaining hoops or just pull the plug and try for next year. Good luck, everyone. May the odds be ever in your favor.

 

[jinx8402]

Well said. As I’ve said before, if I can’t get the parks and dining we want, we won’t be going. We’ll just do something else with the probably $15K we would have spent at WDW. I’m hoping for the best but preparing for the worst.

They have officially changed their cancellation policy to now state through the closure period, but hopefully they extend that for situations like this. We're in in the same boat as you for our late August trip. Depending on what parks and reservations we get, along with our party requiring certain attractions and experiences actually being open, this will likely ultimately decide if we go or not.

 

[Jrb1979]

Well said. As I’ve said before, if I can’t get the parks and dining we want, we won’t be going. We’ll just do something else with the probably $15K we would have spent at WDW. I’m hoping for the best but preparing for the worst.

Cedar Point will probably be opening soon. You could vacation there

 

[Ralf]

We received an email last night at 1am
View attachment 473442

Just curious, for when is your reservation? and what kind of tickets do you have? I booked my stay and tickets separately (but both directly from Disney UK), and they both are in MDE. Any other people received an e-mail?

 

[mickeymiss]

We received an email last night at 1am
View attachment 473442

We didn't receive this email. Our trip was for 8/7. Did they exclude us because we had only paid the deposit? I thought I was being smart by waiting until it was due and when I knew they were open.

 

[Ralf]

We didn't receive this email. Our trip was for 8/7. Did they exclude us because we had only paid the deposit? I thought I was being smart by waiting until it was due and when I knew they were open.

Not sure if that counts, my final part of the invoice is not due yet. hmm...

 

[CastAStone]

I'll believe it when I see it. People are always threatening to quit Disney and yet they keep growing.

I agree. I am seeing everywhere guests who were planning on going may not now.

Disney needs tens of thousands of currently reserved guests to not go. I think guests cancelling is a feature, not a bug.

Eventually Disney will be cancelling peoples reservations for them if the reduced experiences do not compel enough people to cancel on their own.

An interesting tool available for DVC members is the availability tool. While I don’t check it daily I do look at it every week and the month to month availability within the 7 month window is getting more and more frequent. Even for busy DVC time in September, and October. So there is movement there.

If they can just bank their points, why wouldn’t they wait until 2021? I would.

Between the closure, guests banking rather than traveling, and the inability to borrow points into this year for guests who do still want to go, The glut of points next year is going to be beyond unwieldy.

 

[awoogala]

Just curious, for when is your reservation? and what kind of tickets do you have? I booked my stay and tickets separately (but both directly from Disney UK), and they both are in MDE. Any other people received an e-mail?

I received one last night. Not sure which reservations they are talking about, however- I have dining/events booked for July 20-24 (no hotel), and an entire trip for 4 booked for August 24-30 at Swan/with tickets/dining/events. I also have an AP for both trips, but it has not been activated yet.
It didn't reference any dates.
I'm assuming the July trip will not happen now, due to the conference probably being canceled, but the August trip was a family trip, and I'm a bit anxious about how stressful this whole thing will be. We've decided to hang on for a bit to see what we're going to do, and how they are going to deal with our tickets, and rebooking, which doesn't seem very clear.