Cruise and Theme Park Operational Updates due to Coronavirus

[Farro]

I think coming announcement will just be cancellation of Christmas party and Candlelight Processional.

I think announcement of parks closing on different days (which I agree will happen) will come near Labor Day.

 

[jlwhitney]

I disagree. Outside of these boards, many people aren't interested in traveling anywhere right now. A lot of people also don't have the money to travel. Demand for any amusement park is non existent.

People are traveling where I live. Most of of my friends have gone somewhere this summer, and many others. But none of them are going to Disney/Universal like they many had planned, they are going elsewhere.

 

[anthony2k7]

I think coming announcement will just be cancellation of Christmas party and Candlelight Processional.

I think announcement of parks closing on different days (which I agree will happen) will come near Labor Day.

OK, but that surely makes no sense. If they are closing parks on days because they are losing money then surely they should be doing that as soon as possible rather than wait a bit knowingly losing more money?

 

[CastAStone]

Didn't Chapek comment about how demand was solid during the last call? (or shortly after?)

I believe it was the CNBC interview the day they submitted their plan to Florida. Basically said they would be able to fill to whatever capacity was. I think at the time their data likely indicated that was true. Reading through these boards its clear that a lot of people are waiting as long as they can to cancel because they really want to go! I for example have a Disneyland vacation planned for November and I'm not planning to make any decisions on it until at least mid September. If they surveyed me right now and asked me if I still want to go or if I am still planning to go the answer is an undeniable yes. But will I go is a totally different question - the answer is we'll see.

 

[CastAStone]

OK, but that surely makes no sense. If they are closing parks on days because they are losing money then surely they should be doing that as soon as possible rather than wait a bit knowingly losing more money?

The insiders on the other boards said Sept/Oct timeline for implementing whatever they decide.

 

[anthony2k7]

People are traveling where I live. Most of of my friends have gone somewhere this summer, and many others. But none of them are going to Disney/Universal like they many had planned, they are going elsewhere.

On my work social virtual drinking session last week with my immediate team of 10, someone asked if anyone had plans to go anywhere. Nope, not one person had plans to go anywhere right now even in our own country (UK).

 

[Eric Smith]

On my work social virtual drinking session last week with my immediate team of 10, someone asked if anyone had plans to go anywhere. Nope, not one person had plans to go anywhere right now even in our own country (UK).

My experience is basically the opposite. I'd say over half of the people I know either have gone or are going on some sort of vacation. Some have even gone to Florida in the past month which seems crazy to me.

 

[TwoMisfits]

Those people are agenda driven and delusional. What they are wanting isn’t going to happen if Disney has to sell the parks.

I personally don’t see Disney selling the parks. I can see them selling off other assets if they need to. The parks aren’t the financial drag right now anyways, right now it’s the hotels. The hotels are one of their biggest liabilities.

Honestly everyone concerned about Disney should be watching the gambling resort hotel industry. How it goes for them will likely be how it goes for Disney’s resorts/hotels.

I could see selling all the China parks just so that the risk is gone...when the world was "normal", there was no risk having these...but right now, the world in not normal, and while the US is definitely in turmoil...we are not the only ones...and it's that risk that Disney may need to offset right now...

 

[TheMaxRebo]

On my work social virtual drinking session last week with my immediate team of 10, someone asked if anyone had plans to go anywhere. Nope, not one person had plans to go anywhere right now even in our own country (UK).

In my team we have been talking about summer vacation plans and stuff and people are going places, but just local things. For example, I live downstate in NY and our summer vacation plan is we rented a house in the upstate region of the state. People are doing things like that.

I am sure the travel restrictions play a role but people also just don't want to be too far from home- just feels "safer" to be a 4 hour car ride vs a 4 hour plane ride away

 

[TwoMisfits]

People are traveling where I live. Most of of my friends have gone somewhere this summer, and many others. But none of them are going to Disney/Universal like they many had planned, they are going elsewhere.

Yeah, unlike me (still waiting for planned trip #6 not to get canceled in Sept after my 1st 5 were all wrecked), all my friends have also traveled - beaches and mountain/lake areas plans were the clear winners this summer...

 

[AmberMV]

In my team we have been talking about summer vacation plans and stuff and people are going places, but just local things. For example, I live downstate in NY and our summer vacation plan is we rented a house in the upstate region of the state. People are doing things like that.

I am sure the travel restrictions play a role but people also just don't want to be too far from home- just feels "safer" to be a 4 hour car ride vs a 4 hour plane ride away

Same, but in Florida. Everyone I know are doing local visits within the state. Even I wouldn't fly out of state right now (I say that because I have 3 toddlers who we've been home most of the last 5 months with and I'd do almost anything for time away )

 

[osufeth24]

The insiders on the other boards said Sept/Oct timeline for implementing whatever they decide.

please let it be closer to oct

Having attempt #4 with my friends coming down for a 4 day trip mid/late sept. I just wanna get them on Rise of the Resistance

 

[CastAStone]

My experience is basically the opposite. I'd say over half of the people I know either have gone or are going on some sort of vacation. Some have even gone to Florida in the past month which seems crazy to me.

We're going to vacation but here's the thing - we were planning to fly to Disney World. Now we're going to drive to an oceanfront beach house in NC (for less than a stay at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort, which is not on an actual beach). Other than the occasional bathroom stop on the way down and back, we plan to encounter 0 other people the entire time we are there. That's pretty hard to do at WDW.

 

[Eric Smith]

We're going to vacation but here's the thing - we were planning to fly to Disney World. Now we're going to drive to an oceanfront beach house in NC (for less than a stay at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort, which is not on an actual beach). Other than the occasional bathroom stop on the way down and back, we plan to encounter 0 other people the entire time we are there. That's pretty hard to do at WDW.

We're doing a similar thing. We were supposed to be at Disney at the end of September and now we rented a cabin in the Smokey Mountains over Labor Day. We're still holding out hope that Florida can get their act together by Christmas.

 

[OnceUponATime15]

With so many travel restrictions and people not wanting to get on planes right now, here in my area many have opted to do local vacations to cottages or staycations at home. That said.. We left it too late to decide and now can’t find a decent cottage for a week in August. Local resorts seem to be quite booked up as well.

I work for a Regional government with thousands of employees. Almost weekly now we are receiving management emails encouraging us to use our vacation allotment for this year, that carry overs into 2021 will not be approved without a valid reason. Which would suggest people are not vacationing.
I am looking forward to the return to some kind of normalcy.

 

[mattpeto]

I don't see Disney doing anything drastic.

Disney built the new reservation system to control the crowd levels. While it's possible that the demand is way below expectations, I'd still be pretty shocked if they uprooted a system they just put in to deal with the 2nd worst-case scenario.

Scaling back the resort openings is the next logical step. I also expect some packages for the locals to entice them to come back to the parks or stay at the resorts.

 

[jlwhitney]

Yeah, unlike me (still waiting for planned trip #6 not to get canceled in Sept after my 1st 5 were all wrecked), all my friends have also traveled - beaches and mountain/lake areas plans were the clear winners this summer...

A lot have also gone to Pigeon forge,that includes us, also. I agree a lot of outdoors vacations, but not all.

 

[Mit88]

please let it be closer to oct

Having attempt #4 with my friends coming down for a 4 day trip mid/late sept. I just wanna get them on Rise of the Resistance

I don’t think the parks closures would impact DHS, or even MK. I think those 2 will continue to run 7 days a week. EPCOT and AK are the ones having attendance issues. So is MK, but they really cant shut down a castle park in a scenario like this. And I don’t think they’ll close EPCOT and AK in consecutive days. Maybe Epcot on Mon, AK on Tues, Epcot on Wed, AK on Thur.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

With so many travel restrictions and people not wanting to get on planes right now, here in my area many have opted to do local vacations to cottages or staycations at home. That said.. We left it too late to decide and now can’t find a decent cottage for a week in August. Local resorts seem to be quite booked up as well.

I work for a Regional government with thousands of employees. Almost weekly now we are receiving management emails encouraging us to use our vacation allotment for this year, that carry overs into 2021 will not be approved without a valid reason. Which would suggest people not vacationing.
I am looking forward to the return to some kind of normalcy.

we are getting that encouragement too - though they have updated the carry over policy just knowing people aren't able to take vacation days like normal. Normally we are able to carry over 5 days and they have to be used within the first quarter of that next year - but now we can carry over up to 10 days and have the full next year to use them

 

[osufeth24]

I don’t think the parks closures would impact DHS, or even MK. I think those 2 will continue to run 7 days a week. EPCOT and AK are the ones having attendance issues. So is MK, but they really cant shut down a castle park in a scenario like this. And I don’t think they’ll close EPCOT and AK in consecutive days. Maybe Epcot on Mon, AK on Tues, Epcot on Wed, AK on Thur.

Our plan right now is AK wed HS thurs and Epcot fri, and HS Saturday as a backup if we don't get on Rise on Thurs

guess we'll see.