With the unprecedented times that have been plaguing nearly everyone in the world, travel plans changed drastically, especially for those who visit Disney on a regular basis., the closing of the Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland seemed to be the signal that the pandemic was indeed something to take incredibly seriously.
Walt Disney World will be reopening on July 11th, 2020, under a phased plan. With the reopening, comes many unknowns and many changes. This is an extremely fluid situation so we will do our best to update information as it becomes available.
Our hope is that by providing this information it will help you and your family make the best, most informed decision.
Which Disney Parks are opening and when?
Under the plan that Disney has presented, the openings will be as follows:
Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom will welcome guests back to the respective parks on July 11th, 2020.
While Epcot and Hollywood Studios will be hosting guests again on July 15th, 2020
Walt Disney World Reopening Reservations:
To begin, guests will require reservations to visit the respective parks. In order to enter, you must have valid admission as well as reservations.
Ticket Sales: At the moment new ticket sales are paused. Those who have current tickets as well as current annual passholders will have the opportunity to make reservations in phases. This is prior to new tickets being sold.
Disney Resort Hotel Reservations: Much like the park admission, new reservations are not being taken at this time. Disney Vacation Club members are able to make reservations during this time.
Walt Disney World Reopening Guidelines:
Disney has announced that even though they will be reopening, during the initial phase the experiences that are considered ‘high touch’ will not be available during this phase.
Disney defines ‘high touch experiences as:
Makeovers (Bibbity Boppity boutique, or the Character Couture experiences)
Character meet and greets (although, the characters will still be present in the parks, just not in the traditional way)
New policies that Disney will be implementing during this time:
Face masks will be required for those visiting ages 2 and up. For clarification, costume masks aren’t going to cut it during this time.
Temperatures will be taken with a touch-less device and any guest with a temperature of 100.4 or over, will not be allowed to enter.
You can expect to see physical barriers that weren’t previously in place. You may notice them at cash registers or guest relations.
Signage and ground markings. There will be directional signage around the park directing the flow of traffic and help guests observe social distancing.
The My Disney Experience App was always a huge part of visiting Disney, but during this time, it will play a bigger role.
Here are some of the ways that My Disney Experience will be important:
Online check in at the Walt Disney World Resort Hotels. You can use the app as your room key and you will also be able to bypass the front desk.
Scannable codes for menus for table service restaurants. So that the amount of contact with menus spreading from guests to guests is minimized.
What to know if you had Disney Plans in place prior to the closure:
All FastPass+ reservations have been cancelled.
All dining reservations have been cancelled.
Extra Magic Hours are currently suspended.
Covid-19 risk acceptance from Disney’s Website:
By visiting Walt Disney World Resort you voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19.
If you think you are ready to book and want some help walking through the process, our partners at Get Away Today still have great deals going on and are able to help you navigate the new expectations of booking at Disney. Book via our affiliate link here.
