Keep in mind, that this is an early test and as time goes by, things will be adjusted. It’s too bad for those going, but this is what is needed to keep everyone safe.
It seems like shorter hours would bring the crowds together vs spreading them out. That said, I’m also sure there is a lot going on behind the scenes like extra cleaning, new cast member requirements, etc. that need more time.
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True…but with only 30% capacity, it probably doesn’t matter so much.
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Well sure, I get the safety precautions. I live in New York, believe me I get it. I just never imagined my trip would fall ONE DAY after reopening. The hour changes just tipped me from “questionable” status to “there’s no way this experience will be worth X thousands of dollars” status.
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It looks to me like everyone is going to head to Epcot at the end of the night. What else can you do?
We’re still on the fence about our August re-booked trip. I have another back up in December that looks a whole lot more appealing right now.
For the fun of it (wait…is this actually fun?), I went into my existing reservation to see if I could CHANGE my existing reservation. Yesterday the system wouldn’t allow it. Today it did.
But what was interesting was that when I tried to change the resort (currently at Pop Century), half of the resorts are no longer available. I can still change to the following:
- Pop Century (current choice)
- Art of Animation
- Contemporary
- Yacht Club
- Kidani Villas
- The Cabins (For Wilderness)
- Polynesian Villas and Bungalow
- Bay Lake Tower
- Saratoga Springs
- Boulder Ridge
- Copper Creek
What is interesting, however, is what ISN’T available:
- Caribbean Beach
- Animal Kingdom Lodge
- Port Orleans
- Coronado Springs
- All-Star
- Polynesian Village Resort
- Grand Floridian
- Wilderness Lodge
- Beach Club
- Boardwalk
- Old Key West
- Riviera
- Campsites
- Jambo House
Now, I know that SOME of these were probably already filled up. But others were NOT filled up before this.
So, this has me wondering further on this point.
First, closing off All-Star resorts may mean they intend to move those folks currently with All-Star bookings into another resort. This would be either to close off the resort, or leave it available for NBA.
The other resorts are closed off not necessarily because they are full, but to leave room availability for those they need to MOVE from other resorts into.
How much of these park hour operations times are CM driven.
They shouldn’t be clumping up either.
I cannot see NBA players staying at the all stars. Their CBA requires the league to place them in 5 star resorts whenever available. I could see them going into the tower at Coronado before the All Stars.
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Truthfully, I can’t either. But I was not discounting that is the possible reason the All Stars are all listed as unavailable now when they weren’t a couple days ago.
And if NBA isn’t going to stay there, it leads me to think that they will be moving the All Star guests to other resorts. With Port Orleans now unavailable (again…it wasn’t a couple days ago) I could see them offering All-Star guests upgrades to Pop, AoA, or PO rooms. It will be interesting to see what happens.
So only 1 hotel on the resort monorail route is available and only 2 hotels on the Skyliner route, using the same stop are available.
That’s interesting.
Yeah. Although, in the case of the monorail resorts, I see the possibilities are that they have already filled them to the capacity they want during this time period, or that as part of the theoretical effort to move guests, they might now reserve those rooms to move other guests into. For example, if they want to move All Star guests into PO, they might also offer to move PO guests into Poly or something? Don’t know. Again, just conjecturing based on what I’m seeing in terms of room availability compared to a few days ago.
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Actually, it occurs to me that both Bay Lake and Contemporary would alleviate the need to use the Ferry or Monorail altogether, so allowing guests into those versus the other monorail resorts kind of makes sense.
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It could also be that they want to keep the resorts at 40% capacity or less, and they are already over that so they shut them off and will be reaching out to guests to either move or reschedule.
Some people will undoubtedly have to be “bumped” for lack of a better term.
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Yes. That is a possibility as well.
Except they will limit the numbers by having the reservation system. So people won’t be able to flock there in the evening.
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I think Coronado is the only option on the table.
They won’t want the general public anywhere near them, so that rules out every deluxe because of DVC.
Coronado has a spa and fitness centre, lots of space, it’s self contained, it has the tower rooms, it’s easy to keep outsiders out.
And the contract is almost immaterial now. In that if they don’t finish the season they lose 25% of their salary. So which will they go for, full salary and “put up with” Coronado, or 75% of salary.
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And it’s close to WWoS complex.
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This is forcing me to have to COMPLETELY rethink typical strategies for touring the parks. All the rules are changed.
For example, normally if you choose to do a day with EMH, you are fighting with all the other resort guests also wanting to do EMH.
But this time around, with limitations placed on capacity, it means that the number of people in the park on an EMH day will be the same as a non EMH day. So, in effect, EMH days become the BEST choice every single time. Of course, this suggests it will be the first days to go when people start making their reservations.
And more than likely the actual reason than anything else. The chances they’re moving people to other resorts is real slim.
Having any capacity of the hotels filled (read: stuck on property), but unable to enter the parks because locals and others already reserving to get in is going to be very very bad optics.
Better for Disney to cancel these reservations all together and work with the canceled customers to come to an agreeable outcome than have a PR nightmare of “I paid full money to go to Disney and I couldn’t even get in.”
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100% Agree.