WDW Reopening Estimates

[bryanfze55]

My youngest definitely does too. My oldest is doing pretty well at home as long as I check and make sure he did all his work. Both my boys are autistic, and my youngest has a severe speech delay. His speech therapist has been holding zoom meetings for the kids every Wednesday so they can get some group therapy in. I consider myself extremely lucky that 1) I'm already used to turning daily activities into learning opportunities just from all the exposure I had to helping my boys through early intervention, their various therapies, and working with their teachers, and 2) that I finished a degree in English and education a couple of years ago, so I feel like I was pretty well equipped to deal with the sudden switch to schooling at a distance.

We've got a new science project brewing...a robin has decided to build a nest right outside the window of my home office.

This past month and a half I’ve spent at home with children has really given me a lot more insight...

I really commend your dedication in spite of the clear challenges. Trying to help with homeschooling has been the biggest challenge of my life... not so much the academic part of it, but the emotional part of it. My daughter doesn’t want to learn from us in a rigid manner. She does great in school, though.

Again, I really respect what you’re doing. And even though we may disagree on how much risk tolerance our country should take on with the virus (I’m sure a lot of people disagree with me), our beliefs all come from some place. Your life has shaped you, like mine has shaped me. I grew up with a single mom who lived near the poverty line. An economic depression scares me way more than this virus, because it reminds me of how much we could all lose and how my children could grow up under the same standards I did.

I think the point is, we should all try to empathize with differing views.

 

[DeletedAccount55555]

This goes back to what I said before. Are you (or we) going to stay in our houses for a year or more? That's the only way you are going to guarantee that there is no asymptomatic spread. Our entire economy will be trash and more lives will be lost that way than you would ever dream from the virus.

This is a straw man argument.

There are a VAST range of options between what most states are doing now and pre-pandemic normalcy. This is not a binary choice between staying at home and no restrictions whatsoever.

No one is seriously arguing for stringent stay-at-home orders to continue until a vaccine is available.

The fundamental problem with the economy is the pandemic, not the stay-at-home orders. Rushing to reopen without greater testing ignores that fundamental problem. Wishful thinking shouldn't be anyone's strategy.

 

[Giss Neric]

After the lock down and the shelter in place lifted, there should still be a modified way of reopening. Continue social distances, no large gatherings of any sort, wear masks and stuff. Would that be followed though? Never! unless there is a surge of cases beginning.

 

[Tom P.]

People not going to large gatherings of 30,000 people may help prevent mass spread. But if you’re out and about in small gatherings, there’s a very good chance you’ll still be exposed to the virus. I think we all need to be prepared to get the virus at some point. No guarantee of a vaccine. If someone is in poor health or is older (the virus absolutely DOES discriminate against the elderly, unfortunately)... they should probably be more cautious to avoid becoming infected. But when it’s all said and done, most countries will probably have to become Sweden. If we are lucky, it may wither out and never come back, at least not as strongly.

This goes back to the original point. It is a risk/benefit analysis. There is going to be some risk in anything we do until a vaccine or effective treatment is found. The question is how much risk is too much risk for the average person and what is important enough to accept some risk.

For example, church is extremely important to me. If my church begins holding Mass again, and assuming they are putting in place restrictions to keep people from being on top of each other, I will accept the risk of being in that group of people in order to go to church. On the other hand, it is just not important enough for me to go to a movie or concert. I am perfectly fine not doing those things for an indefinite period of time.

Can I be exposed to the virus in both places? Sure. But there's less risk going to one than there is going to both, and I do not place the same importance on the two activities. I think most people will make similar risk/benefit calculations when it comes to what they are willing to do.

 

[surfsupdon]

Well said @Tom P. thank you

 

[Herdman]

This is a straw man argument.

There are a VAST range of options between what most states are doing now and pre-pandemic normalcy. This is not a binary choice between staying at home and no restrictions whatsoever.

No one is seriously arguing for stringent stay-at-home orders to continue until a vaccine is available.

The fundamental problem with the economy is the pandemic, not the stay-at-home orders. Rushing to reopen without greater testing ignores that fundamental problem. Wishful thinking shouldn't be anyone's strategy.

Yes, I'm not advocating "no restrictions whatsoever". I just feel that there is a certain amount of people, who while they may not advocate the strict stay at home orders to continue until we have a vaccine, they do believe we should keep the country more limited than I believe we should. You have to be safe and smart, but you can't wait until we get to the point that we can't recover. That isn't realistic for the helath of the country, both mentally and financially. Just my opinion, we all have one.

 

[Bill in Atlanta]

Disney has to be encouraged by studies continuing to show minuscule risk to healthy people under 65 who acquire the virus. I believe I read that 87% of WDW visitors are under 65. In other words, the vast majority of park visitors & CMs would be fine if they reopened today.

The big thing will be how to keep those who visited the parks from having a touchy/feely visit with granny & grandpa when they get home.

 

[marni1971]

In other words, the vast majority of park visitors & CMs would be fine if they reopened today..

If that were true, it would reopen today.

 

[bryanfze55]

Yeah, sure... you could say that about pretty much any activity right now.. Is your solution to bar only senior citizens from participating in our society(and theme parks)? Besides being very illegal, it's just not a solution at all.

Eventually some businesses will need to open (not necessarily theme parks) for survival. While you cannot ban them, the elderly may want to use their best judgment for quite some time, including withholding from partaking in large gatherings. I don’t see why that’s a problem.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

Eventually some businesses will need to open (not necessarily theme parks) for survival. While you cannot ban them, the elderly may want to use their best judgment for quite some time, including withholding from partaking in large gatherings. I don’t see why that’s a problem.

Tell that to my MIL. She was still actively visiting with my BIL and his wife who both worked with the general public until about 3 weeks ago. 2 days after one such visit, the wife was ill. Less than 2 weeks later, my BIL tested positive for COVID-19. Even after we told her the dangers of visits and coming into contact with them, she was still bringing them groceries without following any precautions like wearing a mask, or using sanitizer or anything the entire time he was sick...and seeing them face-to-face. It will be a miracle if she doesn't contract this just because she really isn't the brightest bulb on the tree.

 

[Getachew]

Eventually some businesses will need to open (not necessarily theme parks) for survival. While you cannot ban them, the elderly may want to use their best judgment for quite some time, including withholding from partaking in large gatherings. I don’t see why that’s a problem.

A lot of the elderly still work. A significant portion of WDW cast members are elderly.

 

[bryanfze55]

Tell that to my MIL. She was still actively visiting with my BIL and his wife who both worked with the general public until about 3 weeks ago. 2 days after one such visit, the wife was ill. Less than 2 weeks later, my BIL tested positive for COVID-19. Even after we told her the dangers of visits and coming into contact with them, she was still bringing them groceries without following any precautions like wearing a mask, or using sanitizer or anything the entire time he was sick...and seeing them face-to-face. It will be a miracle if she doesn't contract this just because she really isn't the brightest bulb on the tree.

I hope she hangs in there! But what we need to remember is that the elderly are free people, too, who need to be allowed to make their own decisions on risk assessment. If an 80-year-old determines they’ve lived a full life and wants to continue doing the activities they love and seeing the family they love, who are we to judge? My grandma just turned 80 and has said verbatim, “I’ve lived a full life. I’m not going to hole up until I die of old age. If I die from COVID, so be it.” It sounds suicidal, but it’s really not... it’s choosing to live life to the fullest with the minimal number of years they have left, coronavirus or not.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

I hope she hangs in there! But what we need to remember is that the elderly are free people, too, who need to be allowed to make their own decisions on risk assessment. If an 80-year-old determines they’ve lived a full life and wants to continue doing the activities they love and seeing the family they love, who are we to judge? My grandma just turned 80 and has said verbatim, “I’ve lived a full life. I’m not going to hole up until I die of old age. If I die from COVID, so be it.” It sounds suicidal, but it’s really not... it’s choosing to live life to the fullest with the minimal number of years they have left, coronavirus or not.

Oh, I realize that. My MIL literally had zero clue of how risky she was being. She's paying closer attention now.

 

[Lilofan]

A lot of the elderly still work. A significant portion of WDW cast members are elderly.

That's true. Some elderly work because social security can't pay their bills and need supplemental health insurance and some work just for the love of it.

 

[twebber55]

im still somewhat confident it will open in the summer probably closer to june than most think...The Orange Co Task Force met today and said "a June reopening is more realistic than a May reopening"

 

[bryanfze55]

Waiver's only go so far. Also, if they are called back to work, they have to work or risk losing their jobs.

They’re furloughed right now anyway receiving unemployment benefits. They wouldn’t have to be called back to work if the government benefits allow them to retire.

 

[Getachew]

They’re furloughed right now anyway receiving unemployment benefits. They wouldn’t have to be called back to work if the government benefits allow them to retire.

If they call you back to work and you refuse, unemployment doesn't continue. Also, many haven't even received benefits yet.

 

[Surferboy567]

Memorial Day is way too early. June 1st seems to be the target but even I believe that is way too early.

Maybe mid-June early July is more realistic.

I understand wanting to open back up ASAP...but be smart, because if they aren’t we will be back to square one.

I posted this in the main thread...but it’s relevant here so here is my prediction.

 

[bryanfze55]

If they call you back to work and you refuse, unemployment doesn't continue. Also, many haven't even received benefits yet.

That’s why I said pay them increased Social Security so they don’t have to keep working...

People not receiving their benefits yet sounds like a great reason to reopen the economy, because slow and incompetent bureaucracy is here to stay.

 

[DisneyJoe]

That’s why I said pay them increased Social Security so they don’t have to keep working...

People not receiving their benefits yet sounds like a great reason to reopen the economy, because slow and incompetent bureaucracy is here to stay.

Where's the increased Social Security money coming from?