Author: dpep.disney.com

STATEMENT FROM JOSH D’AMARO, CHAIRMAN, DISNEY PARKS, EXPERIENCES AND PRODUCTS (DPEP)

In light of the prolonged impact of COVID-19 on our business, including limited capacity due to physical distancing requirements and the continued uncertainty regarding the duration of the pandemic – exacerbated in California by the State’s unwillingness to lift restrictions that would allow Disneyland to reopen – we have made the very difficult decision to begin the process of reducing our workforce at our Parks, Experiences and Products segment at all levels, having kept non-working Cast Members on furlough since April, while paying healthcare benefits. Approximately 28,000 domestic employees will be affected, of which about 67% are part-time. We are talking with impacted employees as well as to the unions on next steps for union-represented Cast Members.

Over the past several months, we’ve been forced to make a number of necessary adjustments to our business, and as difficult as this decision is today, we believe that the steps we are taking will enable us to emerge a more effective and efficient operation when we return to normal. Our Cast Members have always been key to our success, playing a valued and important role in delivering a world-class experience, and we look forward to providing opportunities where we can for them to return.

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Forward-Looking Statements

Certain portions of this communication may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding our workforce plans; the future effectiveness and efficiency of our operations; the future resumption of prior operations of our business; and other statements that are not historical in nature. These statements are made on the basis of management’s views and assumptions regarding future events as of the time the statements are made. Management does not undertake any obligation to update these statements. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied. Such differences may result from actions taken by the Company, including restructuring or strategic initiatives or other business decisions, as well as from developments beyond the Company’s control, including:

• changes in domestic and global economic conditions, competitive conditions and consumer preferences;
• adverse weather conditions or natural disasters;
• health concerns;
• international, regulatory, political, or military developments;
• technological developments; and
• labor markets and activities;

each such risk includes the current and future impacts of, and is amplified by, COVID-19 and related mitigation efforts. Additional factors are set forth in the Company’s Form 10-K for the year ended September 28, 2019, Forms 10-Q and subsequent reports.

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From our friends at dpep.disney.com
Filed Under: Uncategorized

Over the past several months we have enjoyed sharing some Aulani Resort magic with you at home. We shared peaceful scenes from the resort to help you find your Zen, an inside look at Aulani Resort, Cast Member performances of hula at homeand celebrated national Lū‘au Month. Through it all, we have looked forward to welcoming families back to our vacation paradise when the time was right, and today we’d like to share our plans with you.

Given Hawaii’s recent announcement of a pre-arrival testing program for those traveling from out-of-state, we are working toward a phased reopening of Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa beginning on Sunday, November 1. And just like our other Disney destinations that have re-opened, we are using a measured approach that focuses on the health and safety of our guests, cast and community.

Our gradual, phased approach to reopening considers the guidance of local and national government and health authorities, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as the U.S. Travel Association and Disney’s team of health and safety experts. This deliberate approach allows us to evaluate and adjust along the way, as circumstances and the recommendations of health authorities evolve.

Because each of us shares a responsibility for the health of our community, we will be making resources available to help make guests aware of our new policies, so they, too, can do their part.

We look forward to helping you make new memories with your family, friends and loved ones at Aulani Resort in the near future. Please continue to visit Aulani.com for updates.

View on the Disney Parks Blog.

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From our friends at dpep.disney.com
Filed Under: Aulani, Parks and Experiences, Walt Disney Imagineering

The most magical time of year begins Nov. 6 with new entertainment experiences, special dining options and more

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (Sept. 8, 2020) – A reimagined holiday celebration will begin Nov. 6, 2020, at Walt Disney World Resort, with the four theme parks, Disney Springs and Disney resort hotels decked for the season. Through Dec. 30, guests will discover seasonal food and drinks at The Most Magical Place on Earth, as well as special merchandise and enchanting new entertainment experiences.

When night falls at Magic Kingdom Park, projection effects will transform Cinderella Castle with a kaleidoscope of designs, including a whimsical Christmas sweater and a regal overlay of red, green and gold ornamentation. The iconic castle will provide the perfect colorful background for guests seeking a magical holiday portrait.

Highlights from the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays will begin Nov. 27. Holiday kitchens will return around the World Showcase promenade, offering favorite dishes such as Slow-roasted Turkey with Stuffing at the American Holiday Table.

Other highlights for the upcoming holiday season at Walt Disney World include:

• At Magic Kingdom, characters synonymous with the season – including gingerbread men and elves – will join Disney characters in cavalcades through the park. On Main Street, U.S.A., toy soldiers will march with the Main Street Philharmonic as they bring musical cheer for all to hear.
• Favorite Disney characters dressed in their holiday finest will appear in festive flotillas at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, holiday promenades at EPCOT and merry motorcades at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
• At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Minnie Mouse will host a yuletide dining experience at Hollywood & Vine, inviting some of her best pals – including Santa Goofy – to join the fun.
• Inside World ShowPlace at EPCOT, JOYFUL! will take guests on a musical journey of holiday music, while Voices of Liberty will use their eight-part harmonies to share songs of the season at the America Gardens Theatre.
• Elaborately decorated Christmas trees will spring up throughout Disney Springs, and a magical snowfall will occur within Town Center, West Side and The Landing. In addition, Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar will transform into Jock Lindsey’s Holiday Bar with delightful décor and a limited-time menu of festive favorites.
• Disney resort hotels will deck their halls for the holidays, including iconic Christmas trees in lobbies and other festive flourishes.
• Santa Claus will wave to guests as he makes pop-up appearances at each park, as well as Disney Springs. At Disney’s Animal Kingdom, for example, he will sail down Discovery River on a special flotilla.

More announcements about the 2020 holiday season will be made in the coming weeks. For more information on Walt Disney World Resort, visit WDWNews.com and DisneyParksBlog.com.

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View on wdwnews.com.

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From our friends at dpep.disney.com
Filed Under: Parks and Experiences, Walt Disney Imagineering, Walt Disney World Resort

For the first time, guests of all ages can wear Halloween costumes during regular park hours

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (Aug. 27, 2020) – Magic Kingdom Park is dressing for fall – and looking forward to everyone else joining in the fun! From Sept. 15 to Oct. 31, 2020, guests of all ages can for the first time wear their Halloween costumes during regular operating hours as the iconic theme park at Walt Disney World Resort celebrates the spooky season.*

Here are some other ways guests can experience fall and Halloween from Sept. 15 to Oct. 31 at Magic Kingdom:

• As they walk down Main Street, U.S.A., guests will see glowing pumpkin wreaths that inspire the Halloween spirit.
• A Halloween-themed cavalcade will travel down Main Street, U.S.A. featuring Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Pluto and pals dressed in Halloween costumes. Guests may also spot Chip ‘n’ Dale in costume in Frontierland, and other Disney characters dressed for Halloween riding the horse-drawn trolley along Main Street, U.S.A.
• Festive Halloween-themed merchandise will be available in select locations around the park. Featured items include a new spirit jersey, Loungefly backpack and candy-swirl Minnie Mouse headband, along with a selection of apparel inspired by Disney Villains and more.
• The park will celebrate the season with special food and drinks, including the famous pumpkin-spiced waffle sundae.
• Themed photo opportunities from Disney PhotoPass will be available at select locations throughout the park.

Each of the Walt Disney World theme parks will welcome fall with popular specialty treats, such as Halloween cupcakes at EPCOT and Disney’s Animal Kingdom, along with frozen apple cider at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. As temperatures cool in Central Florida, fall is a spectacular time to visit the parks:

• The Taste of EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival offers more than 20 global marketplaces featuring culinary delights to sip and savor.
• At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, guests can travel to a galaxy far, far away in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, enter the cartoon world of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, or play with their favorite toys in Toy Story Land.
• Guests visiting Disney’s Animal Kingdom can explore Pandora – The World of Avatar, venture to the “top of the world” aboard Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain, or have a wild adventure on Kilimanjaro Safaris.

More details about fall activities at Walt Disney World will be announced soon. For more information on The Most Magical Place on Earth, visit WDWNews.com and DisneyParksBlog.com.

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*All guests must wear an appropriate face covering while visiting the park. Guests younger than 14 years of age are permitted to wear a costume mask in addition to their approved face covering. For more information on approved face coverings at Walt Disney World Resort, visit Disneyworld.com/updates.

View on wdwnews.com.

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From our friends at dpep.disney.com
Filed Under: Parks and Experiences, Walt Disney Imagineering, Walt Disney World Resort

SHANGHAI (August 27, 2020) – This autumn, kiss the heat of the summer goodbye and welcome in a cooler season, which offers fewer crowds, unbelievable offerings, and an amazing assortment of celebrations that perfectly showcase why autumn is one of the best times of year to explore the magic of Shanghai Disney Resort! With a whole month of Duffy and Friends experiences, as well as hauntingly fun Halloween festivities, an autumn harvest market, Thanksgiving family feasts and more, there’s so much to see and do this season at Shanghai Disney Resort. Luckily for guests, autumn also ushers in a variety of incredible promotions and offers, including National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival staycation opportunities as well as special ticket bundles, giving guests more ways than ever before to celebrate outdoors at Shanghai Disney Resort with friends and family!

Highlight #1: Celebrate Duffy Month with the Arrival of ‘Olu Mel!
Throughout September, guests are invited to enjoy all things cute, cuddly, and heartwarming as “A Month with Duffy and Friends” comes to Shanghai Disney Resort – and what better way to kick off this special celebration than with the arrival of Duffy’s new friend, ‘Olu Mel! This kindhearted, ukulele-playing turtle from Hawaii will greet guests for the first time at Shanghai Disneyland at a special Mickey Avenue welcome ceremony on September 1, 2020.

From September 1 through September 30, 2020, the new Duffy and Friends Celebrate Together show will bring the group’s stories of friendship and adventure to life on Mickey Avenue, while a fun new social wall, featuring Duffy and his friends enjoying an autumn picnic, will also serve as an idyllic photo backdrop for guests. Duffy and Friends fans looking to create unique memories with their favorite plush will also be able to create their own Duffy stories by posing their Duffy and Friends merchandise in a variety of cute, miniature settings dotted around Mickey Avenue.

Those looking for a tasty Duffy and Friends-themed treat can look forward to an exclusive assortment of delicious food and beverage items across the park. The Royal Banquet Hall in the Enchanted Storybook Castle proudly presents a new Duffy-themed set menu featuring multi-course offerings and the chance to see Duffy and Friends in person! Guests are also invited to enjoy a relaxing Duffy and Friends afternoon tea at Mickey & Pals Market Café, as well as a variety of Duffy-themed confections, including coffee-flavored Duffy the Disney Bear ice cream, fudge cakes, and ice cream waffle cones that are available throughout the resort.

The resort’s two hotels will also serve as the perfect place to rest and relax during a multi-day Duffy-themed visit. In celebration of Duffy Month, the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel is introducing a special staycation package, inviting guests to experience special moments with Duffy and Friends. Available from today through September 24, 2020 via the Shanghai Disney Resort Official WeChat account and Shanghai Disney Resort Fliggy Flagship Store, this special package gives guests the chance to enjoy a memorable stay, complete with Duffy-themed room amenities and overlays, hotel breakfast, two tickets for admission to Shanghai Disneyland, and more!

Highlight #2: Dress Up and Discover Authentic Halloween Surprises Around Every Corner
Halloween is one of the biggest events in the Shanghai Disney Resort calendar, and from October 5 through November 1, 2020, the resort will transform into a spooky and mysterious expanse where guests of all ages can plunge into the fun of Halloween. As a highlight of the season, guests can dress up in their favorite costumes and enjoy trick-or-treating fun around Shanghai Disney Resort, immersing themselves in this happy holiday tradition. The guest-favorite Donald’s Halloween Treat Cavalcade will delight in the evenings, as Donald and Daisy Duck lead the way along the parade route in their Halloween costumes, joined by Mickey Mouse and the gang, Disney Villains, and spooky dancers. Guests can also get down with Jack Skellington and Sally from “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas” at the “This Is Halloween” Dance Party. Also this autumn guests can sing along with Miguel as the popular Coco-themed area returns to Adventure Isle from October 12 through November 8, 2020.

An exciting assortment of Halloween-themed merchandise and food and beverage offerings will also debut at a variety of locations throughout the resort to add to the hauntingly fun atmosphere. Whether guests are craving spook-tacular Halloween treats, or shopping for resort-exclusive Halloween merchandise, surprises are hiding around every corner during a visit to the resort this season.

For guests seeking immersive parties on Halloween weekend itself, Shanghai Disney Resort is a one of a kind destination, and following on from the enormous success of last year’s Halloween Day Spectacular, this year the party is extending to two whole days of fun. The Halloween Days of Spook-tacular on October 30 and 31 will feature numerous Disney characters, and DJs found across Shanghai Disneyland. Both days of the Spook-tacular will conclude with the Kiss Goodnight Firework Show, filled with thrilling music, spooky projections and fantastic fireworks!

Highlight #3: A Golden Season Full of Holidays and Family-friendly Activities
Autumn is the season of harvest, and this year, for the first time, guests will be able to experience the joy of the harvest at the Disneytown Harvest Festival Market. Featuring a new Foodie Feast, Farmers Market and Folk Art Fairy, this new Disneytown Market allows guests to explore a range of exclusive experiences every weekend and during holidays from September 12 through October 8. Of course no harvest would be complete without a hearty selection of family meals, which is why, this autumn, Shanghai Disney Resort is also offering mouth-watering Mid-Autumn Festival and Thanksgiving family feasts.

Autumn is also a perfect time for the entire family to go outdoors and spend time in nature with the natural beauty of changing colors all around. The nature adventure in Wishing Star Park, which made its debut this past summer, will return by popular demand in autumn. As part of their training, young adventurers will learn more about the natural world during three new engaging exploration trips. Children who participate in all three trips will even have the opportunity to see Mickey Mouse himself, and celebrate their achievements together!

To make the most of their autumn visit, from September 1 through September 24, 2020, guests can purchase a Happy Gathering – Bundle of Three Weekday Package on the Shanghai Disney Resort Official Website and App, which includes three standard One-Day park tickets for admission to Shanghai Disneyland on a pre-selected date from September 2 through September 25, 2020. Guests can also purchase the Enjoy Flavors – Bundle of Three Weekend Package through the Shanghai Disney Resort Official WeChat account to receive a snack combo voucher as well as a specialty beverage voucher, which can be used at various food and beverage locations within the park.

With so much seasonal excitement and more on the way, a Shanghai Disneyland Annual Pass is the perfect choice for guests wanting to enjoy multiple visits while saving big, with special discounts on dining, merchandise, hotel stays and in Disneytown. Guests looking to purchase an Annual Pass should note that due to high demand of the Silver Annual Pass, and in order to enhance the guest experience, the sale of the Shanghai Disneyland Silver Annual Pass is currently unavailable. However, renewal is still available for Annual Passes that are currently within their 60-day renewal window.

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From our friends at dpep.disney.com
Filed Under: Parks and Experiences, Shanghai Disney Resort, Walt Disney Imagineering