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

[bartholomr4]

Errr... that’s temporary.

Errr... that’s temporary.

We have different definitions of temporary. It kills my reservation and plans.

 

[peter11435]

We have different definitions of temporary. It kills my reservation and plans.

It impacting your reservation during a single moment in time does not make it not temporary.

 

[bartholomr4]

It impacting your reservation during a single moment in time does not make it not temporary.

My only hope at this time, is the email to the Travel Companies was a ”trial balloon“ to see how people would react. and others will react like me and cancel their reservations. Resulting in a decision which will maintain park hopper availability in July so we can still go and get our ”Disney Fix”. There has to be a limit to the roll back of the experience and this is it for me.

 

[the_rich]

My only hope at this time, is the email to the Travel Companies was a ”trial balloon“ to see how people would react. and others will react like me and cancel their reservations. Resulting in a decision which will maintain park hopper availability in July so we can still go and get our ”Disney Fix”. There has to be a limit to the roll back of the experience and this is it for me.

I think they are hoping that people cancel and rebook. Im assuming they have too many reservations as is.

 

[peter11435]

My only hope at this time, is the email to the Travel Companies was a ”trial balloon“ to see how people would react. and others will react like me and cancel their reservations. Resulting in a decision which will maintain park hopper availability in July so we can still go and get our ”Disney Fix”. There has to be a limit to the roll back of the experience and this is it for me.

Don’t get your hopes up.

Many will cancel their reservations. Although to be quite honest, they know this, expect this, and need this. They want people to cancel, they need people to cancel.

 

[disneygeek90]

im predicting this “initial phased reopening” lasts through the end of August. Come September college program returns and restrictions lift in order to accommodate the coming holiday festivities and events. If the majority of restrictions stay in places at that point in time I can’t see Disney lifting them till 2021 then. My two cents

My personal guess is that nearly all restrictions are in place at least through the end of the year, especially as we head back into winter and “normal” flu season. I don’t see Disney being in a rush to bring back fireworks and parades that just add extra cost without much additional return.

Again, just a guess, but I did correctly guess the July opening

If the rumors are correct, and this is for the remainder of 2020, then that isn’t temporary. And to my original post, this will result in the cancellation of our late July reservations for 3 people for a week, because the experience will not be worth it to us.... This is the straw that would break the back of our patience....

In the grand scheme of things, 6-12 months is indeed quite temporary.

 

[DisneyDebRob]

My only hope at this time, is the email to the Travel Companies was a ”trial balloon“ to see how people would react. and others will react like me and cancel their reservations. Resulting in a decision which will maintain park hopper availability in July so we can still go and get our ”Disney Fix”. There has to be a limit to the roll back of the experience and this is it for me.

Unfortunately it’s not a trial balloon by Disney. It’s not like they are checking to see how people will respond and if they get negative feedback they won’t do it. It’s not like they are floating a balloon to see if people will book another 100 buck hard ticket. What they said is what they will do to get the parks open. Everything they are doing is trying to open and be as safe for the guests and cast, and efficient in every other way.
Park hopping won’t happen for now whether you or I think it doesn’t make sense. But if we look at it, it does.

 

[nickys]

Staying in a resort hotel does not guarantee access to the parks from July 11.

This is going to be a major sticking point for a lot of people. If they aren’t going to guarantee on-site guests access to at least one of the four parks each day of their trip, I think a lot of people will cancel.

I do think they should hold spots for resort guests and once those are scheduled out release spots for day guests and AP’s.

They’ve already said that’s what they’re doing.

The question is, whether there is enough park capacity for everyone with onsite reservations.

 

[nickys]

what I am confused about is, the info states Guests entering a resort hotel will require a confirmed room reservation or a confirmed dining reservation for day guests....but how can you have a dining reservation as a day guest when there is no dining reservation system through the rest of the year?

The ADR system is up and running now for Disney Springs.

I think they’ll start adding slots for the TS locations that have been announced as opening on June 22nd very soon.

Once people have park reservations they will be able to make ADRs for in-park restaurants that will open.

 

[whiterhino42]

So more things taken away like resort hopping, half the reason we GO to Disney, and still no word on a bigger refund or extension for passholders. It's still set to resume on July 11. Frustrating losing $$$.

No park hopper allowed either just read it.

 

[DCBaker]

 

[nickys]

I do not believe Disney ever said resort guests would have priority for park reservations. Please show me where Disney said that.

https://www.disneyworld.co.uk/experience-updates/

Quote:

The parks will reopen with some important updates to promote physical distancing, including:

• Park Reservations: Initially, park attendance will be managed through a new park reservation system. To enter a park, both a park reservation and valid admission for the same park on the same date is required.
• New Ticket Sales: At this time, new ticket sales are temporarily paused. Existing ticket holders and Annual Passholders will be able to make reservation requests in phases before new tickets are sold. Additional details will be shared with these Guests soon. New ticket sales will resume after that period of time.
• New Disney Resort Hotel Reservations: At this time, new reservations at Disney Resort hotels are temporarily paused so we can focus on Guests with existing reservations (Disney Vacation Club Members can still make new reservations). Reservations will resume after that period of time.

The emails to guests who had FPs and ADRs cancelled also stated that very clearly.

 

[nickys]

Interesting... we will have a lot to think about if we decide to reschedule. Our trip was planned for July 5-10. Now I wonder if they can’t guarantee a park entrance for a resort guest...what happens then if you had purchased let’s say a 10 day ticket and only 6 of those days you get a park reservation, do they refund you the missed out days or extend the expiration (at least a full year IMO) on unused portions?

Yes, they will refund days that you cannot get a park reservation.

 

[donsullivan]

https://www.disneyworld.co.uk/experience-updates/

Quote:

The parks will reopen with some important updates to promote physical distancing, including:

• Park Reservations: Initially, park attendance will be managed through a new park reservation system. To enter a park, both a park reservation and valid admission for the same park on the same date is required.
• New Ticket Sales: At this time, new ticket sales are temporarily paused. Existing ticket holders and Annual Passholders will be able to make reservation requests in phases before new tickets are sold. Additional details will be shared with these Guests soon. New ticket sales will resume after that period of time.
• New Disney Resort Hotel Reservations: At this time, new reservations at Disney Resort hotels are temporarily paused so we can focus on Guests with existing reservations (Disney Vacation Club Members can still make new reservations). Reservations will resume after that period of time.

The emails to guests who had FPs and ADRs cancelled also stated that very clearly.

Which is exactly consistent with my statements. Theme Park admission reservations are about having park admission tickets, it has nothing to do with a room reservation.

 

[jpeden]

I wonder why they aren’t opening Stormalong bay. I would think you’d want to keep guests at their hotels and not have them going to other resorts to use the pool.

 

[peter11435]

I wonder why they aren’t opening Stormalong bay. I would think you’d want to keep guests at their hotels and not have them going to other resorts to use the pool.

Because they aren’t actually opening Yacht and Beach Club yet. The only accommodations that are opening there is the Beach Club Villas building. So the associated pool for Beach Club Villas will be open. Stormalong Bay would be overkill for servicing just the villas building guests.

 

[SpectroMagician]

Not prioritizing hotel guests may be the stupidest move WDW has made in a while. How do you tell people paying hundreds of dollars a night who have flown there from across the country that they may not get to visit the parks but someone staying off property might?

We will most likely be cancelling our trip in September (that was booked 11 months out) if they do not change the policy that would give me the same chance of getting in as someone who bought a single day ticket 3 months ago.

 

[disneygeek90]

Not prioritizing hotel guests may be the stupidest move WDW has made in a while. How do you tell people paying hundreds of dollars a night who have flown there from across the country that they may not get to visit the parks but someone staying off property might?

We will most likely be cancelling our trip in September (that was booked 11 months out) if they do not change the policy that would give me the same chance of getting in as someone who bought a single day ticket 3 months ago.

Disney likely has more resort reservations right now than capacity allows. It sucks but they’re stuck between a rock and a hard place.

 

[jpeden]

Because they aren’t actually opening Yacht and Beach Club yet. The only accommodations that are opening there is the Beach Club Villas building. So the associated pool for Beach Club Villas will be open. Stormalong Bay would be overkill for servicing just the villas building guests.

I didn’t know beach club villas had their own pool. Although I’d wager one of the main reasons people bought in there was Stormalong bay, so to not have that amenity will probably upset a lot of folks.

 

[GoofGoof]

I wonder why they aren’t opening Stormalong bay. I would think you’d want to keep guests at their hotels and not have them going to other resorts to use the pool.

Stormalong is the most expensive pool to open and operate. No reason to open it with only BCV open. There’s a DVC pool there. The better question is will they open YC/BC hotels when the parks open and if so will they open the main pool? There’s a few smaller quiet pools. If less than half the resort is open they could decide to leave all or part of the main pool closed.