Month: May 2020

Walt Disney World Advises That It May Be Difficult for Annual Passholders to Get Reservations on Re-Opening

As Disney continues to update us as they prepare to re-open the theme parks, Disney has updated the official Walt Disney World website to include details for Annual Passholders during the re-opening of the theme parks.

In the update, Disney advises that it may be difficult for Annual Passholders to get park reservations to visit on certain dates, and that total reservation days held at one time will be limited.  Basically saying that just because guests have an Annual Pass they will not be guaranteed reservations.

Disney also stated that some pass benefits and features will not be available during periods of limited capacity.

The full update to the website is below –

Our Annual Passholders are some of our most loyal and valued Guests. We truly can’t wait to welcome you back—and we will do it with great thought.

With that in mind, when the parks reopen, park capacity will be significantly limited—and may continue to be for a period of time, based on guidance from health experts to promote physical distancing.

We understand how much excitement, thought and time goes into planning your Disney visits and realize some new changes may be disappointing. For example, during this unprecedented time, an annual pass will not guarantee park entry and Annual Passholders will be required to make an advance reservation to enter a park.

Please note that:

During the limited capacity period, it may be difficult for Annual Passholders to get park reservations to visit on certain dates. To help manage capacity, total reservation days held at one time will be limited. More details will be shared in the coming weeks.

Some pass benefits and features will not be available during periods of limited capacity. Also, park experiences and offerings will be modified and subject to limited availability or even closure.

Annual passes are subject to blockout dates. Guests should ensure their pass type is valid for park entry prior to making a park reservation.

As we prepare for the reopening of the parks, we’re planning a special preview opportunity for Annual Passholders. We look forward to sharing details with you soon.

Please know we will be here to help you as we remain focused on delivering a wonderful experience for everyone who visits.

If you have any questions, please contact V.I.PASSHOLDER Support at (407) 939-7277. Options to manage your annual pass continue to be available during the closure period.

Walt Disney World Updates Reservations, Suspends FastPass+ and Extra Magic Hours

Thursday evening Walt Disney World announced more details on its plans to reopen the resort beginning on July 11th.

The big take is that Disney announced that FastPass+ will be suspended, along with Extra Magic Hours.

Effective Thursday Disney will be cancelling all dining reservations, experience bookings, Disney dining plan and FastPass+ selections. Disney also stated that guests with existing Resort reservations will have priority access to the new park reservation system when it becomes available. Also, guests who had existing reservations will receive priority access to rebook reservations when reservations for dining and other experiences resume.

Guests who purchased a Disney dining plan and tickets for dates between May 28, 2020 and September 26, 2021 will receive an automatic cancellation and refund of their Disney dining plan.

Guests who booked Resort hotel reservations with a Free Dining package for dates between May 28, 2020 and September 26, 2021 will receive an automatic cancellation of their Disney dining plan and are invited to rebook their vacation for a later date with a 35% room discount.

The details of the release are below –

  • New Ticket Sales and Hotel Reservations: At this time, we are temporarily pausing new ticket sales and Disney Resort hotel reservations so we 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; we will be reaching out to these guests soon to provide additional details. We will resume new sales of tickets and Disney Resort hotel reservations after that period of time. Theme park reservations will be limited due to attendance limitations and will be subject to availability.

 

  • Dining and Experiences: In order to foster physical distancing during this time, upon reopening, our 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, we have made the difficult decision to cancel all existing dining reservations and experience bookings, including Disney dining plans included in packages. We will reopen dining and experience bookings with more limited numbers closer to when the parks reopen. We will also shift 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+ and Extra Magic Hours: As a result of the COVID-19 impact, the FastPass+ service will be suspended for the time being as we plan to use additional queue space to manage capacity at our attractions and maintain physical distancing. We will automatically cancel existing FastPass+ selections and share any future updates on the service at a later date. Also, please note that upon reopening, Extra Magic Hours will be temporarily suspended.

 

Health & Safety Protocol Information From Walt Disney World Re-Opening Presentation

Below are some of the slides that Jim McPhee, Senior VP of Operations at Walt Disney World used at the Orange County Task Force meeting on Wednesday.

Walt Disney World Resort Hotels to Begin Re-Opening on July 11th

Although it was not mentioned during this morning’s presentation by Disney, the Walt Disney World’s website appears to confirm that the  hotels will open with the Magic Kingdom on July 11th.

While the hotels are planned to open on July 11th, Disney has announced that they are temporarily suspending new reservations at this time.

Below is the updated message on the website –

Pending approval from government officials, the phased reopening plans we submitted calls for Walt Disney World theme parks and Disney Resort hotels to open beginning July 11 for Magic Kingdom Park 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 to Members and Guests on June 22. Disney Vacation Club properties in Vero Beach, Florida, and Hilton Head, South Carolina, will open on June 15. Disney Springs has begun a phased reopening. Upon reopening, theme parks, Disney Resort Hotels, restaurants and other offerings may be modified, limited in capacity and subject to availability or closure.

Disney Vacation Club Resorts at Walt Disney World to Re-Open on June 22

Earlier today Disney announced that some of its Disney Vacation Club Resorts will re-open to members and guests on June 22nd.  DVC locations at Vero Beach and Hilton Head will be re-opening on June 15th.

Disney has also announced information on theme park reservations and how this will impact ticket sales and Annual Passholders.

The full release is below –

Because theme park capacity will be significantly limited as we welcome guests back to the magic, we will manage attendance through a new theme park reservation system that will require all guests to obtain a reservation for park entry in advance. At this time, we are temporarily pausing new ticket sales and Disney Resort hotel reservations so we can focus on guests with existing tickets and reservations (Disney Vacation Club members can still make new reservations). Existing ticket holders and Annual Passholders will be able to make reservation requests in phases before new tickets are sold; we’ll be reaching out to these guests soon to provide additional details. We will resume new ticket sales and hotel reservations after that period of time. Theme park reservations will be limited due to attendance limitations and will be subject to availability. More details about this new reservation system will be available soon.

Additionally, Disney Vacation Club resorts at Walt Disney World will reopen to members and guests and Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground will begin to reopen on June 22. Disney Vacation Club resorts in Vero Beach, Florida, and Hilton Head, South Carolina, will also open to members and guests starting on June 15. Plans to support required physical distancing as well as enhanced cleaning measures, along with a number of other safety and cleanliness protocols, will be implemented as part of this planned phased reopening.

 

Walt Disney World Sets Opening Dates

Walt Disney World announced minutes ago that they will be opening in phases. Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom will open on July 11th, Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studio will open on July 15th.

The phased reopening  will come with limits. Disney indicated that guests will need park reservations each day to enter a theme park.  There will be no fireworks or parades.  There also will be limited to no character meet and greets.

I will update this later today if I see more detailed information or as soon as Disney provides more details.

Walt Disney World Updates Operating Hours, Universal Orlando Announces Planned Opening

Earlier today Universal Orlando presented it’s plans to the Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force.

In that plan, Universal Orlando stated that the plan is to open June 1st, with a gradual capacity managed opening for employees only. Passholders would be added on June 3rd, followed by an opening to the general public on June 5th.

Even though Disney opened Disney Springs yesterday, Walt Disney World updated its operating hours calendar to show that the theme parks will be closed through June 13th, it previously stated June 7th.

Walt Disney World Resort hotels and theme parks are currently closed until further notice. Disney recently began accepting hotel reservations for July 1, although as explained by a senior figure at Disney, that does not mean the park will be open at that time.

While Disney has not announced an opening date and as stated above in regards to opening, one would have to think that since Disney have been somewhat working together with the task force, that Walt Disney World will be opening sometime close to when Universal Orlando opens up.

While nothing definite from Disney, Universal’s announcement would seem to be good news.

There appears to to be light at the end of this tunnel.

Disney Announces Leadership Restructuring – Josh D’Amaro New Parks, Experiences and Products Chairman

Earlier today, Bob Chapek, the Chief Executive Officer of the Walt Disney Company, announced today that Walt Disney World President Josh D’Amaro would be promoted to his former position as Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products.

The position of Chairman, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products has been vacant since Bob Chapek moved from the role into the position as Disney CEO when Bob Iger retired. Josh has been Walt Disney World President for less than a year, taking over from George Kalogridis in September 2019.

In his new role, D’Amaro will oversee Disney’s travel and leisure businesses, which include six theme park-resort destinations in the United States, Europe and Asia; a cruise line; a vacation ownership program; a guided family adventure business; and Disney’s global consumer products operations, which include the world’s leading licensing business across toys, apparel, home goods, digital games and apps; the world’s largest children’s print publisher; Disney store locations around the world; and the shopDisney e-commerce platform.

Succeeding D’Amaro as President, Walt Disney World Resort is Jeff Vahle, a 30-year cast member who most recently served as President, Disney Signature Experiences.

“I’m incredibly proud of the new leadership team at Parks, beginning with the segment’s Chairman, longtime Disney veteran Josh D’Amaro, and his newly announced team of Jeff Vahle, Ken Potrock, Kareem Daniel and Thomas Mazloum,” said Chapek. “These talented executives played pivotal roles while leading our exceptional cast members during the largest period of growth in the segment’s history, which included the expansion of our parks and resorts around the world, the addition of new attractions including two highly acclaimed Star Wars-themed lands, and a shift to more personalized experiences for guests. And I am confident that as they assume even greater responsibility and pursue new opportunities, these proven leaders will have an even bigger impact on the future of our company.”

In response to this promotion, D’Amaro stated –

“I want to thank Bob for giving me this opportunity, and I look forward to following his record of driving innovation, value and growth at Parks.  I am honored to be able to lead this newly announced team of exceptional senior leaders as we assume our new roles and continue to deliver unforgettable experiences for our guests. Even during this challenging time, the enthusiasm of our dedicated cast members for what we do is unwavering, and my goal is to bring them back to work as soon as possible so they can continue to create that magic.”

Disneyland Resort President Rebecca Campbell will now become the Chairman of Direct-to-Consumer and International. Both Campbell and D’Amaro will report directly to Chapek.

 

Walt Disney World Updates Website….Includes COVID-19 Liability Statement and Warning

Ahead of the opening of Disney Springs on May 20th, Walt Disney World has updated its website today with a COVID-19 warnings notice.

The thing to note is the wording that indicates that “By visiting Walt Disney World Resort, you voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19.”

Below it the entire COVID-19 warning from the Walt Disney World website…

COVID-19 Warning

We have taken enhanced health and safety measures—for you, our other Guests, and Cast Members. You must follow all posted instructions while visiting Disney Springs.

An inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present. COVID-19 is an extremely contagious disease that can lead to severe illness and death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, senior citizens and guests with underlying medical conditions are especially vulnerable.

By visiting Disney Springs you voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19.

Let’s keep each other healthy and safe.

 

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Outlines Next Steps In Theme Parks’ Reopening Path

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Friday outlined what may be the next steps for the state’s theme parks on their paths to reopening, including Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Orlando Resort.

In a press conference, DeSantis asked park operators to submit their reopening plans to the state, saying that they would “need to have an endorsement of the relative official in their locality — Orange County mayor, wherever you’re talking about,” he said.

Extending the previously announced plans for the reopening of Florida, the state will move forward with:

  • Restaurants allowing 50% capacity (up from the previous 25% occupancy limit)
  • Retail moving to 50% capacity (up from the previous 25% occupancy limit)
  • Gyms operating while respecting social distancing and sanitizing measures

Theme parks can now submit plans about reopening to the state and will need endorsement from the Orange County Mayor. Movie theaters will remain closed at this time.

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings told local media later in the day that he has not received any reopening plans from the parks, and that he doesn’t expect any reopenings until June at the earliest.