IMPORTANT WDW NEWS

[TamiTaylor]

As of now ADRS are cancelled and FPs cancelled. Dining plans will be cancelled and refunded. They will open ADRs back up at some point.



www.themeparkprofessor.com/2020/05/disney-announcement-update-on-resort-reservations-fastpass-dining-and-experience-bookings-for-2020/

[abs]

Feeling like cancelling out November trip is only inevitable at this point.

[TamiTaylor]

May 28, 2020 21:03:10 GMT -5 abs said:

Feeling like cancelling out November trip is only inevitable at this point.

So you have some options. You can cancel it or move (modify) it. As of right now you can cancel with at 7 days out vs the usual 30 days out. Adrs are expected to come back at some point. They are canceling adrs and FPS due to the new park reservation system. This is so they can ensure that they can comply with capacity. Which should be 30%.

Just FYI if you are wanting to move it you can’t just yet because the whole system is locked down. You can only cancel a trip or make a payment right now.

[campermom]

My app is spinning and I’m sure it’s overloaded.. I have dining reserved in mid-Oct so those will also be canceled right?

[TamiTaylor]

May 28, 2020 21:44:51 GMT -5 campermom said:

My app is spinning and I’m sure it’s overloaded.. I have dining reserved in mid-Oct so those will also be canceled right?

Yes.

[abs]

May 28, 2020 21:23:20 GMT -5 TamiTaylor said:

May 28, 2020 21:03:10 GMT -5 abs said:

Feeling like cancelling out November trip is only inevitable at this point.

So you have some options. You can cancel it or move (modify) it. As of right now you can cancel with at 7 days out vs the usual 30 days out. Adrs are expected to come back at some point. They are canceling adrs and FPS due to the new park reservation system. This is so they can ensure that they can comply with capacity. Which should be 30%.

Just FYI if you are wanting to move it you can’t just yet because the whole system is locked down. You can only cancel a trip or make a payment right now.

Oh we will wait and see a bit more.  My head knows that going this year is going to be a logistical nightmare and probably not going to happen.  My heart won't let me give our trip up yet though!  I just cannot give DD one more piece of bad news.  I've been following along on Disboards.  It's...interesting...to say the least.

[jaycee]

TamiTaylor What have you heard about resort pools? We are scheduled at the Grand Floridian starting Aug 23. Closed pools might be the deal breaker for us.

Also, could you clarify the FP situation? There will be no fast passes any more? What? Or does this mean they're canceling them all and they will reopen FP reservations coming up shortly?

Thanks a lot sharing the news and your opinions.

[TamiTaylor]

May 29, 2020 12:55:39 GMT -5 jaycee said:

TamiTaylor What have you heard about resort pools? We are scheduled at the Grand Floridian starting Aug 23. Closed pools might be the deal breaker for us.

Also, could you clarify the FP situation? There will be no fast passes any more? What? Or does this mean they're canceling them all and they will reopen FP reservations coming up shortly?

Thanks a lot sharing the news and your opinions.

Pools should be open. I haven’t heard otherwise. So far on DVC resorts and Ft Wilderness will be open starting 6/22. I don’t know any other hotels will be open. But they also that If a guest wants to come 6/22 for a Resort only reservation they are still welcome to come so I don’t know how they will work that at then on-DVC properties. FastPasses cancelled for the year. ADRs should come back at some point but the booking window will be 60 days out instead of 180.

Also having a hotel reservation and tickets doesn’t guarantee access to the park. You have to have a park reservation. No more park hopping either. I’m not going to sugar coat that these changes aren’t rough they are. But if you are still looking to go think about it this way, capacity limits means smaller crowds and shorter wait times. No having a FP line means the line never stops and just keeps moving. Plus if they do a virtual line queue like they for for ROTR that cuts down your time too.

[joy]

We have reservations at The Grand Floridian for the last week of October. All my dining reservations were cancelled. I’m feeling defeated.

Do you guys have any positives for this new system they are rolling out? Shorter lines? Lol. Something?? I feel like all these changes are going to make for a negative experience but maybe I need to change my thinking? See it all in a new way?

I’m trying this before just moving our trip to 2021.

[TamiTaylor]

May 30, 2020 9:34:19 GMT -5 joy said:

We have reservations at The Grand Floridian for the last week of October. All my dining reservations were cancelled. I’m feeling defeated.

Do you guys have any positives for this new system they are rolling out? Shorter lines? Lol. Something?? I feel like all these changes are going to make for a negative experience but maybe I need to change my thinking? See it all in a new way?

I’m trying this before just moving our trip to 2021.

Adrs will be coming back after the new park reservation system. Is in place. I don’t know they date that will be. No FPs means you’re not stopping the main line for the FP line. And if they do do a virtual queue that would be awesome. Capacity limits means smaller crowds which should equal shorter wait times. I envision WDW becoming a little more like Disneyland for the time being. I’m not going to lie and say these changes aren’t a big deal because they are. My family is still planning as of now to go at Christmas. But again that is easy for me to say because I didn’t just have all my adrs and fastpasses cancelled. I would say if this is a first trip or a trip you make only every few years I would think about moving it to next year.

[jaycee]

May 30, 2020 9:34:19 GMT -5 joy said:

We have reservations at The Grand Floridian for the last week of October. All my dining reservations were cancelled. I’m feeling defeated.

Do you guys have any positives for this new system they are rolling out? Shorter lines? Lol. Something?? I feel like all these changes are going to make for a negative experience but maybe I need to change my thinking? See it all in a new way?

I’m trying this before just moving our trip to 2021.

The end of October is basically an eon away in terms of Covid where everything changes SO fast.  There are new developments (rules, ideas, treatments, changes) every single week.  By the end of October, there could be parades and fireworks back.

I also think Disney will try very hard to make it "magical."  They already do anyway, and they know how stressful this has been for vacationers.

Now all that being said, if you happen to be on disboards.com many of them have a very cynical view (Disney is purposely taking away great things, not firstly because of safety, but to try to force people to cancel so they can meet their reduced numbers of guests).  I'm taking a more positive view - they are trying to open and they're doing the best they can with the tools they have (abhorrent government leadership, literally thousands of upset customers, a worldwide pandemic).

Time is on your side.  Nobody can even guess what it'll look like in October, but I have to believe it'll be better than July and August!  Also, there are predictions that a second wave will come, so maybe Jan/Feb/March '21 will be even worse.

[jaycee]

May 30, 2020 11:01:05 GMT -5 TamiTaylor said:

And if they do do a virtual queue that would be awesome. 

What are your thoughts on the virtual queue?  I guess I don't see how it is different than Fast passes.  Maybe because FP+ you have to reserve in advance.  In a virtual queue, you go to the ride, somehow get a time to return and then you can eat, shop, ride other rides, while you wait for your time, then return and ride?

For crazy planners like me who usually can get the fast passes I want, this sounds worse than the current system.  For people that don't plan much in advance or stay off site and can't reserve at 60 days out, this sounds like a good thing.

[TamiTaylor]

May 30, 2020 11:24:48 GMT -5 jaycee said:

May 30, 2020 11:01:05 GMT -5 TamiTaylor said:

And if they do do a virtual queue that would be awesome. 

What are your thoughts on the virtual queue?  I guess I don't see how it is different than Fast passes.  Maybe because FP+ you have to reserve in advance.  In a virtual queue, you go to the ride, somehow get a time to return and then you can eat, shop, ride other rides, while you wait for your time, then return and ride?

For crazy planners like me who usually can get the fast passes I want, this sounds worse than the current system.  For people that don't plan much in advance or stay off site and can't reserve at 60 days out, this sounds like a good thing.

Disclaimer: this is purely me just speculating different things.

They could do a virtual queue like the do the queue for ROTR and open it at park opening and when it’s gone for the day it’s gone. Or the could do it like where you get in a virtual line for a ride with a time window to come back but you can go ride something else or eat or whatever. Or it could be something totally different that I’m not even thinking of.

[jaycee]

May 30, 2020 11:59:14 GMT -5 TamiTaylor said:

Disclaimer: this is purely me just speculating different things.

They could do a virtual queue like the do the queue for ROTR and open it at park opening and when it’s gone for the day it’s gone. Or the could do it like where you get in a virtual line for a ride with a time window to come back but you can go ride something else or eat or whatever. Or it could be something totally different that I’m not even thinking of.

I love hearing your speculations.  Thanks!

[bronxgirl]

We're not planning on going until February, but I wonder what it will be like then.

[starryfish]

Any word on Disney Cruise changes?

[Covergirl82]

We originally bought park tickets through Undercover Tourist. We've been watching to see if they extend the expiration date from 12/15/2020, and the expiration now shows 9/26/2021. We may consider pushing back our trip to spring break 2021. Just not sure if we'd be able to do everything we were hoping to Aug 1-9 (given that not everything may be open), although low crowds would be great. I think we'll give it a few more weeks and hope that more information is released before we make a decision to move back our trip again.

[wesleycrusher]

Does anyone know when we would have to cancel by? I have never cancelled before. My trip is not paid for past the deposit and I always have it paid off by 45 days before. Would hope that I don't have to pay it off til after the parks are open and I can get a sense of COVID trends and what park/resort experiences are like. We check in 8/14.

[TamiTaylor]

Jun 1, 2020 12:47:24 GMT -5 wesleycrusher said:

Does anyone know when we would have to cancel by? I have never cancelled before. My trip is not paid for past the deposit and I always have it paid off by 45 days before. Would hope that I don't have to pay it off til after the parks are open and I can get a sense of COVID trends and what park/resort experiences are like. We check in 8/14.

7 days out to cancel.