- You might not expect a whole lot of news from Disney World during this time of closure, but that certainly wasn’t the case this week! Today’s topics range from event cancellations and Park Pass frustrations to the July 11th reopening of the parks. . . if they reopen at all. . .
Canceled for 2020: Destination D Fantastic Worlds
A little over a week ago we heard that this year’s Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Parties had been canceled, now another major 2020 event bites the dust. Disney has made the difficult decision to postpone D23’s Destination D event that was originally scheduled for November 20th-22nd at the Contemporary Resort.
While it’s sad news to hear, we’re glad they’re playing it safe. Perhaps they can do an even bigger and better Destination D next year . . . you know, for Walt Disney World’s 50th-anniversary celebration!
Park Pass, Please
Yesterday, Park Pass reservations opened up to Annual Passholders without a hotel reservation. And oh boy, did they go fast! The scheduled reopening of the WDW resort is phased, with Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Animal Kingdom opening July 11th and EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios set to open on the 15th.
Here’s a screenshot of what July’s availability looks like, as of mid-day on June 26th:
So far, all four parks are booked through July 20th! Keep in mind, this is based on extremely reduced park capacity in accordance with Disney’s updated safety guidelines. That’s tough news for those who haven’t been permitted to book a Park Pass yet (those with Disney World hotel reservations & valid admission were able to book on June 22nd, followed by passholders on the 26th). Beginning tomorrow (June 28th), all those with valid admission may begin booking park access. But it looks like all the early dates are taken . . . unless Disney has held back some additional spots for tomorrow.
Looking further into July, Park Pass availability at Hollywood Studios is completely booked through the end of the month. This is most likely due to the park being both smaller AND having the three newest attractions at Disney World, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, and Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway.
If you could hop into a trackless ride vehicle right now, would you choose Rise of the Resistance or Runaway Railway? …Say that 3 times fast!
Speaking of Park Pass reservations . . . many guests encounter a “Please wait” page before they are taken to the actual reservation system. The page is emblazoned with a very pink castle logo. It reminds me of the 25th-anniversary Cake Castle.
At the actual Cinderella Castle in Magic Kingdom, we’ve heard reports that painting has resumed. The castle’s updated color scheme will feature forced perspective techniques to make it seem larger than it already is. Plus, there will be plenty of gold to go around! For more about the update, check out our article below:
I’m mostly excited for this paint job, what about you?
Attractions Update
6/28 UPDATE: We originally reported Animal Kingdom’s Festival of the Lion King was set to resume showings with the park’s reopening, it seems Disney has since quietly removed this from their list of reopening attractions.
Now, all live productions are temporarily closed throughout the resort. We’re not surprised!
See the full list of WDW attractions which are set to reopen/remain closed here:
Disney World Attractions Update & Free Month for Annual Passholders
A major change is coming to an attraction at both Magic Kingdom and Disneyland: Splash Mountain. In a surprise announcement earlier this week, Disney revealed that the adventure of Br’er Rabbit will be replaced with a Princess and the Frog theme.
While Disneyland’s version will be a great fit for it’s New Orleans Square/Critter Country location, the Magic Kingdom’s mountain is in Frontierland. How do you think the Imagineers will try to fit this attraction into the wild Frontier . . . or do they even need to?
For more about the changes ahead to Splash Mountain, take a look at our most shared article of the year below:
GUIDE: Everything You Need to Know About Tiana’s Bayou Adventure!
Pixie Dust & Basketball
Since their playing season was interrupted, what will the NBA do now? They’re going to Disney World! It’s official, the National Basketball Association announced they will finish their remaining 2019-2020 season at Walt Disney World’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.
We are excited to share that the @NBA ? officially announced today it will finish its 2019-2020 season at @WaltDisneyWorld Resort. The regular season will resume July 30th at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Read more on the blog: https://t.co/RjflltdKfr pic.twitter.com/kQLnMqpOTq
— Disney Parks (@DisneyParks) June 26, 2020
22 NBA teams will occupy the complex and select Disney resorts from July to mid-October, competing for and playing the NBA Playoffs. Based on current league guidelines, which were developed with public health experts and government officials, all games will be held without spectators.
With that said, just hours after the announcement of the sport’s return, it was confirmed that 16 of 302 tested NBA Players were found positive for COVID. The names have not been disclosed, but the players will remain in isolation until they have been cleared by a physician. According to ESPN, the NBA season is still scheduled to resume in Orlando… but we can’t imagine that it would take too many more infections for the NBA to change their mind or alter their plans. We’re following this one closely.
Closures & Concerns at Disney Springs
As Florida COVID-19 cases are on the rise, Governor Ron DeSantis ordered all bars to close statewide. As a result, Disney Springs’ bar venues are shuttered again for the time being, such as Jock Lindsay’s Hangar Bar and Dockside Margaritas. However, outdoor bar carts are still open and available throughout the Springs.
The bars aren’t the only closure, UNIQLO abruptly closed the doors of its massive Disney Springs location without any prior announcement this week.
In other shopping news . . . Cover up! Official Disney-licensed face masks are now available at Marketplace Co-Op.
And have you seen these Dole Whip Nachos from Marketplace Snacks?! Colorful waffle cone “chips” topped with Dole Whip, mango boba pearls, fresh pineapple, and strawberry sauce, topped off with whipped cream and rainbow sprinkles. Temptation . . .
Possible WDW Reopening Delay?
It’s been a scary week here in Florida, with daily COVID cases rising sharply and Disneyland’s reopening already postponed, we’re beginning to wonder if Walt Disney World may also need to delay.
But even though Florida Governor DeSantis has ordered bars to close, and other states are starting to roll back their reopening timelines, DeSantis has said he will not stop Walt Disney World from reopening. “We are monitoring all aspects related to COVID-19 in Florida and do not have plans to roll back any approved reopening business plans at this time.”
Though, as at Disneyland, some Walt Disney World Cast Members have started a petition to keep the parks closed, fearing July 11th is too soon to resume even limited operations. The petition states:
“This virus is not gone, unfortunately, it’s only become worse in this state. While theme parks are a great way to relax and enjoy free time, it is a nonessential business; it is not fair to the people who work there to risk their lives, especially if they are at risk or have family members who are at risk. People are more important than making a profit. Mayors, theme park executives, government officials — please hear what we are saying.”
Florida just hit a record 8,942 new cases yesterday, and as you can see from the trend line posted below, the increase is shockingly rapid:
Dr. Marcia Katz, associate dean for Clinical Affairs at UCF College of Medicine, told the Orlando Sentinel that she’s worried the opening of theme parks and hotels could further worsen the numbers. “I’m just calling out alarm that we really, really, really have to be aggressive in our mitigation. I think it’s an emergency.”
Disney is not on the record about the potential for postponing the reopening of WDW’s parks, but with the surprise announcement of Disneyland’s closure earlier this week, and runaway virus spread in Florida, we wouldn’t be shocked if WDW made a similar decision.
Let’s Hear From You
There’s been a lot happening in the World of Disney lately. With reopenings in some places and closures in others, it’s hard to keep my head straight about what’s happening where. With the massive spike in infections, are you starting to worry that many of the things which have already opened may need to scale back or close again? Can you imagine WDW joining Disneyland in a delayed reopening, which gives them more time to evaluate the current trajectory of virus spread and recommendations from their own health and safety experts? With more than a dozen players already known to be infected, do you think that the NBA season will actually resume next month at Walt Disney World as planned? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
