Cruise and Theme Park Operational Updates due to Coronavirus

[hertamaniac]

who. on. earth. is going on a cruise right now?

MSC and the Mediterranean itineraries. Their protocols are certainly under the eyes of the big 3.

 

[xuxa777]

No. Unfortunately the administration had to back track on that hope in recent days. Link. It’s come out J&J will only have a few million doses ready for delivery after approval and their 100 million doses won’t materialize until end of June. The large batch of J&J doses was how all adults were gonna have access by April. Oops.

Just watch by the end of april, plus will already be solid in herd immunity by then. Also If they move to one shot for the current vaccines like UK is doing J&J delay won't matter.

 

[SleighBelle]

It’s come out J&J will only have a few million doses ready for delivery after approval and their 100 million doses won’t materialize until end of June. The large batch of J&J doses was how all adults were gonna have access by April. Oops.

While we all want to get back to the parks asap, J&J doses were never part of the calculation Link to HHS

 

[andyman8]

18 months! So that entire time period is considered the anniversary?! Wow, maybe my kids aren’t really pushing it too much when they want to celebrate their “birthday week!”

We're back in celebration territory. The 18-24 month "celebration" is one of Disney's most common tricks to try to boost attendance and hype the parks while not investing in actual capital that would warrant it. WDW elongated its 25th anniversary to bump up against the Millennium Celebration which then led right into the 100 Years of Magic Celebration. People started to catch on so they gave it a minute and tried it again in the mid/late aughts with The Happiest Celebration/Homecoming on Earth, the Year of a Million Dreams, and the What Will You Celebrate/Celebrate Today celebration. Over the last seven or eight years, they've given it something of a rest (since they've actually routinely had new attractions to promote), but with not a lot of capital investment coming to the parks for the next couple years (which means no new attractions to open a couple years after that), this is likely the game plan for the time being.

I'd expect the 50th celebration to wrap, a brief period to "reset", then a start of TWDC's 100th anniversary celebration across all Disney Parks. That would bring us into 2024/2025 and I know even before the pandemic they were talking about doing some sort of celebration for America's 250th birthday (similar to WDW's celebration of America's bicentennial in the 70s) so that *could* start after another "reset" in 2025/2026.

 

[rockpiece]

Just walked by Big River Grille on the way over to the Swan for dinner from the boardwalk. It is listed as still closed but it definitely looked open. People sitting at tables on the outside and people on the inside with bar tenders and servers. Anyone know what’s up.

 

[disneygirlsng]

Just walked by Big River Grille on the way over to the Swan for dinner from the boardwalk. It is listed as still closed but it definitely looked open. People sitting at tables on the outside and people on the inside with bar tenders and servers. Anyone know what’s up.

It was announced that they would be reopening today.

 

[danissmart]

who. on. earth. is going on a cruise right now?

Many people are either, A. Immune B. Low risk C. Neither, but not afraid of the Rona.

 

[TikiTikiFan]

I hope the 50th decorations on the castle don't take too long. Be a real big bummer for us summer visitors to go and it's behind scaffolding. It doesn't look too complex though, right? Maybe won't take long?

I've also been wondering if this means no holiday lights on the castle either- what do you all think?

(This is me trying to change the subject back to Disney after sifting through post after post about covid )

 

[figmentfinesse]

I hope the 50th decorations on the castle don't take too long. Be a real big bummer for us summer visitors to go and it's behind scaffolding. It doesn't look too complex though, right? Maybe won't take long?

I've also been wondering if this means no holiday lights on the castle either- what do you all think?

(This is me trying to change the subject back to Disney after sifting through post after post about covid )

I'll be there the first half of August and honestly I see it all going up in September. It really does not look complicated, I agree.

 

[princesscinderella]

We enjoyed the year of a million dreams promotion so much! We got the special Mickey ears and my son got chose to get his face painted. It’s simple little things like this that make Disney so magical to people. I think that if they bring some of these simple promotions back it does create excitement, I kept hoping I’d get picked to stay in the castle dream suite. They have lost some of those touches along the way. We always ate at brown derby early in the day when they would fist open and a family would get picked to open the restaurant and they would pretend that they were celebrities walking the red carpet. So cute and costs nothing but has gone by the wayside. My hubby and I once declared that Liberty Tree was open from the balcony . The family picked to open magic kingdom from the train station etc. Sometimes it’s the simplest things that make a difference.

 

[Eric Smith]

I hope the 50th decorations on the castle don't take too long. Be a real big bummer for us summer visitors to go and it's behind scaffolding. It doesn't look too complex though, right? Maybe won't take long?

I've also been wondering if this means no holiday lights on the castle either- what do you all think?

(This is me trying to change the subject back to Disney after sifting through post after post about covid )

Having seen the projections on the castle, I'm 100% ok with the lights not coming back ever. That may be a controversial opinion.

 

[Pyotr]

Having seen the projections on the castle, I'm 100% ok with the lights not coming back ever. That may be a controversial opinion.

I liked the projection too. I wouldn’t be upset at all if it stayed.

 

[BrianL]

Having seen the projections on the castle, I'm 100% ok with the lights not coming back ever. That may be a controversial opinion.

I agree! I don't really "get" the love for Christmas lights on strings like that. They are pretty when lit, but ugly when unlit, plus the "crane time" to put them on and take them off. If they can do better, then why not?

 

[Yooperroo]

In case any APs were wondering, this is the exclusive complimentary prize you can get by playing the dino arcade games at AK. She loves it!

 

[sabrecmc]

Also, the current “openness” of FL has very little to do with Cruise and Theme park Operational Updates. Disney is setting its own (more restrictive) standards and has consistently said they’re not rushing this. If people wanted a full and totally “open” experience, they wouldn’t be going to WDW right now.

Agreed. We went to Disney BECAUSE they are being careful and enforcing restrictions. Same consideration for our plans this summer. We are not looking to escape restrictions, but to vacation in what we feel is a safer manner. We have been other places that do not have the same level of restrictions and prefer Disney's approach. Note: Disney's approach. NOT Florida's approach. We also went to Universal and were not comfortable there because things were not (at that time, at least) being enforced in the same way they were at Disney, particularly with regards to crowds in stores and restaurants. So, we won't be going back there, as we are with Disney.

 

[Leigh L]

As someone who’s been working remotely from Florida (but based up north), I don’t think that’s the driving force for most people I talk to like me. It’s far more simple: WDW is currently 73 degrees and sunny, DC is 34 degrees and rainy/snowy. If nothing was tying you to a certain location, where would you rather be? There’s this myth at there that everyone in FL or going to FL doesn’t care/isn’t concerned about the pandemic. That hasn’t been my experience. Most people just need a break from what has been a rough winter, which is exacerbating an already-stressful time.

Also, the current “openness” of FL has very little to do with Cruise and Theme park Operational Updates. Disney is setting its own (more restrictive) standards and has consistently said they’re not rushing this. If people wanted a full and totally “open” experience, they wouldn’t be going to WDW right now.

That's EXACTLY why we are here. I'm currently in FL (from DC as well, leaving the cruddy weather behind!) for the 5th time since August with one of my kids and some extended family renting a house (my nieces have barely left their house the last year). This week is mostly a work/school week with a little Disney sprinkled in between. We choose WDW specifically because of the protocols being taken. My teen won't set foot near a beach but feels totally comfortable at Disney.

We did go to MK yesterday and it was very crowded. Most I've seen since August. Most people compliant though and I'd say the majority are being pretty cautious in my observation on this and previous trips. My extended family was happy with the protocols WDW has in place. (My nieces were a little freaked by the crowds, but they've also not been out in public this year so no "easing" in for them whereas my teen has traveled already and is totally comfortable.)

Yesterday there were two times we were concerned. One was easily resolved by moving away from the other party. The other, which would have been bad even in non-COVID times, required CM assistance. They in turn got assistance and, we didn't stick around as we wanted to avoid potential confrontation, but it looked like a group of CMs were on it as we left the area.

**Edited to clarify. When I say "very crowded" I'm comparing it to slower times between August and now, not pre-pandemic times. Definitely not like before. It feels busier due to lack of dining options, snack carts, and entertainment. If that was open, yesterday would have been a "slow" day in pre-pandemic times I think. (We did the entire park in one day.)

 

[xuxa777]

Hard to deny that Florida being open is not an attraction for Florida and for Disney. The demand is going to cause the restricitions to loosen faster tied in with the facts that being open Florida is still seeing cases drop like a rock despite the fact a significant portion of people/media have been saying Florida being open would kill us all. That has been proven not to be the case time and time again.

 

[Eric Smith]

Hard to deny that Florida being open is not an attraction for Florida and for Disney. The demand is going to cause the restricitions to loosen faster tied in with the facts that being open Florida is still seeing cases drop like a rock despite the fact a significant portion of people/media have been saying Florida being open would kill us all. That has been proven not to be the case time and time again.

We went to WDW in December. We made every effort possible to interact as little as possible with Florida at large.

 

[xuxa777]

Agreed. We went to Disney BECAUSE they are being careful and enforcing restrictions. Same consideration for our plans this summer. We are not looking to escape restrictions, but to vacation in what we feel is a safer manner. We have been other places that do not have the same level of restrictions and prefer Disney's approach. Note: Disney's approach. NOT Florida's approach. We also went to Universal and were not comfortable there because things were not (at that time, at least) being enforced in the same way they were at Disney, particularly with regards to crowds in stores and restaurants. So, we won't be going back there, as we are with Disney.

Um, Florida's approach is pretty much the sole reason you could even go to Disney.

 

[xuxa777]

We went to WDW in December. We made every effort possible to interact as little as possible with Florida at large.

see post above