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Disney Movies Disney News Other Pixar

Tom Hanks Presents Special Pandemic Diploma for 2020 Graduates

Tom Hanks Presents Special Pandemic Diploma for 2020 Graduates. First and foremost: Congratulations to ALL the 2020 Graduates! Wether you are graduating from College, High School, and even to the 8th Grade, Elementary, Kindergarten, or Preschool graduates, the entire team at Chip & Co. is very proud of your dedication to education. We know you may feel robbed on the symbolism of going through a tradition graduation, but YOU DID IT! And THAT is worthy of celebration, even if we have to do it at a safe distance.

It seems Disney Legend Tom Hanks (Toy Story), who himself beat COVID-19 this year, wants to help you celebrate this major accomplishment too. Hanks shared a tweet with a photo of a special Diploma he had created for 2020 Graduates that worked hard and managed to finish their education despite the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Tom shared, ” To all the Grads of 2020, you Chosen Ones! Print this up on sheepskin! Hanx”

Clearly he is not serious about the sheepskin part, but the intention is clear. 2020 Grads deserve to celebrate this major accomplishment and be commended on their efforts to pursue their degrees despite the craziness going on in the world.

To the Class of 2020, hang this Honorary Diploma up with pride and we would love, Love, LOVE, to see your photos and hear your stories about how you celebrated your well deserved graduation in the comments! Be sure to check back here at Chip and Co. for all things Disney and congratulations Class of 2020! You DID it!

Featured Photo Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Source: THR

From our friends at chipandco.com
Filed Under: News, 2020, 2020 grads, 20202 graduates, Coronavirus, COVID-19, grads, Graduates, Tom Hanks

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Disney News Disney Parks Other

Passholders are being emailed invites to the reopening of Universal Studios Florida

 Universal Studios Florida

Emails are being sent out to Annual Passholders inviting them to experience the awesomeness of Universal Studios Florida before they open to the general public on June 5th!

Here are the details…

Welcome Home Passholders

We’re reopening! And you’re invited to be among the very first to come enjoy the awesomeness before Universal Studios Florida, Universal’s Islands of Adventure and Universal’s Volcano Bay open to the general public on June 5th. Special Passholder experiences will be announced soon.

As we have previously shared, your Pass will automatically have the number of days we were closed added to the end of your term. We will be sending out communication with additional details about how your expiration date is impacted and when FlexPay monthly payments will resume, if applicable.

This carefully managed reopening comes with stringent new health, safety and hygiene procedures in place. So, as we enjoy our parks and hotels together again, everyone will need to follow CDC guidelines and the recommendations of health officials, and Universal Orlando’s policies.

Yes, there are more rules to follow now—but to play together, we also need to work together for the safety and health of all our guests and team members.

Note that any public location where people are present provides an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 and we cannot guarantee that you will not be exposed during your visit.

For more information click here.

From our friends at chipandco.com
Filed Under: News, Universal Studios Orlando, Universal, SeaWorld, Legoland and More, annual passholders, COVID-19, Universal Studios Florida, Universal Studios Reopening

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Disney News Disney Parks

It’s official Legoland Florida reopening on June 1st

Legoland Florida Reopening

LEGOLAND® Florida Resort will officially reopen on June 1st. As the health and safety of guests and employees at LEGOLAND® Florida Resort continues to be paramount, the Resort’s extensive plan of enhanced health and safety measures includes reduced capacity, cashless payments, social distancing practices and enhanced cleaning regimes. The Resort will initially open with adjusted operating hours.

Along with the park and waterpark’s reopening, the all-new LEGOLAND® Pirate Island Hotel will debut on June 1. Reservations are available for travel dates June 1 or later for both LEGOLAND® Pirate Island Hotel and LEGOLAND® Hotel.

Here is a look at what guests can expect with the reopening of LEGOLAND Florida Resort on June 1.

PEACE OF MIND POLICY FOR NEW LEGOLAND® FLORIDA BOOKINGS & ANNUAL PASS PURCHASES

We want you to have the most vacation ever — starting with your LEGOLAND Florida vacation planning experience with us.  With the Peace of Mind planning, we hope to make it a little easier for your family to assemble the pieces of your next vacation so we can build those fun, exciting and special memories together. For that reason, we have launched our “Peace of Mind Policy” with timing flexibility for booking vacation packages and for our existing Annual Passholders and ticket holders.

You can continue to book your LEGOLAND Florida vacation with the peace of mind that there is the option to change your hotel or vacation package reservation date up to five (5) days before your trip without incurring a fee.

For our new Annual Passholders, we want you to join our passholder family with the opportunity to redeem and launch your year with us during an extended period of time. You can now visit our theme park up to 100 days after your purchase to activate your new annual pass.

For our existing Annual Passholders, we will be extending the validity of your pass based on the duration of our closure period or, in the case of our Annual Passholders using monthly pay, reinstating your pass payments starting June 1 as we welcome you and your families back to experience our parks.

For Guests who had a dated ticket that was valid during our closure dates, we will be extending the validity window of your ticket through the end of 2020 so that you have the flexibility to visit us later in the year.

The Peace of Mind Policy applies to new LEGOLAND® Florida Vacation Packages & new LEGOLAND Florida Annual Pass purchases from March 9:

For a limited time, all reservations can be rescheduled up to 4 P.M. Eastern Time five (5) days prior to scheduled arrival date free of charge. Any changes to your reservation are subject to availability and new room rates may apply. If you made your booking within five (5) days of arrival, no cancellations, changes or refunds are allowed. In the event of no-show, all monies are forfeited. Tickets and Extras are non-refundable once issued, but may be used up to one year from the original reservation date. Restrictions may apply.

This policy applies only to reservations made directly through LEGOLAND® Vacations.  If your travel plans were arranged by a third-party, including travel agents, travel-booking websites, or other businesses independent of LEGOLAND® Parks and Resorts or LEGOLAND® Vacations, please contact those suppliers directly to understand their policies and any applicable fees for changing or cancelling a reservation.

The extension of the redemption window for all new LEGOLAND Florida Annual Pass purchases (current pass purchases must be activated/redeemed at the LEGOLAND Florida Front Gate within 60 days of purchase) to 100 days from date of purchase is available to guests who purchase a valid Annual Pass product between March 11 and July 31, 2020. Regular Annual Pass terms & conditions apply per pass type as outlined in the terms & conditions specific to each pass type.

The Peace of Mind Policy applies to existing LEGOLAND Florida Annual Passholders and LEGOLAND Florida tickets purchased for closure dates through the duration of closure:

All active Annual Passholders, who are not currently enrolled in Monthly Pay, will receive an extension of one month for every month that the Park is closed based on the valid dates for their existing pass. All active Monthly Pay Passholder’s monthly payments were suspended starting April 1, 2020 and will be reinstated as of June 1, 2020 based on the park’s announced reopening date. Regular Annual Pass terms & conditions apply per pass type as outlined in the terms & conditions specific to each pass type.

Any unused tickets that were valid for specific dates during the announced closure period (excludes FLEX tickets) of March 16 – through the duration of closure will be valid to use as regular admission on any valid day (based on the ticket type purchased) for the rest of 2020, upon reopening, with no additional fee. Regular terms & conditions for tickets, as outlined during purchase, still apply.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

GENERAL

Are the hotels open? / What is LEGOLAND Hotel doing to ensure guest health and safety during coronavirus concerns?

Along with the park and waterpark’s reopening, the all-new LEGOLAND® Pirate Island Hotel will debut on June 1. Reservations are available for travel dates June 1 or later for both LEGOLAND® Pirate Island Hotel and LEGOLAND® Hotel.

For more information about our enhanced health & safety measures specific to our on-site hotels, please click here.

ANNUAL PASSES

How will the closure of LEGOLAND Florida Resort impact Annual Passes?

All active Annual Passholders, who are not currently enrolled in Monthly Pay, will receive an extension of one month for every month that the Theme Park was closed based on the valid dates for their existing pass (up to three (3) months). Blackout dates by Annual Pass type still apply.

All active Monthly Pay Pass Members in good standing will have their April and May monthly payments suspended. The number of suspended months will be deducted from the number of required contracted monthly payments. For example, the suspended months of April and May reduce the required payments from 12 to 10. Although the contract allows them to continue month-to-month after the revised required 10 monthly payments. Monthly payments will be reinstated as of June 1, 2020 with the announced reopening of the park. Billings will continue until they cancel.

Standard terms and conditions for annual passes still apply.

Are the Awesomer and Awesomest Annual Passes valid at Madame Tussauds and SeaLife Orlando since they have reopened before LEGOLAND Florida Resort?

Yes, these passes will be valid for use at both attractions for the rest of May 2020 preceding the LEGOLAND Florida Resort reopening on June 1, 2020.

TICKETS

What should I do with my unused tickets if I was planning to visit during the closure?

Any unused tickets that were valid for specific dates during the announced closure period (excludes FLEX tickets) will be valid to use any day for the rest of 2020 with no additional fee. You did not need to request a date change; this will be automatically applied to all valid tickets.

I had Parking, Souvenir bottles, or Fastrack add-ons to my tickets, will those be extended?

All of the above will be automatically extended with your tickets for use on the day when you choose to visit LEGOLAND Florida Resort.

I had a Water Park Cabana, VIP Tour, ECV, Stroller or Wheelchair rental for my visit, will those be extended?

Yes, these items will be extended for your visit but will need to be rebooked by our team due to availability. When you’ve decided to visit again, just email llf.experience@legoland.com and we will be happy to rebook them free of charge.

RESORTS

Questions about your upcoming reservation?  

If you have made a reservation through LEGOLAND Vacations with an arrival date through May 31, 2020, you will receive an email from our Reservations Team at least 5 days prior to your scheduled arrival. This email will provide details and instructions on your booking options (it will arrive in your email inbox or folder from LEGOLAND@legoland.com).

Please be advised that we are currently experiencing heavy call volume and prioritizing guests with arrivals within the next 5 days. We ask that you use the contact options in the above email for the most expedited service from our team. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

What if I booked my vacation from another seller/website?

If guests’ travel plans were arranged by a third-party, including travel agents, travel-booking websites, or other businesses independent of LEGOLAND® Parks and Resorts or LEGOLAND® Vacations, they will need to contact those suppliers directly to understand their policies and any applicable fees for changing or cancelling a reservation.

When will the new Pirate Island Hotel open? / What should I do if I have a vacation already booked for Pirate Island Hotel based on the previous opening date?

New reservations are now available for travel dates June 1 or later for the all-new LEGOLAND® Pirate Island Hotel, as well as LEGOLAND® Hotel and LEGOLAND® Beach Retreat. For the most recent updates, visit: legoland.com/operations-update

From our friends at chipandco.com
Filed Under: News, Legoland, Universal, SeaWorld, Legoland and More, COVID-19, legoland Florida, Legoland Florida reopening, orlando

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Disney Business Disney Cruises

200 Disney Cruise Line Crew Members Test Positive for COVID-19

disney cruise line

Around 200 Disney Cruise Line Cast Members from the Disney Wonder recently tested positive for COVID-19, according to a half-dozen employees on the ship who wish to remain anonymous.

The Disney Wonder is currently docked in San Diego. It arrived there March 19th after sailing from New Orleans. Some passengers from that cruise developed COVID-19, and at least 3 died from the virus. Six weeks ago the captain of the Disney Wonder announced over the ship’s intercom that 38 crew members tested positive for the virus.

Last week the crew was re-tested and around 200 came back positive. Only crew members who tested negative were sent back to work. Yesterday, the captain informed the crew that only those crew members who are essential to the operation of the ship, and who tested negative, will be assigned work. Crew members are still required to social distance, wear masks outside of their cabins, and return to their cabins after work.

Only around 30 crew members have been repatriated from the Disney Wonder so far. There are many hundreds of Disney Cruise Line crew members who are uncertain when or how they will be repatriated.

Source

From our friends at chipandco.com
Filed Under: News, Disney Cruise Line, COVID-19, crew members, Disney Wonder

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Disney Parks

Disney is requiring guests and cast members to wear Face Masks while at Disney Springs

Disney is requiring all guests and cast members to wear Face Masks while visiting and working at Disney Springs.

In signs posted all over Disney Springs an at the entry points, Disney is requiring Facemasks for everyone.

There are even new Disney cast members in easily identifiable, brightly colored shirts that will be walking throughout Disney Springs to answer guest questions about new health and safety protocols.

Even on the Disney Springs website, Disney officially states the face mask are required for entering on Walt Disney World Resort property:

Face Coverings: All Guests ages 3 and older are required to wear face coverings when visiting Walt Disney World Resort.

All face coverings should:

  • Fully cover an individual’s nose and mouth and allow the Guest to remain hands-free
  • Fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face
  • Be secured with ties or ear loops
  • Be made of breathable material, either disposable or reusable

Costume masks are not considered appropriate and are prohibited from being worn, in alignment with our existing rules.

Guests are required to wear face coverings at all times, except while dining. The use of face coverings should not be seen as a substitute for physical distancing. Guests must provide their own disposable or reusable face covering.

Even the Walt Disney World President Josh D’Amaro is wearing one as seen in this photo with Chip and Co writer Julie!

To see live video from the reopening of Disney Springs just click here.

From our friends at chipandco.com
Filed Under: News, Disney Springs, Parks & Resorts, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Disney World, Disney World Safety, Face Masks