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Disney Parks Other

Cast Members Give Fans an Inside Look at Disney California Adventure Park, Magic Kingdom Park and Aulani Resort

Security cast member at Magic Kingdom Park

A few weeks back, members of our Disney Parks Security teams “took over” our Twitter accounts and shared an inside peek at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disneyland park while we’re temporarily closed.

Yesterday, cast members once again took the reins of our Twitter accounts, however this time, offered a glimpse inside Disney California Adventure park, Magic Kingdom Park and Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa in Hawaii. In case you missed it, check out their tweets and photos below!

Disney California Adventure Park (@Disneyland)

Magic Kingdom Park (@WaltDisneyWorld)

Aulani Resort (@DisneyAulani)

From our friends at disneyparks.disney.go.com
Filed Under: Aulani, Disney California Adventure Park, Disneyland Resort, Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World Resort, DLR, WDW

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Disney Business Disney News Disney Parks

Disney World Presents Reopening Plan TOMORROW

Now that Univeral Orlando has successfully had its plan approved to reopen its theme parks to the public on June 5th, Disney World is about to undergo the same process.

Cinderella Castle

Disney World will be presenting its plan to Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings at 10AM Eastern tomorrow morning. If accepted by the Mayor and his committee, it will be passed to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for final approval along with a possible reopening date for Disney World’s theme parks.

Mayor Demings said the highly-anticipated presentation will be happening tomorrow morning and that he’s already previewed Disney World’s plan this morning. “We’re looking forward to sharing good news about their plans,” Demings stated.

Disney World Monorail

Florida’s Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force will vote first on the plan before submitting it to the Governor’s office. SeaWorld is also expected to present its reopening plan tomorrow as well.

Magic Kingdom

In preparation for tomorrow’s big meeting, an Orange County Inspection team visited Disney World and SeaWorld today to determine if they were in compliance with recommended guidelines. We’ll continue to follow this story as it develops.

See what our experience at Disney Springs has been like since some of the shops and restaurants have recently started to reopen here!

When do you think Disney World will announce its reopening? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Animal Kingdom, Disney News, disney’s hollywood studios, Epcot, Featured, magic kingdom, Walt Disney World, florida governor, florida reopening, florida theme parks, jerry demings, Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force, orange county mayor, Orange County Task Force, reopening theme parks, ron desantis, seaworld, task force, temporary closure, theme parks

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Disney Parks Other

Did You Know About These 9 Disney Cast Member Traditions?!

Today, we’re taking you on a very special behind-the-scenes journey!

Cinderella Castle at Night

We’re going to find out what life at Disney World is like from a non-guest’s perspective. That’s right — we’re diving into the deep secret lives of Disney’s Cast Members!

Ever wonder why Disney refers to its employees as “Cast Members” and not associates or workers? It’s because Walt Disney believed his theme parks were a stage and the Cast Members are its performers!

It’s Mickey!

And just like some large theater companies, Disney Cast Members aren’t without their fair share of myths, superstitions, and urban legends! Let’s explore a few of these kooky Cast Member customs we’ve found out about over the years!

Good Morning, George

Pirates of the Caribbean wasn’t one of Disney World’s original attractions — it opened two years later in 1973. As the tale goes, a welder named George died under mysterious circumstances while working on the ride as it was being built. Ever since that day, Cast Members have to greet George to keep him from messing with the attraction!

Pirates of the Caribbean during Disney Villains After Hours

This might seem like a really strange story, but believe it or not, Cast Members swear it keeps the ride running smoothly! George also likes to be told good night otherwise things can get a little wonky!

Learn 14 strange facts about Disney World’s opening day attractions here!

Hail, Caesar!

Disney really likes to hide little Easter eggs in its rides and Tower of Terror at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is an especially target-rich environment!

Tower of Terror

Let’s take a look at a couple of the interesting traditions over in the Hollywood Tower Hotel.

The Devil’s in the Details!

You’ll notice the elevator inspection certificate is actually dated the night of the “incident” and the state I.D. number is 10.2.59 — the day the first episode of the Twilight Zone aired on TV!

Elevator Permit

There’s a ton of props and other visual references to the famous spooky show including the demonic ventriloquist dummy from the episode called, “Caesar and Me”. Look for it next time you’re exiting the elevators!

Caesar the Dummy

Just like our old pal George in Magic Kingdom’s Adventureland, Caesar is known to make mischief if the Cast Members aren’t nice to him! That’s why they regularly say hello to him so that the ride doesn’t break down! Many Cast Members take their bad juju feelings one step further, believing the Tower of Terror ride itself is actually haunted, but no proof exists to this day!

Bellhop Letters

You wouldn’t believe how steeped in tradition some Disney World attractions can be! For instance, Tower of Terror holds another sacred Cast Member tradition — bellhop letters!

Terror of Terror Decorations

Look for these mail slots next time your waiting in line! Those folded up pieces of paper at the bellhop’s services desk are actual notes written by former Cast Members. Trainers show the letters to new Cast Members that were left by the original Tower of Terror Cast Members. Then each group of Cast Members that pass through writes a new note to the next group, and so on and so on!

Check out how some Disney fans recently recreated their own Tower of Terror experience at home!

Some Other Places Where Cast Members Have Left Their Mark!

Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is another spot where you’ll see Cast Members leaving behind a piece of themselves! Cast Members often sign their names inside the attraction on the walls inside the garages across from the loading queue. 

Rock N Roller Coaster at Hollywood Studios

We’re told some Cast Members get to write on the dry-erase whiteboard to your left at the beginning of the ride Dinosaur at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, while Cast Members at Disneyland get to sign the walls inside Matterhorn which aren’t visible to guests. In fact, there’s also a basketball hoop for Cast Members to live out their hoop dreams inside the iconic mountain! You can learn more about this tradition on The Imagineering Story.

Memorize these 20 ride hacks before your next trip to Disney World!

Pet Names

As you can probably imagine, Haunted Mansion Cast Members are also quite superstitious and have many unusual customs of their own! Female Cast Members wear a Haunted Mansion maid costume, complete with a headband topped with a bat! But did you know every bat has a name?

Haunted Mansion Cast Member

It’s customary for every Cast Member to name their bat — and some have even created elaborate backstories for their beloved pet bats along with some interesting personalities to boot! Next time you ride Haunted Mansion, make sure you ask a Cast Member about their bat!

Check out some fun Haunted Mansion merch that is being released by Halloween here!

The First Step to Becoming a Disney Cast Member is Taking A Class Called Traditions!

No wonder Cast Members practice so many unique traditions — it’s a part of their job orientation! On each Cast Member’s first day, they’re given a crash course on the history of the Walt Disney Company.

Spaceship Earth

New Cast Members are also given a Mickey Ear Hat as part of the course, thus where the expression “earning my ears” comes from! Once the class is over, new employees receive their trademark oval name tag and even get their photo taken with Mickey Mouse!

Click here to check out the Disney World Cast Members we’re missing the most right now!

Welcoming the New Class

But that’s not all — Disney offers many cultural programs and college internships, many of which last for up to 6 months!

Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom

To get Cast Members familiar with the parks (as well as have to opportunity to make some new friends) each class is welcomed in with an epic Disney World scavenger hunt followed by fireworks and a special surprise party! What a warm welcome! Okay, we think we’re ready to sign up!

Getting Your “D” Pin

You might think earning your ears and getting your oval name tag is as good as it gets, but there’s another important step for Cast Members on the Guest Relations teamgetting their gold D pin which is worn on the OTHER side of their vest.

Cast Member Hosts at Storybook Dining

This means you’ve successfully passed your assessment and there’s even a special ceremony to celebrate your achievement!

Tour Guides Have a Rite of Passage, Too!

It gets even better if your a Disney World tour guide Cast Member. You’ve probably seen these guys around before — they’re the extra fancy-looking folks wearing plaid vests (thus earning their nickname: Plaids).

Magic Kingdom Sign

To be a fully graduated “Plaid”, ladies need to earn their riding crop and gents earn their swagger stick. 

Cast Members Only Sign

They use these to point out stuff to tour groups, but they won’t get one until AFTER they give their first successful tour!

Learn more about Disney World’s tours and extra experiences here!

We hope you’ve enjoyed learning about a few of the more-unusual traditions Cast Members share in Disney World! Next time you’re in Disney World and you meet a friendly Cast Member, be sure to ask them some of THEIR favorite Cast traditions. You might learn something new and surprising!

Do you know of any secret Cast Member traditions at the parks? Tell us which ones you’ve found out about in the comments below!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Animal Kingdom, Disney News, disney’s hollywood studios, Epcot, Featured, magic kingdom, Walt Disney World, bellhop letters, caesar, cast member, cast member traditions, d pin, demonic dummy, Dinosaur, Disney, Disney World, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, easter eggs, george, george the ghost, haunted, haunted mansion bat names, hidden secrets, magic kingdom tour guide, Matterhorn, oval name tag, pet bats, Pirates of the Caribbean, plaid, riding crop, Rock N Rollercoaster, superstitions, swagger stick, tour guide, tower of terror, traditions, urban legends

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Disney Parks

EVERY Disney World and Disneyland Castle TRANSFORMATION In HISTORY!

Now that Cinderella Castle in Disney World is receiving its “royal makeover” to get it ready for Disney World’s big 50th anniversary next year, we thought it would be fun to look back on all the different overlays each castle has received throughout the years!

Cinderella Castle

You wouldn’t believe how much (or how little!) they’ve changed over time! Let’s take a peek at some castle designs from years gone by!

Disney World’s Cinderella Castle

Cinderella Castle has been standing tall at Magic Kingdom since its opening day on October 1st, 1971. Standing 189 feet high, the iconic structure was fashioned to resemble a French palace with a muted gray and blue color scheme highlighted by gold accents.

Much of the inspiration for the castle was taken from real French palaces and, most notably, Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria.

©Disney Cinderella Castle on Opening Day

The base of the castle took its inspiration from medieval architecture, while the turrets and graceful spires on the upper level represented a more Gothic influence. Cinderella Castle remained remarkably unchanged for a long period of time before 1995 when the spires were painted a deeper shade of blue!

Old-Timey 90’s Cinderella Castle Pic!

But in 1996, a BIG change happened! Cinderella Castle was magically transformed into an enormous pink birthday cake for Disney World’s 25th Anniversary and the “Time to Remember the Magic” celebration!

© Disney

It took over 100,000 tablespoons (400+ gallons) of three different shades of pink paint, 50 gumballs, 30 lollipops, 4 stacks of Life Savers, 16 gummy bears, 12 gumdrops, 16 red candy hearts, 16 green candy stars, and 26 birthday candles, and over 1,000 feet of inflatable “icing” (plus sugar, spice, and everything nice!) to bake up this mega-sized dessert. In fact, so much work went into this overlay that it remained in place until 1998!

Who remembers the Castle Cake from Disney World’s 25th Anniversary!?

Then in 2004 when Stitch’s Great Escape debuted, the castle got one of its more…unique makeovers! That little rascal Stitch TP-ed the castle! He even graffitied it with “Stitch is King!” Wanted posters were even displayed in the windows of the shops on Main Street, U.S.A. trying to help capture “Experiment 626.” This definitely made for some memorable photos for the ONE DAY it was up! 

Stitch Resting After Vandalizing Cinderella Castle

Cinderella Castle was done up once again in 2005 as part of a worldwide celebration when Disneyland turned 50! Every Disney theme park across the world took part in the festivities.

As you can see in the photo below, Cinderella Castle was outfitted with a mega-sized magic mirror that displayed pictures of other castles! The spires were decorated with gold spirals and figurines of Disney characters. 

Cinderella Castle, Circa 2005

2007 was the first year Disney World began decorating the castle with icicle-inspired Christmas lights! Known as the Castle Dream Lights, these were originally lit up each evening during the holiday season with the help of Fairy Godmother, but in 2014 it got a Frozen update! It has since become a holiday tradition for Elsa to“freeze” the castle every night with A Frozen Holiday Wish!

Cinderella Castle “Frozen” Over by Elsa

In 2011, Cinderella Castle celebrated 40 Years of Walt Disney World Magic by unleashing some new cutting edge technology!

© Disney 40th Anniversary

2011 is the first year Disney World began projecting images onto the castle with the help of 3D scanning and projection mapping!

The Magic, The Memories, and You! was a nighttime spectacular which ran from 2011 to 2012 and displayed guests’ photos on the castle over the course of the show. Just over a week later on January 27th, 2011, Disneyland received its own version of the show, projecting it on it’s a small world instead of Sleeping Beauty Castle (due to the significantly smaller size of Disneyland’s castle!).

©Disney

A few variations of this castle projection show have been incorporated since then, including Celebrate the Magic, which ran from 2012-2016, and Once Upon a Time in late 2016.

In 2017, the Happily Ever After fireworks show incorporated the same projection technology on the castle throughout the show and remains the current nighttime spectacular at Magic Kingdom. It replaced longtime fan-favorite, Wishes: A Magical Gathering of Disney Dreams.

©Disney Happily Ever After

That brings us up to our present-day Cinderella Castle! In preparations for Disney World’s 50th anniversary, Cinderella Castle is transforming yet again! This time, she’s receiving a rosy pinkish hue with a sparkly gold overlay and more vibrant blue turrets! We can’t wait to see it once it’s finished!

Cinderella Castle Construction

Cinderella Castle Pink Paint Refurb

In fact, work started on Cinderella Castle prior to the parks closing and although work on the project had stopped, the paint job was going up very quickly and without covering up the gorgeous castle — much to our (and many readers!) RELIEF!

Click here to see what Cinderella Castle will look like after its transformation!

Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle

And now it’s time to step even further back in time and see how Sleeping Beauty Castle has changed over the years! The original Disneyland landmark was designed in part by Disney Legend and Imagineering Artist Herb Ryman as well as art director Roland Hill!

© Disney Construction of Sleeping Beauty Castle

Sleeping Beauty Castle has been at Disneyland since the park first opened in 1955. Inspired by Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria as well as some French palaces (just like Cinderella Castle!), guests could not actually walk through the castle’s interior until 1957.

© Disney Sleeping Beauty Castle

Interestingly enough, Sleeping Beauty Castle’s working drawbridge has only been lowered twice—once at the opening of the park in 1955 and again in 1983 at the rededication of Fantasyland! The original color scheme for Sleeping Beauty Castle was pale muted grays and blues with only a few traces of pink!

© The Atlantic Sleeping Beauty Castle on Opening Day

And it wasn’t until the classic Disney film Sleeping Beauty celebrated its 40th anniversary in 1995 when the castle started to look more pinkish! This paint job resulted in a softer, more fairytale-like appearance for the beloved castle!

Pre-2000s Sleeping Beauty Castle

The Disneyland 50th anniversary celebration, known as the “Happiest Homecoming on Earth” at Disneyland, was the first time the castle was ever decorated.

Sleeping Beauty Castle was decked out with “precious gemstones,” and trimmed with gold! Five of the castle’s turrets were decorated with crowns each representing a specific decade of Disneyland’s history. 

© Disney Disneyland’s 50th Celebration

Sleeping Beauty Castle also undergoes an annual Christmas transformation in the wintertime with twinkling lights and piles of billowy snow along its rooftops!

Disneyland

More recently, special Christmas effects include sparkly strobe lights intertwined within holiday garlands and glowing “icicles.” These lights create a dazzling impact!

Disney says it takes their team of over two dozen cast members six weeks to transform Sleeping Beauty Castle into a sweet holiday abode. In fact, over 126,000 twinkling LED lights make up the truly magical display.

Sleeping Beauty Castle at Christmas

For Disneyland’s 60th anniversary in 2015, Sleeping Beauty Castle was once again bejeweled, but this time, it was adorned with diamonds, royal blue banners, and bunting for its big Diamond celebration!

Sleeping Beauty Castle during the 60th Anniversary Celebration

The castle was studded with glistening crystal accents along its roof tiles all the way to the turrets. 

Decorations from Disneyland’s 60th Anniversary

In 2019, Sleeping Beauty Castle once again received a new paint job as part of Project Stardust — a Disneyland restoration and beautification effort. But unlike Cinderella, the castle was covered while the work was being done!

Sleeping Beauty Castle Construction

It was all worth it though when the newly redone Sleeping Beauty Castle made its big reveal when the castle finally emerged from behind the construction walls!

Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle

All of our patience was rewarded with a much more vibrant pinkish hued castle with bright blue turrets. Golden accents and “pixie dust” enhanced the entrance while colorful banners, pennants, and improved landscaping features were added.

Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland

Kim Irvine, an Art Director at Walt Disney Imagineering, stated an ages-old painting technique called “atmospheric perspective” was deployed to visually add height to the castle. This same technique is being utilized on the newer paint job for Cinderella Castle!

Sleeping Beauty Castle

Don’t worry — Sleeping Beauty Castle still only stands 77 feet tall, but the rooftops of the lower towers are a darker blue which gradually lightens towards the top making the castle appear taller than it actually is!

Sleeping Beauty Castle

Other additions have been added over the years such as squirrel drain spouts which are not only stylish but also help channel rainwater away from the building — now that’s form AND function!

Who knows what the next 50 years hold in store for Cinderella Castle and Sleeping Beauty Castle, but you better believe us when we say we’ll be at Disney World and Disneyland to FIND OUT!

Which Castle transformation is your favorite? Let us know in the comments.

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Disneyland, Featured, magic kingdom, News, Special Stuff, 25th-anniversary, 40th Anniversary, 50th anniversary, A Frozen Holiday Wish, BLT Chicharron Duro with Ranch Crema, christmas decorations, christmas lights, Cinderella Castle, Diamond Celebration, Disney renovations, Disney World, overlay, Project Stardust, repaint sleeping beauty castle, sleeping beauty castle, transformations

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Disney Parks Other

Answering The MOST IMPORTANT Questions We’re Getting From Readers About Disney World Right Now.

A lot is changing in and around Disney World right now as some stores and restaurants have recently reopened in Disney Springs and a plan is in the works for reopening Disney World’s hotels and theme parks.

Disney Springs

That’s why a lot of you have questions about what’s going on and how your future plans at Disney World may be impacted.

We wanted to take some time today to provide you with all the best resources we’ve been compiling over the last several weeks. We’re going to lay everything out on the table and clear up anything and everything we can so that you’ll have all the facts at your disposal.

Here are the answers to the most critical questions we’re receiving from you right now.

What safety measures has Disney implemented so far and are they mandatory?

With the recent reopening of Disney Springs, we now have a better understanding of what Disney World may require its Cast Members and guests to do before entering any of its theme parks (although they haven’t officially announced any new procedures yet for other parts of Disney World other than Disney Springs at this time).

©Disney

What we do know is this: Disney Springs isn’t allowing any exceptions to their new safety measures. That means if you don’t want to go through their health-check, have your temperature taken, and wear a face mask for your entire stay, you won’t be permitted inside Disney Springs at this time.

Click here for everything you need to know about temperature checks in Disney World

Are the temperature screenings accurate?

Professional healthcare workers provided by AdventHealth are conducting the temperature screenings at Disney Springs using touchless thermometers. The easy-to-use handheld devices use infrared light to read the energy your body produces, translating this data into a temperature reading within two-tenths of a degree of accuracy in some cases.

Advent Health Cast Member at Temperature Screening

To be allowed to enter Disney Springs, your temperature needs to be under 100.4 F. If your temperature is 100.4 F or greater, you’re allowed to wait off to the side in a tented “cool-off” area and have your temperature re-taken. If it’s still too high, you and your entire party won’t be allowed inside.

Temperature Screening

When discussing potential health screenings for guests entering Disney World, Disney Company Chairman Bob Iger had previously speculated Disney Parks may implement mandatory temperature checks to enter.

Read more about the technology behind touchless thermometers here!

When do I have to wear a face mask at Disney World?

At Disney Springs, guests over the age of three must wear face coverings at all times. The only time you’re permitted to remove them is when you’re seated at a restaurant or consuming a drink or a food item.

Other than those few occasions, your mask must be covering your nose and mouth for the duration of your visit.

The Polite Pig is Selling Face Masks

While Disney Springs is providing an extremely limited number of disposable face masks for guests who accidentally leave their mask at home, they can’t guarantee they’ll have one for you if you don’t bring your own. That means you could be turned away if you forget to have a face mask for each person in your family over the age of three.

Will you be turned away at Disney World? Click here to learn more.

Will Disney World be limiting its capacity?

Yes. It is expected Disney World will reopen with a limited capacity, as it now states on its website. Realistically, it could be some time before the parks operate at their full capacity.

Walt Disney World website screenshot

See how Disney World has limited its capacity in the past here!

Currently, Shanghai Disneyland is limiting capacity to below 30%.

Shanghai Disneyland

Guests must have an advance reservation (either a dated park ticket, or an actual reservation in the case of annual passholders) to enter.

Learn more about the new reservation system Shanghai Disneyland is using here!

Will I be turned away at Disney World if I have a park ticket and a hotel reservation?

While it’s unclear at this time how Disney World will begin to allow guests back in, a few viable options are possible.

It’s Mickey!

Whether it’s similar to Shanghai Disneyland’s reservation system or something closer to the tiered closures Disney World uses during the holiday season when the parks reach their capacity, we hope to be able to provide you with this information soon.

When is Disney World going to reopen?

That’s the million-dollar question, isn’t it? Now that Universal Orlando, Legoland Florida, and other Central Florida attractions have announced their official reopening plans and dates, Disney World is planning to propose theirs soon.

Monorail at Disney World

So far, we’ve seen many of the first signs we mentioned earlier that Disney World might be preparing to reopen. Florida’s local government has now permitted several small and major theme parks to reopen, Disney Cast Members are slowly being called to work, and Disney Springs has started its phased reopening.

Dole Whip

Click here to read what needs to happen before Disney World can reopen!

It’s unclear what Disney World’s official reopening will be like, but based on what we’ve experienced with Disney Springs so far, we expect Disney World to be very different from how we saw it last. 

Spaceship Earth

It also seems likely that Disney World in Florida COULD reopen sooner than Disneyland in California based on how their local governments are handling the situation. Nothing has been announced at press time.

Could Disney World open first to Florida-residents only? Here’s what we know.

Is my favorite ride or attraction going to be open?

On Disney World’s website, it states some attractions, experiences, services, and amenities may have limited availability or remain closed. That’s a pretty broad statement and we hope to be able to provide you with more clarity soon.

Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom

What we CAN tell you is that looking at Shanghai’s reopening, most of their rides are open to guests. They’ve also changed their character meet and greets — Only parades, stage shows, fireworks, and some play areas with frequent touchpoints have been closed down.

Check out what modifications Shanghai Disneyland has made to its guest experiences here!

What about coming soon attractions? Are they still going open on time?

It’s hard to say…these new projects did experience delays when construction was halted at Disney World. While some attractions were closer to being done than others, it’s unclear how their timelines have been affected.

Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure was scheduled to open this summer while Space 220 Restaurant already encountered numerous delays pre-closure of the parks.

Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure

And for Disney World’s 50th-anniversary celebration, big plans were in the works for Magic Kingdom including a revamping of Cinderella Castle as well as the new TRON: Lightcycle Run roller coaster in Tomorrowland.

TRON Coaster Construction

Epcot was also left in a precarious spot when the parks suddenly shut down. Plans to close Spaceship Earth had just been announced while much of Future World is currently in the midst of a massive overhaul as part of the big Epcot Transformation. Work also stopped on Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. All of these projects and more could be affected, but so far the extent of possible delays hasn’t been revealed.

What can we expect from Disney World in 2021?

Is it even worth it to go to Disney World this year?

That will depend largely on you and your level of comfort. Even if you’ve planned a trip to Disney World a million times before, planning a trip following the closures is going to be more unique with its own set of challenges and problems to work through.

Cinderella Castle at Night

First of all, it’s not going to be the same Disney World from your memories. It will be, but it won’t be. Choosing when you want to visit next is a very personal decision you’ll ultimately have to make based on your comfort level with this whole situation.

Magic Kingdom Sign

If you’re used to traveling to Disney World to attend certain events, festivals, or popular times of year like Christmastime, keep in mind a number of these special things we expected Disney to have announced by now, but Disney has remained quiet.

You might need extra-assurance from Disney before booking a trip if any of these offerings are super-important to you, otherwise, you might want to save your money for when you know they’ll be offered.

Click here to learn more about if it’s worth it to go to Disney World this year!

When is Disney World going to get back to normal?

There has been a lot of speculation floating around about how long it will take the Disney parks to reach their normal attendance levels. Some estimate it could happen as soon as next year while others think it could take even longer.

Haunted Mansion

While all of these analysts’ predictions are just speculation at this point, Disney will only re-open the park to the capacity recommended by the local government and public health officials.

Magic Kingdom

It’s unknown when mass gatherings will be permitted again, but at that time, with the guidance of local and state government, Disney World will most likely start to look and feel a lot more “normal.”

We asked our readers when they’d feel safe returning to Disney World. Here’s what they said.

Should I go to Disney World this year or wait until next year?

There are definite pros and cons to each, which you need to consider carefully before making your decision. If you return to Disney World this year, you’ll get a memorable experience for sure, but whether that’s the kind of memories you’d like on your trip is up to you.

Liberty Belle Riverboat at Magic Kingdom

Attractions will likely be altered, some experiences will likely be missing, and you’ll likely have to wear a mask. If none of that bothers you enough to consider waiting, go for it! If the idea of just being in Disney World again is enough for you, or you don’t have the flexibility to reschedule the same trip later next year, then visiting this year is certainly looking like an option!

Disney World’s Magic Kingdom

Keep in mind though if you have little ones you want to give a perfect Disney experience, this is a “once in a lifetime” trip for your family, or you’re uncomfortable with the new restrictions, then postposing til next year or beyond is a perfectly viable option as well.

Magic Kingdom

As we mentioned earlier, 2021 is the 50th anniversary of Disney World, so while there will be many new experiences to enjoy if you wait, it’s likely there will be more people too!

Click here to see if you should reschedule your trip for this year or 2021!

We hope we’ve helped you make a little more sense out of these last few weeks and what lies further down the road. Please keep sending us those questions and we’ll keep doing what we do to try and answer them as best we can!

Want to stay in the know about everything happening at Disney World? Sign up for our newsletter here!

Do you have a question about Disney World that we didn’t answer above? Let us know in the comments below and we’ll get back to you!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Animal Kingdom, Disney Springs, disney’s hollywood studios, Epcot, Featured, magic kingdom, Walt Disney World, construction delays, Disney World, Do I have to have my temperature taken, do I have to wear a face mask?, face masks, frequently asked questions, guardians of the galaxy: cosmic rewind, is it even worth it to go to Disney world this year, limited capacity, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, reservations, safety measures, safety protocols, shanghai disneyland, should I go to disney world this year, should I wait to go to Disney world next year?, Space 220 Restaurant, temperature screenings, Tron lightcycle Run, what’s the deal with face masks, when will disney world be normal again, when will Disney World reopen, will my favorite ride be open?