Disney Park Pass System Glitches and Hotel Openings Amidst COVID-19 Concerns

Disney Park Pass System Launch Issues

• ⚠️ The new Disney Park Pass reservation system experienced significant glitches on its launch day, June 22nd, 2020, described as similar to the launches of "New Coke" or the "Hindenburg."
• 🎯 A major contributing factor to the system overload was allowing individuals with hotel reservations for any date between now and September 2021 to make park reservations simultaneously, potentially impacting tens of millions of users.
• 📞 Users reported extreme difficulty accessing the system, with some experiencing long wait times, fast busy signals on the phone lines, and being capped at only three days of park reservations despite having longer hotel stays.
• 💡 A workaround suggested for logging into the My Disney Experience (MDE) system is to first complete a dining reservation, which seems to bypass the login screen issues.

Park Reservation Process Explained

• 🔑 To make a park reservation, users need a My Disney Experience account, a theme park ticket or annual pass linked to the account, and currently, a Disney Resort hotel reservation.
• 🗓️ The process involves selecting a date and park, with availability shown for each day; however, the time selection is currently fixed from park open to park close, possibly for future staggered entry.
• ⚠️ If a park is unavailable for a selected date, users receive a message indicating no more park passes are available and must choose a different date or park.
• ✅ Once selections are made, users review and confirm their reservation, agreeing to terms and conditions including a COVID waiver, and then receive a confirmation.

Disney Resort Hotel Opening Schedule

• 🏨 Disney announced opening dates for several resorts, including Animal Kingdom Villas, Pop Century, and the Contemporary Resort on July 10th.
• 🗓️ Other resorts like Caribbean Beach, Polynesian Village Resort, Art of Animation, Yacht and Beach Club, Grand Floridian, Boardwalk, and Coronado Springs have staggered opening dates through October 14th.
• ❌ Resorts not mentioned in the announcement include parts of Animal Kingdom Lodge, Wilderness Lodge, the All-Star Resorts, and Port Orleans Riverside and French Quarter.
• 📊 The decision to keep certain resorts closed is believed to be a demand-based strategy, with Disney waiting to assess demand before reopening them.

NBA and COVID-19 Concerns

• 🏀 ESPN reported growing concern among NBA players regarding training in Orlando due to a spike in COVID-19 cases in Florida, with some players expressing reluctance to participate.
• ⚠️ This situation highlights a potential conflict between ESPN's reporting (owned by Disney) and Disney's Parks and Resorts' desire to host the NBA, showcasing different agendas within the larger corporation.
• 📉 While Florida reported a slight decrease in new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, the overall trend had been upward, impacting confidence in large gatherings and events.