Cruise and Theme Park Operational Updates due to Coronavirus

[MichelinMan]

I wonder if what we are going through will change trip cancellation policies..... if it were easier to cancel airfare for a refund or travel funds, and there were minimal penalties for canceling hotel reservations last minute, would that keep sick people from going?

Definitely. If I was able to, I would be postponing my trip a year to 2021 if I could (we have to travel in summer due to the length of the vacation). But because I've paid for my flights already from the UK, which cost us £2000 (around $2600), I would lose that money unless the flight was cancelled due to government restrictions. I really wish airlines would allow people to re-book for a year later - but the maximum my airline is allowing people to shift dates is 11 months, which wouldn't be good enough for me. So this is forcing me to go in July, when if I had more flexibility I would be postponing.

 

[jlwhitney]

We totally are.... but to be fair I don’t see Asian people at Disneyland wearing masks in the summer when it’s 96 Anaheim. Because that’s miserable.

thays because Asians wear masks more for their awful air pollution then anything else.

 

[vinotinto]

I see Asian students wearing masks at Emory, even when it’s hot in Atlanta. I realize it is more comfortable to not wear a mask, but it can be done, and unlike the temperature check, it does protect those around.

 

[HeightRequirement]

It's funny to compare the difference in mentality. People here complaining about wearing a mask, how inconvenient they are, how awful it would be etc... And yet, people in Asia do it every single day, even when Covid wasn't an issue, and never bat an eye. We really are an extremely spoiled society.

Not true in much of Hong Kong and parts of Japan that I have visited. Some people in parts of Asia may frequently wear masks, but for the vast majority of the population some wear masks when they are sick or want to avoid pollution, not to protect against spreading viruses.

 

[Mainsail Minnie]

This makes me wonder if we will have to postpone our August trip indefinitely. Hopefully they will reimburse the tickets since the forms of temp checking they will do read 99 or higher at all times even in low outside temps for my 2 year old. They are unreliable on her. An ear check is a bit better but the only way she won't temp high at Disney is rectal. She will temp at 97 rectal but can be 100.8 temporal. So I don't want to pay when she will always be turned away when they are doing this. I really hope this isn't the case. My kids have so been looking forward to this trip.

These kinds of temperature spikes are very common with kids. Kids can get over 100 degree fevers for just the common cold, and also in response to hot weather or exertion, etc. This is one reason why temperature checks (a pointless move against a virus that doesn't even cause any fever in many of its hosts) would be extremely impractical at Disney, and it is highly unlikely they would happen there. Iger mentioned it as a possibility once, but brainstorming ideas is different from planning. Once the data comes back to them about how difficult it is to accurately take a surface temperature for childen (Disney's primary clientele), that idea will be scrapped.

 

[mshanson3121]

Not true in much of Hong Kong and parts of Japan that I have visited. Some people in parts of Asia may frequently wear masks, but for the vast majority of the population some wear masks when they are sick or want to avoid pollution, not to protect against spreading viruses.

And yet...a mask is a mask. It doesn't matter why you wear it.

 

[mshanson3121]

I think it's far more likely that mask wearing will be required, than not. Again, we're seeing it in other countries. I know there was a Canadian article last week that talked about the interim period between when we start opening up businesses again, but still don't have a vaccine etc...and still need to take certain measures, where they expect that wearing masks in public WILL be part of the requirements to open society back up. I know others have projected this as well.

I think people need to start getting past their idea of what's comfortable and convenient for them, and realize that life as they knew it is gone for the foreseeable future. That even when society opens back up, there are still going to be restrictions and requirements and changes to how we do things, whether they like it or not. And that will include at Disney as well.

 

[Mainsail Minnie]

I think it's far more likely that mask wearing will be required, than not. Again, we're seeing it in other countries. I know there was a Canadian article last week that talked about the interim period between when we start opening up businesses again, but still don't have a vaccine etc...and still need to take certain measures, where they expect that wearing masks in public WILL be part of the requirements to open society back up. I know others have projected this as well.

I think people need to start getting past their idea of what's comfortable and convenient for them, and realize that life as they knew it is gone for the foreseeable future. That even when society opens back up, there are still going to be restrictions and requirements and changes to how we do things, whether they like it or not. And that will include at Disney as well.

Masks would be a health hazard in much of the southern United States, where summer temperatures are in the upper 90's & 100's daily. Especially at a place like Disney World, where people are moving around outside most of the day, in the summer, forcing people to wear masks would trigger heat stroke and possibly death in many people. That's something that cannot be safely forced in certain environments.

 

[GeorgiaHoo]

Masks would be a health hazard in much of the southern United States, where summer temperatures are in the upper 90's & 100's daily. Especially at a place like Disney World, where people are moving around outside most of the day, in the summer, forcing people to wear masks would trigger heat stroke and possibly death in many people. That's something that cannot be safely forced in certain environments.

If I needed to wear a face mask at Disney World there’s less than zero chance that I would go. Setting aside whether it works, I can just imagine trying to keep a face mask on while riding Test Track or Everest. Or being crammed into a table at Le Cellier and trying to eat and worrying about my face mask while 8 inches away from the next table. Or figuring out how to make the mask work at the pool.

 

[mshanson3121]

Masks would be a health hazard in much of the southern United States, where summer temperatures are in the upper 90's & 100's daily. Especially at a place like Disney World, where people are moving around outside most of the day, in the summer, forcing people to wear masks would trigger heat stroke and possibly death in many people. That's something that cannot be safely forced in certain environments.

Not even close to true, lol. They may increase your perception of temperature, but do not have an effect on actual body temperature. And again, looking at Asia - they wear them in the summer, and looking at Being for example (where masks are common) their temperatures and humidity levels run very similar to Orlando's in the summer.

 

[J-BOY]

Not true in much of Hong Kong and parts of Japan that I have visited. Some people in parts of Asia may frequently wear masks, but for the vast majority of the population some wear masks when they are sick or want to avoid pollution, not to protect against spreading viruses.

Your anecdotal evidence may be true, but Hong Kong and Japan are nowhere near the vast majority of the Asian population, even East Asian.

 

[wallawallakids]

I see so many people who wear masks wrong, touch their faces constantly while wearing them and take them off wrong and actually increase their risk of infection. Not to mention the incorrect fitting for children. I just don't see how it will work. Will Disney be purchasing mass quantities of masks and handing them out? Are people expected to bring their own masks into the parks? I for one would not attend if a mask is required because I can't see my 4 kids wearing a mask all day in a park. I know they are going to play with it, and be touching their face and that would be worst for them. Plus taking them off to eat every 5 min (my kids are constantly eating ). Then they have to put it back on correctly, without touching the front? On and off, on and off. To me that is more risk for them. I understand the mask prevents infecting others, I am all for protecting others so I would not go then until a mask isn't needed and I hope Disney will be generous with people rescheduling.

 

[mhautz]

I just wonder how well masks work for long term wearing, as there seem to be strict "rules" for their effectiveness, including basically not touching them at all when wearing them and once you do remove them you can't really put them back on because there's too much potential contamination. It seems like during a day at Disney, there would be numerous times you would need to remove the mask to eat or drink or just plain discomfort. Now you're talking about needing multiple masks per day, per person, for multiple days. Not to mention properly disposing of and or storing multiple used masks.

It could be that "normal" mask use in Asian countries doesn't require such strict adherence to such guidelines as they're normally worn for other purposes/diseases that don't pose the same challenges as Covid-19.

 

[sky13]

For what it’s worth regarding masks and hot weather - I live in Singapore, and our weather is 80-95 Fahrenheit year round and humid (perpetual summer), though admittedly there is a fair amount of air conditioning.

Under normal circumstances we don’t normally wear masks in public. I never thought I would wear a mask in public but I do now because of COVID-19. Even in our hot and humid weather.

Would I wear a mask to WDW? I’m not sure, but then again 2 months ago I would have laughed at the idea of wearing a mask whenever I venture out of the house...

thays because Asians wear masks more for their awful air pollution then anything else.

I think this is an over generalisation. Asia is a pretty big place and different parts of Asia wear masks for different reasons. Some places do wear masks for air pollution purposes but not in other places. E.g. in Japan it is not uncommon to see people wearing masks - and one of the reasons is that if they are ill they don’t want to spread their illness to others. Oh and last year in Hong Kong during the protests they were wearing masks to avoid facial recognition...

In Singapore... our air quality actually isn’t too bad for the vast majority of the year, unless it is haze/forest fire season. So no need to wear masks for most of the year. We are just one small tiny part of Asia though...

 

[bookwormde]

At least this will give the imagineers something to do as they figure out how and what Disney designs/charterers to get printed on the masks. Probably not good collectible though

 

[MomOTwins]

https://www.kennythepirate.com/2020...prices-removes-certain-items-despite-closure/

With them giving free dining to so many people I can't say I'm surprised by this.

This makes me wonder if we will have to postpone our August trip indefinitely. Hopefully they will reimburse the tickets since the forms of temp checking they will do read 99 or higher at all times even in low outside temps for my 2 year old. They are unreliable on her. An ear check is a bit better but the only way she won't temp high at Disney is rectal. She will temp at 97 rectal but can be 100.8 temporal. So I don't want to pay when she will always be turned away when they are doing this. I really hope this isn't the case. My kids have so been looking forward to this trip.

The temperature concept is going to make getting through security a nightmare. There are going to be hundreds of angry guests arguing with guest services, some rightly so (with false positives, people who "run hot"), and some trying to sneak in a sick person.

Also, won't mean anything given people can spread covid before or after symptoms. It is just another false reassurance like 3oz liquids at the airport.

 

[HeightRequirement]

.

 

[rteetz]

With them giving free dining to so many people I can't say I'm surprised by this.

I really don't think this has much to do with that. Maybe a piece of it but certainly not the main reason. Those free dining folks are still paying rack rate for their rooms and required to have a ticket so Disney is getting money in other areas. Disney really just needs to make up their losses here. Theme parks make up a HUGE chunk of their revenue. This quarter is going to take a toll on their bottom line. I expect other areas of price increases as well, whether it be merchandise, or other add ons.

 

[HeightRequirement]

Your anecdotal evidence may be true, but Hong Kong and Japan are nowhere near the vast majority of the Asian population, even East Asian.

This is all anecdotal until some entity does a survey of the 4.5 billion people that live on the Asian continent. My response was to the generalization that people of Asia wear masks. While it may be more common in parts of Asia to wear masks, many in Asia do not wear masks. Without doing a formal poll, I would bet money that the majority (>50%) don't.

 

[jlwhitney]

I will be shocked if masks in the us will become required to be out in public. Maybe certain work places will required workers too or places to go but not everywhere.