Disney, in the Time of COVID Part Two
My, how much a week changes things. For many in the United States, we are beginning to feel the real effects of the coronavirus. Personally, I just woke up early on a Saturday to get my grocery shopping done in the dark in hopes of a) finding some of those coveted items like toilet paper, sanitizer, and cold medicine, and b) not running into crowds.
Crowds are the new danger. The more people you are in contact with, the more chances you have to get the virus. The new buzz phrase is "social distancing". That means, avoiding crowds of 10 or more people and staying at least 6 feet away from people when you do have to go out in public. For an introvert whose second nature is planning, it seems theoretically like paradise. But it does muck things up in every day life a bit.
One of the items I found was Mickey Premium bars. They started selling these in grocery stores last year and my store still carries them. Today, they were also carrying Mickey Ice Cream sandwiches. I grabbed them up immediately because I know what kind of luxury it's going to be to enjoy a Mickey Premium bar in the next several weeks. You can't get them in the parks anymore because the parks are now closed.
ALL of them will be closed Monday until the end of the month, at least. That's Disneyland, Walt Disney World, and Disneyland Paris joining Tokyo Disney, Disneyland Hong Kong, and Disneyland Shanghai.
How Serious Is It That the Parks Have Closed?
Normally, I take the theme park closings, especially Walt Disney World, as a sign of a major disaster being predicted. Walt Disney World has closed only seven times since the park first opened:
Hurricane Floyd, 1999
Hurricane Charley, 2004
Hurricane Frances, 2004
Hurricane Jeanne, 2004
Hurricane Matthew, 2016
Hurricane Irma, 2017
Sept. 11, 2001 - briefly evacuated but re-opened same day
I was working there the first time it ever closed, for Hurricane Floyd. It was a big deal, but it was well organized. The Transportation team and Security team were in overdrive, but moving so efficiently to make sure guests reached their destinations safely before closing. It was scary too, and I remember one Cast Member saying to me - a newbie - that Walt was watching and was going to protect his baby. I know it was just said to calm me down, but there was truth behind it.
The truth was that Disney, as a company, continues to ask at key decision-making moments, "What would Walt do?"
Which is why, although this feels serious, I realize it's been done for safety. I picture the executives around a board table saying "What would Walt do?" and another saying "He would want the guests to be safe. That's our #1 priority."
And it is. Every Cast Member has a card in their wallet reminding them of the company's priorities, and safety is truly in the top spot. This time, the parks are closing to stem the spread of the virus. Not because the parks are dangerous. Not even because so many people are sick that sick people will visit the parks. But because anything we can do to avoid close contact with other people and objects they've touched is going to stop this thing.
What About Your Travel Plans?
Although I paint it in ideal colors, it can be hard to see it that way when you were either planning to visit one of the parks soon, or were already at the parks when they decided to close. So let's look at what Disney is doing about your plans.
If you have unused multi-day theme park tickets or date-specific tickets for March 12-31, unused days will be automatically extended through December 15, 2020.
If you are unable to return to the parks by that date, you can apply the value of the unused ticket to a purchase of another at a later date.
If you have an annual pass, your annual pass will be extended by the number of days the park is closed.
Tickets to after hours events or parties will automatically be refunded.
Guests who have not yet checked in can modify their bookings until the date of check-in. If no action is taken, a refund will be issued to the original method of payment within 7 days of check-in date for the room and also any prepaid experiences such as dining.
Guests who wish to modify their reservations even after the parks re-open will be able to do so and have the Disney imposed cancellation fees waived for bookings through June 30,2020.
You can call 877-801-9720 for more information. As of the latest report, the phone system went down last night when it was overwhelmed with calls to modify reservations, so please have patience and be kind to the Cast Members you speak with.
As of this writing, Disney resort hotels are still open and Disney Springs is still open.
What About the Cruise Line?
New departures after March 14th are also suspended through the end of the month for the Disney Cruise Line. There will be two ships still at sea on that date.
The Dream is on a 3 night Caribbean cruise and will return to Port Canaveral on March 16.
The Wonder is on a westbound Panama Canal cruise and will return to San Diego on March 20.
Guests with future cruise dates impacted by this decision will be offered credit toward a future cruise or a full refund. Disney is asking guests and their travel agents to wait until receiving an email from Disney to call due to high call volumes.
It's important to keep in mind that while these changes seem drastic, they are done out of an abundance of caution and as a preventive measure.
Next week, we hope to bring you a blog post on a lighter topic. Until then, stay safe, wash your hands, and we'll see you...
