Walt Disney World Update – No Simple Walk in the Park

Walt Disney World continues to operate under increasingly difficult circumstances. Evidence mounts that guest demand isn’t as strong as Disney had hoped, as hotel reopenings are delayed and cast member tickets unblocked. But there’s also some new policies and merchandise to share, along with a walk in the park . . .

Face Covering Update

As we navigate this unprecedented time, Disney’s park rules and policies are ever-changing. Just last week, we discussed the drinking/eating while walking around the parks loophole. This week, Disney has added masks with valves, mesh material or holes to the unacceptable face-covering list. 

More Temperature Screenings

All guests dining at table-service restaurants at resort hotels are now required to undergo temperature screenings beforehand. These are to be conducted at the entrance of each dining location. Guests with temperatures above 100.4 Fahrenheit or above will not be allowed entry, this also includes anyone in their party. 

Disney Springs

Over at the Springs, these sandwich-board signs remind guests of the newer mask policy:

Official Disney-branded face masks are no longer a World of Disney-exclusive, they can now be found at multiple locations. Here they are in Tren-D:

… and Cherry Tree Lane at the MarketPlace Co-Op:

While at Cherry Tree Lane, we noticed the latest addition to the Disney Dress Shop collection! 

We can’t help but think this Jungle Cruise patterned-print was meant to debut alongside the Jungle Cruise movie, originally set for a July 24th release:

Over at the Disney Style shop, we finally have another limited edition “Yester Ears” shirt collection! (We also spotted these at Legends of Hollywood at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.)

This time, we’re stepping back into the 90’s with these fun Pleasure Island vibes:

And check out these new sneaker charm sets we spotted:

Resort Hotel Reopening Delays

An update was sent to Disney Travel Agents on July 26th notifying them that some of the originally planned resort hotel reopenings have been delayed. 

Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort will now reopen on October 14th, while Disney’s Art of Animation Resort has been pushed back to November 1st.

While it was previously announced that Disney’s Beach Club Resort and Disney’s Boardwalk Inn would reopen, these hotels will now remain closed indefinitely as Disney continues to reevaluate demand.

The signs are quite clear that guest demand is much lower than previously thought it would be. 

November Wine and Dine Half Marathon Canceled

It will be no surprise that the early November Wine and Dine Half Marathon races will not be possible this year. Runners have the option of canceling for a full refund or participating in a virtual version of the event.  

For details, you can visit this link to get more info on your options.  We are curious how many of you will take the virtual race option vs. a refund. Let us know below!

Cast Member Admission Unblocked

In another sign of weak attendance, Cast Member self-admissions have been unblocked for this week. However, park reservations will still be required. Since Disney’s Hollywood Studios is understandably the busiest park, featuring the latest attractions, it will remain blocked from Cast Member admission. 

Magic Kingdom Meandering

This week, we took a quick half-day trip to Magic Kingdom to check out park operations for you. The day was unexpectedly a little busier than our previous visit; some attractions maintained a 30-60 minute wait throughout the day. Regardless, we were able to keep a safe distance throughout the park and guests were mostly compliant with wearing their masks properly. Here are a few of our highlights and observations from the day:

The parking trams are still not operating. The walk to the Ticket & Transportation Center isn’t *too* bad, as the parking attendants mostly fill the lots closer to the entrance first. (However, at the end of the day, we really feel every step back to the car in the heat!)

Since there was a bit of a line forming for the monorail, we opted for the open-air Ferry boat. It was an easy and breezy trip over to the kingdom.

Once in the park, crowds are seemingly non-existent in the entrance and Town Square areas.

The Town Square area really felt quiet and still… until the Main Street Philharmonic came marching by:

(Those mid-morning clouds quickly turned grey with occasional rain showers in the afternoon, pay no mind to the differences between these photos!)

At the end of Main Street, Cinderella Castle is beaming with saturated colors and gilded touches. 

I’m in love with the new castle color scheme! What do you think of the makeover?

Crowds were manageable throughout the day. As one can imagine, Frontierland draws everyone over with Splash Mountain – both for soon-to-be-gone merchandise and “one last” ride, even though a closure date has yet to be announced.

The end of Frontierland is filled with guests walking every which way —  traveling to and from Splash, Thunder Mountain, popcorn and beverage carts. Areas like this need directional signage on the ground asking guests to keep to their right. Watch your distancing!

The Liberty Belle is still making its rounds, even if only for a few guests:

Fantasyland continues to draw families in the morning. But by 3PM (and after a few small rain showers), the land was empty and all attractions were a walk-on.

Another dead end… Gaston’s Tavern is closed with no alternative location offering LeFou’s brew or those ginormous cinnamon rolls. For now, this area is a well-decorated restroom stop.

Looking back toward Journey Under the Sea with the Little Mermaid… though empty now, this area is prepared for with an extended queue for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, wrapping around the coaster along the right:

We really think that times like these call for Disney to rethink attractions that pull in these sorts of potential waits. They have the ability to do virtual queues, why not implement them here?

A quick stop in Adventureland… check out my Citrus “Swirl” (the swirl part of the machine wasn’t working, so it became a stacked citrus treat instead)

While in Tomorrowland, we noticed the DVC kiosk was back open. Hooray . . . Not! 

… Meanwhile, the PeopleMover is still closed. This fan-favorite closed a few days before the parks did back in March; Cast Members say it is down for a lengthy refurbishment, with no projected reopening date. *crosses fingers* please. come. back. 

Time to head home! Magic Kingdom closes at 7PM, well before sunset.

The crowds emptying out from each of the lands all walk back down Main Street U.S.A.

One last look at the castle…

Let’s Hear From You

While the parks aren’t for everyone right now, do you think Disney’s new mask policies help for those who are willing to take the risk? Have you visited a zoo, theme park, or other attraction near you? How was the experience? What do you make of Disney’s delay of hotel reopenings and unblocking of cast members? 

We look forward to hearing from you below! 

For more theme park news and photos, don’t miss this week’s Disneyland Update: 

Disneyland Update – Popping In and Bugging Out

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