All the Disney News You Missed While You Were Zoom Calling Your Mom on Mother’s Day!

There are LOTS of interesting and exciting developments across the Walt Disney Company! We are starting to see the gradual reopening process begin around the globe, and the news just doesn’t stop these days!

©WaltDisneyImagineering on Instagram — Shanghai Disneyland reopening

So, let’s get caught up on all things Disney Parks and entertainment!

Shanghai Disneyland Officially Reopens!

Shanghai Disneyland was officially the first park to reopen since the parks worldwide closed their gates earlier this year. Various health and safety procedures were implemented to encourage physical distancing between guests while they are in the park.

Shanghai Disneyland

Currently, tickets for Shanghai Disneyland must be booked in advance. Full-day tickets for its first day of operations, May 11, sold out ahead of time.

Check out these pics of Shanghai Disneyland’s reopening day here!

Disney Springs Prepares to Reopen May 20

Since we learned that Disney Springs will partially reopen for guests beginning on May 20, a number of restaurants have been confirmed. As of this writing, The Boathouse, Wine Bar George, STK Orlando, Erin McKenna’s Bakery, Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill, Planet Hollywood, and more are set to reopen on the 20th.

Welcome to Wine Bar George!

See our most up-to-date list on which restaurants will be open on May 20

We have also learned that World of Disney will reopen on May 27. Other Disney owned and operated locations will also open May 27, including Market Place Co-Op.

World of Disney in Disney Springs

See which Disney Springs retail shops will be open on May 20

The exact guidelines that Disney Springs will be following were announced, including mandatory face masks, temperature checks, and physical distancing protocols.

©Disney

We will be reporting live from Disney Springs on May 20 to let you know how locations are operating with their new health and safety procedures.

Universal Orlando CityWalk Reopens

CityWalk, the shopping and dining district at Universal Orlando Resort, reopened with limited operations on Thursday, May 14. We reported live with a first look at the protocols put into place by Universal. Many of these measurements are similar to what Disney Springs will implement on May 20.

©Universal

In this initial reopening phase, guests and employees will be required to wear face masks as well as undergo temperature screenings before entering the premises. Those with temperatures of 100.4 degrees and above will not be allowed to enter.

Universal CityWalk on its reopening day

We did notice many of the new health and safety protocols when we visited CityWalk. From the frequent sanitization to the reduced capacity at the various dining locations, Universal took a very active role in ensuring the opening of CityWalk was smooth and most importantly safe!

Essential Construction Resumes at Disneyland

Skeleton crews have returned to Disneyland to work on Avengers Campus and Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway. The essential work being done by these crews includes weather-wrapping Avenger’s Campus and receiving steel deliveries for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway.

Disneyland Main Entrance

Currently, Avenger’s Campus will open “soon.” Disney originally announced the land would open on July 18, 2020, but the wording on their website has changed to “Coming Soon,” indicating a possible delay. Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is slated to debut in Toontown in 2022.

CEO Bob Chapek Speaks Publicly on the Future of Disney Parks

Following last week’s quarterly earnings call, Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Chapek spoke on CNBC regarding the future of the Company, and specifically the parks. He spoke on the reopening of Shanghai Disneyland and the present demand from consumers to return to the theme parks.

When asked about reopening more parks, Chapek stated that “We certainly want to open up as soon as we can across the world but we’re going to do so in a responsible way.”

Disneyland and Disney World No Longer Accepting Reservations Until July 1

Until recently, both resorts were accepting future bookings after June 1. It was announced recently that this was being pushed back, and now Disneyland and Disney World are no longer accepting reservations in the month of June, they now begin July 1st.

Disney’s Riviera Resort

Thomas Mazloum, Disney World senior vice president, stated at a recent Reopening Business workgroup meeting, “Just because there are reservations open in July, does not mean that we will open in July.” He also emphasized that reopening Shanghai is a “baby step” in the gradual reopening of the parks worldwide.

Tokyo Disney Resort Announces Another Closure Extension

Previously, Tokyo Disney Resort had planned on giving an update on the park’s closure status mid-May, which would have included a better idea on when they were planning to reopen.

Since then, however, Japan’s state of emergency has been extended through the end of May. Disney is now saying that the Tokyo Disney Resort is closed until further notice.

New Content Coming to Disney+

There’s a slew of new and exciting content coming to Disney+! Just in these past few days, we have heard of some MAJOR titles coming to the streaming service. Most notably, the live performance recording of the hit Broadway musical Hamilton will launch exclusively on Disney+ on July 3. This is 15 months ahead of its previously planned debut in movie theaters.

Surprise! The original Broadway production of Hamilton, filmed LIVE onstage at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, is now coming exclusively to #DisneyPlus this July 3rd. Shout it to the rooftops! #Hamilfilm pic.twitter.com/4FK4lZhcO6

— Disney+ (@disneyplus) May 12, 2020

We also learned that the live recording of Taylor Swift’s recent one-night concert in Paris will arrive to Disney+ on May 18. This will follow its premiere on ABC on May 17. Streaming of the concert will also be available on Hulu.

Excited to announce the City of Lover Concert! We filmed my show in Paris in September and thought it’d be fun to share it with you May 17 at 10p ET on @abcnetwork and available the next day on @hulu and @disneyplus! #TaylorSwiftCityOfLover pic.twitter.com/7B3ky0rO5B

— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) May 8, 2020

The Muppets are coming to Disney+! This summer, a short film series called Muppets Now will arrive on the streaming platform.

©Disney

A press release from Disney states, “Fans of The Muppets can also see more of Kermit, Miss Piggy, and friends in the upcoming Disney+ series, Muppets Now, premiering this summer.”

‘Wonderful World of Disney’ Returning to ABC

Finally, if you’re looking for new ways to fill your evenings, ABC has announced the return of the “Wonderful World of Disney.” This is in an attempt for ABC to fill out their primetime schedule, and we are super excited to see this programming return!

©Disney

This will be the first time ABC is having a full lineup of ‘movie nights’ since their 2007-2008 season. The series will air on Wednesdays beginning on May 20 and will continue for four weeks. The series will include Moana, Thor: The Dark World, Up, and Big Hero 6.