Cruise and Theme Park Operational Updates due to Coronavirus

[Carol Jackson]

How are people booking back up trips? I was under the impression nothing can be done right now except cancel current reservations...

For me I watched the announcement at the Task Force meeting and immediately got on the App and booked July 20. An hour later they shut down reservations. I still have a June 18 reservation I’m hoping to change but right now the app won’t let me do anything. Waiting for the cancellation email then I will call to rebook.

 

[Bibbobboo2u]

Someone on another thread claiming to have info says reservations are being manually reviewed and there is a chance some will be moved and some will be cancelled. Unknown what would trigger cancellation over modification. They said they were reluctant to share but wanted to heads up folks.

Someone else on that thread reported a friend was called by Disney for their mid-July trip and told they would be moved from CBR to DVC, they do not get to pick which DVC. (They had already bought tickets, unknown if that matters.)

Thanks. We have room-only reservations in Oct and Dec and were planning on re-purchasing APs closer to arrival date. I guess it's a good thing we didn't spend that money yet, since we could get cancelled and would have been holding un-activated passes until who knows when.
I finally got caught up!

 

[rteetz]

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/29267245/how-adam-silver-nba-stars-owners-negotiated-playoffs

 

[andyman8]

For those that aren’t privy to the rumors going around on other message boards (and some of the ones discussed many pages back), here is a good summary:
https://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs...nally-overhaul-fastpass-and-extra-magic-hoursPlease note: most of this story is comprised of rumors.

 

[runjulesrun]

For those that aren’t privy to the rumors going around on other message boards (and some of the ones discussed many pages back), here is a good summary:
https://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs...nally-overhaul-fastpass-and-extra-magic-hoursPlease note: most of this story is comprised of rumors.

Sounds very similar to what Remy has been saying.

 

[dislee1164]

Resort Hopping - thoughts?

Will this be allowed? It’s my favorite thing to do after park hopping, so if that’s being halted for now, I’m assuming they won’t let people hang out at resorts they aren’t staying in?!

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Resort Hopping - thoughts?

Will this be allowed? It’s my favorite thing to do after park hopping, so if that’s being halted for now, I’m assuming they won’t let people hang out at resorts they aren’t staying in?!

I seem to recall one story about the period when DVC resorts would be open prior to the parks being open mentioning transportation to other DVC resorts for access to restaurants. So I think it would be allowed

 

[andyman8]

Sounds very similar to what Remy has been saying.

Yeah. I mean many have been echoing these sentiments for years. I remember it was no more than six months after MM+/FP+ was first introduced that folks even on here were saying that the system wasn’t working and radical changes were coming. People think Staggs was run out because of the cost overruns at SDL (in addition to Ike Perlmutter) but it was actually the cost overruns (and quesitonable success) of the MyMagic+ initiative (and our old pal Ike).

 

[dislee1164]

I seem to recall one story about the period when DVC resorts would be open prior to the parks being open mentioning transportation to other DVC resorts for access to restaurants. So I think it would be allowed

Ok thanks - interesting...maybe you’ll have to have a dining reservation to be there or something. Who knows! Just something I’ve been wondering about and hope they don’t take away.

 

[Aeralie]

Maybe this has been shared already...

https://insidethemagic.net/2020/06/...l&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer
Am I the only one who suspects this will eventually become a permanent change? I mean, why wouldn't they? It basically forces people to buy the Memory Maker.

This strikes me as a tad cynical, though it's reasonable to assume such measures will be in place for a while, if not permanently. For what it's worth though, this revelation is bubbling up through the union... Photopass Cast Members are non-unionized, so we can at least discount that direct link.

 

[Marthasor]

Is this new system going to be working in time for opening? Is it going to be working for us to make Park reservations and dining reservations?

No! (she says, laughing hysterically!). I've been in the parks on the first days of system rollouts - MM+ and the switch from GAC to DAS on the same day (don't know who decided on that one!) and, yeah, it wasn't pretty.

In all seriousness, let's hope they get it working in time for opening. I don't know - MM+ took SO long. I'm not a techie at all, so I don't know how long something like this takes, but, boy, they seem to have backed themselves up against the wall with a hard-date opening. We can only hope it works!

 

[CastAStone]

For those that aren’t privy to the rumors going around on other message boards (and some of the ones discussed many pages back), here is a good summary:
https://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs...nally-overhaul-fastpass-and-extra-magic-hoursPlease note: most of this story is comprised of rumors.

I mean, okay, but if there’s no onsite resort benefits besides “the bubble” I’m probably staying at the Doubletree for every trip from here until eternity, and DVC is out the window entirely. The 60 day FP is SUCH a huge on property carrot.

 

[cakebaker]

Unknown what would trigger cancellation over modification.

I don’t see much new about that idea. If they can’t get resort capacity below park capacity through self cancellation, they’re going to have cancel some resort guests. That’s been said by many for a long time now. If they have to do that, I’d assume it would be based on when your reservation was made with newer reservations the first to get axed.

 

[LSUmiss]

I don’t see much new about that idea. If they can’t get resort capacity below park capacity through self cancellation, they’re going to have cancel some resort guests. That’s been said by many for a long time now. If they have to do that, I’d assume it would be based on when your reservation was made with newer reservations the first to get axed.

But newer reservations where? Like do they cancel newer ones in all resorts or just the ones that won’t open?

 

[cakebaker]

But newer reservations where? Like do they cancel newer ones in all resorts or just the ones that won’t open?

It would depend on if they want to be “ fair” or if they want to do it the easy way. From reading the post about it, sure sounds like they go the easy route.
That is, cancel guests at closed resorts, basing it on date reservations were made at that resort.

Disney has this annoying habit of thinking they can do things and no one will ever know anything but what Disney tells them.

And so we are back to this - Had Disney not allowed reservations to be booked for months when they were closed and knew they would not be open we wouldn’t be looking at this possibility.

 

[tlmadden73]

I mean, okay, but if there’s no onsite resort benefits besides “the bubble” I’m probably staying at the Doubletree for every trip from here until eternity, and DVC is out the window entirely. The 60 day FP is SUCH a huge on property carrot.

I am sure they will come up with newer benefits besides FP+ for staying at the resort depending how the FP system is tweaked. The 60-day fastpass "benefit" was becoming less and less of a benefit unless you had a 5+ day resort stay to book your FPs 65-70 days in advance.

But if they can overhaul the FP system and address its flaws (mainly the few "high demand" fast passes being gobbled up even if you make your reservations the very second you can), it should be good. I just don't know what that overhaul is besides making it a paid system so simply FEWER people are using the FP system.

I do feel EMH are probably gone for good and just replaced by the paid events. Maybe resorts guests get a discount on them or something.

 

[LSUmiss]

It would depend on if they want to be “ fair” or of they want to do it the easy way. From reading the post about it, sure sounds like they go the easy route.
That is, cancel guests at closed resorts, basing it on date reservations were made at that resort.

Disney has this annoying habit of thinking they can do things and no one will ever know anything but what Disney tells them.

That will not look good at all . Ppl have been complaining for years that wdw is no longer for the middle class. I think ppl are holding on to reservations to see if they will be offered deals for the future. Disney would do better to contact everyone with reservations & see who might be willing to cancel for a future incentive.

 

[tlmadden73]

Maybe this has been shared already...

https://insidethemagic.net/2020/06/...l&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer
Am I the only one who suspects this will eventually become a permanent change? I mean, why wouldn't they? It basically forces people to buy the Memory Maker.

I see Disney doing a lot of things as permanent changes during this. If anything -- just to simply save money until they can get back to full capacity .. and then when they are full capacity help maximize their profits. Honestly, having cast members take pictures for you slows down the line. If the choice is either this or the photo boxes, I think we'd all take the photo pass people NOT taking photos with personal phones.

 

[tlmadden73]

That will not look good at all . Ppl have been complaining for years that wdw is no longer for the middle class. I think ppl are holding on to reservations to see if they will be offered deals for the future. Disney would do better to contact everyone with reservations & see who might be willing to cancel for a future incentive.

That's why I was holding onto my June reservation (when it was thought they may be opening in June). I am actually still holding out hope for some "please come later" offer because my reservation was cancelled (just how the people who were cancelled in March/April got).

 

[cakebaker]

Disney would do better to contact everyone with reservations & see who might be willing to cancel for a future incentive.

From a customer service point of view, that would be the best way to handle it. But they seem to be tone deaf on c/s these days.

For instance, I did email them about my dissatisfaction about being excluded from any guest recovery offers due to being a family of AP holders. I actually got a response within a few days and not totally canned. The problem is, they completely ignored my issue and gave me this handy dandy tip for the future:

“We recommend booking your vacation as soon as you can to make sure you get your first choice for the dates and resort. Then, when promotions are released later on, you may be able to modify your reservation to include any special offer, depending on resort availability.”

That was so helpful! 35 years I’ve been going to WDW and they think this is some revelation? Yeah, that’s exactly what I did with both of my cancelled reservations. You know, those reservations that got cancelled, then got a refusal to honor those discounts or be included in a guest recovery offer? I didn’t expect a resolution, but a response that actually addressed my issue would’ve been nice.