Cruise and Theme Park Operational Updates due to Coronavirus

[charmed59]

If I were to take a wild swag, I’d say Florida will start opening for Floridians in mid May. That means hair salons and restaurants and shops would re-open at half capacity. Tables at restaurants would be 6 feet apart. Salons would use every other chair. Shops would limit customers in the store. Outdoor children’s parks, beach parking, and sport courts would reopen with the caveat that no groups of over 10 congregate. Some restaurants and shops in Disney Springs would reopen.

If that experiment goes well, three or four weeks later they may open hotels again, and welcome tourists looking for a day at the beach. After two weeks if numbers don’t spike they would increase the size of groups to 100 and allow small concerts and youth sports. Disney Springs would bring back outdoor entertainment. That would be about July.

Football season will open with arenas at half capacity. If the parks are willing to open with much smaller capacity, I think they would be allowed to by August. It’s going to come down to how few people can you allow in and still make it economically feasible. The smaller the number of people per square foot the earlier it could open.

This is the rub. You could safely let 100 people into any park right now, assuming you had properly outfitted staff to follow them around and disinfect everything they touched or breathed on. But it would be way more expensive than closing down the park.

 

[anthony2k7]

If I were to take a wild swag, I’d say Florida will start opening for Floridians in mid May. That means hair salons and restaurants and shops would re-open at half capacity. Tables at restaurants would be 6 feet apart. Salons would use every other chair. Shops would limit customers in the store. Outdoor children’s parks, beach parking, and sport courts would reopen with the caveat that no groups of over 10 congregate. Some restaurants and shops in Disney Springs would reopen.

If that experiment goes well, three or four weeks later they may open hotels again, and welcome tourists looking for a day at the beach. After two weeks if numbers don’t spike they would increase the size of groups to 100 and allow small concerts and youth sports. Disney Springs would bring back outdoor entertainment. That would be about July.

Football season will open with arenas at half capacity. If the parks are willing to open with much smaller capacity, I think they would be allowed to by August. It’s going to come down to how few people can you allow in and still make it economically feasible. The smaller the number of people per square foot the earlier it could open.

This is the rub. You could safely let 100 people into any park right now, assuming you had properly outfitted staff to follow them around and disinfect everything they touched or breathed on. But it would be way more expensive than closing down the park.

Exactly.

Definitely no big bang reopening going to happen anywhere. Anywhere that reopens will have to work very differently to how they used to work. For many businesses that simply may not be financially viable.

 

[Remy is Up]

If I were to take a wild swag, I’d say Florida will start opening for Floridians in mid May. That means hair salons and restaurants and shops would re-open at half capacity. Tables at restaurants would be 6 feet apart. Salons would use every other chair. Shops would limit customers in the store. Outdoor children’s parks, beach parking, and sport courts would reopen with the caveat that no groups of over 10 congregate. Some restaurants and shops in Disney Springs would reopen.

If that experiment goes well, three or four weeks later they may open hotels again, and welcome tourists looking for a day at the beach. After two weeks if numbers don’t spike they would increase the size of groups to 100 and allow small concerts and youth sports. Disney Springs would bring back outdoor entertainment. That would be about July.

Football season will open with arenas at half capacity. If the parks are willing to open with much smaller capacity, I think they would be allowed to by August. It’s going to come down to how few people can you allow in and still make it economically feasible. The smaller the number of people per square foot the earlier it could open.

This is the rub. You could safely let 100 people into any park right now, assuming you had properly outfitted staff to follow them around and disinfect everything they touched or breathed on. But it would be way more expensive than closing down the park.

May Is a pipe dream for any normalcy

 

[yankeesfan123]

If I were to take a wild swag, I’d say Florida will start opening for Floridians in mid May. That means hair salons and restaurants and shops would re-open at half capacity. Tables at restaurants would be 6 feet apart. Salons would use every other chair. Shops would limit customers in the store. Outdoor children’s parks, beach parking, and sport courts would reopen with the caveat that no groups of over 10 congregate. Some restaurants and shops in Disney Springs would reopen.

If that experiment goes well, three or four weeks later they may open hotels again, and welcome tourists looking for a day at the beach. After two weeks if numbers don’t spike they would increase the size of groups to 100 and allow small concerts and youth sports. Disney Springs would bring back outdoor entertainment. That would be about July.

Football season will open with arenas at half capacity. If the parks are willing to open with much smaller capacity, I think they would be allowed to by August. It’s going to come down to how few people can you allow in and still make it economically feasible. The smaller the number of people per square foot the earlier it could open.

This is the rub. You could safely let 100 people into any park right now, assuming you had properly outfitted staff to follow them around and disinfect everything they touched or breathed on. But it would be way more expensive than closing down the park.

aaaaand if anything goes wrong, like it did in China when they first started to reopen... everything goes down again.

I think you laid out the best case scenario. Which is very possible.

 

[mhautz]

I guess I have the pessimistic/optimistic view that once we get past this curve and have a little more knowledge and time to plan, we might change up the strategy to establish herd immunity. A few months of shut down is certainly not going to destroy the economy and was the correct thing for the current outbreak, but it just can't be the long term solution. It's easy to say we can live with out theme parks, we can live without sports, we can live without <blank>. It's true, but these things do add up, and their toll on everyone does start to cause harm, even if it's not tangible. As a part of our general quality of life, we assume some risk (as people point out, fatality rates generally go down during times of recession/depression due to decreased activity) and if we can reach a point where we can "live with it" without overwhelming the health system, we might.

Of course, this is based on assumptions that immunity actually exists and the fatality rate, especially when well treated, is relatively low. I could be wrong and maybe this will not be practical (maybe there's no way to let this play out without a heath system burden), but all of the pessimistic outlooks of how it looks to "successfully" mitigate just don't look any better or practical.

 

[Kadorto]

Actually, yes there is. Various viruses are known to be able to reactivate, including causing symptoms. Herpes, Epstein-Barr (mono), parvo, varicella and others are all known to be able to reactivate. My husband in particular has had two reactivations of EB.

As far as this thread is concerned,the only thing I'd like to see re-activated is WDW. Preferably by June..

 

[lovethesun12]

Can someone possibly give me the Reader’s Digest/layperson’s explanation as to what happened with SARS? Is it completely gone save for maybe some specimens tucked away in laboratories somewhere? I’ve been curious about this since the COVID-19 situation started.

ETA - oops, I realized after posting that this is off topic so please feel free to disregard .

-*believed* to have been "cured" with the same cure we have for coronavirus - strict quarantine/isolation/contact tracing
-reason why many of us are worried politicians will feel pressured by the people that elected them (don't blame them for listening; that is what they were elected to do afterall) to "reopen" the economy too early before they have all cases documented and are able to quarantine and isolate with contact tracing (hopefully technology will make this easier) rather than listen to the advice of health care/math/science experts

I want this to be over but I'm skeptical of how well people will follow these measures and listen to experts rather than what they *want* which makes me think it could go on much longer.

 

[xuxa777]

One thing that Disney will probably have to do to open is to not have CM over 60 , maybe 50 not be in any public facing positions, which will make things difficult in staffing as there is a good bit of CM’s in that age group.

 

[yankeesfan123]

One thing that Disney will probably have to do to open is to not have CM over 60 , maybe 50 not be in any public facing positions, which will make things difficult in staffing as there is a good bit of CM’s in that age group.

Right. And a large portion of their cast members are either (a) retirees or (b) college program (who we know have been called off for the 6/1 starting “class”). Also, no foreign cast members until at least 8/1...

 

[xuxa777]

Right. And a large portion of their cast members are either (a) retirees or (b) college program (who we know have been called off for the 6/1 starting “class”). Also, no foreign cast members until at least 8/1...

International cast members will be much sooner but will have to go through 2 week quarantine upon arrival

 

[Kadorto]

One thing that Disney will probably have to do to open is to not have CM over 60 , maybe 50 not be in any public facing positions, which will make things difficult in staffing as there is a good bit of CM’s in that age group.

I'm over 50 and would gladly take a front line position. I think each person is going to have to make that decision for themselves. I doubt there will be a shortage of CMs

 

[mhautz]

Tell that to the 90 south koreans who had it then tested negative and were symptom free to then develop symptoms and test positive again.

I think most experts still "assume" immunity. This information just proves that we should be cautious in that assumption for now, but there are definitely plausible explanations for this such as issues with testing.

 

[anthony2k7]

“Reactivations” are most likely bad testing, testing too soon etc and anecdotal.

I am think the second wave concerns are also being given to much weight but understand why they are. The regular flu “second” wave is every fall

Maybe but I believe the south Korean testing regime is supposed to be the absolute best. Including 2x negative tests after symptoms pass to prove clear.

So if the issue there is bad testing then we really shouldn't add any hope to testing being a way out of this in any way.

 

[xuxa777]

I'm over 50 and would gladly take a front line position. I think each person is going to have to make that decision for themselves. I doubt there will be a shortage of CMs

I sure many would say and do that but the liability of Disney alone will dictate it, not the CM.

 

[shanes17]

Tell that to the 90 or more south koreans who had it then tested negative and were symptom free to then develop symptoms and test positive again.

It’s very possible the first test was faulty.

 

[gottalovepluto]

One thing that Disney will probably have to do to open is to not have CM over 60 , maybe 50 not be in any public facing positions, which will make things difficult in staffing as there is a good bit of CM’s in that age group.

I see 2 issues with that
1) age discrimination, especially since these CMs have proved they can do those jobs prior
2) Young and middle age people are just as likely to catch and spread this. The only benefit to the young is fewer end up dead after getting it. If Disney thinks CMs in those positions will be subject to catching It, they will need precautions in place. Once the precautions are in place, all CMs should be able to do the job who could prior to the pandemic.

And most likely if Disney feels precautions like that need to be in place, they won’t be operating.

 

[shanes17]

https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlie...kers-after-coronavirus-shutdown/#7995ad294773
No time soon will anything be opening. I am surprised at how many people on these boards have been thinking anything in the near future could be possible, no matter how much we all wish it was otherwise. I am so proud of Disney for doing the right thing as much as they can. This is so incredibly sad and scary and, obviously, unlike anything we've ever seen.

I don’t think it’s nearly as scary as you think.

The parks hopefully open sooner rather than later.

Keep an eye on Texas the next week or so. Looks like they will be the first state to open up officially. Should that experience go well then you will see others follow and while Disney likely opens in phases, it could start the process sooner. Parks could be opened in June.

There are a lot of smart people in charge of the company. I doubt they are getting numbers from some of the same “public places” we do. Now we have real data that can be used rather than some projections that have been wildly inaccurate, and the data suggests this isn’t nearly as spooky or scary as we were told, which means we should have our parks back soon.

Hang in there everyone and happy Easter!

 

[gottalovepluto]

Anyone know what percentage of WDW CMs are international and CP?

 

[Remy is Up]

I guess I have the pessimistic/optimistic view that once we get past this curve and have a little more knowledge and time to plan, we might change up the strategy to establish herd immunity. A few months of shut down is certainly not going to destroy the economy and was the correct thing for the current outbreak, but it just can't be the long term solution. It's easy to say we can live with out theme parks, we can live without sports, we can live without <blank>. It's true, but these things do add up, and their toll on everyone does start to cause harm, even if it's not tangible. As a part of our general quality of life, we assume some risk (as people point out, fatality rates generally go down during times of recession/depression due to decreased activity) and if we can reach a point where we can "live with it" without overwhelming the health system, we might.

Of course, this is based on assumptions that immunity actually exists and the fatality rate, especially when well treated, is relatively low. I could be wrong and maybe this will not be practical (maybe there's no way to let this play out without a heath system burden), but all of the pessimistic outlooks of how it looks to "successfully" mitigate just don't look any better or practical.

The economy is already destroyed. Layoffs. Business that will not reopen, etc etc. Damage is done already. Being closed another 2-3 months wont make it better or worse. But reopening too soon and causing closures to last 6 more months beyond the 2 or 3 would. DisCo realizes that.

 

[Remy is Up]

I don’t think it’s nearly as scary as you think.

The parks hopefully open sooner rather than later.

Keep an eye on Texas the next week or so. Looks like they will be the first state to open up officially. Should that experience go well then you will see others follow and while Disney likely opens in phases, it could start the process sooner. Parks could be opened in June.

There are a lot of smart people in charge of the company. I doubt they are getting numbers from some of the same “public places” we do. Now we have real data that can be used rather than some projections that have been wildly inaccurate, and the data suggests this isn’t nearly as spooky or scary as we were told, which means we should have our parks back soon.

Hang in there everyone and happy Easter!

Nice optimism however misplaced. The company has contingencies and targets and sooner isnt one of them at this point. Itll be later. Windows on targets close off daily. We are in july at this point and quickly.moving towards august.