Cruise and Theme Park Operational Updates due to Coronavirus

[KrissyD715]

I also have 10 plus days in July and September, I think it was rumored that if you have resort stay you are guaranteed a day for each night, but 3 to start then pick a park for each additional day. I have 2 resort stays
I'm just guessing like everybody else but if you are a local AP then maybe a lottery type sign up at first...could be bad news for the live streamers

This is so confusing to me. So you know you can go to the parks, but you won’t know which ones? We have an 8 night stay coming up.

 

[LSUmiss]

Yes it was, and as a parent of three 2-year olds good friggin luck getting them to keep a mask on But I did proactively order all 3 of them hats with face shields a week or two ago as I think for their age this will be easier to manage for them...and us

Yeah exactly. Now I feel like they’re trying to get ppl to cancel. Keeping a mask on 3 yr old & up is hard enough.

 

[Tjddis]

Disney Parks Blog announces that all dining reservations cancelled through the end of the year. ADR booking window will be changing from 180 to 60 days prior to arrival.

https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2020/05/an-update-on-walt-disney-world-resort-reservations/

So literally I had taken the day off from this stuff and just checked back in. Wow
Not only am I done with the parks/resorts I think I will cancel Disney +

But before I really unleash i just want to confirm what I understand to be the situation.
In terms of my personal trip originally booked for April we paid in full a few days before they shut down. We knew the risk, we took a chance. No complaint there. After it shut down we called back and were enticed with free dining to book to a later date. So booked to the time we could go. Late August. Now TWDCs response to our loyalty is to yank that entiicement. Do I have that right?
Next there was some thought that existing ADR, some of which people made 6 months ago would be used to somehow dole out park reservation. No. Those are gone. So are FPS. So all that hard work, shot to hell
Ok. I kinda get it. I had little faith that WDW IT would be able to handle much more than a clean restart anyway. But all the new park reservation/ADR opening will be open at a later date. I hope they communicate that date better than they have communicated everything elae
And when they installed FP didn’t they trumpet it as a way to cut down on wait times? How would it not be helpful now? And BTW, if I get no advance FP ability and no EMH *** would I pay money to stay on property?
Please don’t hit me with the “it’s a pandemic” thing. I know. Unprecedented. Unknowable. BUT they should have done the following:
1) once 6/1 came and went they should have shut off bookings/ticket sales. They kept taking payments and ADRs. After 6/1 they should have identified a date they WOULD NOT BE OPENING BEFORE and stuck to it. Instead they kept up with these rolling cancellations.
2) they should have gotten the phone CMS in line. Far to many posters shared stories of CMS telling them the trips would be good. I love CMS. They are poorly managed
3) The idea of opening at reduced capacity did not catch them unaware. Everyone knew it, like masks, would be part of reopening plans. As soon as this was known ADRs should have been shut down. If I as a biz man kept taking orders/making sales on things I had no intention of delivering I would be locked up for fraud.
oh and one more question, I still don’t even know if I have a hotel reservation. Right?
For years I’ve watched their money grabs in terms of paid emh and other BS. This has last straw written all over it. I love this board. People have been kind in sharing info for years. Someone said this was like a break up. I agree. A bitter one. My daughter, who lost her sweet 16 trip she’s been planning for years just read the blog and told me she doesn’t ever want to go back. She feels strung along. Nice going Disney. Spare me all the BS “Magic” talk.

 

[0FF TO NEVERLAND]

Yup, which is why I wrote "at least through 2020" because I haven't seen another date yet but that gives a definite Nope for at least that period of time

This policy could change in July August etc. Things change rapidly. It just makes sense to cancel it all for now. I mean so many people said just cancel it all so we don’t have to wonder every week so I guess this makes it easier for everyone, though it sucks

 

[LSUmiss]

I noticed this as well. This afternoon the webpage said 3 and up. Now it says 2 and up. My youngest just turned 2 in April....

Mine too. A just turned 2 year old is pretty much still a baby. I’m lucky if I can keep his shoes & clothes on all day much less a mask.

 

[evino526]

This reeks. They gave us free dining and now won’t let us at least honor those credits at QS. Disney has to have known at least SOME of this for quite some time, and I’m beyond angry.
One last trip when we can finally use our GC with some level of value, but this leaves a seriously sour taste in my mouth.
An absolute joke of a reopening.

I would be upset too, but hindsight is 20/20. I can’t imagine they would have offered the free dining promo if they knew that it was going to get pulled. One thing I think they should have done differently is froze any new bookings the second they closed.”until further notice” They shot themselves in the foot by allowing the bookings to continue for times of such uncertainty...especially when it impacts capacity so significantly.

 

[Krandor]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1266211716435673094

So basically it is a "clear the board of all existing ADR, AP, experience tickets" event.

 

[Anna_Sh]

Agree, and it was crazy that they even were a thing at all. Disney has tons of resorts I don't know why they needed to be getting the same perks anyway. I guess it was a way Disney could take a commission off of those hotels and reach higher capacities at their parks? Greed, is really how this is unraveling to expose Disney.

Or, you know, good business sense. There’s nothing wrong with Disney trying to maximize their profits. Honestly, as long as they still exist at the end of this, there is literally nothing they can do that will make me angry.

 

[DanSG]

So the Tuesday show is going to be 2 hours long lol

Can't wait to hear the weekly rant!

 

[Krandor]

Disney's fiscal year ends in late September - I'm assuming it may have something to do with that?

Also the 50th celebration is rumored to now start in October 2021.

 

[sullivan.kscott]

I would be upset too, but hindsight is 20/20. I can’t imagine they would have offered the free dining promo if they knew that it was going to get pulled. One thing I think they should have done differently is froze any new bookings the second they closed.”until further notice” They shot themselves in the foot by allowing the bookings to continue for times of such uncertainty...especially when it impacts capacity so significantly.

Hindsight, nothing. I could use credits in the open DS at night. I could use QS credits in the park. This is a money grab, and it’s BS.
This trip was PIF before Christmas and we would have been there now, before boarding a cruise tomorrow. That part I understand changing.
I understand limited hours and experiences. Pulling what benefit we had of coming and enjoying ourselves is shot.

 

[Jaxs27]

@Tjddis
I totally get how you feel. It is like a break-up. My daughter graduated this year and basically everything has been ruined.

 

[Anna_Sh]

Also the 50th celebration is rumored to now start in October 2021.

Is that the original schedule for the 50th?

 

[thingaboutarsenal]

Mine too. A just turned 2 year old is pretty much still a baby. I’m lucky if I can keep his shoes & clothes on all day much less a mask.

My 8 days into his 3rd year son did about 2 hours at DS today before breaking the string off because he was tired of wearing it. We asked a CM what to do and she suggested buying a scarf. It was crazy expensive so we didn't. Nobody seemed to care that he was unmasked.

 

[DGsAtBLT]

Hindsight, nothing. I could use credits in the open DS at night. I could use QS credits in the park. This is a money grab, and it’s BS.
This trip was PIF before Christmas and we would have been there now, before boarding a cruise tomorrow. That part I understand changing.
I understand limited hours and experiences. Pulling what benefit we had of coming and enjoying ourselves is shot.

If it’s a money grab it’s got to be the stupidest money grab in history.

Cancel one of your big money makers (DDP), cancel reservations for everyone, screw with plans, open with capacities so low not everyone who wants to can get in, come up with some really unpleasant rules for guests, stay closed through a bulk of summer break, possibly maybe keep some of your other big money makers closed (resorts), status of the big events that people throw money at you during (the fall stuff) is unknown, and I’m sure plenty of other things I’m missing, and people still think this is a money grab?? Because they cancelled free dining?

There is a lot to be said about this cluster-you-know-what, but money grab ain’t it. IMO at least.

 

[rteetz]

Is that the original schedule for the 50th?

The original rumors had it starting in late spring early summer 2021.

 

[rteetz]

 

[cakebaker]

There’s nothing wrong with Disney trying to maximize their profits.

I dunno, maximizing their profits by treating millions of dollars in deposits and prepays from customers for dates they KNEW they would not be open like an interest free loan seems a little wrong to me.

Got my email too, not sure which of the 10 different reservations I had it applies to. lol

 

[Anna_Sh]

If it’s a money grab it’s got to be the stupidest money grab in history.

Cancel one of your big money makers (DDP), cancel reservations for everyone, screw with plans, open with capacities so low not everyone who wants to can get in, come up with some really unpleasant rules for guests, stay closed through a bulk of summer break, possibly maybe keep some of your other big money makers closed (resorts), status of the big events that people throw money at you during (the fall stuff) is unknown, and I’m sure plenty is other things I’m missing, and people still think this is a money grab?? Because they cancelled free dining?

There is a lot to be said about this cluster-you-know-what, but money grab ain’t it. IMO at least.

I wonder if we will ever know how much money all of this is going to cost them.

 

[Krandor]

Is that the original schedule for the 50th?

originally was going to start earlier in the year is my understanding. October is the actual 50th so sounds like that will Now be the start. Oct 1 1971 was when it opened.