Wednesday morning, May 27, 2020, Disney finally made the official announcement that we all have been waiting for since they closed…Walt Disney World has proposed beginning a phased reopening on July 11, 2020 pending local and state approval.
WHAT DOES DISNEY HAVE TO SAY?
On Walt Disney World’s official closure page it reads:
Following the recent reopening of Shanghai Disney Resort and Disney Springs at Walt Disney World Resort, we’re pleased to share that more Disney magic is coming back. On May 27, we submitted a proposal to the Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force in Florida describing our approach for a phased reopening of Walt Disney World Resort theme parks planned to begin on July 11.
WHEN WILL DISNEY WORLD REOPEN?
Disney Springs began to reopen on Wednesday, May 20, 2020. The Disney Vacation Club properties at Walt Disney World as well as Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground are slated to reopen to guests on Monday, June 22, 2020. Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Animal Kingdom are scheduled to reopen on Saturday, July 11 followed by Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios on Wednesday, July 15, 2020.
WHAT WILL DISNEY WORLD BE LIKE WHEN IT REOPENS?
The health and safety of both guests and cast members will remain the primary concern as Walt Disney World begins to reopen this summer. Based on the presentation made to the Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force, visitors can expect enhanced protective measures including masks, physical distancing, additional cleaning and sanitation, temperature and health screenings, as well as limited contact enhancements throughout the resort.
If you are planning a visit to Walt Disney World in the near future, you can anticipate that Disney will soon begin to reach out to you with more details about the new safety measures via email, snail mail, and the My Disney Experience app with an enhanced “Know Before You Go” campaign. This program is meant to educate, communicate, and engage upcoming guests so that everyone has realistic expectations about what a Walt Disney World will look like during this time.
More specific details will be released as the reopening date draws closer, but as of now Disney has announced these initial protocols:
As we all must work together to promote the health and safety of everyone, cast members as well as guests 3 years of age and older will be required to wear appropriate face coverings in theme parks and common areas of resort hotels. All guests will also undergo temperature screenings prior to entering a theme park; cast members will also have temperature checks. Cashless transactions are recommended, and cleaning and disinfection procedures will be increased in high-traffic areas.
There will also be limited theme park capacity requiring advance reservations, through a new system that Disney will unveil soon. The schedule currently shows each theme park scheduled to be open approximately 10 hours per day with staggered opening and closing times.
WHAT I AM DOING ABOUT MY UPCOMING TRIPS
In my recent posts Disney World Closed Indefinitely, Disney World Is Closed – Now What? and When Will Disney World Reopen, I shared what I am doing about my upcoming Walt Disney World vacations that I have scheduled throughout the rest of 2020.
As a quick update, I have now had to cancel my April, June, and early July trips so far. I have two more Walt Disney World vacations scheduled during 2020…one during the late summer and one in the early fall. For the moment, I am still hanging on to the reservations and hope that I will be able to go.
I do have some concerns though, like will the resort hotels I’ve booked, Coronado Springs and Caribbean Beach Resort, be open for my travel dates, will I be able to reserve theme park admission for my travel dates or will there not be enough capacity, and will I physically be able to withstand the high Florida heat and humidity while wearing a mask without shows like Carousel of Progress or Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor open to cool off in.
In addition to those concerns, there are other considerations such as will the non-essential travel ban still be in effect in my home state of Colorado, is the reward of visiting Walt Disney World during this time worth the potential risk to the health of myself and my loved ones, and can I truly enjoy myself or will my worry and anxiety get the best of me?
For all of us with Disney World travel plans scheduled in the near future, we are going to need to do some serious thinking to decide what is best for ourselves and our families during this unprecedented situation.
So for now I wait to see how the initial reopening plays out in Disney World, and how the pandemic progresses in our country and globally, before making my final decision about my remaining 2020 vacations. I will continue to keep you posted here and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. I would love to hear what you’re going to do, so please comment below or hit me up on social media!
WHAT’S NEXT?
In the meantime, while we wait for things to slowly reopen, I will continue to share the latest Walt Disney World news and information here. You can still expect to see posts filling you in on all of the fun things coming up at the most magical place on earth!
Please stay safe and well, and I will see you in the parks real soon!
Heading to Disney World?
If you are planning a vacation to Disney World, be sure to check out these valuable resources to help you save time and money:
- Check out my book UPDATED FOR 2020 501 Ways to Make the Most of Your Walt Disney World Vacation for secret insider tips and tricks that you won’t find anywhere else!
- View the latest Disney World discounts currently available!
Disney World Enthusiast 