Rumor about “modified experiences” when Disney reopens (read 1st post for potential modifications being considered)

[TomServo27]

I think the first protocol eased will likely be the masks outdoors. I do think indoors you will need them - both stores and internal queues/dark rides.

My son did ask what happens with masks and roller coasters. I hadn't even thought about it (I was just assuming masks all the time) but I do wonder how many will be lost. Ironically with people screaming, it's probably one of the few places where a mask would actually be helpful.

I wear my glasses on roller coasters except Top Thrill Dragster. At least the masks I wear seem as secure as my glasses.

 

[gottalovepluto]

I'm worried that certain safety measures will be loosened by the end of the summer versus early on since UO is opening faster than most assumed. I won't go to either park this year if they reduce whatever safety measures they have. My Disney trip was for August. If they open in June, I'm worried that social distancing will be an experiment that they ease up on too much by then. I'm adamant about re-opening cautiously until we have evidence that the disease has dramatically decreased.

Also of concern to you should be the later it gets into summer the more people will feel safe traveling so the bigger the crowds. As far as theme parks relaxing restrictions, entirely possible. More likely, imho, is that fellow guests will be less vigilant. The longer this goes, the more “over it” some non-affected people will get and the more likely they aren’t as vigilant in washing hands & social distancing- and I’m not just talking guests. Some of the workers will be over it as well.... That logic says visiting sooner rather than later is probably better if you want to hit tightest restrictions...

 

[MickeyWaffles]

My son did ask what happens with masks and roller coasters. I hadn't even thought about it (I was just assuming masks all the time) but I do wonder how many will be lost. Ironically with people screaming, it's probably one of the few places where a mask would actually be helpful.

Photos circulated last week of Sea World testing a coaster with people wearing different styles of masks.

 

[Skippyboo]

Also of concern to you should be the later it gets into summer the more people will feel safe traveling so the bigger the crowds. As far as theme parks relaxing restrictions, entirely possible. More likely, imho, is that fellow guests will be less vigilant. The longer this goes, the more “over it” some non-affected people will get and the more likely they aren’t as vigilant in washing hands & social distancing- and I’m not just talking guests. Some of the workers will be over it as well.... That logic says visiting sooner rather than later is probably better if you want to hit tightest restrictions...

I already see this at Walmart & Kroger around me way less masks being worn that in the lockdown beginning.

I totally see people wearing masks to get into the parks and then immediately getting a drink or snack to carry around to they can take their mask off because they are eating.

 

[gottalovepluto]

I think the first protocol eased will likely be the masks outdoors. I do think indoors you will need them - both stores and internal queues/dark rides.

My son did ask what happens with masks and roller coasters. I hadn't even thought about it (I was just assuming masks all the time) but I do wonder how many will be lost. Ironically with people screaming, it's probably one of the few places where a mask would actually be helpful.

Actually I think a roller coaster is one of the more pointless places to wear one due to the fact they are spacing people out and you are wishing around in all sorts of directions at great speed. I would think of greatest concern to parents would be what happens when your kid’s mask gets screwed up and they can’t fix it. Band snapped, came untied, they can’t grab it and now they’re choking on their mask if they weren’t lucky enough for it to fly off. You can’t reach it either being locked in place... Weird crap happens on coasters even without masks... I think that’s why they’re testing masked riders at SeaWorld, we literally don’t know the potential problems. Univ should be fascinating in this regard because they have much more intense coasters than Disney!

 

[Jrb1979]

Poster Disneyhead'71 on WDWmagic posted this in regards to Disney being blindsided by Universal.

I'm hearing Universal didn't surprise Disney at all with their June 5th reopening date. Both Disney and Universal were on the Governor's Reopening Committee, they both outlined their plans. Universal said June, Disney said end of August. Disney pushed really hard to have Universal blocked from opening in June, but the Governor and Orange Co. officials like the thought of that Summer tourist tax money, so Universal's plan got approved. Now Disney is back to the drawing board trying to figure out what they can can bring on line by mid-June with their now limited staffing resources.

This is not really a case of Disney being "caught flat-footed" as just the fact that the 2 resorts are in much different situations in regards to the ability to reopen.

Universal is still paying all of their full time employees. All they have to do is schedule them to work, train them on new policy procedures, and fling the doors open. It was in Universal's best interest to get the parks open ASAP and stop paying employees with no incoming revenue.

Disney, on the other hand, sent all their international and college program employees home and furloughed almost everyone else. Not to mention that they require 3 times the staff that Universal needs. It simply going to take longer to get the place ready for guests.

Hearing that it makes a lot of sense on both the NBA front and why they have been vague on what is going on in regards to opening.

 

[rteetz]

I wonder what capacity Shanghai has reached by now?

I’m not sure if the government has allowed a higher capacity but Disney said they would rise by 5000 a week as allowed.

 

[Jroceagles]

Poster Disneyhead'71 on WDWmagic posted this in regards to Disney being blindsided by Universal.

I'm hearing Universal didn't surprise Disney at all with their June 5th reopening date. Both Disney and Universal were on the Governor's Reopening Committee, they both outlined their plans. Universal said June, Disney said end of August. Disney pushed really hard to have Universal blocked from opening in June, but the Governor and Orange Co. officials like the thought of that Summer tourist tax money, so Universal's plan got approved. Now Disney is back to the drawing board trying to figure out what they can can bring on line by mid-June with their now limited staffing resources.

This is not really a case of Disney being "caught flat-footed" as just the fact that the 2 resorts are in much different situations in regards to the ability to reopen.

Universal is still paying all of their full time employees. All they have to do is schedule them to work, train them on new policy procedures, and fling the doors open. It was in Universal's best interest to get the parks open ASAP and stop paying employees with no incoming revenue.

Disney, on the other hand, sent all their international and college program employees home and furloughed almost everyone else. Not to mention that they require 3 times the staff that Universal needs. It simply going to take longer to get the place ready for guests.

Hearing that it makes a lot of sense on both the NBA front and why they have been vague on what is going on in regards to opening.

I just don't buy the end of August scenarios at all.

 

[woody337]

I just don't buy the end of August scenarios at all.

I dont either, if that were true Disney needs to stop taking reservations and refund every customer that has money tied up with them

 

[IceSkatingPrincess]

I just don't buy the end of August scenarios at all.

I think the end of August is probably a true scenario, but definitely not the ideal goalpost that Disney is after. I'm reasonably certain there are at least 1-2 that involve an opening prior to then. Late August is more likely a contingency plan if x, y, or z happens. I would imagine they have a number of different scenarios at this point.

 

[cakebaker]

Disney said end of August.....

I'm going to do my best not to go down the rabbit hole of secret sources....but....If Disney has had the intentions of opening in August all along, then they have mis-led their guests by taking reservations and allowing hard ticket sales. It's not good enough that they say they're closed until further notice if they know they are not opening. So it's a choice of believing they would be deceptive just to get $$$ or that the August chatter is bunk. I'm going with bunk.

As for the revelation that Disney wasn't blindsided- that was always a ridiculous claim. Of course they weren't.

 

[Jroceagles]

I think the end of August is probably a true scenario, but definitely not the ideal goalpost that Disney is after. I'm reasonably certain there are at least 1-2 that involve an opening prior to then. Late August is more likely a contingency plan if x, y, or x happens. I would imagine they have a number of different scenarios at this point.

I don't think August was ever an option. That's where these rumors lose me

 

[brewhome]

I'm going to do my best not to go down the rabbit hole of secret sources....but....If Disney has had the intentions of opening in August all along, then they have mis-led their guests by taking reservations and allowing hard ticket sales. It's not good enough that they say they're closed until further notice if they know they are not opening. So it's a choice of believing they would be deceptive just to get $$$ or that the August chatter is bunk. I'm going with bunk.

As for the revelation that Disney wasn't blindsided- that was always a ridiculous claim. Of course they weren't.

I’m going with bunk as well.

 

[rteetz]

I'm going to do my best not to go down the rabbit hole of secret sources....but....If Disney has had the intentions of opening in August all along, then they have mis-led their guests by taking reservations and allowing hard ticket sales. It's not good enough that they say they're closed until further notice if they know they are not opening. So it's a choice of believing they would be deceptive just to get $$$ or that the August chatter is bunk. I'm going with bunk.

As for the revelation that Disney wasn't blindsided- that was always a ridiculous claim. Of course they weren't.

This has always been a figure out as you go type thing. Disney doesn’t have a blueprint for this. Nobody does. August could be one of their 50 plans they have to choose from. I’m sure Disney wanted to open June 1st but that’s unlikely.

Also as I’ve said before blindsided probably but that doesn’t mean there weren’t aspects of the universal plan that they weren’t surprised by either.

 

[rteetz]

I don't think August was ever an option. That's where these rumors lose me

You don’t think Disney has plan A through Z? Why wouldn’t they? They likely have a plan in the case that they need to be closed for the rest of the year. No they don’t want that but better to prepare for such than not too.

 

[SaintsManiac]

I don't think August was ever an option. That's where these rumors lose me

Every single day, week, month is an option right now until it isn't.

 

[cakebaker]

This has always been a figure out as you go type thing. Disney doesn’t have a blueprint for this. Nobody does. August could be one of their 50 plans they have to choose from. I’m sure Disney wanted to open June 1st but that’s unlikely.

I was just talking about the idea that they had a specific date in mind- not a general we could open this date, that date or another date sort of thing. Yes, if it was just a possibility out of many, no problem. But the specific post I was referring to speaks as of it as though this was THE date, not a possible date, that this was in a specific plan presented and would seem to have been very recently presented.

 

[rteetz]

I was just talking about the idea that they had a specific date in mind- not a general we could open this date, that date or another date sort of thing. Yes, if it was just a possibility out of many, no problem. But the specific post I was referring to speaks as of it as though this was THE date, not a possible date, that this was in a specific plan presented.

Yes I get that. Many times that’s how info is passed down. Mine was the same. That’s why I change wording to more of what could happen.

 

[Hoodie]

I was one of the guests who received a survey for an August trip. I don't think end of August was the initial goal, but beginning was likely (since the majority of people who received the surveys had August arrival dates). Of course initially the NBA was going to start no later than mid-June so who knows if that has an impact.

At this point I'd just like them to resume construction on in park projects that are nearly complete (SPace 220, Ratatouille, castle painting, etc). Universal and Sea World both continued in park construction until the end of April to complete projects. I just want to see SOMETHING going on. And no, the NBA doesn't count as "something"

 

[dawnball]

So it's a choice of believing they would be deceptive just to get $$$ or that the August chatter is bunk. I'm going with bunk.

I don't think we really need to choose between the two. I think Disney wants to keep their options open. We all do, that's why people have booked trips every week, or every month through the summer.

I also think it's in their best interests to have more cash on hand. People's deposits and ticket purchases are like an interest-free line of credit. The longer they can hold that credit (making people cancel reservations, or holding the deposit until check-in day, not refunding tickets, etc) the less interest they pay and the more flexibility they have.