Cruise and Theme Park Operational Updates due to Coronavirus

[The Pho]

Cp is losing a big chunk of their season. They can't just extend it.

Cedar Fair has announced that their plan is very much to extend the later end of their season to make up for the late start.

 

[Tandy]

Cedar Fair has announced that their plan is very much to extend the later end of their season to make up for the late start.

The one near me has started going until Christmas now.. there is no issue with them plowing through longer

 

[fsjking]

Cedar Fair has announced that their plan is very much to extend the later end of their season to make up for the late start.

I think they are just planning on continuing through September and October daily to keep from refunding annual passes. I have doubts about that working as theres a reason they close those those days. They aren't like their money making Summer days. They can't extend those.

 

[Amymouse13]

Still hitting refresh on disney website for update past 3/31... Just like schools... *** mate let's go already. It's next week...

 

[rteetz]

Fun Spot America Parks in Orlando and Kissimmee Closing on March 23 Due to Coronavirus Outbreak

 

[Disney Girl 2020]

Hi from Latin America! How are you doing? I need your experts advice.

This March 28 I must pay the balance of the reservation i do through DVC Rental Store and I really do not know whether to do it or not. The parks are closed and Disney will most likely extend the closure and my travel dates will be affected (May 12 to 22), also in my country the borders are closed until further notice.

Just when Disney makes the official announcement of the closure extension, my travel advisor, can ask the DVC members if they would be willing to change the dates of my trip or not and it all depends on their good will and their points do not expire. Therefore if I do not pay the balance on March 28, I will lose my reservation and the money already paid and later this year I will have to spend more money on a new reservation.

On the other hand, if I pay the balance I may also lose the reservation and even lose much more money ( the amount already paid plus the balance) if the parks remain closed and the DVC member can’t help me, but only if I pay there would be a small possibility of rescheduling the trip dates.

The decision is very difficult. I would really appreciate it if you can help me with your honest opinion to make a decision. What would you do in my place? Thank you so much!

 

[hertamaniac]

From the Buena Vista Palace at Disney Springs (Hilton) via their twitter this morning.


View attachment 482956

This doesn't shock me as Mayor Demings is looking into using hotels to hold patients. They are also investigating using the Orange County Convention Center as another facility. There are plenty of hotels/rooms in Orlando, but which ones would be acceptable and willing to be used as an external quarantine facility is another question.

 

[Miffy]

Hi from Latin America! How are you doing? I need your experts advice.

This March 28 I must pay the balance of the reservation i do through DVC Rental Store and I really do not know whether to do it or not. The parks are closed and Disney will most likely extend the closure and my travel dates will be affected (May 12 to 22), also in my country the borders are closed until further notice.

Just when Disney makes the official announcement of the closure extension, my travel advisor, can ask the DVC members if they would be willing to change the dates of my trip or not and it all depends on their good will and their points do not expire. Therefore if I do not pay the balance on March 28, I will lose my reservation and the money already paid and later this year I will have to spend more money on a new reservation.

On the other hand, if I pay the balance I may also lose the reservation and even lose much more money ( the amount already paid plus the balance) if the parks remain closed and the DVC member can’t help me, but only if I pay there would be a small possibility of rescheduling the trip dates.

The decision is very difficult. I would really appreciate it if you can help me with your honest opinion to make a decision. What would you do in my place? Thank you so much!

Hi, @Disney Girl 2020,
What would I do in your place? I'd cancel now and be happy that I'm doing the best I can to minimize my loss. And, for your future reservation, I'd reserve through Disney directly so that I wouldn't be faced with this dilemma since you can cancel a room-only reservation made through Disney up to 5 days before check-in without penalty and even if you don't cancel then, you're still out only one night's payment.

But this is me. For me, there are too many variables at play here. When will WDW reopen? Unknown. Will the person you're renting from want to or be able to move your reservation and if they do and/or will, what if it's moved to another time that the parks and resorts are closed?

I'm assuming you don't have trip insurance? And yet even if you did, it might not cover this.

The question you have to ask yourself is how much money are you willing to lose? For me, I'd minimize my losses right now. You might have a different feeling about this. No one can accurately predict what's going to happen.

I do think that the WDW resorts and parks will still be open and running and thriving at some point, so you can start planning for a vacation next spring.

BTW, I have an upcoming trip that's going to end up canceled, I'm sure. I'm just waiting for the official word before I do anything. But I booked my room through WDW, so I'm not in the same situation you are and I feel your indecision and disappointment. I hope you make the decision that you're most comfortable with. After that, it's up to the gods.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Hi from Latin America! How are you doing? I need your experts advice.

This March 28 I must pay the balance of the reservation i do through DVC Rental Store and I really do not know whether to do it or not. The parks are closed and Disney will most likely extend the closure and my travel dates will be affected (May 12 to 22), also in my country the borders are closed until further notice.

Just when Disney makes the official announcement of the closure extension, my travel advisor, can ask the DVC members if they would be willing to change the dates of my trip or not and it all depends on their good will and their points do not expire. Therefore if I do not pay the balance on March 28, I will lose my reservation and the money already paid and later this year I will have to spend more money on a new reservation.

On the other hand, if I pay the balance I may also lose the reservation and even lose much more money ( the amount already paid plus the balance) if the parks remain closed and the DVC member can’t help me, but only if I pay there would be a small possibility of rescheduling the trip dates.

The decision is very difficult. I would really appreciate it if you can help me with your honest opinion to make a decision. What would you do in my place? Thank you so much!

I suspect prior to the 28th there will be more info out from Disney on how long they will be closed - or at least officially extending the current closure further, and if that announcement does then include your dates, does that change things? If so, I would try to hold off until that news comes out (like I said, it should come out shortly).

 

[vinotinto]

Hola @Disney Girl 2020,

Since your question is specifically about resort reservation, I would ask in the Resort forum:
https://www.disboards.com/forums/disney-resorts.12/
Note that a number of guests have had a lot of difficulty with their point rental. Basically, for the closures, WDW has returned the points to the owner, but depending on the Use Year of the Points, the owner may not be able to get it rescheduled (either because the points expire or there isn't availability) and you would be out your $. In my opinion, there is huge risk with renting points right now. I would only book directly with WDW, which allows you to change and cancel your reservation.

 

[Disney Girl 2020]

Hi, @Disney Girl 2020,
What would I do in your place? I'd cancel now and be happy that I'm doing the best I can to minimize my loss. And, for your future reservation, I'd reserve through Disney directly so that I wouldn't be faced with this dilemma since you can cancel a room-only reservation made through Disney up to 5 days before check-in without penalty and even if you don't cancel then, you're still out only one night's payment.

But this is me. For me, there are too many variables at play here. When will WDW reopen? Unknown. Will the person you're renting from want to or be able to move your reservation and if they do and/or will, what if it's moved to another time that the parks and resorts are closed?

I'm assuming you don't have trip insurance? And yet even if you did, it might not cover this.

The question you have to ask yourself is how much money are you willing to lose? For me, I'd minimize my losses right now. You might have a different feeling about this. No one can accurately predict what's going to happen.

I do think that the WDW resorts and parks will still be open and running and thriving at some point, so you can start planning for a vacation next spring.

BTW, I have an upcoming trip that's going to end up canceled, I'm sure. I'm just waiting for the official word before I do anything. But I booked my room through WDW, so I'm not in the same situation you are and I feel your indecision and disappointment. I hope you make the decision that you're most comfortable with. After that, it's up to the gods.

Hi @Miffy , thank you for your coments!

Hi, @Disney Girl 2020,
What would I do in your place? I'd cancel now and be happy that I'm doing the best I can to minimize my loss. And, for your future reservation, I'd reserve through Disney directly so that I wouldn't be faced with this dilemma since you can cancel a room-only reservation made through Disney up to 5 days before check-in without penalty and even if you don't cancel then, you're still out only one night's payment.

But this is me. For me, there are too many variables at play here. When will WDW reopen? Unknown. Will the person you're renting from want to or be able to move your reservation and if they do and/or will, what if it's moved to another time that the parks and resorts are closed?

I'm assuming you don't have trip insurance? And yet even if you did, it might not cover this.

The question you have to ask yourself is how much money are you willing to lose? For me, I'd minimize my losses right now. You might have a different feeling about this. No one can accurately predict what's going to happen.

I do think that the WDW resorts and parks will still be open and running and thriving at some point, so you can start planning for a vacation next spring.

BTW, I have an upcoming trip that's going to end up canceled, I'm sure. I'm just waiting for the official word before I do anything. But I booked my room through WDW, so I'm not in the same situation you are and I feel your indecision and disappointment. I hope you make the decision that you're most comfortable with. After that, it's up to the gods.

Hi @Miffy Definitely in the future I will make all my reservations directly with Disney, it‘s not worth the risk of renting points for saving some money .... Thank you very much for your comments!

 

[tlmadden73]

Not directly related to WDW, but my state (NC) announced that K-12 schools won't be opening until May 15 -- TWO months after being officially closed just a week ago. No news on how school will or be made up during the summer (school is officially done for year on June 12th around here).

If schools around the country do the same thing and just make students go to school throughout the summer to make up the missing two months, you'll see the tourist industry (like WDW) take an even bigger hit once things get going again.

If a state government is taking steps to keep students from classrooms for two months, it isn't hard to see that there will be EXTREME social and governmental pressure to keep adults and businesses locked down for at least that long too.

We can argue whether we think it is an overreaction or not, but it is what it is .. we are going to have to deal with a wrecked economy come May/June.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

obviously not an apples to apples comparison but just came down that the 2020 Olympics will be postponed, likely until 2021

https://twitter.com/x/status/1242140452578406400

 

[jknezek]

Not directly related to WDW, but my state (NC) announced that K-12 schools won't be opening until May 15 -- TWO months after being officially closed just a week ago. No news on how school will or be made up during the summer (school is officially done for year on June 12th around here).

If schools around the country do the same thing and just make students go to school throughout the summer to make up the missing two months, you'll see the tourist industry (like WDW) take an even bigger hit once things get going again.

If a state government is taking steps to keep students from classrooms for two months, it isn't hard to see that there will be EXTREME social and governmental pressure to keep adults and businesses locked down for at least that long too.

We can argue whether we think it is an overreaction or not, but it is what it is .. we are going to have to deal with a wrecked economy come May/June.

The Federal Government has exempted schools from standardized testing and reporting so long as states apply for a waiver. The declaration of a Federal State of Emergency means the days do not need to be made up. Basically schools will not need to make up the time in the summer and will not be held responsible for doing so. I expect most states will simply write it off, though I do hope they get their stuff together and run some online classes for the rest of the year.

We have been home schooling since the kids came home but Alabama has actually told teachers NOT to provide voluntary learning resources because it sends too confusing a message to parents and students and is unfair for those unable to take part. It's a mess, but Alabama has already secured a waiver for any standardized tests and I expect they could simply cancel the school year if things don't improve in the next couple weeks. We only run through the end of May though.

Finally, teacher contracts at public schools do not run through the summer. It would be almost impossible to simply extend those contracts to make for several more months.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

The Federal Government has exempted schools from standardized testing and reporting so long as states apply for a waiver. The declaration of a Federal State of Emergency means the days do not need to be made up. Basically schools will not need to make up the time in the summer and will not be held responsible for doing so. I expect most states will simply write it off, though I do hope they get their stuff together and run some online classes for the rest of the year.

We have been home schooling since the kids came home but Alabama has actually told teachers NOT to provide voluntary learning resources because it sends too confusing a message to parents and students and is unfair for those unable to take part. It's a mess, but Alabama has already secured a waiver for any standardized tests and I expect they could simply cancel the school year if things don't improve in the next couple weeks. We only run through the end of May though.

Finally, teacher contracts at public schools do not run through the summer. It would be almost impossible to simply extend those contracts to make for several more months.

definitely varying by area how it is being handled. My kids are getting specific work to do each day, covering all subjects, and they have to submit their work online each day / mark it as complete and then the teachers are reviewing it each night. In addition to regular classes they also have their art, music, and PE classes providing assignments that have to be completed. This is for my kids in grades kindergarten, 2nd, and 5th

Our school year goes until the very end of June, so I guess a chance they could go back at some point, but not sure how much can get accomplished as the kids will probably just gotten used to doing things online

 

[Brianstl]

Hola @Disney Girl 2020,

Since your question is specifically about resort reservation, I would ask in the Resort forum:
https://www.disboards.com/forums/disney-resorts.12/
Note that a number of guests have had a lot of difficulty with their point rental. Basically, for the closures, WDW has returned the points to the owner, but depending on the Use Year of the Points, the owner may not be able to get it rescheduled (either because the points expire or there isn't availability) and you would be out your $. In my opinion, there is huge risk with renting points right now. I would only book directly with WDW, which allows you to change and cancel your reservation.

Owners can't legally keep rental money for rentals when the resort closed no matter what Disney does with their points. You can’t keep money from a rental you can't provide. Keeping the rental money in that case is theft.

 

[wallawallakids]

definitely varying by area how it is being handled. My kids are getting specific work to do each day, covering all subjects, and they have to submit their work online each day / mark it as complete and then the teachers are reviewing it each night. In addition to regular classes they also have their art, music, and PE classes providing assignments that have to be completed. This is for my kids in grades kindergarten, 2nd, and 5th

Our school year goes until the very end of June, so I guess a chance they could go back at some point, but not sure how much can get accomplished as the kids will probably just gotten used to doing things online

Same here...WA state. Online learning and honestly I’m impressed with how our district has been handling it. Standardized tests canceled and I’m wondering how it’s all going to work out for my JR who needs to take the SAT (March and May have been canceled nationally so far). I’m assuming colleges are going to have to be flexible with grades/testing for next year’s seniors.

 

[wallawallakids]

Owners can't legally keep rental money for rentals when the resort closed no matter what Disney does with their points. You can keep money from a rental you can't provide. Keeping the rental money in that case is theft.

This is interesting but I’m not sure it is true. I rented points for April (waiting on response from the renter to move it) but the contract does state no refunds... so I’m not sure that it’s true that they can’t keep the money. Sort of a buyer beware situation, right? On another note, I have been surprised that travel insurance doesn’t cover this. I have insurance and I always assumed it would. I’m not making this mistake again which is unfortunate because I’ve rented several times in the past and it has always been great up until this year. But being burned just once, makes it unlikely I will do it again.

 

[vinotinto]

Owners can't legally keep rental money for rentals when the resort closed no matter what Disney does with their points. You can keep money from a rental you can't provide. Keeping the rental money in that case is theft.

I have no stakes in this - have never rented points and unlikely that I ever will. I am just reporting to this poster what I read on the Resorts board - guests were not being refunded their reservation.

Let's keep that discussion on points over in the Resorts board, and this discussion on the operational updates.

 

[Brianstl]

This is interesting but I’m not sure it is true. I rented points for April (waiting on response from the renter to move it) but the contract does state no refunds... so I’m not sure that it’s true that they can’t keep the money. Sort of a buyer beware situation, right? On another note, I have been surprised that travel insurance doesn’t cover this. I have insurance and I always assumed it would. I’m not making this mistake again which is unfortunate because I’ve rented several times in the past and it has always been great up until this year. But being burned just once, makes it unlikely I will do it again.

You can put what ever you want in a contract. It doesn't necessarily make it legal. DVC owners are viewed as property owners under the law. That is why they can rent out their points. Every contract I read states points represent accommodations. Landlords can't keep rent for accommodations they can't make available to a renter.