Things are starting to reopen across Florida in the USA, and this includes Walt Disney World. At time of writing, Disney Springs has already opened back up, allowing shoppers to get their Disney merchandise and visit third party stores.
When will the Walt Disney World Parks reopen?
Walt Disney World theme parks will open beginning July 11 for Magic Kingdom Park and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park followed by EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios on July 15.
What restrictions will be in place?
This is the important part, and one that is obviously a difficult part to plan, enforce, and much more. As visitors, these are some pretty strict restrictions, but ones aimed to protect both visitors and cast members in the parks.
The parks will reopen with some important updates to promote physical distancing, including:
- Park Reservations: Initially, park attendance will be managed through a new park reservation system. To enter a park, both a park reservation and valid admission for the same park on the same date is required.
- New Ticket Sales: At this time, new ticket sales are temporarily paused. Existing ticket holders and Annual Passholders will be able to make reservation requests in phases before new tickets are sold. Additional details will be shared with these Guests soon. New ticket sales will resume after that period of time.
- New Disney Resort Hotel Reservations: At this time, new reservations at Disney Resort hotels are temporarily paused so we can focus on Guests with existing reservations (Disney Vacation Club Members can still make new reservations). Reservations will resume after that period of time.
Upon reopening, theme parks, Disney Resort hotels, restaurants, attractions, experiences and other offerings may be modified and will be limited in capacity and subject to limited availability or closure, based on direction from health experts and government officials to promote physical distancing.
Will face masks be required?
Yes. Face coverings are required for all Guests (ages 2 and up) and Cast Members; temperature screenings are required in some locations.
What about the Fireworks, Parades, will any rides be closed?
Experiences such as shows, parades and fireworks, will be on hold for the foreseeable future. This is to ensure social distancing is maintained, as these are strong ‘pinch points’ for humans in close contact. Therefore, for safety, these will not be happening for the near future. All rides will be open, though promoting social distancing (so every second carriage, etc).
Will it still cost the full price?
Yes. There has been no indication from Disney that the price of a ticket to access the theme parks will be reduced. This means paying full price for your entrance ticket, despite a loss of amenities and experiences.
What about Disneyland in Anaheim California? When will Disneyland reopen?
At this stage, it is unclear; each state in the USA has their own decisions to make on what to reopen, when to reopen, and how to reopen. There is no confirmed date at this stage for reopening in Anaheim.
Disney From Ireland 