If you’re planning on going to Walt Disney World when it reopens on July 11th and are staying at a Disney-owned resort hotel, one of the BIGGEST questions on your mind is probably: What resort services WILL and WON’T be available?
Riviera Resort Pool
According to new updates on Walt Disney World’s official website first spotted by theme park reporter Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) on Twitter, certain hotel services will be modified or unavailable during the initial reopening phase.
Disney’s Polynesian Resort
You might want to reconsider plans for casual resort hopping for now!
Click here to learn more about the new requirements to get into a Disney hotel when they reopen
Disney’s Magical Express
If you’re flying into the Orlando International Airport, there’s good news: complimentary airport transportation via Disney’s Magical Express service WILL still be available!
Disney’s Magical Express Bus
Just make sure you give Disney the most up-to-date information about your stay by contacting your room reservation booking agent or calling 407-939-1936.
Check-In Services
Disney is strongly encouraging guests use online check-in, either on Disney’s website or using the My Disney Experience app. However, standard check-in will be available and guests whose MagicBands are shipped to the resort will be able to pick them up at the front desk as well as unlock their room via My Disney Experience’s digital key feature.
Disney is encouraging online check-in
Guests will also be automatically checked out, so there is no need to visit the front desk when leaving the resort.
What Experiences Will NOT Be Available
Some classic parts of the Disney hotel experience will NOT be available upon reopening. Arcades, campfires, character experiences, dog parks, the Electrical Water Pageant, Marina rentals, Pin trading, Playgrounds, Spas, salons, and Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique will not be operating initially.
©Disney
Fireworks voyages and tasting cruises, the Wonderland Tea Party at 1900 Park Fare, hula lessons, in-room childcare services, mermaid school, and other special classes and programs will also be unavailable.
Happily Ever After Fireworks From the Pirates and Pals Fireworks Voyage
While Disney guests are typically able to book to in-room celebrations and use dry-cleaning services, bell services, and more, according to Disney some of those will be modified and unavailable. Changes to hotel amenities include:
- Bell Services are still able to deliver luggage to rooms, but will not escort guests to their rooms
- Club-level service will be temporarily unavailable
- Deliveries will only be made to occupied rooms
- In-room celebrations will not be available
- Dry-cleaning and valet laundry services will be temporarily unavailable; self-service laundry will remain available
- Shipping services will be temporarily unavailable
- Resort airline check-in service may be temporarily unavailable
What hotel services are not available when Disney World reopens
What Pools and Fitness Centers Will Look Like
Other MAJOR changes include pool hour operations. Feature pools may operate with reduced hours and pools will be operating with limited capacity to enforce social distancing. However, leisure pools will be open 24 hours a day.
Guests at Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts will notice Stormalong Bay will not be available during the initial reopening period. Instead, they will be able to use the leisure pool at Beach Club and the Luna Park Pool at Disney’s Boardwalk Inn.
Stormalong Bay
Concerning the fitness centers, Disney has stated that these spaces will reopen according to state and county regulations and may have reduced hours and capacity, and instructor-led fitness classes will not be available. Sporty folks aren’t all out of luck! Fitness and sports courts will be open, with physical distancing in place.
Housekeeping Changes
One of the BIGGEST questions Disney hotel guests this summer will have is: How clean will my hotel and room be?
Room at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
In addition to increasing cleaning in high-traffic areas (think elevators, escalators, benches, tables, etc.), Disney is also giving rooms a “thorough cleaning” before your arrival. Specifically, they mention paying special attention to high-touch areas like TV remotes and door handles, and steam-cleaning and vacuuming floors between guests. Furthermore, housekeeping tools will be cleaned between rooms.
Housekeeping policies
Rooms will receive a light cleaning service every other day of your stay, which will include: Removal of trash and used towels, replenishment of towels and amenities throughout the room and bathroom, wiping and cleaning of the vanity and counter surfaces, and vacuuming if needed. However, you can decline every-other-day service.
Disney World housekeeping changes for reopening
There will be extra linens and towels wrapped in single-use packaging, individually-wrapped glassware, double-cased pillows, and additional items that have been cleaned and wrapped in single-use packaging in your room before your arrival.
Disney Vacation Club Members will receive service on the fourth and eighth days of their stay, unless declined.
Disney’s Riviera Resort
There are TONS of changes regarding Disney World hotels, and there are bound to be plenty more in the coming weeks! Be sure to keep checking Disney Food Blog, where we’ll give you ALL the latest info you need to know before the Disney World theme parks reopen.
Click here to see changes announced to dining when Disney World reopens!
Disney Park Reopening Details and Info
Click HERE for the All Latest Updates
Click HERE To See FULL LISTS of the Rides, Attractions, Shopping, Entertainment, and Restaurants Opening in Disney World!
TUTORIAL: How To Use Disney World's NEW Park Pass Reservation System
ALL Disney World Reopening Procedures
Disney World Hotel and Ticket Booking Information
We’re Visiting ALL the Reopened Disney World Hotels and Have All the Need-to-Know Details
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We’re LIVE in Disney’s Animal Kingdom For the FIRST Time Since the Closures
We Got a FIRST LOOK at Disney World’s New Character Cavalcades and Entertainment!
Everything You NEED To Know About Wearing Masks in Disney World
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Will these changes at Disney hotels affect your decision to visit this summer? Let us know in the comments!
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AJ, Will Disney ever return the coffee makers back to the resorts?
Kat, sorry — no way to know at this point.
They’re reducing the service but won’t reduce the price!
I feel so sorry for guests going now. It seriously sounds like a miserable experience.
Your room will be dirty or you need to clean your own room, what a joke at these prices.
Masks in 90 degree heat, good luck with that if you’re old or young
No characters, limited ammenities. Sounds miserable.
Any word on how long Storm along Bay will closed for? Just the reopening thru July 11? Or will it go past that time? We have August reservations and it’s really disappointing that Disney has made this decision if it goes longer.
If I had a hotel reservation for this summer, I would have cancelled it a long time ago! This is just NUTS and I think the July-August park guests are going to be predominately Florida residents only. Even my October trip is going to be hit or miss IF I’m unable to snag any Park Reservations. When Disney states that their own hotel guests aren’t guaranteed a Park Admission, what does that say to those of us staying off-site?
Steven S., I think we’re all wanting more information about the reservation system and to find out just how difficult (or not!) it may be to get a theme park reservation. We will update with as much as we can find from own experiences as well as the information released by Disney. Sorry I can’t be more helpful.
Jen, no word on this yet. I personally think that when we hear about the rest of the Resort opening (meaning beyond just the Villas), we’ll get an update on Stormalong Bay.
All these changes are exactly the reason why we cancelled our trip in December. Disney dinning plan is cancelled along with most things people what to experience, and you have no guarantee that you’ll even get into a park during your stay. We loves the rides, but the atmosphere is going to be horrible because everyone will be required to wear masks and stay away from each other.
Do we know if any other DVC Resort Pool’s will be closed? We moved to beach club just for storm along bay. 😩😩
@James DVC only gets service every 4th day anyway. How dirty are you making a hotel room that you’re never in? Messy maybe, quick changes, etc, but dirty? I spilled my whole dinner once, but they came right away. And replaced my dinner.
I’m the worst critic, but some of us would like to scope it out, or in the case of DVC, not lose the time we paid for. Anywhere has got to better than the 85 days I’ve been stuck in my house. Not too many public places open.
I hear you, Gabi. That would be a big draw for me, too! Disney said that feature pools will be open — with the exception of Stormalong Bay. They may have reduced hours, though.
@jackie
I hear ya, makes sense for you if you have dvc and don’t want to waste it and definitely better than stuck at home.
I hope you enjoy your trip and let us know how the experience was!
When it says deliveries will only be made if a room is occupied, does that mean they won’t deliver our magical express luggage unless we’re in the room? Who wants to wait for hours till it comes? Also, no airline check in? What about our luggage going back on magical Express?
Carol, I’m not sure if that delivery protocol applies to Magical Express; we’ll keep a lookout for clarification on whether baggage services will deliver luggage when guests aren’t present. As for airline check-in, you’ll still be able to take the Magical (or Tragical) Express back to MCO, but you’ll have to do the standard check-in with your luggage at the airline desks at MCO.
We are booked for the end of September, I think we’ll see how it goes in July/August before we make any decisions on canceling. But if the airline check in isn’t available I’ll have to really think about it, that is the only reason we do Universal first and end our trips at Disney.
Sorry, I asked this before, but you stated that “feature pools” would have limited hours In which they would be open, while “leisure “ pools would be open 24 hours. What pools are considered “feature” ones and which are considered “leisure” pools?
Arlene, the feature pools are the central, usually most highly themed pools. Stormalong Bay, the Big Blue Pool, and Ol’ Man Island are the first ones to come to mind. Does that help?
Yes, Thank you Sarah for the explanation! That does help. We can’t wait to get back into a Disney Resort pool and have some fun! : )
One other question on the airline check-in:
If Disney is not offering Airline check-in at the resort for now, do you know if they will still be able to store your luggage for you until your Magical Express Bus comes to take you to the airport? Our flight back home is not leaving until the evening. I can’t imagine trying to carry around luggage for three people all day long since resort checkout is usually at 11 AM. I hope Disney will reconsider this and restore the airport check-in at the resort before our trip this November.
Arlene, Disney’s baggage service will likely still hold luggage for folks who aren’t able to leave it in a room. I’m not sure we’ve heard this for sure, though.
Having just discovered DFB, I have been binge watching on YouTube and (of course!) bought the bundle of e-books! As a Florida Passholder, I was going to wait to actually go to the parks until the fall … just do some “resort hopping” (to try out some of those yummy items & snacks featured in the blog). So … thank you so ever, ever much for the tip that RESERVATIONS WILL BE REQUIRED to enter a resort! I will be making dining reservations when I can.
Beverly, thanks for your comments! Have a wonderful trip.
I see no in room celebrations, what about gift baskets or floral arrangements through disney floral and gifts? What kind of deliveries will still be happening to rooms?
Hi, Any thoughts on when resort hopping will be allowed? Thanks (love DFB!)
Thanks, Karen! No word on when Park Hopping will return. Disney has indicated that it WILL return, but there’s no timeline. They’re adjusting with the circumstances, I believe.
Ashley, Disney Floral website says they’re not accepting new orders at this time. We’re waiting on confirmation of room deliveries — like luggage from Disney’s Magical Express.