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Disney Annual Passholder Preview announced for Walt Disney World Theme Parks Reopening

Disney Annual Passholder Preview

Disney Annual Passholders were just sent an email about a special preview coming for Walt Disney World Theme Parks Reopening!

Let’s take a look:

Dear Valued Passholder,

In case you missed it, this week we shared some big news about Walt Disney World Resort, including plans to welcome Guests back to the Theme Parks as part of a phased reopening beginning July 11th.

We truly can’t wait to welcome our Passholders back! And we will do it with a great deal of thought. As we reopen, our phased approach will be a deliberate one with limits on attendance and density controls that align with expert guidance.

And so, to foster recommended physical distancing during this unprecedented time, we will soon be introducing a new Park reservation system and requiring all our Guests to make advance reservations for their Park visits.

We’ve put together some of the details of what this new system will mean to Passholders on our website. So please take the time to read this important update.

We truly value the role our Passholders play in making the Walt Disney World Resort experience so magical. And as our re-opening progresses, we are planning a special Passholder preview opportunity to access the magic.
Look for more information on reservations and this special Passholder preview to arrive soon.

And in the meantime, thank you for your patience during this time—and thank you for being one of our cherished Walt Disney World Annual Passholders.

Walt Disney World Resort

Please note:

  • During the limited capacity period, it may be difficult for Annual Passholders to get park reservations to visit on certain dates. To help manage capacity, total reservation days held at one time will be limited. More details will be shared in the coming weeks.
  • Some pass benefits and features will not be available during periods of limited capacity. Also, park experiences and offerings will be modified and subject to limited availability or even closure.
  • Annual passes are subject to blockout dates. Guests should ensure their pass type is valid for park entry prior to making a park reservation.

If you have any questions, please contact V.I.PASSHOLDER Support at (407) 939-7277. Options to manage your annual pass continue to be available during the closure period.

From our friends at chipandco.com
Filed Under: Parks & Resorts, Walt Disney World, AP, Disney Annual Pass, Disney Annual Passholder Preview, Disney World, Passholder Preview

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Disney News Disney Parks Other

Disney World Full Time Cast Members can return to work with option to temporary transfer

Cast Members

Earlier this week, the Walt Disney Company submitted their reopening plans to the Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force. We now know Disney plans to have its Orlando theme parks return to business operations in July. Due to the unique nature of the phased reopening, Walt Disney World is offering all full-time Cast Members the option to voluntarily transfer to a temporary role.

The news was released by TCU Lodge 1908, which is a labor union for Walt Disney World Cast Members. The ability to transfer is reserved only for full-time Cast Members. Given the phased plans, the ability to transfer will assist Cast Members in returning to work sooner since they’re opening up Walt Disney World Resort in stages. To start, Disney Springs partially opened up in late May to success with the new health and social distancing guidelines. Now full-time Cast Members can look into new shifts and roles at Walt Disney World in July. For those interested, the labor union provided the following information on their TCU Lodge 1908 social media page.

Walt Disney World plans to reopen in July with the first part of their phased plan. Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Animal Kingdom will open on July 11, 2020. Both Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios will open on July 15, 2020. Walt Disney World is currently not taking dining reservations or allowing Fastpass plans, so it will be a different experience for guests visiting this summer.

Photo Credit: Disney and TCU Lodge 1908

From our friends at chipandco.com
Filed Under: Parks & Resorts, Disney Springs, Walt Disney World, Cast Member, Cast Members, CM, Disney CM, Disney World

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Disney Parks Other

Complete Update on all of the Disney World Changes

Disney World Castle

Disney has released a lot of updates and information this week regarding the Walt Disney World Resort. It can be a bit overwhelming and confusing keeping it all straight, so we put it all in one place.

Disney submitted and received approval to begin the phased reopening of Walt Disney World Resort. Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Animal Kingdom will reopen on July 11th with Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios reopening on July 15th.

Park hours will be reduced and capacity limited. Extra Magic Hours are also suspended.

Some experiences, like parades and nighttime spectaculars, will return at a later date. In addition, “high touch” experiences such as makeovers, playgrounds, and character meet & greets will remain temporarily unavailable. Characters will still be in the parks to entertain and delight guests during their visit.

Park attendance will be managed by a new theme park reservation system. To enter a park, both valid admission and a park reservation will be required. Disney hasn’t released any more specific information regarding this new system.

As a result of the new limited capacity regulations, Disney has decided to cancel the following: dining reservations, FastPass+ reservations, offerings and experience bookings (like behind the scenes tours), and Disney Dining Plans. When dining reservations are able to be booked again, they will only be allowed 60 days in advance instead of 180.

As for Walt Disney World Resort hotels, DVC properties and Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground will reopen on June 22nd. DVC properties in Vero Beach, Florida, and Hilton Head South Carolina will reopen June 15th.

At this time, ticket sales and new resort hotel reservations have been temporarily paused while Disney focuses on guests with existing reservations.

Disney will be implementing extra health and safety protocols upon reopening. All guests ages 2 and up will be required to wear a face covering, temperature checks will be done when entering the parks, and physical distancing measures will be implemented throughout the parks.

We will continue to provide updates as Disney releases more information.

From our friends at chipandco.com
Filed Under: News, Parks & Resorts, Vacation Club, Walt Disney World, Disney Vero Beach Resort, Disney World, Disney World Reopening, Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort, DVC, Face Masks, Walt Disney World Resort

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Disney Parks Other

Disney to Limit Annual Passholders Access to the Parks

annual passholder

Disney announced on the Walt Disney World website some important updates for Annual Passholders specific to the parks reopening. This update advises that it may be difficult for Annual Passholders to get park reservations to visit on certain dates, and that total reservation days held at one time will be limited.

Here’s the full update from Disney:

“Our Annual Passholders are some of our most loyal and valued Guests. We truly can’t wait to welcome you back—and we will do it with great thought.

With that in mind, when the parks reopen, park capacity will be significantly limited—and may continue to be for a period of time, based on guidance from health experts to promote physical distancing.

We understand how much excitement, thought and time goes into planning your Disney visits and realize some new changes may be disappointing. For example, during this unprecedented time, an annual pass will not guarantee park entry and Annual Passholders will be required to make an advance reservation to enter a park.

Please note that:

  • During the limited capacity period, it may be difficult for Annual Passholders to get park reservations to visit on certain dates. To help manage capacity, total reservation days held at one time will be limited. More details will be shared in the coming weeks.
  • Some pass benefits and features will not be available during periods of limited capacity. Also, park experiences and offerings will be modified and subject to limited availability or even closure.
  • Annual passes are subject to blockout dates. Guests should ensure their pass type is valid for park entry prior to making a park reservation.

As we prepare for the reopening of the parks, we’re planning a special preview opportunity for Annual Passholders. We look forward to sharing details with you soon.

Please know we will be here to help you as we remain focused on delivering a wonderful experience for everyone who visits.

If you have any questions, please contact V.I.PASSHOLDER Support at (407) 939-7277. Options to manage your annual pass continue to be available during the closure period.”

From our friends at chipandco.com
Filed Under: News, Parks & Resorts, Walt Disney World, annual passholders, disney, Park Reopening

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Disney News Disney Parks Other

Disney World Cancels Disney Dining Plan and Suspends Character Dining

Disney Character Dining

Disney has just sent out an update for guests with a Disney Dining Plan and guests Booked on a Free Dining Package.

As you know, as part of our plans for a phased reopening of Walt Disney World Resort, we have made the difficult decision to cancel existing dining and experience bookings through the end of the year. For your awareness, Guests with these bookings are receiving notifications from Disney that their reservations will be impacted.

Today notifications are going via email to guests with promotional or paid dine plans.

Please see below for examples of the letters that are going out to guests:

Resort hotel Guests who purchased Dining Plan, have a Dine/Experience Reservation

Resort hotel Guests who purchased Dining Plan, have a Dine/Experience Reservation and tickets

As we plan for the reopening of our Disney Resort Hotels and Theme Parks, we are keeping the wellbeing of our Guests and Cast in mind. And we’re here to help you as we introduce new measures focused on delivering an enjoyable and magical experience for everyone who visits.

Unfortunately, these new measures have also required us to cancel any dining reservations, experience reservations and FastPass+ selections you may have made.

As a result of physical distancing, capacity in restaurants and availability of dining experiences is very limited and certain experiences such as Character dining cannot be provided.

Because of this, we have also made the difficult decision to cancel and temporarily no longer offer Disney dining plans.

We recognize the inconvenience this poses and we’re deeply sorry. We will be modifying your package to remove the dining plan. The price of the package will be adjusted accordingly and your modified package and price will be provided in a new confirmation. You will receive a refund of the difference in the package price if you have already paid in full or a reduction in the amount due if you have not yet made the final payment.

There’s nothing you need to do at this time. We will be contacting you shortly with more details about the process to secure new reservations, including our new dining and experience reservation window which will accommodate selections up to 60 days prior to arrival to allow for planning closer to your visit.

At this time, while systems update, we are temporarily suspending all modifications.  However, you have the option of canceling your entire reservation at any time.

We’re putting a great deal of thought into helping you return to the magic and appreciate your patience.

For more information, please visit disneyworld.com, call 407-W-DISNEY (934-7639), or contact your travel professional or Member Services.

Select third party operated restaurants and certain other experiences may not be canceled.

Resort hotel Guests who are booked on a Free Dining package

Resort hotel guests who are booked on a Free Dining package w/ ticket

As we plan for the reopening of our Disney Resort Hotels and Theme Parks, we are keeping the wellbeing of our Guests and Cast in mind. And we’re here to help you as we introduce new measures focused on delivering an enjoyable and magical experience for everyone who visits.

Unfortunately, these new measures have also required us to cancel any dining reservations, experience reservations and FastPass+ selections you may have made.

As a result of physical distancing, capacity in restaurants and availability of dining experiences is very limited and certain experiences such as Character dining cannot be provided.

Because of this, we have also made the difficult decision to cancel and temporarily no longer offer Disney dining plans.

We recognize the inconvenience this poses and we’re deeply sorry. We will be modifying your package to remove the dining plan. As an accommodation, the price of the package will be adjusted to reflect a 35% savings on the room portion.  This modified package and price will be provided in a new confirmation. You will receive a refund of the difference in the package price if you have already paid in full or a reduction in amount due if you have not yet made final payment.

There’s nothing you need to do at this time. We will be contacting you shortly with more details about the process to secure new reservations, including our new dining and experience reservation window which will accommodate selections up to 60 days prior to arrival to allow for planning closer to your visit.

At this time, while systems update, we are temporarily suspending all modifications.  However, you have the option of canceling your entire reservation at any time.

We’re putting a great deal of thought into helping you return to the magic and appreciate your patience.

For more information, please visit disneyworld.com, call 407-W-DISNEY (934-7639), or contact your travel professional or Member Services.

Select third party operated restaurants and certain other experiences may not be canceled.

From our friends at chipandco.com
Filed Under: Parks & Resorts, Characters, Walt Disney World, DDP, Disney Cancels, Disney Character Dining, Disney Dining Plan, Disney World