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Official Plans Unveiled for the Phased Reopening of Disney World Resort Theme Parks, Resort Hotels and Disney Stores

Disney has just shared Official Plans Unveiled for the Phased Reopening of Walt Disney World Resort Theme Parks, Resort Hotels and Disney Stores.

Throughout these past few months, we’ve been touched by the outpouring of support from our Guests and fans around the world who’ve shared their favorite Disney memories and even replicated their favorite attractions at home. Everyone who has ever visited a Disney theme park has their own special connection to these magical worlds and the amazing Cast Members who bring that magic to life.

Following the recent reopening of Shanghai Disney Resort and Disney Springs at Walt Disney World® Resort, we’re pleased to share that more Disney magic is coming back. Today, we submitted a proposal to the Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force in Florida describing our approach for a phased reopening of Walt Disney World Resort theme parks planned to begin on July 11.

Pending Orange County and state approval, our Walt Disney World Resort proposal plans for Magic Kingdom Park and Disney’s Animal Kingdom to begin a phased reopening to the general public on July 11, followed by EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios on July 15. In preparing to reopen during this unusual time, we have to manage our theme parks in a very different way from what we’ve known before. As we begin to reach out to our Cast Members and call them back to work, they will be focused on operating our parks in a responsible way that continues to give our Guests opportunities to create magical Disney memories.

This phased reopening will demonstrate a deliberate approach, with limits on attendance and controlled Guest density that aligns with guidance on physical distancing. That means certain experiences we know draw large group gatherings – such as parades and nighttime spectaculars – will return at a later date. In addition, “high-touch” experiences such as makeover opportunities, playgrounds and character meet and greets will remain temporarily unavailable, but characters will still be in our parks to entertain and delight our Guests.

Because theme park capacity will be significantly limited as we welcome Guests back to the magic, we will manage attendance through a new theme park reservation system that will require all Guests to obtain a reservation for park entry in advance. At this time, we are temporarily pausing new ticket sales and Disney Resort hotel reservations so we can focus on Guests with existing tickets and reservations. (Disney Vacation Club members can still make new reservations.) Existing ticket holders and Annual Passholders will be able to make reservation requests in phases before new tickets are sold; we’ll be reaching out to these Guests soon to provide additional details. We will resume new ticket sales and hotel reservations after that period of time. Theme park reservations will be limited due to attendance limitations and will be subject to availability. More details about this new reservation system will be available soon.

Additionally, Disney Vacation Club resorts at Walt Disney World will reopen to members and Guests and Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground will begin to reopen on June 22. Disney Vacation Club resorts in Vero Beach, Florida, and Hilton Head, South Carolina, will also open to members and Guests starting on June 15. Plans to support required physical distancing as well as enhanced cleaning measures, along with a number of other safety and cleanliness protocols, will be implemented as part of this planned phased reopening.

Today, our World of Disney retail shop reopened at our Disney Springs shopping and dining complex at Walt Disney World. And in the coming weeks, Disney Stores will begin a phased reopening of operations globally, beginning with a select number of stores in the United States, in addition to stores in Europe and Japan.

We’re looking forward to reopening our theme parks, Disney Resort hotels and stores and doing so in a responsible way. In this spirit, our destinations will continue to follow enhanced safety protocols based upon applicable guidance from health authorities and government agencies. As we all must work together to promote the health and safety of everyone, Cast Members as well as Guests 3 years of age and older will be required to wear appropriate face coverings in theme parks and common areas of resort hotels. All Guests will also undergo temperature screenings prior to entering a theme park; Cast Members will also have temperature checks. Cashless transactions are recommended, and cleaning and disinfection procedures will be increased in high-traffic areas.

Additional information on enhanced health and safety measures and operational changes for reopening locations will be shared soon. These policies are under continuous review and are subject to change as we monitor conditions and receive guidance from health and government authorities.

We’re being deliberate during these phased reopenings, and we’re encouraged by how our Guests are responding at Shanghai Disney Resort and Disney Springs. We’re doing our part, and we need our Guests to do their part, too, as we work together to focus on safety.

From our friends at chipandco.com
Filed Under: News, Parks & Resorts, Resorts, Shop, shopDisney, Walt Disney World, disney resort hotels, disney stores, Disney theme parks, Disney World, Phased Reopening of Disney World

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The Full GUIDE to Decoding Disney World’s Social Distancing Stickers

Disney Springs has finally re-opened to guests so they can enjoy dining and shopping locations all around the property.

Disney Springs

While we’ve taken you with us LIVE to check out the reopening, given you the deets on new health and safety procedures, and our overall experience, it can be a little bit confusing to navigate Disney Springs right now.

Since stores, restaurants, and the property in general have put up distancing signs and stickers, it’s a lot to take in (especially since it’s so new!). We totally understand that things can be a bit tricky to figure out when every place has their own way of promoting distance! There’s no set method for how signs or stickers should look quite yet, so it’s not as simple as hopping from one restaurant to the next and expecting the same stickers.

Disney Springs

Even though we know it can be a bit overwhelming to see all the new procedures, we’re here to help you navigate Disney Springs like a pro by giving you a guide to the new distancing measures!

Please Stand With Your Party Here

Many locations across Disney Springs have been using stickers on the ground to indicate where guests should and shouldn’t stand while they are waiting to enter an area. We’ve spotted a lot of different restaurants and stores using these pretty standard red and white indicators that ask guests to stand with their party on the stickers.

Pizza Ponte

But, a couple places like The Polite Pig

Polite Pig

…and Basin have their own special stickers. But the concept is the same.

Basin Reopening

Group your part together, stand on a marker, and wait for the sticker in front of you to clear before you move forward.

Please Stand With Your Party Behind This Line

However, a couple of locations around Disney Springs are using social distancing indicators that ask guests to stand behind the safety line instead of on it! These are typically placed at the start of a line and ask you to stand behind the line before the next register or temperature check station are cleared for you to approach — or to remind you to leave distance between you and the Cast Member assisting you.

Distancing marker

Some of the places we’ve noticed this at include Wolfgang Puck Bar and Grill, 4 Rivers Cantina Barbacoa Food Truck, Sunshine Churros, and Häagen Dazs.

Sunshine Churros Marker

Just be sure to keep an eye out for the difference between the “please stand here” and “please stand behind this line” stickers as they look very similar!

Behind the Line? How Far Behind the Line?

Since Disney Springs is making sure to keep guests and Cast Members safe, it’s important to remember to distance yourself 6 feet apart from another person! And when a sticker says “stand behind this line,” guests could use a little direction about how far back they can actually stand while keeping distance from the party behind them. So Disney is also using markers to clarify where NOT to stand while you’re in Disney Springs.

World of Disney

When you first enter Disney Springs, the temperature check areas will have some of these signs to distance the guests waiting from the guests going through the temperature checks at the time. You’ll make your way through the line hopping from one “please stand here” sticker to the next, but right before you have your temperature checked, you’ll leave your “please stand here” sticker and walk forward until you reach a “stay behind this line” marker. You will pass over a “do not stand here” marker on the ground that reminds the guests behind you not to approach the temperature check until yours is complete.

New Protocols to Enter Disney Springs

Don’t be nervous, the “do not stand here” signs aren’t hot lava — you can walk over them. But please be respectful to other guests and make sure you’re not camping out on them or breathing down someone’s neck in line. ?

There are other forms of “do not stand here” stickers like at the Amphicars at The Boathouse. You are free to observe, but make sure your party stays outside of the “do not stand” zone to give other groups enough space.

The Boathouse Amphicar Do Not Stand Markers

Restaurants like Blaze Fast Fire’d Pizza have their own methods to show where visitors shouldn’t stand. We’d like to note that, during our visit, we perceived some of the “X” patterns on the ground as social distancing indicators. However, there might need to be some clarification to guests about what the safety protocol means and how to enforce it. We imagine the extra tape on the ground is to encourage guests to leave space between themselves and the sneeze guard for some extra protection.

Blaze Pizza

But in a case like Blaze Pizza, if the stickers don’t give explicit instructions, you may be better off asking a Cast Member for direction or defaulting to a little game of Frogger.

Specialty Directions

Since there is no set standard for how stickers should look, a few spots around Disney Springs have specialty indicators specific to their stores. At Joffrey’s Coffee and Tea, there are coffee beans on the ground for each party to stand on. One party is allowed to stand on each of the 6 bean spots in the coffee shop and must stay there until the bean in front of them has cleared. Note that guests can’t stay inside Joffrey’s to drink their coffee, though!

Joffrey’s Coffee Bean Distancing Markers

Blaze Pizza also used similar stickers, but with little flames to go along with their “Fast Fire’d Pizza!” Guests were asked to do the same as Joffrey’s by standing on a flame until the one in front of them cleared.

Blaze Pizza Line

We also noticed specialty stickers at Chicken Guy!

Chicken Guy!

…and Earl of Sandwich. So when in doubt, hop on a sticker like these.

Earl of Sandwich

While Erin McKenna’s Bakery NYC may not have cute little cookie stickers (suggestion, maybe??), the store is practicing a different form of distancing by only allowing one party into the bakery at a time. Guests are asked to stand behind the red tape and inside the square boxes while they wait for their order.

Erin McKenna’s Tape on the Ground

Physical Distancing Reminders

Since many guests are excited to be back in Disney Springs, it can be easy to forget to distance yourself when you’re walking through an open area. Stores and restaurants throughout the property have reminders on the ground to stay 6 feet apart whether you are waiting in line or not.

Pizza Ponte

Distancing Stickers

Ron Jon Surf Shop

The restrooms across Disney Springs also have signs out front that ask guests to keep the minimum distance between themselves and others.

Restroom Sign

Social Distancing may not be the firs thing on your mind as you’re roaming the open air pathways around Disney Springs. That’s why the dining and shopping district has put some arrows on its bridges to show the flow of traffic. Instead of risking bumping into opposing traffic, each side of the bridge has a marked direction to walk as you’re crossing.

Disney Springs Bridge

In short, treat it like you’re driving (in the U.S., that is), stick to the right side of the road!

Table Distancing

As a part of the social distancing measures in restaurants, seating and capacity have been limited. While the Cast Members have been trained to know where guests can go, there are also reminders on the tables about which spots are currently unavailable — in case you’re at a seat-yourself location (like Blaze Fast Fire’d Pizza).

Blaze Pizza

Table Stickers Wolfgang Puck

Note that seating at some to-go dining locations, such as The Basket at Wine Bar George, has been removed and reclaimed for dine-in guests of Wine Bar George restaurant only.

The Boathouse is even using black and white tablecloths to show which tables are open! Guests are seated at the white covered tables, while the black tables are off limits for the time being.

The Boathouse Reopening Interior

In summary, we know you are very capable of following basic directions…but once you actually get to Disney Springs, it can be a new experience and might take some getting used to. Know that everyone around you is also getting used to it at the same time, so it’s okay if you need to ask a Cast Member for extra guidance (there are plenty of them scattered all throughout Disney Springs). Most spots are using some sort of “please stand here” marker, whether it be little feet, dots, or rectangles. But be sure to steer clear of the big “do not stand here” rectangles and give the Cast Members a little extra space once you get to the front of the line. Remember to “be safe” and “be kind,” friends! Also, be sure to let us know if you still have questions about the reopening of Disney Springs or about the new distancing stickers!

Have you been to Disney Springs since its re-opening? Let us know your experience in the comments below!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Counter-Service, disney dining tips, Disney News, disney parks, Disney Springs, Featured, Table-Service, Walt Disney World, 4 rivers cantina barbacoa food trick, Basin, Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza, disney dining, disney news, disney restaurants, disney springs, disney springs reopening, disney stores, Disney World, Erin McKenna’s Bakery NYC, Haagen Dazs, joffrey’s coffee, social distancing, social distancing signs, social distancing stickers, Sunshine Churros, temperature checks, The Boathouse, The Polite Pig, Wolfgang Puck Bar and Grill