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UPDATE 4/2 Disney really has no clue what to expect, but neither does anyone else


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No dates, but this seems to be one of the more factual/sane story about the parks.

 

Last week saw Universal Parks announce a reopening date of April 19, then a few days later, as pressure mounted for Disney to acknowledge their April 1 reopening was unlikely, the Mouse confirmed their U.S. parks will be closed indefinitely. Now, with the latest models showing Coronavirus peaking in the nation just days ahead of the published reopening date at Universal, it’s clear the April 19 reopening will have to be pushed back.

A lockdown in Orange County must also be considered when looking at reopening dates. In San Antonio, an aquarium defied orders to close and was then forcibly shut down by law enforcement. No theme park wants similar negative press.

The move by Universal to give a specific date caught their counterparts at Disney and SeaWorld by surprise. Previously, Universal seemed to be onboard to announce expanded closures beyond the initial two weeks at the same time as Disney and SeaWorld. In Orlando, the three companies have long had ongoing communication between each other, as was witnessed with the rollout of security measures in 2015 where every major theme park in Orlando introduced metal detectors all on the same morning.

According to one insider at Universal, the call to break from the pact and announce the new date was from a non-Orlando-based executive who may have been unaware of the "gentlemen's agreement" that the companies in Florida have used for years.

 
 


In the days after Universal’s unexpected announcement, Disney officials held multiple conference calls to discuss their options. With the abrupt closure of the college program, thanks in part due to pressure from the various colleges with students in the program and with concerns that some employees may move out of Orlando once their April rents are due, the unknowns surrounding a reopening were enough for executives to decide an indefinite closure was the best option. Reservations for Disney hotels are now unavailable through the end of May. This aligns with other potential reopening timelines that industry insiders have expected. As more people across Central Florida go without income, even those who are receiving some pay may be impacted, especially lower-income individuals who are more likely to have roommates or rely on multiple jobs. It’s still unclear how a two-month or longer closure will affect labor availability at Orlando’s theme parks and how many new employees will need to be trained once the parks are ready to reopen.

Another concern that must be addressed before reopening is certifications and ride inspections. Every amusement ride in the State of Florida is required to be inspected at least once every six months. Even though parks with 1,000 or more employees can have their own in-house inspectors, the ride inspections must still happen within this time frame. With the parks now not operating for an extended period, some attractions will enter into their needed six-month window that may require inspections before reopening. Lifeguards, drivers, security guards, and some attraction operators may also need retraining ahead of any opening. This is especially true at Disney, where there are self-imposed stricter standards for operations.

With these considerations in mind, a one to two week timeline of pre-opening preparation is expected ahead of any public being welcomed back to the resorts. Even once they do reopen, some hotels, amenities, and attractions will likely remain closed for an extended period.

The term "unprecedented" has been frequently used to describe the situation the world faces, but for the tourism sector, it remains the most accurate descriptor. This new world Disney, Universal and SeaWorld find themselves in still has many unknowns.

With so few past examples to work with, leaders across the industry are entering unchartered waters where things like market demand and crowd flow could be dramatically different than anything seen prior. As of now, it looks like such questions will remain unanswered until at least early summer.
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At least as far as things stand today (and obviously things are changing all the time right now) it would seem that June 1st is probably a reasonable guess for the parks reopening. Assuming (hoping!) the worst of this is over in April, that would give them all of May to sort out staffing, reservations, park inspections, maintenance, etc., and exactly how they intend to reopen - phased openings? limited park hours? etc.

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I've thought that late May or early June is the earliest hope ever since the CDC urged 8 weeks of social distancing. We have reservations for mid June. I'm still planning on going, but I will make the call on visiting the parks, if open, closer to the time of arrival. I'm ok not setting foot in a park.

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I understand investors and guests want to have hard dates for reopening but I think companies would be better off if they worked from Dr Fauci's statement that the virus is in charge and its progression will determine when facilities can reopen. I know that goes against the grain for most folks, me included, but I think it would be better than having to announce that the date will slip again. Now off to channel my inner hippie.

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14 minutes ago, keith_h said:

I understand investors and guests want to have hard dates for reopening but I think companies would be better off if they worked from Dr Fauci's statement that the virus is in charge and its progression will determine when facilities can reopen. I know that goes against the grain for most folks, me included, but I think it would be better than having to announce that the date will slip again. 

Agreed. I think announcing and changing dates repeatedly just continues to frustrate people and over time, they stop trusting what you say, which is arguably as bad for business as uncertainty.

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Looks like Universal goofed

 

Stay-at-Home Order Scuttles Universal Orlando's Reopening Plans

Just in case anyone thought it might happen, the Universal Orlando Resort's plans to reopen on April 20 pretty much just disappeared.

Florida's governor has issued a 30-day "stay at home" order for the state, starting tonight (4/2) at midnight. That order would preclude Universal Orlando from opening its theme parks during the month of April.

Last month, after initially announcing that its parks would close through the end of March, Universal extended the closure through April 19. Meanwhile, other theme park companies extended their planned temporary closures into mid-May, while Disney just stopped playing that game and declared that its parks would be closed until further notice.

No one who has been following this pandemic closely believed that Universal would be able to reopen its theme parks by mid-April. Especially not in Florida, where officials' refusal to move swiftly to order people to stay at home has primed the state to become a hotspot for an outbreak. Florida currently has the fifth-most cases in the United States and has been moving up that list rapidly.

As for Universal Studios Hollywood, California has been under an indefinite statewide stay at home order for two weeks now. We will update this post if we hear anything new from Universal.

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1 minute ago, BradyBzLyn...Mo said:

That really seems to have been the smart thing to do.

But it still hasn't stopped the flood of FB posts asking when the parks will open, and the others whining because they miss Disney soooo much and can't stand not being there.

I like Disney also, but geez folks get a life!  Be happy you and your family are safe, don't have the virus,  have food, a place to live, a job and TP!

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1 hour ago, Travisma said:

But it still hasn't stopped the flood of FB posts asking when the parks will open, and the others whining because they miss Disney soooo much and can't stand not being there.

I like Disney also, but geez folks get a life!  Be happy you and your family are safe, don't have the virus,  have food, a place to live, a job and TP!

Have I mentioned how much more joyful my life has been since giving up Facebook for Lent. I can see why people have removed themselves from it. I don’t know that I will do that as I do like to be connected to family and friends. However, I do plan on removing myself from many groups and unliking pages.

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