Dateline: Walt Disney World, May 29, 2020
After a short siesta (and personally, who wants to write about closures and unpleasantness), we are back on the scene with WDW news. This week, we will be covering the debate on masks, hour waits for Disney merch, and all the details on the parks’ reopening. Without further ado, let’s dive into this week’s news.
The Return of eBay Hoarders: Last week, Disney Springs opened up their third party stores and shops. On Wednesday, World of Disney welcomed its first guests since March. If you thought you might grab some limited Minnie merch, you were out of luck. People started lining up by 6 AM, and the opening lines were at 3 hours long. As you can guess, many of the special merch was wiped out and on eBay in a matter of minutes.
Planning Ahead: On Wednesday, Disney released its reopening plans to the Orange County Task Force for approval. Some of the big changes are limited hours and activities. Masks will also be required by all guests and Cast Members. You can read all the details here.
Walt Disney World updated their park hours for those opening days:
- Magic Kingdom – 9 AM – 7 PM
- EPCOT – 11 AM – 9 PM
- Hollywood Studios – 10 AM – 8 PM
- Animal Kingdom – 8 AM – 6 PM
No Masks, No Service: With the new plans, many guests are unhappy with the required mask rules. Disney is planning on “Social Distance Squad” to help everyone keep those safety requirements.
On Patrol: As an added bonus, a few Stormtroopers were seen above the stores in Disney Springs. These interactive love characters are keeping everyone entertained and informed about some of the changes in the area.
Say “Bye” to FP+ and Dining: Disney announced late Thursday that all FastPasses, special experiences, and dining reservations have been canceled. Yes, everything is canceled! For those with existing reservations will be able to use a special reservation with bookings at 60 days rather than 180 days. Extra Magic Hours have also been temporarily suspended as well.
Disney is slowing taking their time to get ready to welcome guests. The need for all things Disney is certainly strong as with any opening there are a ton of crowds. We’ll be back next week to check out the happenings in the world of the Mouse.
