Cruise and Theme Park Operational Updates due to Coronavirus

[tlmadden73]

You made me curious...

All Star Movies for June 2021 is $185/219. That is so much for such a small room. ☹

To compare: Doubletree Suites is $130 and kids under 12 eat free.

That's crazy. But I think Disney is just upping their "rack rate" so that discounts look good when they inevitably offer them .. but they'll still make more money than previous years because of that. Seems like the Kohl's philosophy of marketing. Have crazy high prices (that most people wouldn't normally pay) and offer "huge" discounts .. that drop the price to what people would normally pay, but get people to pull the trigger becaues they can't pass up on a discount.

I mean .. they could offer a 50% discount on that All Star Movies room price ($185-219) .. and it would still cost more than I paid just back in 2018 for that same resort.

 

[Moliphino]

Maybe I'm in the minority but I never stayed on site for the FP or EMH - we stayed on site to be close to the parks, for transportation, for the resort activities/recreational things, and for the theming! (even before buying into DVC) - we love the onsite stays. Otherwise it's just another vacation.

Same. Leaving the bubble is always kind of depressing, I don't want to see the outside world.

 

[Alicefan]

Giving up the bubble would be very hard for me. Right now we are crunching the numbers, because we want to go to the beach for spring break. If I have to downgrade to do both I will. We desperately need vacations!

I don't think you'll be disappointed at all staying off property. For me, I feel like I enter the bubble just being in the Kissimmee area with all there is to see and do. Sometimes I feel like you miss out on so much being on property. Not to mention the rooms are so much bigger and nicer for a fraction of the cost depending on where you stay. We typically get the Rosen Center for around $99 a night and you feel like a high roller staying there in those plush beds and quiet rooms. lol

 

[mshanson3121]

This is why we stay offsite and pay $150/night for a 3 bed/2 bath townhouse w/ our own small pool and can be on Disney property in 5 minutes.

We prefer off site as well. We paid $90 US for our June 2015 trip for a 4 bedroom/2 bath house with a 25' pool and games room. Now, we were a bit farther out, but our drive was 12-18 minutes driveway to driveway (depending on the park), and that was measured in morning rush hour traffic.

However, our May '19 trip was a birthday gift for DS and he chose All Star Movies. They absolutely loved it, and want to stay again but honestly, looking at pricing, I imagine we'll be off site. Even if we could nab a 15% discount like we did in May, that's still going to be an average of probably $160-170 a night for a very small room.

 

[DGsAtBLT]

Maybe I'm in the minority but I never stayed on site for the FP or EMH - we stayed on site to be close to the parks, for transportation, for the resort activities/recreational things, and for the theming! (even before buying into DVC) - we love the onsite stays. Otherwise it's just another vacation.

This is what I was going to say as well.

Maybe this is a product of being a loyal on-site or bust guest long before things like the FP+ window even existed. It is a requirement for us, and I am firmly planted in the rather go less to facilitate it camp.

The prices were creeping up into insane territory even pre March with nothing removed especially the more you ventured away from the value resorts. For me at least the removal of FP+ and EMH (that were already considered things to avoid by many) doesn’t really move the needle. Those were bonuses but not the core experience IMO, like discounts attached to certain groups that can come and go.

 

[tlmadden73]

My philosophy is (for now) .. stay onsite while the kids are young. (Under 10).

A lot easier to share a small room. A lot easier to get them on/off a bus than in/out of a car. (and frankly they find the bus rides 'exciting' and part of the 'show').

A lot more excitement to see their faces with all the theming (outside and inside the rooms (though inside theming is slowing getting neutered for that sterile, stark white).

Once they get into their teens, offsite may be the way to go to be able to have more room/privacy at a more affordable price.

We have stayed offsite twice, but that was when sharing the vacation with other 3-4 other family units and it was so much easier/cheaper and fun to stay at a large rental place 10+ minutes away.

Having said that .. just seeing how much the prices have gone up since we have started going in 2014 (in both tickets and resorts) is crazy. It is harder and harder to swallow.

 

[mshanson3121]

Giving up the bubble would be very hard for me. Right now we are crunching the numbers, because we want to go to the beach for spring break. If I have to downgrade to do both I will. We desperately need vacations!

I don't think you'll be disappointed at all staying off property. For me, I feel like I enter the bubble just being in the Kissimmee area with all there is to see and do. Sometimes I feel like you miss out on so much being on property. Not to mention the rooms are so much bigger and nicer for a fraction of the cost depending on where you stay. We typically get the Rosen Center for around $99 a night and you feel like a high roller staying there in those plush beds and quiet rooms. lol

^^ I second what Alice said. I mean, to compare our off site and on site trips (obviously, based on my opinion) to give you an idea:

Pros of Onsite:
- Yes, it really is a cool feeling being at the Disney resort, especially since we stayed at Movies with kids. They absolutely loved the theming, and it really did give an immersive feeling. They loved the resort pool and having other kids around. It really does give a fun "vibe". And on one hand, it's nice to not have to drive.

Cons of Onsite:
- Less space is the obvious (and huge) one. Lack of kitchen - I found staying on site so inconvenient for meals. Get up, get dressed, walk to the cafeteria, walk back, brush teeth, finish getting ready, walk back to catch the bus etc... Kids didn't enjoy that, and it got old really fast. And the constant noise was another drawback - I felt like I never got a break: loud parks to loud busses to loud restaurants/cafeterias to loud pool to even just the noise of the room etc... people walking by your room, noise of the ventilation systems etc... Disliked all the standing around waiting for a bus, as did the kids (obviously would be different if you had your own vehicle at the resort, which we didn't). Didn't find relying on the bus any faster than having our own car and driving from off site (but again, we stayed at All Stars, I know other resorts have faster service). 60 day FP+.

Pros of Off Site:
- The space and privacy. The quietness and chance to recharge your batteries. The kitchen. The laundry. The private pool. Having your own transportation, not having to wait for a bus to show up, come and go as and when you please. Much easier to go off site if you want.

Cons of Off Site:
- 30 day FP+ was seriously the only con IMO.

To me, staying off-site felt like more of a real vacation. It was more relaxing and enjoyable. Not so overwhelming. I'll never forget coming back from Hollywood Studios, and DH and I swimming under the stars in our own private pool at 1:00 am. It was so nice. I loved being able to wake up, walk out on the lanai and eat a leisurely breakfast by the pool.

Both were enjoyable, but off site more so. And I agree with Alicefan - to me, just being in the area feels exciting.

 

[SaintsManiac]

I just wish we had a crystal ball to predict what this time next year looks like!

 

[hereforthechurros]

Just heard on our local radio that Disney emptied all the pennies/ coins in the fountains at Magic kingdom and pulled out 20k that was donated to the Homeless coalition in Florida .

$20k just in MK? Wow! So great.

 

[yulilin3]

interesting job posting on the Disney site
https://jobs.disneycareers.com/job/...d-safety-specialist-project-hire/391/18134908for the Walt Disney Studios in Lake Buena Vista but managed by The Traveling Lab, the responsibilities include contact tracing and reporting covid cases

 

[jade1]

I really am wondering if there just isn't the *need* to stay on property like there used to be. With no EMH, no 60 day FP benefit, they don't take your bags for ME, etc.

And the off property places, especially like Air BnB type places, are having some really cheap rates now so why pay $150+ or whatever for a value resort when you can get a condo off property for $80?


Might be one reason they are starting the character RV and stuff like that to add more benefits to staying on property

It is diminished currently agreed.


If using an AP, on sight really helps open up available parks. We would just add a room and pick any park we wanted. No advantage if paying for park days though I would assume.

The other thing was walking to a park. I think Resort buses are also an advantage to parking for getting in front of the lines.

Really paid off from BWV to DHS. Knocked out M&M Train, Slink, RNR and then back to TSM (since ToT didn't open until park opening) before DHS even opened.

EPCOT didn't open until 11, but pretty sure IG puts us first in line as well, even way b4 gondolas. But do compete with front gate.

VWL was helpful but not as good as POLY/GF and BLT-although they hold you at the temp screening as well, but you can be in front if you choose.

Riviera gondola wasn't as helpful as walking from EPCOT Resorts as they seemed to start up later, but not sure if that changes by day etc.

Offsite parking seems to open at about 45 min before the park "posted time" opens, so pretty far behind the curve if that's important to anyone.

We entered DHS when parking starting to flow in, as parks tended open 45 Min early.

 

[Violetspider]

I am still planning on staying on-site next trip (January) purely due to theming and a huge discount that brought the cost of a Little Mermaid room to the cheapest I have seen in a long while .. but the cost is getting up there for what you are getting (small room and no free food).

I never drive while solo at WDW, so on site is a must for me. I booked, for the first time, a Little Mermaid room when they were at $140 or so a night thinking that was a deal. Now with an additional AP discount added, I'm at $115 a night. Will be totally worth it to be on the Sky Liner route. I'm hoping these types of discounts arise for the next two years while Covid vaccination is getting sorted out.

 

[LSUmiss]

Anyone know if you book through Expedia if you can link it to MDE? I got a confirmation number, but it won’t link in MDE.

 

[mshanson3121]

I just wish we had a crystal ball to predict what this time next year looks like!

Agree. No idea what our next trip will look like (let alone next year). So many factors. Right now, we're assuming it'll be June 2022 - since 2021 is out as DH can only travel during the summer. However, they *might* be getting a March break in their 2021-2022 school year, so if they do we might be able to go then. If we did March break it would be a one week, on site only trip since we would have to fly and DH has no interest in renting cars etc...

If we wait till summer, I can see us driving down and doing an extended trip, more than likely off site, with maybe a couple nights at ASMo just to appease the kids. The trip is DD's 12th birthday gift from her grandfather, and her big wish and gift from him will be to go swimming with the dolphins at Discovery Cove. So I can see a mix of Disney, DC/SW, Kennedy Space Centre and the beach.

After Covid, some other personal issues we've dealt with this year and have coming up in the new year, and the fact that by the time we go we'll have two summers without a real vacation, DH and I have agreed that our next real trip will be our "blow out" vacation. So I'd like to do a nice extended trip in Florida, and have time to relax and see all the things we want to.

 

[hereforthechurros]

Anyone know if you book through Expedia if you can link it to MDE? I got a confirmation number, but it won’t link in MDE.

You have to call Disney wholesale # or Expedia and get a Disney confirmation #.

Thought you weren't going again after the last trip

 

[SaintsManiac]

You have to call Disney wholesale # or Expedia and get a Disney confirmation #.

Thought you weren't going again after the last trip

LOL I was about to post the same thing.

 

[LSUmiss]

You have to call wholesale or Expedia and get a Disney confirmation #.

Thought you weren't going again after the last trip

Lol! Thanks! I said I think we might wait & til more stuff is open or crowds are lower. I booked but can cancel up to 5 days before so I’m still waiting & seeing .

 

[Farro]

This is what I was going to say as well.

Maybe this is a product of being a loyal on-site or bust guest long before things like the FP+ window even existed. It is a requirement for us, and I am firmly planted in the rather go less to facilitate it camp.

The prices were creeping up into insane territory even pre March with nothing removed especially the more you ventured away from the value resorts. For me at least the removal of FP+ and EMH (that were already considered things to avoid by many) doesn’t really move the needle. Those were bonuses but not the core experience IMO, like discounts attached to certain groups that can come and go.

Yep.

We deal with price increases by going less. The resort hotel is a LARGE part of a WDW vacation for us. We won't go to Disney and stay off-site.

Hotel is important to us anywhere we go, it's just a thing for me...

 

[MickeyWaffles]

Yep.

We deal with price increases by going less. The resort hotel is a LARGE part of a WDW vacation for us. We won't go to Disney and stay off-site.

Hotel is important to us anywhere we go, it's just a thing for me...

We are DVC, but if we were not, we would be the same. We bought DVC because we love Disney resorts - even those not anywhere near the parks. There is a feeling staying at them that can’t be replicated (for us) elsewhere.

And, as someone who has lived in the area for over a year (for my college programs), I don’t really enjoy being outside the Disney bubble. It’s not magical or an escape for us. The bubble is our escape, so Disney resort is a non negotiable for us.

Off site works for many people, but not for us. I think it is hard for people to recommend off site vs. on site to others because I don’t think you really know unless you experience it personally. People value different things in resort stays. Looking forward to the Disney resort stay is a huge part of the trip for us.

 

[Sandiz08]

$20k just in MK? Wow! So great.

Thats what the radio station said, Im thinking any and all coins found in any body of water. Something was said about every little wish coming together to make a big impact.