food IS a theme park
Walt Disney World takes up thousands upon thousands of acres in Florida.
Cinderella Castle
And it should come as no surprise that Disney has to pay a LOT of taxes on said acreage.
You’re probably used to seeking our advice when it comes to avoiding some common mistakes people make on their Disney World vacations (as well as what you should definitely PIG OUT on in and around the parks)!
Cake Pop at Magic Kingdom
But over the last few weeks, as we’ve watched Shanghai Disneyland slowly start its phased reopening, we’ve realized there is a slew of new issues heading our way when the Disney parks open back up again here in the States!
Disney World and Disneyland will be implementing many costly new procedures to help ensure the safety of guests and Cast Members upon the reopening of their theme parks.
Disney World
All of these potential health measures and capacity cuts mean that Disney could be in a tough position — losing money to be able to make it again. Prior to the reopening announcement, we explored the financial impacts of opening the theme parks versus keeping them closed. With the parks officially reopening, some analysts are noting what Disney will need to do to make money again.
Recently, Annual Passholders received an e-mail message from Walt Disney World Resort with information regarding some of the changes that will be implemented — such as the new theme park reservation system — when the parks begin a phased reopening on July 11th.
2020 Annual Passholder Magnet
And now, Annual Passholders have started to receive a new e-mail communication. This time, it’s a word of thanks… along with some Disney magic. [Read more…]
Now that Disney World is reopening July 11th and July 15th and Disneyland has a proposed reopening date, both resorts have stated they will be utilizing a new reservation system which will require all guests — including Annual Passholders — obtain a reservation to enter a park in advance of their visit.
Annual Passholder Magnet
We’ve been receiving a TON of questions about how this new reservation system will affect Annual Passholders since Disney hasn’t released very much info on the subject yet!
Disneyland Resort has just announced a proposed reopening date.
Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle
If the reopening proposal is approved by the state and local governments, Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure will reopen on July 17th. Disney World will also begin their park reopening around this time — Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Animal Kingdom will reopen on July 11th, with Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios following on July 15th.
As many of us are already keenly aware, our summer Disney World vacations are going to look and feel very different this year. There’s going to be a lot fewer people in parks, tons of new health and safety measures, and no parades, fireworks or character meet and greets to start.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
But with so many modifications being made to Disney World’s guest experiences, you might be asking yourself what’s going to happen with MagicBands? Will we still be using them? Can we still pre-order them? We’re just like you guys — we can’t picture a trip to Disney World that doesn’t include MagicBands since we’re so used to swiping them to enter the theme parks, our guest rooms, and even pay for stuff! Plus — that’s only a couple of ways we use ’em! The list goes on and on!
Give Kids The World Village is a non-profit resort that works closely with The Make-A-Wish Foundation to provides cost-free Disney World vacations for children who are battling critical illness along with their families.
It’s Mickey!
But due to the global health crisis and the vulnerability of its guests, the resort has remained closed, and sadly they don’t know when they’ll be able to resume granting kids’ wishes.
While Disney World has launched a new Annual Passholder webpage with its updated policies, there are still a lot of questions left unanswered.
Walt Disney World Annual Passholder
And thanks to one of our readers, we’re now aware of a potentially problematic situation regarding Annual Passes that were originally set to expire during Disney World’s temporary closure period.
While Disney World has remained closed, items you could previously only buy inside the parks have been released on shopDisney, the Disney Store’s online platform.
Magic Kingdom
And while initially, this seemed like a good thing, (not having to put on pants, get off the sofa, and physically drag ourselves to the theme parks), it’s been a major headache — which we’ll get into in a sec! But when the parks reopen, is this going to be our only option for those must-have merch items from now on??
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
