Cruise and Theme Park Operational Updates due to Coronavirus

[Randy Miller]

Excuse me for trying to have a conversation.

I would enjoy that conversation! There is just NO way that there have been zero cases at Disney. It is literally against the odds. They are just calling any positives found on site as “Florida” or back in their state when they test positive at home. Kind if like how they don’t list “Disney World” as a place of death. There have got to be multiple cases daily! Staff and patrons alike!

 

[gottalovepluto]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1290675290453299201

So sad. Morocco is my favorite of the pavilions, I adore the architecture and shops and of course food. The situation is obviously dire for these companies

 

[anthony2k7]

So sad. Morocco is my favorite of the pavilions, I adore the architecture and shops and of course food. The situation is obviously dire for these companies

Its not that many weeks ago they were advertising for roles in Morocco. Makes me wonder if some of those affected will be new starters so presumably no protection at all?

 

[anthony2k7]

Nov 1st is back to green

Perhaps it was just a test for when they go down to 5 days a week

 

[rteetz]

Just a reminder as we prep for showtime. We have an earnings report thread already going. We will keep discussion of the report there. Specific operations news items can be further discussed here if they come about.

 

[AmberMV]

 

[rteetz]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1290745172242968577

 

[rteetz]

Hit 5 million views

 

[SaintsManiac]

Hit 5 million views

It wasn't me this time. I'm trying a digital detox...

 

[rteetz]

https://www.knotts.com/park-update

https://twitter.com/x/status/1290745362114850816

 

[Marthasor]

They were approved for a Paycheck Protection Plan loan back on April 8/20 in the amount of 1.2 million dollars (to save 260 jobs)
Have they been open long enough and with enough staff to have gone through that amount of money already? (6 weeks since EPCOT reopened)

I'm assuming the PPP was to cover pay from April until the opening of the restaurants? If that's the case, I could see them going through 1.2 million over 3 months for 260 employees.

 

[JacknSally]

From the call just now, positive contribution at current park attendance levels has been achieved.

 

[JacknSally]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1290755017633406977

Someone just asked if the reason for less-than-expected WDW revenue is because demand for the parks wasn't where they thought it would be.

Chapek said this is a highly uncertain time and they could tell from reservations that they had ample demand 6 weeks before reopening WDW to go above the social distancing guidelines. When COVID numbers in FL started going up, long distance travelers were scared off. 50% of their guest base currently is traveling in from out of state but 50% is local/in-state. He did say they've had high numbers of cancellations because of the increase in FL COVID cases, and they're yielding their daily park availability to try to accommodate that.

They're happy with their current positive net contribution.

Christine clarified that they are generating revenue that exceeds variable costs, though it is to a lesser extent than previously anticipated directly because of the current COVID situation in Florida. As that abates, they expect demand to pick up. While demand is not currently where they expected, it's enough to achieve positive contribution. They're confident demand will go up when FL cases decline.

 

[Jim Libasci]

realistically though, Florida Cases aren't going to come down on their own. If people are waiting for the Virus to run it's course that's going to take at least until next year. If EVERYONE wears their masks and stays distant. If they don't it will be at least this time next year before we see a downward trend.
And I am planning a trip to Florida next month. I have a room booked at Beach Club. I am hoping for a miracle. I just want to get out of town for a few weeks. Visit family.

 

[JacknSally]

Q: What are you seeing in terms of pricing and occupancy in the hotels?

A: (Christine) Those numbers are kind of meaningless right now because there are hotels that aren't even open right now and travel is too irregular.

She did emphasize there is still pent-up demand and per-cap spending is great, likely as a result of the pent-up demand. Surge of COVID in FL limited the amount of inbound travel they originally anticipated which is having a dampening effect on parks revenue, but she emphasized again that it will pick up when regular travel into WDW resumes as FL COVID cases decrease.

_________________________

Earnings calls aren't usually chock-full of news, but for anyone who wasn't listening to the call and has FOMO, no real news came out in the call aside from Mulan being PPV on Disney+ next month.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1290755742471991297

 

[GeorgiaHoo]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1290745172242968577

Knottsberry is a really underrated park. We visited several times when living in California and it's a great place.

 

[MinnieMSue]

https://www.knotts.com/park-update

https://twitter.com/x/status/1290745362114850816

i live between King’s Island and Cedar point and have season passes to CP. just got a notice that they are doing a lite version of their Halloweekends so we may have a touch of Halloween up in Ohio this year after all! Our Disney september trip that was supposed to be for the Halloween party is definitely not turning out the same as we hoped.

 

[Clockwork]

Has anyone mentioned how the 2pm boarding passes have gone? Wait times for HS seem much better in the afternoon so we’re contemplating skipping the 10am chaos all around.

On Thursday I didn’t get into the 10:00 booking, my wife and myself both were able to get 2:00 booking, the ride then went down for about a hour, after it was about a 5 min wait from queue entrance to the first room.

 

[TexasErin]

Not from personal experience but from listening to a few podcasts yes you can. Someone said they grabbed food at Pecos Bill but seating was limited for obvious social distancing reasons so he walked on down to another area outside of a closed restaurant and sat there.

Also it sounds like the majority of food isn't open for breakfast - Storybook Treats/Sleepy Hollow/wherever you go for the nutella fruit waffle seems to be one of the only places not counting starbucks. I think that might also be intentional - so people don't crowd in for morning "rope dropping" as they may have done previously during The Before Times.

We were in WDW from 7/10 to 7/20. The fact that there are so few options for breakfast at MK made the Starbucks line RIDICULOUS. Even way more than usual. We really really missed Gastons.

 

[Anna_Sh]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1290675290453299201

It’s too bad they couldn’t wait a couple more weeks to close. Once the blocked APs can get in, QS may pick up.