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

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I do remember. I also got to experience that again last summer at DLR. Most of the restaurants were walk ins every day we were there. We actually made a few reservations because we are regulars to WDW and thought we needed them. The only place that was booked solid is the restaurant in Pirates. Everything else was either seated right away or less than a 30 min wait. Due to extremely less capacity I have a feeling it won’t be like that at WDW anytime soon.

We all sadly remember.

That was a different booking system. Disney parks were best with legacy fastpass and priority seating...so 1995-2005 basically.

 

[LuvtheGoof]

I believe that’s how Shanghai worked it. You could choose to keep extending your AP and not go while reservations are required or you could make a reservation and go. Once you go to the park the clock starts again on the AP again.

Not exactly. Shanghai is NOT starting the clock on anyone just because they use their AP for a park reservation. Their AP website states that the AP will be extended to the end of the Advanced Reservation Period - and nothing else. It does not make the caveat that if you use it, the clock will stop.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I'm not jaded enough to feel they should lock out reservations for anyone who would like them, property wide, but maybe they could ask when you book at a resort, any resort with a table service restaurant if you want a reservation. When I say ask, maybe a line with a place to check the box. Might be a simple way to provide for that resort's guests, especially when the resort reservations are made months in advance.

I think a set aside is customary and few have gone bankrupt Doing it

 

[DisneyDebRob]

We all sadly remember.

That was a different booking system. Disney parks were best with legacy fastpass and priority seating...so 1995-2005 basically.

This.

 

[Parker in NYC]

A problem for wdw for many years is how they charge premium for their rooms...but don’t restrict access and over book the services.
If you pay $550 a night...you should have a table with few questions asked.

You've obviously never been to many hotels outside of WDW. The pricing is on par with the industry standard. Do you know how expensive it is to go to a Red Roof Inn in Boulder? (Oh, wait. Sorry, that was a regurgitation of my past board nightmares). Carry on!

 

[jrhwdw]

I think some may not realize what social distancing is really going to look like in the parks.

Disney Springs reopened World of Disney this week, and with a relatively small crowd that gathered for the opening, it took an hour of waiting to enter a virtual queue, followed by a 4 or 5 hour wait to actually get inside.

Now imagine how the parks are going to look based on that.

Disney is going to be reopened in a very conservative and measured way.

Things like dining reservations, FP and all the things we've been conditioned to do over the years are just not going to be a big part of the picture for a while.

Well, we'll see how UOR deals with social distancing beginning next week.

As for WOD at Springs, aren't the crowds more manageable now? I'm not seeing those 3/4/5 hour waits on Twitter after day 1. Might the Parks follow that after the Joy of Day 1 at all 4 Parks?

 

[MonorailMegan]

Does anyone remember how easy it used to be to get dining reservations before the dining plans came out? Dining plans greatly increased people going to table services. You used to just be able to wait till you got to the park the day of and make a reservation.

Ahhh... the Good Ol' Days!!!!

 

[DisneyCane]

Well the was unexpected news, at least for me anyway.

I wonder why it hasn't been approved yet. Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't the Gov sign off on Universal's plan within a few hours of submitting it?

Maybe since universal planned to open so much sooner they provided the Governor's office with an advanced copy where Disney was cought off guard and showed it for the first time to orange county?

 

[DisneyCane]

They aren’t going to make any money until 2021 if even, but the process has to start and wind back up. It’s going to take months. The longer they delay the longer it takes to get back to profitability.

Exactly, but there is a chance they lose more in both the short and medium term if they stay closed. There are costs that don't go away when closed. If I had time I'd look it up but I'd imagine they have a decent sized property tax bill to start with.

 

[DisneyDebRob]

Well, we'll see how UOR deals with social distancing beginning next week.

As for WOD at Springs, aren't the crowds more manageable now? I'm not seeing those 3/4/5 hour waits on Twitter after day 1. Might the Parks follow that after the Joy of Day 1 at all 4 Parks?

Big difference in the springs compared to the parks. First day at the springs reopening was packed with vloggers.. podcasters.. any social media type to get their pics and vids to post. Since then you have basically seen the crowd that will show up, which is a lot less people.
As for the parks, social distancing is going to be tough along with all the other restrictions. Just find the video of Shanghai before they opened with the boss walking through the park saying social distancing here and there ,this and that. Now go find the video of the daytime parade just posted a few days ago. Zero social distancing, looked like a regular day with crowds of people on to of each other. They were at low capacity also.
They will enforce it as much as the can but it’s going to be tough.

 

[DisneyDebRob]

Exactly, but there is a chance they lose more in both the short and medium term if they stay closed. There are costs that don't go away when closed. If I had time I'd look it up but I'd imagine they have a decent sized property tax bill to start with.

Chapek says they will be able to pay the bills by opening and lower capacity. I don’t see how.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

You've obviously never been to many hotels outside of WDW. The pricing is on par with the industry standard. Do you know how expensive it is to go to a Red Roof Inn in Boulder? (Oh, wait. Sorry, that was a regurgitation of my past board nightmares). Carry on!

I...see...what...you...did...there...

Please cite a source for this. As far as anything I've read this is not true at all. If it was the CDC would be recommending face coverings at all times everywhere not just when you can't socially distanced.

Also, if it was true, South Dakota would be having a very bad outbreak as a percentage of population and not the 11th lowest deaths per million population in the US and just about average cases per million population in the US. Just about nobody there is wearing a mask walking around anywhere and they are passing by each other all over the place.

Every study I have read done anywhere in the world says that the primary transmission occurs from prolonged, close contact with an infected person. The exact opposite of walking past someone.

I saw some news blips a week or two ago talking about European studies...studies I’m sure are ongoing but make a lot of sense. It’s a scientific fact you expel liquid and Gases as you speak and those are subject to covid.

You seem to be hung up on google quoting...I am not (born before 1995)... so I will allow you to do the deep dive. Let me know what you find?

Don’t let my posting mislead you into thinking I’m not busy...i’m On a zoom call for a decent sized project in manhattan right now

But my multitasking has limits.

 

[Mainahman]

Chapek says they will be able to pay the bills by opening and lower capacity. I don’t see how.

Chapek says they will be able to pay the bills by opening and lower capacity. I don’t see how.

well im sure the rack rate for food, is higher than the negotiated DDP rates... plus the bank they will make off the NBA being on site.

 

[WondersOfLife]

You've obviously never been to many hotels outside of WDW. The pricing is on par with the industry standard. Do you know how expensive it is to go to a Red Roof Inn in Boulder? (Oh, wait. Sorry, that was a regurgitation of my past board nightmares). Carry on!

I stayed at Seralago Hotel for $35 a night. And Baymont Inn literally right outside of AK for $45 a night. Both were perfectly fine. On top of that? Universal has their own value resorts that start from $80, plus 6 person suite options for just $120 per night.

So yea. Disney’s hotel pricing is ridiculous. Especially since you aren’t spending most of your time at the hotels.

edit: wait. Was your post sarcastic.. hard to tell on these boards.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Chapek says they will be able to pay the bills by opening and lower capacity. I don’t see how.

Only with very high spending per person and significant reductions in staff and overhead...

...but the pieces are moving on that...I’m sure

 

[Parker in NYC]

I stayed at Seralago Hotel for $35 a night. And Baymont Inn literally right outside of AK for $45 a night. Both were perfectly fine. On top of that? Universal has their own value resorts that start from $80, plus 6 person suite options for just $120 per night.

So yea. Disney’s hotel pricing is ridiculous. Especially since you aren’t spending most of your time at the hotels.

edit: wait. Was your post sarcastic.. hard to tell on these boards.

The board did that to me. I was an innocent bystander, corrupted.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I stayed at Seralago Hotel for $35 a night. And Baymont Inn literally right outside of AK for $45 a night. Both were perfectly fine. On top of that? Universal has their own value resorts that start from $80, plus 6 person suite options for just $120 per night.

So yea. Disney’s hotel pricing is ridiculous. Especially since you aren’t spending most of your time at the hotels.

edit: wait. Was your post sarcastic.. hard to tell on these boards.

Yes...We gotta get you a webinar on sarcasm or something

(Don’t shoot...That’s sarcasm too)

Anyway...love the Uni properties...the problem there is express is such a game changer it really forces your hand.

 

[WondersOfLife]

The board did that to me. I was an innocent bystander, corrupted.

Get outta heeere

 

[wdwmagic]

Please don't discuss the rights or wrongs of masks in this thread - this is all about the reopening, and masks are required.

 

[Kingoglow]

Chapek says they will be able to pay the bills by opening and lower capacity. I don’t see how.

Do you think the parks bring in billions in revenue by operating on a slim margin? There is plenty of room for WDW to reduce capacity or prices and still be profitable.