Walt Disney World’s July reopening is fast approaching! As we all know, Disney’s Orlando theme parks are planned to reopen on July 11th and 15th. We’re slowly learning what the new theme park experience will be like, especially with the latest announcements that clarify exactly which attractions and entertainment options will be available upon reopening.
We also finally have an important update for Annual Passholders, but not everyone is going to be happy with it. Let’s dive in…
WDW Attractions
Disney has stated that *most* attractions will be available at each park. With Magic Kingdom & Disney’s Animal Kingdom opening first on July 11th, followed by Disney’s Hollywood Studios and EPCOT on July 15th, here’s the official attractions and experiences lineup you can expect to see, and what will be closed, organized by park:
Magic Kingdom
WILL RE-OPEN:
- “it’s a small world”
- Astro Orbitor
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
- Country Bear Jamboree
- Dumbo the Flying Elephant
- Jungle Cruise
- Liberty Square Riverboat
- Mad Tea Party
- Mickey’s PhilharMagic
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Prince Charming Regal Carousel
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom
- Space Mountain
- Splash Mountain
- Swiss Family Treehouse
- The Barnstormer
- The Hall of Presidents
- The Haunted Mansion
- The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Tom Sawyer Island
- Tomorrowland Speedway
- Tomorrowland Transit Authority Peoplemover
- Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid
- Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress
- Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room
WILL REMAIN CLOSED:
- Casey Jr. Splash ‘N’ Soak Station
- Enchanted Tales with Belle
- Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade
- Main Street Vehicles
- Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
- Stitch’s Great Escape (though with permits filed for demolition, we doubt this will ever come back)
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
WILL RE-OPEN:
- Affection Section
- Avatar Flight of Passage
- DINOSAUR
- Discovery Island Trails
- Expedition Everest
- Festival of the Lion King
- Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail
- It’s Tough to be a Bug!
- Kali River Rapids
- Kilimanjaro Safaris
- Maharajah Trail
- Na’vi River Journey
- The Animation Experience at Conservation Station
- The Oasis Exhibits
- TriceraTop Spin
- Wilderness Explorers
- Wildlife Express
WILL REMAIN CLOSED:
- Finding Nemo – The Musical
- Primeval Whirl (now operates seasonally)
- The Boneyard
- UP! A Great Bird Adventure
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
WILL RE-OPEN:
- Alien Swirling Saucers
- Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy
- Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
- Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run
- Muppet*Vision 3D
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
- Slinky Dog Dash
- Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
- Toy Story Mania
- Vacation Fun (Mickey Shorts Theater)
- Walt Disney Presents
WILL REMAIN CLOSED:
- Beauty & the Beast – Live on Stage
- Disney Jr. – Live on Stage (this has been altered to become a character motorcade)
- Frozen Sing-Along
- Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular
- Star Wars Launch Bay
- Voyage of the Little Mermaid
EPCOT
WILL RE-OPEN:
- Awesome Planet
- Canada Far and Wide
- Disney / Pixar Short Film Festival
- Friendship Lagoon Boats
- Frozen Ever After
- Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Cabelleros
- Impressions de France
- Journey into Imagination with Figment
- Kidcot
- Living with the Land
- Mission: SPACE
- Relfections of China
- Soarin’ Around the World
- Spaceship Earth (construction has paused on the originally planned refurbishment!)
- Test Track
- The American Adventure
- The Seas with Nemo & Friends
- Turtle Talk with Crush
- Walt Disney Imagineering presents the EPCOT Experience
WILL REMAIN CLOSED:
- Advanced Training Lab (Mission: SPACE post-show area)
- Beauty & the Beast Sing-Along
- Bruce’s Shark World
Disney World Entertainment Changes
Since normal parades and character meet & greets are a no-go for now, Disney has curated a few new ways to experience your favorite characters and special performers while being mindful of social distancing.
In the name of streetmosphere, the beloved Main Street Philharmonic will return at Magic Kingdom Park, along with the Mariachi Cobre and the JAMMitors at EPCOT!
Special character cavalcades will soon be seen making their way down the Magic Kingdom parade route, sailing the Discovery River waterways of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, along EPCOT’s World Showcase promenade and down Hollywood Boulevard at the Studios. These will take place several times throughout the day, with no set schedule. Much of the new entertainment will be of the surprise variety that you’ll just need to happen upon.
It sounds like there may be some socially-distanced roaming or staged characters near their respective areas, such as Buzz Lightyear in Tomorrowland, Jack Sparrow near Pirates of the Caribbean, Resistance members throughout Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and more.
Disney World Annual Passholder Update
Disney has added some Reopening Policy Options to their Annual Passholder Know Before You Go landing page… this is big!
- Whether WDW Passholders have paid in full or are part of the monthly payment program, a free month will be added. This additional month will be visible within passholder accounts in October of this year.
- -Or- WDW Passholders have the option to cancel their annual pass and receive a partial refund.
RECENT UPDATES NOT TO MISS
BREAKING NEWS: Walt Disney World Park Reservation Info & End of Free Magic Bands!
BREAKING NEWS: Walt Disney World’s Halloween Parties Cancelled, Modified Food & Wine Festival
Make Future Magic
Theme parks are reopening, and there’s no better time to lock in low rates on future travel. Special comeback rates are now available at some of your favorite theme park hotels.
Our travel partners at Get Away Today are here to help you with your theme park reopening concerns and rescheduling plans. We know you’re as uncertain about the future as we are. That’s why Get Away Today is offering the most flexible Disney travel options available:
Price Protection – If a better special comes out after you have booked, you’ll get the better deal.
Peace of Mind – Make hotel changes, reschedule dates, drop nights, change ticket vouchers and more, as many times as you’d like for a small, one-time fee.
Layaway Plan – Lock in your 2020 or 2021 Disneyland Resort vacation for just $175 down. By booking early, you secure your availability and have the flexibility to pay as you go. Make as many interest-free payments as you’d like, whenever you’d like, with final payment due just seven days prior to travel.
Give your family something to look forward to:
Visit Get Away Today HERE Or fill out a request form and they’ll call you back: Vacation Information Request Form HERE
Let’s Hear From You
Are you more likely to visit knowing some of your favorite park offerings are available? What do you think about the updated annual pass options? Is a one-month annual pass extension enough for limited access to the parks in the coming months? Let’s hear from you below. . .