Well, last week was quite an eventful one as we learned that, after close to 4 months being closed, Walt Disney World will begin a phased re-opening beginning July 11. As Disney shared their plans, we learned quite a bit about how they plan to operate their parks in order to protect the health of both Guests and Cast Members, and it has been a LOT of information!
So with that in mind, I thought I’d take a few minutes today to summarize the main points of what we know -so far:
- The parks opening will begin on July 11 for Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Animal Kingdom followed by EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios on July 15.
- Additionally, Disney Vacation Club properties at Walt Disney World and Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground will begin to reopen on June 22. Disney Vacation Club properties in Vero Beach, Florida, and Hilton Head, South Carolina, will open on June 15.
- Disney Springs has already begun to reopen.
- When the parks do begin to open, attendance will be managed through a new theme park reservation system on DisneyWorld.com that will require all guests to make a reservation in advance for theme park entry.
- At this time, new ticket sales and Disney Resort hotel reservations are temporarily paused so Disney can focus on guests with existing tickets and reservations. Existing ticket holders and Annual Passholders will be able to make a theme park reservation before new tickets are sold. Theme park reservations will be limited due to attendance limitations and will be subject to availability.
- In order to foster physical distancing during this time, upon reopening, offerings, restaurants and other experiences such as behind-the-scenes tours will be limited in capacity, and other experiences may remain closed. As a result of limited capacity, all existing dining reservations and experience bookings, and Disney dining plans are being canceled. In addition, certain experiences such as Character dining cannot be provided. Dining and experience bookings will re-open with more limited numbers closer to when the parks reopen. Disney is also shifting from a 180-day booking window to a 60-day booking window for dining and experience bookings going forward to allow Guests to make their plans closer to their visits.
- FastPass+ service will be suspended for the time being as the plan is to use additional queue space to manage capacity at attractions and maintain physical distancing. Because of this, all existing FastPass+ selections will be automatically canceled.
- Upon reopening, Extra Magic Hours will be temporarily suspended.
- Face coverings will be required for all Guests (ages 2 and up) and Cast Members and temperature screenings will be required in some locations
- Helpful technology and the My Disney Experience app will help you make the most of the magic
As Disney continues to work through the incredible logistics of making a complex organization like Walt Disney World safe for Guests and Cast Members during this pandemic, we can certainly expect additional information in the coming days and weeks prior to reopening. And there will be changes as time goes on, as they see how things work, and get additional guidance from local, state, and national officials. It’s complicated for sure, but as they always do, the folks at Disney strive very hard to deliver the best possible experiences for their Guests, and I am sure they will continue to do so.
Change is always hard, especially during a time like this when it seems like we’ve been dealing with nothing but changes for nearly 3 months now. None of know how many more changes will be needed down the road, but with lots of patience and understanding – especially with the incredible Cast Members who will be doing their best to create magic for their Guests – we can all look forward to visiting Walt Disney World again, whether this year or next.
As Walt Disney once said “We keep moving forward” and so we shall! Here’s to new magical memories!
Please visit a new “Know Before You Go” hub at DisneyWorld.com/Updates, where you can find the latest updates.
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