Author: touringplans.com

Categories
Disney News Disney Parks

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party Will Continue for 2020

Many, many changes are occurring right now with the Walt Disney World Resort. From the cancellation of Disney Dining Plans, Advance Dining Reservations, and FastPass+ to the news that there will, in fact be a reservation system in place for entering the park, to the news that currently you cannot purchase tickets to enter the parks, things have been coming in fast and furious. And with that, I have another piece of news, but this time, it’s a little more positive.

According to theme park reporter extraordinaire, Carlye Wisel, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party will be a go this year. Tickets that have already been purchased will remain valid and will not be cancelled.

CONFIRMED: Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party tickets will *remain valid* and not be canceled.

Other bookable in-park experiences are subject to cancellation. pic.twitter.com/rRfIiRtyBD

—  carlye wisel (@carlyewisel) May 29, 2020

Now, with this news, that leaves many many other questions. We know there likely won’t be a parade, or fireworks, or a stage show, due to information put forth from Disney about normal park operations. (These things will be suspended during the regular park day.) But what will the parties entail? Unfortunately, at this point, we just don’t have an official answer. All we do know is that Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party will continue this year.

Stay tuned to the blog for more information regarding the parties and what Guests will be able to expect if they have tickets for the event.

The post Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party Will Continue for 2020 appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: News, Walt Disney World (FL)

Categories
Disney News Disney Parks Other

Universal Orlando Reopening Resorts on June 2, 2020

Photograph copyright Universal Orlando.

Universal Orlando Resort closed March 16, 2020, due to the spread of the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Universal initially expected to reopen in mid-April but now expects to remain “closed through at least May 31, 2020.”

Today, Universal Orlando announced the phased reopening of the resorts on June 2, 2020. The following resorts are reopening:

  • Hard Rock Hotel
  • Loews Royal Pacific Resort
  • Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort
  • Loews Sapphire Falls Resort
  • Universal’s Aventura Hotel
  • Universal’s Endless Summer Resort – Surfside

The following resorts will remain closed until a future date.

  • Loews Portofino Bay Resort
  • Universal’s Endless Summer Resort – Dockside

Self-parking is complimentary, and valet parking is not available. Guests are subject to additional security and health precautions such as temperature checks, mandatory face coverings, and social distancing in public areas. While the parks reopen for guests on June 5, guests staying at a resort will have access to the parks on June 3 and June 4.

CityWalk Cinemark movie theater and Blue Man Group Orlando show remain closed until further notice. Follow TouringPlans Blog and TouringPlans on Twitter for the latest reopening information for the Universal Orlando Resort and Walt Disney World Resort.

The post Universal Orlando Reopening Resorts on June 2, 2020 appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Universal Orlando Resort, coronavirus, Resorts

Categories
Disney Movies Other

Virtual Movie Night for May 29, 2020: The Three Caballeros

It’s time again for another Virtual Movie Night. Tonight’s selection is The Three Caballeros.

If you’re not familiar with this movie, it’s a combination live action and animation movie containing several animated shorts, with appearances by Donald Duck, José Carioca, and Panchito Pistoles (the titular characters). This movie is a lot of fun, and one that will have you humming the music long after the relatively short film ends.

The movie is available on Disney+ or can be rented through the following:

Join the fun on Lines chat here. The movie starts at 8 p.m. Eastern.

The post Virtual Movie Night for May 29, 2020: The Three Caballeros appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Just For Fun, liner movie night, virtual movie night

Categories
Disney Parks

43+ Questions We Still Have About Disney World’s Reopening

Disney recently unveiled the broad outlines of its Walt Disney World resort reopening plan. Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom will reopen on July 11 and Hollywood Studios and Epcot will reopen on July 15. Additionally, some of the Disney Vacation Club hotels will be available to members and guests as early as June 22. An overview on the Disney Parks Blog filled in a few more details, like a temporary suspension of parades and evening spectaculars and a reservation system for park entry.

Welcome to the new normal. We have questions.

While this is vastly more information than we had a few days ago, there are still many questions about how the opening will roll out and what the new Disney normal will look like. Here are some that we have (in no particular order):

  1. Will there be social distancing measures implemented on the attractions? Will they look like some of our predictions?
  2. If everyone is mobile ordering quick-service food, how will they streamline the pick up procedures?
  3. How will mask use be enforced?
  4. Will there be rules for trying on or returning theme park merchandise?
  5. Since many of the international cast members returned home, how will the Epcot World Showcase pavilions be staffed?
  6. Will Disney’s buffet service restaurants be reconfigured to another form of service? If so, how long will this last?
  7. If character greetings are temporarily suspended (as mentioned in the Parks Blog), how will character meals be impacted? Will the pricing change for those venues?
  8. Will evening activities be added to the resorts?
  9. Will some resorts be temporarily closed or repurposed (stationing the NBA at Coronado Springs is one rumor), and if so, how will guests with reservations there be relocated?
  10. Will all of Disney’s internal transportation methods operate? If so, how will that work?
  11. Will MagicBand capabilities be altered in any way? For example, will non-resort guests be allowed to link a credit card for charging purposes?
  12. Will table service restaurant ordering be altered? Will disposable or online menus be used?
  13. Will there be limits to the number of guests allowed into park shops?
  14. Will guests be allowed to walk and eat without wearing masks? How will this impact things like popcorn and Mickey bar sales?
  15. Will the park trash cans be altered? Will guests be able to dispose of refuse without touching a trash can flap?
  16. How will characters be integrated into the parks if there are initially no meet and greets?
  17. How will photography work? Will guests be allowed to take off masks for photo ops?
  18. Will dining hours be altered?
  19. How will park reservations work?
  20. Will park hopping be allowed?
  21. Will paper maps and Times Guides be eliminated? What about other ephemera like stickers for kids or the welcome leis at the Polynesian?
  22. Given the reduction in entertainment, will ticket prices be changed in any way?
  23. Will resort pool seating be reconfigured in any way?
  24. Will resort lobby seating be reconfigured in any way?
  25. How will resort room cleaning practices change? Will they eliminate things like pens and the end of bed half-blankets?
  26. Will the new park rules be added to the resort room TV feed? Will Stacey explain them?
  27. When will things like the Biddidi Bobbidi Boutique and the Fancy Nancy makeover resume?
  28. Will backstage tours be suspended for a time?
  29. Will the August start date for the Epcot Food & Wine Festival be altered?
  30. Will the dates for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party be altered? Will the costume rules for MNSSHP change?
  31. Will the Epcot Kidcot Fun Stops be operational?
  32. How prevalent will the COVID-related signage be in the parks?
  33. Will the park entry security measures be altered? Will security cast members still touch guests’ bags, or will automated screening be implemented?
  34. How will temperature checks work? What happens if guests do not pass the temperature check? Will ticket refunds be allowed for medical reasons?
  35. Will there be any changes to Magical Express procedures? Will guests need temperature checks to board the Magical Express buses?
  36. Given the scrapping of the current FastPass system, will guests who previously had FastPasses be allowed priority access to the rides?
  37. Will fill-your-own candy stations in resort shops be eliminated?
  38. Will the resort refillable mug program be changed? Will guests be allowed to fill their own beverage cups?
  39. Will resort recreation rentals be altered?
  40. How will the pattern for interactive attractions change when everyone is wearing masks? Will there be new jokes for the Jungle Cruise, Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, or Turtle Talk with Crush?
  41. If some queues move outdoors, how will guests be sheltered from the sun? Will there be umbrellas in the walkways?
  42. Other than masks for sale, will there be any other merchandise that addresses the virus situation? Jokey tees? Plush toys wearing masks?
  43. How will guests be instructed to social distance in resort bars and lounges?

These are just a few of the near infinite number of questions we have about the new Walt Disney World. What did we miss? What are you thinking about? Let us know in the comments.

The post 43+ Questions We Still Have About Disney World’s Reopening appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Walt Disney World (FL), coronavirus

Categories
Disney Parks

Disney World Touring Plans Without FastPass

We’re about to test Mickey’s theory in ways that he probably didn’t anticipate.

We now have a better idea what touring a Walt Disney World theme park might look like after the COVID-19 lockdown. Here are our first thoughts.

First, an acknowledgement. We aren’t saying that you should feel comfortable going to a theme park when they open and we aren’t saying you shouldn’t feel comfortable either. The fact is, people will be in the parks when they re-open and we want to provide the best touring advice we can for those that go.

Admission to the parks will be like a special event. Think Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party or Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party but during the day. So, that means:

  1. No FastPass+
  2. Limited admission
  3. A subset of available attractions

That’s right, no FastPasses. For the first time since 1999, all Walt Disney World attractions will be standby only. This opens up the physical space in the queues which allows easier control of the spaces between guests in line. It isn’t clear whether or not some standby queues will use virtual queues. Limited admission is not a surprise, but the way to buy tickets is still a mystery. Some attractions may be closed or may operate with less than normal capacity.

Here’s the good news:

Our TouringPlans software is ready to handle these new park conditions. In fact, without FastPass+ the process of optimizing a touring plan becomes simpler. We know what wait times to expect based on our knowledge of the attractions, our database of wait times collected during normal hours, and wait times collected during party events with limited admission.

The touring plans have always had dedicated “day of” wait-time models, whose only job is to look at what’s happening a park right now, and make predictions for the rest of the day.  Those models update every 5 minutes while the parks are open, so you’ll be able to react quickly to whatever changes happen.  We’re already updating our long-term wait time forecasts to account for limited admission and changes to ride capacity.

Here’s the less-good news:

You’ll need a reservation to get into the parks. Pent-up demand for returning to the parks and a limited supply of reservations might make visits hard to come by. We don’t know much about the system that will be in place to get a park-entry reservation.  If you’re able to get them, touring the parks with an optimized plan will be a breeze.

Stay tuned for more details as they arrive and watch for a crowd calendar update in the near future.

The post Disney World Touring Plans Without FastPass appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Crowd Blog, Walt Disney World (FL), coronavirus, walt disney world