Travisma

But yet it’s still hard to get an AP reservation

Some interesting pieces in this article... Full article below in the link https://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/tourism/os-bz-disney-annual-passholder-20200806-j247clpv25bh5k6gqleflrfgom-story.html There are a litany of complaints: No open advance reservations since resort guests and people playing full price for tickets snag them first. Waiting in long lines at guest services or being on hold for hours with Disney to troubleshoot problems. And confusion over how their refunded passes are calculated in a formula that isn’t clear. Some people are still waiting for their money to arrive, too. Last month, the company mistakenly charged lump bills for people paying monthly installments for their annual passes at a time when many are out of work and when the parks were still shut down. Disney apologized and refunded the amounts, but the company is now facing three lawsuits over what happened, including a federal one filed Monday by Flagler County resident Jamie Heindl, who said the company charged her in July even though her pass already had expired. “Disney had a bad hand and played it poorly,” said Rick Munarriz, an analyst for the investment website Motley Fool, adding that Disney hasn’t communicated well with passholders. “Disney dropped the ball. They dropped the Epcot ball.” “For the most part, it’s right for them to feel cheated. They paid for something and aren’t getting it,” said Munarriz, a Disney annual passholder himself. “Disney is keeping a very tight leash on how many people they are letting through the turnstiles. It’s a very brutal business call that Disney is making, but it’s one that’s understandable if you take three steps back and take off the Mouse ears and look at ... supply and demand.” On Tuesday, Disney CEO Bob Chapek gave some insight on the company’s priorities. “Typically someone who travels and stays for five days to seven days is marginally more valuable to the business than someone who comes in on an annual pass and stays a day or two and consumes less merchandise and food and beverage,” Chapek said during an earnings call. Chapek said as Florida’s coronavirus cases rose, a higher than expected number of travelers were nervous about flying to Orlando and have canceled their reservations. Disney has used those cancellations to add more availability for locals and annual passholders who account for about 50% of the attendance now at Disney World, Chapek said. But Munarriz warned that in the future, possibly after a coronavirus vaccine is available, Disney will eventually want to grow attendance to theme parks. If the economy and international travel are still slumping, Disney will once again need to turn to its passholders, he said. “There’s some ownership that Disney is not taking on behalf of their passholders. I don’t think it’s right, pandemic or not. It’s their brand. It’s their product. It’s their parks,” said Vargas, 42, of Orlando. Hicks expressed frustration at the out-of-towners who ultimately cancel their reservations, taking up spots from everybody else. Why couldn’t Disney charge a $10 cancellation fee like it does with dining reservations? he asked. Even so, not all those in the passholder ranks are unhappy. Disney recently announced a surprise 30% merchandise discount exclusively for passholders, so Amanda Napier saved a few bucks when she bought a new pair of Mouse ears. “I thought that it was really nice of them to do,” said Napier, who lives in Pasco County. Disney also announced Wednesday it will mail special magnets as a free gift to passholders this month. “It’s our way of saying, ‘Welcome back to the magic, Passholder family!‘” Disney said. Napier’s last visit to Disney World impressed her with the short lines at the Magic Kingdom and the strictly enforced safety rules. It was harder to book a reservation for Hollywood Studios but there was plenty of openings for the other three parks, said Napier, 40, an employee in the New Port Richey city manager’s office. “Honestly, they’ve done a great job,” Napier said.

https://wdwnt.com/2020/08/photos-video-guests-evacuate-fully-submerged-log-on-splash-mountain-at-the-magic-kingdom/ The Laughin’ Place has had its fair share of trouble this summer, as Splash Mountain has seen a series of issues since the reopening of the Magic Kingdom—from long lines at the gift shop, to guests being evacuated on official reopening day, and a short stint of unexpected downtime. Now, it seems another set of photos and video are surfacing from guests who not only had to evacuate the ride, but who managed to see their log fully submerged shortly after exiting it.

That's good to know. We haven't asked Busch yet since we didn't have plans to visit anytime soon.

We got the passholder lanyards for Busch Gardens festival in the spring and used only 3 punches before the world turned upside down. They are having a limited festival now and said we can use the punches, but we are still staying away from crowded areas. Will have to see if we can use them for next years festival or get our $$$ back.

https://www.orlandoweekly.com/orlando/against-all-odds-i-had-a-better-time-at-this-years-epcot-food-and-wine-festival-than-i-have-in-ages/Content?oid=27690572 So far, 2020 has consisted of one shitshow after another, but even by current standards the past couple of weeks have been especially crappy for those involved in Orlando's arts and attractions industries. At the theme parks, the ongoing deadlock between Actors' Equity and Walt Disney World – which has many furloughed performers feeling like voiceless pawns in a battle between their union and their employer – spilled over into the pages of the Wall Street Journal; days later, Universal announced the cancellation of their Halloween Horror Nights events on both coasts, eliminating a significant source of the Orlando resort's annual revenue. On the stage side, several theaters abandoned the remainder of their 2020 seasons – including Winter Park Playhouse and the Dr. Phillips Center's Broadway series – just as brave participants in the Central Florida Entertainment Advocacy Forum were laying bare the systemic racism that still pervades our performing venues. And to cap it off, on July 22 we lost Marcy Singhaus, a world-class costume designer and the deliciously vicious Dorothy Parker of Orlando's drag scene. Put it all together, and it's enough to drive you to drink – a sentiment I'm sure Singhaus would lift her margarita glass to. Unfortunately, Florida's bars and nightclubs have been closed all month, and you can only buy so many cases of spiked seltzer before getting strange looks at the supermarket. The solution, it would seem, would be to visit one of Orlando's reopened theme parks, which are about the only public places in the state where one can still walk around with an adult beverage. Or at least they were until last week, when newly issued policies put a stop to the sipping-and-strolling at both Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando. From my first visits to the reopened Disney Springs and CityWalk complexes, I noted that although compliance with the mandatory face mask requirements was generally very good, a certain segment of guests discovered and exploited a loophole allowing their removal while consuming food and drink. While intended to allow visitors to responsibly enjoy socially distanced meals, too many abused the exception, grasping a half-full Starbucks cup as an excuse to mingle mask-free for extended periods. Now, instead of free-roaming with their oversized turkey leg, park guests must stop and find a socially distanced spot to snack in. What's more, all masks with valves are now prohibited, making mine with a built-in straw hole contraband. These new restrictions, on top of the already extensive safety protocols all the resorts have implemented since reopening, might sound especially onerous at Epcot, where "drinking around the world" is not merely a time-honored tradition, but the major attraction in a park offering few E-Ticket rides and even less live entertainment. Ironically, Epcot's 25th Annual International Food & Wine Festival (or at least a slimmed-down "Taste" of it) opened early this year in an attempt to lure back famished fans, who have been speculating online how these new restrictions would impact an event based around walking between food booths. The answer, as I discovered during my recent evening at Epcot, is "mostly for the better." Right off the bat, I did miss the festival's usual elaborate welcome display, although it's refreshing to finally see the park's pristine entry plaza now that the tombstone-like "Leave a Legacy" sculptures have all been scrapped. I also missed collecting my free souvenir "passport" with trip-tracking stickers, which have been replaced with QR codes linking to Disney's mobile app. There are no replacements for the canceled cooking demonstrations, tasting seminars and dinner parties that ordinarily fill out the festival, and the park's usual mariachi and percussion ensembles are substituting for the canceled "Eat to the Beat" concert series. Despite all those deficits, I enjoyed this year's Food & Wine better than I have in ages, because for once I didn't have to elbow other guests out of the way in order to eat off a trash can. Created to bump anemic attendance during what was once the slow season, the festival had grown into a monster that attracted enormous mobs waving plastic forks instead of pitchforks. But in the alternate timeline that is 2020, I was able to walk up to any sample kiosk I liked without a wait, and easily find an empty high-top along the lagoon to eat or drink at. There may be fewer marketplaces (20ish instead of 30-plus) serving shorter menus, but most of my favorites can still be found – from citrus-grilled lobster tail to Moroccan hummus fries – and beer is finally available in 12-ounce pours again. For the best of Epcot's fest, step inside the seldom-used World Showplace building tucked between the Canada and U.K. pavilions. The hangar-like event hall has been transformed into a tastefully Disney-themed wedding reception, complete with mood lighting, plenty of distanced cocktail tables and live music by Carol Stein, the Rose & Crown Pub's beloved "Piano Lady." You've still got to buy the food and booze – the vegan mac & "cheese" with "sausage" and Stiegl's Radler Zitrone make a great pairing – but the only present you need to bring to this party is your mask-covered smile.

Just someones insight of a Disney trip during COVID. I think the editors did a good job selecting a non "Disney person" to visit and do the article.

Pre COVID, is was checking thrift stores for books by Robert Heinlein. Used to have a lot about 45 to 50 years ago, and over the years, moves, and raising 4 kids I got rid of them. I’ve found 3 or 4 so far.

I was reading the Xanth series quite a while ago. I think I got up to about 15 when the total count was in the low 20s. 41? I'll never get caught up! Love that I-4 is the Gap Chasm! These were good...The Wheel of Time is a series of high fantasy novels written by American author James Oliver Rigney Jr., under his pen name of Robert Jordan. Originally planned as a six-book series, The Wheel of Time spanned fourteen volumes, in addition to a prequel novel and two companion books. Another good series...Cities in Flight is a four-volume series of science fiction novels and short stories by American writer James Blish, originally published between 1950 and 1962, which were first known collectively as the "Okie" novels. Last ones I'll mention... The Foundation series is a science fiction book series written by American author Isaac Asimov. First collected in 1951, for thirty years the series was a trilogy: Foundation, Foundation and Empire, and Second Foundation. It won the one-time Hugo Award for "Best All-Time Series" in 1966.[1][2] Asimov began adding new volumes in 1981, with two sequels: Foundation's Edge and Foundation and Earth, and two prequels: Prelude to Foundation and Forward the Foundation. The additions made reference to events in Asimov's Robot and Empire series, indicating that they were also set in the same fictional universe.

Initially, Polynesian Village Resort and Art of Animation Resort were set to reopen on August 12th. Now, the Polynesian has a set date of October 4th, and Art of Animation will reopen on November 1st. Though Beach Club and BoardWalk were supposed to reopen August 24th and October 1st respectively, they have now both been removed from the reopening calendar.

https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2020/07/disney-world-during-pandemic-extremely-weird/614617/ Interesting article by a non park person Here are a few funny excerpts I should admit that a Disney vacation, even in pre-coronavirus conditions, sounds to me like the most elaborate way to have a miserable time yet invented by humankind. I have enough friends who are parents to have heard the stories of long lines, staggering expense, and (for them, if not the kids) boredom. The whole park is an obstacle course of expensive treats that your children will beg you to buy. Corn dogs cost $11. I do not dislike Disney films, and I am especially fond of Pixar and the Muppets. But my desire to meet Mickey Mouse evaporated around the age of 8, when I asked my mother about this wonderful place called Disney World and she said, in effect, that she loved me very much, but that she would rather die of dysentery than take me to Florida to have her pocket picked by anthropomorphic vermin. I don’t think I asked again. The chance of being struck dead by a mysterious disease has not sweetened the appeal of the park. On some rides, like Epcot’s Mission: SPACE, announcements dating from before the pandemic warn you that you should skip the ride if you dislike “enclosed dark space.” Now the fear of enclosed spaces applies to all sane people, not just claustrophobes. Epcot also warns that the ride can induce vomiting. As it whirred into motion, I considered what it might be like to puke up $11 worth of corn dog into a mask strapped to my face, and I thought: At least I didn’t have to wait in line for this. Perhaps for others this illusion remains the dominant experience of Disney. I am, as I warned earlier, not the ideal Disney customer. I am nonetheless forced to admit, having observed Disney’s most fervent fans—the ones willing to court infection for one of Snow White’s royal waves—that their decision to visit at this moment is not, as it first appeared to me, made out of ignorance or stupidity. Almost all seemed to accept that the coronavirus is real, or real enough that it would be churlish to object when others ask you nicely to keep your distance. Disney just matters more to them than it does to me, because to me it is a corporation that makes children’s entertainment, and to them, it is something worth risking their life. I accepted high levels of authoritarian intervention as long as the tyrant in question was wearing those ridiculous mouse ears at the time. If the penalty for obstinate refusal to wear a mask were public whipping, I would have cheered the administration of justice in Main Street, U.S.A.’s town square. If the same thing happened in the city where I live in Connecticut, I would probably donate to the ACLU and lament my city’s regression to 17th-century Puritanism.

Universal Orlando cancels Halloween Horror Nights due to coronavirus Universal Orlando announced on Friday 7/24/20 that it is canceling its popular Halloween Horror Nights. Halloween Horror Nights will not be held this year at Universal in Orlando or Universal in California. Universal said in a statement that it will be focused on operating its theme parks for daytime guests, using the enhanced health and safety procedures already in place. “We know this decision will disappoint our fans and guests. We are disappointed, too. But we look forward to creating an amazing event in 2021,” the statement said.

Walt Disney World Resort Hotels Now Providing Security Warnings After Hotel Guests Were Scammed Over Resort Room Phones While staying at the cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, an interesting announcement on the resort TV caught our attention. We recently broke the story that Walt Disney World Resort hotel guests had been getting scammed while staying at the hotels. Guests were asked to confirm their address and credit card information over the phone. Shortly after, fraudulent charges take place on these guests’ credit cards. While watching the TV in our cabin today, the above screen appeared. In what can be viewed as a tacit acknowledgment of the credit card scam we reported earlier this week, it appears Disney is now warning guests about revealing personal information and is now providing personal security tips. The tips include: Do not give your credit card information if you did not initiate the call. Use caution when disclosing your credit card number over the phone. Always keep your credit card numbers and receipts secure and out of public view. Keep your Resort room doors locked at all times.

Our first trip was in 1977, and the site was probably around $15. Not even sure if they had partial/full at that time. I can't remember what loop we stayed in. In the 90s we had gotten a Cabin as cheap as $60 a couple of times.

As of 7/22 Vehicles Removed from Primeval Whirl at Animal Kingdom. Demolishment of the dinosaur-themed roller coaster Primeval Whirl continues at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. According to @ScottGustin, the ride vehicles have been officially removed from the track, located in the Dinoland, U.S.A. area of the theme park. It's been removed from the AK web page also.