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Disney Parks Disney Vacations

Four Seasons and Disney Springs Resort Area Hotel Guests Will Have Access to the Park Reservation System on June 22nd!

While we’ve been busy becoming masters of Disney World’s new reservation system (check out our tutorial here!), we’ve also been trying to figure out who will have access to park reservations when it goes live on June 22nd.

Four Seasons and Disney Springs Resort Area Hotel Guests Will Have Access to the Park Reservation System on June 22nd!

A Sight For Sore Eyes!

So far, we’ve been able to confirm guests staying at Disney’s Swan and Dolphin Resort (which is owned by Marriott) will have the same access as guests staying at Disney-owned hotels.

And now theme park reporter Carly Weisel has also found out guests who will be staying at one of the seven Disney Springs Resort Area Hotels (which are privately-owned) will ALSO have the same access to park reservations as Disney World guests!

Four Seasons and Disney Springs Resort Area Hotel Guests Will Have Access to the Park Reservation System on June 22nd!

Disney Springs

That  following properties are eligible:

If you have booked a room at one of these resorts AND you have valid theme park admission, you’ll be able to make your Disney World park reservation starting on June 22nd. Thanks to Carly Weisel, we also know guests staying at Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World will qualify as well.

Four Seasons and Disney Springs Resort Area Hotel Guests Will Have Access to the Park Reservation System on June 22nd!

Magic Kingdom

Keep in mind, many of these properties shut down around the same time as Disney World resorts and some have remained closed. Here are the Disney Springs Resort Area Hotels that are still closed and have yet to release their official reopening dates at this time:

Make sure you check with your resort regarding your upcoming stay and if you have any questions, shoot them out to us in the comments below! We’re doing out best to keep up with all of these details regarding Disney World’s phased reopening, which are coming at us left and RIGHT! Stay tuned for more developments so you can start planning your next Disney World vacay!

Have you ever stayed at a Disney Springs Resort Area Hotel? Let us know if you’d recommend it to others in the comments below!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Disney News, Disney Springs, Featured, Four Seasons Orlando, Walt Disney World, B Resort & Spa, best western, disney springs, disney springs resort area hotels, Disney World, disney world guests, DoubleTree Suites, four seasons, Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World, Hilton Buena Vista Palace, Hilton Lake Buena Vista, Holiday Inn, new reservation system, phased reopening, priority access, reopening, same access, Wyndham Garden

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Disney Parks

NEWS: Disney World Releases Updated Options for Annual Passholders Ahead of Reopening

The reopening of the Disney World theme parks is an unprecedented situation. Disney is walking a fine line in making sure their guests are happy with the protocols.

NEWS: Disney World Releases Updated Options for Annual Passholders Ahead of Reopening

2020 Annual Passholder Magnet

One heavily affected group is Disney World Annual Passholders. The closure of the parks and modified reopening are definitely not what Passholders had in mind when they purchased their passes. Now, Disney is giving Passholders options for how they want to handle their passes with the reopening.

We already know that Disney is extending affected annual passes by the number of days the parks were closed. The issue now is that many Passholders may have concerns with navigating the Disney Park Pass reservation system and being limited to one park each day with a 3-day reservable limit. In response, Disney is giving Passholders the option to FURTHER extend their pass or to cancel their pass.

NEWS: Disney World Releases Updated Options for Annual Passholders Ahead of Reopening

MMRR Annual Passholder MagicBand

For Annual Passholders that have paid in full, your options are:

  • Receive a one-month extension to your pass. The additional month will be automatically processed and visible in your My Disney Experience account in October 2020.
  • Or, choose to cancel your annual pass and receive a partial refund.

NEWS: Disney World Releases Updated Options for Annual Passholders Ahead of Reopening

Passholder Reopening Screenshot

For Annual Passholders on the monthly payment plan, your options are:

  • Receive a one-month extension to your pass. The additional month will be automatically processed and visible in your My Disney Experience account in October 2020. Monthly payments will resume on July 11th.
  • Or, choose to cancel your annual pass and waive your monthly payments due after August 11th. Any payments made between July 11th and August 11th will be retroactively refunded and all future payments will be stopped.

NEWS: Disney World Releases Updated Options for Annual Passholders Ahead of Reopening

Passholder Reopening Screenshot

Disney will be sending out information to Passholders in early July with details on how to choose an option. If you’re an affected Passholder with questions, reach out to us! We’ll do everything we can to source the answers to your questions in this confusing time. For all the latest Annual Passholder updates, keep an eye on DFB!

Will you be canceling your Annual Pass or taking the extension? Tell us in the comments!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Disney News, disney parks, Featured, Walt Disney World, annual pass, Annual pass extension, annual pass refund, Annual Passholder, annual passholder extension, Annual Passholder refund, Disney World reopening

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Disney Parks

Here’s How Disney’s PhotoPass Service Will CHANGE When Disney World Reopens

Disney World is moving towards a reopening, and there are going to be a lot of new protocols in place.

Here’s How Disney’s PhotoPass Service Will CHANGE When Disney World Reopens

PhotoPass Photographers in Hollywood Studios

Disney is making a lot of experience updates to the theme parks in the interest of keeping guests and Cast Members healthy and safe. With the new Disney Park Pass theme park reservation system and cancellations abound, it can be hard to keep up. Well, now, Disney has updated the way that the PhotoPass service will function in the reopened parks.

Disney posted a new update to its website that talks about the ways that the PhotoPass Service will change. The goal of the changes is to promote physical distancing, cleanliness, and reduced contact so that PhotoPass interactions are safe and enjoyable for guests and photographers.

Here’s How Disney’s PhotoPass Service Will CHANGE When Disney World Reopens

Photopass Updates Screenshot

For one, PhotoPass photographers will no longer be able to take pictures or handle guests’ personal devices (i.e. cell phones and cameras). So, if you want that picture with Cinderella Castle, you’ll either need to purchase Disney’s PhotoPass picture or have someone from your party take the photo separately.

Here’s How Disney’s PhotoPass Service Will CHANGE When Disney World Reopens

Disney Springs

For PhotoPass photo ops that have props, they will be cleaned thoroughly between guests. For some props, guests will be asked not to touch them. Instead, the PhotoPass photographer will help to snap the perfect picture through the best angles and perspective.

Here’s How Disney’s PhotoPass Service Will CHANGE When Disney World Reopens

PhotoPass outside of Tower of Terror in Hollywood Studios

Finally, the website asks that guests have their MagicBands or cards ready for the photographer to quickly scan and link your photos to your account. The goal is to keep as much distance as possible between Cast Members and guests.

Stay tuned with DFB for all the latest updates on Disney World’s reopening procedures!

What do you think of the new ways that Photopass will be handled? Tell us in the comments!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Disney News, disney parks, Featured, Walt Disney World, Disney PhotoPass Service, Disney World reopening, health and safety measures, Memory Maker, PhotoPass, Photopass Photographer, Photopass Service

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Disney Parks

NEWS: Here’s the Full List of Tours That Will Not Be Available When Walt Disney World Reopens

Walt Disney World Resort will begin reopening to guests at select Resort hotels on June 22nd followed by the theme parks beginning on July 11th.

NEWS: Here’s the Full List of Tours That Will Not Be Available When Walt Disney World Reopens

Cinderella Castle

While we have known for some time that — upon initial reopening — experiences around the Resort will see modifications (and, in some cases, will be unavailable), we are getting a full picture of what that means for specific offerings and special events. For instance, it was just announced that Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party has been canceled for this fall. (The Epcot Food and Wine Festival, however, will return SOON!).

Offerings that will also be unavailable upon initial reopening include things like unique dining experiences (which you can see listed here), and enhancements such as backstage tours. At press time, these include — but are not limited to — the Disney Private VIP Tours and nature experiences including the Wild Africa Trek at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

NEWS: Here’s the Full List of Tours That Will Not Be Available When Walt Disney World Reopens

Animal Kingdom Tours sign

We’ll take a look at the lists of unavailable experiences — as found on the Walt Disney World website — for each of these kind of offerings below.

Walt Disney World Tours

The following Walt Disney World Tours will be unavailable upon the initial reopening:

  • Backstage Magic
  • Behind the Seeds
  • Disney Private VIP Tours
  • Disney’s Family Magic Tour
  • Disney’s Keys to the Kingdom Tour
  • Disney’s The Magic Behind Our Steam Trains Tour
  • Taste of Magic Kingdom Park VIP Tour
  • The UnDISCOVERed Future World
  • Ultimate Day of Thrills VIP Tour
  • Ultimate Disney Classics VIP Tour
  • Ultimate Nights of Adventure VIP Tour
  • Up Close with Rhinos
  • Walt Disney: Marceline to Magic Kingdom Tour
  • World Showcase: DestiNations Discovered
  • Wild Africa Trek
  • Wild Africa Trek (Morning)

Wild Africa Trek is also mentioned under the next group of impacted offerings, featuring nature experiences.

Walt Disney World Nature Tours

The following Walt Disney World Nature Tours will also be unavailable upon the initial reopening:

  • A Path Less Traveled Tour
  • Behind the Seeds
  • Caring for Giants
  • Dine with an Animal Specialist
  • Epcot Seas Adventures – Aqua Tour
  • Epcot Seas Adventures – DiveQuest
  • Epcot Seas Adventures – Dolphins in Depth
  • Savor the Savanna: Evening Safari Experience
  • Sense of Africa at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
  • Starlight Safari at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
  • Up Close with Rhinos
  • Wanyama Safari
  • Wild Africa Trek
  • Wild Africa Trek (Morning)

As a reminder, Disney has already stated that guests who have previously booked experiences that are impacted will receive refunds.

Also note that Disney states that details may change, so we’ll be keeping you posted as more information is provided! To learn more about what the Walt Disney World Resort experience will look like upon reopening, you can visit the links below.

What are your thoughts of the modified offerings at Walt Disney World upon reopening? Please let us know with a comment.

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Animal Kingdom, disney parks, disney’s hollywood studios, Epcot, Featured, magic kingdom, Walt Disney World, Backstage Tours, Disney Tours, disney world tours, Hollywood Studios, VIP Tours, Walt Disney World cancellations, Walt Disney World refunds, walt disney world reopening

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Disney Lists Disney Parks

7 Problems You WON’T Have When Disney World Reopens

Here at DFB, we take pride in our Disney World trouble-shooting capabilities! We love decoding the theme parks and breaking down all of the key pieces of advice we need to equip y’all with so that you can have the best time EVER on your vacations!

7 Problems You WON’T Have When Disney World Reopens

Hollywood Studios

Recently it dawned on us while we’ve been dishing out Disney World advice to our family and friends that some of the theme parks’ biggest challenges might no longer be applicable when the parks reopen!

7 Problems You WON’T Have When Disney World Reopens

We Feel Ya, Mickey Mouse

Yes, we’re bummed that certain guest experiences are being modified or will be temporarily unavailable for a large portion of 2020, but try to look on the bright side — with less stuff happening, we might be in for a MUCH easier time at the parks when Disney World officially reopens July 11th and July 15th!

Here are some major problems you likely WON’T have to solve in Disney World this year!

Finding a Parking Space

How much do you dislike parking at Magic Kingdom? No? Just us?

7 Problems You WON’T Have When Disney World Reopens

Magic Kingdom

Since the parks will be opening with a limited capacity, we’re thinking this could mean waaay fewer cars! Of course, more folks might be driving instead of flying to Disney World this year so we can’t guarantee you won’t still lose your car (as we have on occasion!). But the idea of an easy-breezy time finding our car at the Transportation and Ticket Center sounds like a dream!

Getting a Seat on the Bus

Sometimes finding a spot to sit down on the bus is next to impossible! We can count on one hand how many times we’ve actually been able to sit down and relax on a bus heading home from the parks at the end of the night! Normally we’re elbow to elbow, standing room only, and counting down the seconds ’til we get to our resort!

7 Problems You WON’T Have When Disney World Reopens

Minnie Bus

But thanks to fewer passengers being loaded onto Disney World’s buses when the parks reopen, and required limited capacity and physical distancing, finding a seat might not be such a rare treat! Now that’s a big change our tired feet and aching bodies could really get used to!

A Shared Log

It’s likely that when rides begin operating at Disney World again strangers won’t be seated together on some attractions that place guests in close quarters, like Splash Mountain.

Logs are normally filled to capacity, but we have a feeling Disney World will be taking a lot of extra precautions by spacing out peeps as much as possible! This has some potential to be a one-log-per-family scenario!

7 Problems You WON’T Have When Disney World Reopens

Splash Mountain

And that’s just one example — think about riding Pirates of the Caribbean, it’s a small world, or even Spaceship Earth with smaller groups or JUST your fam (btw, Spaceship Earth WILL be reopening since its reno got postponed!). A lot fewer friends in our ride vehicles sounds downright magical to us — not to sound antisocial or anything!

7 Problems You WON’T Have When Disney World Reopens

Omnimovers in Action on Spaceship Earth

This also means PERFECT on-ride pics of JUST your family! No more wondering why grandma’s face is blocked by some guy in front of her in the pic from Frozen Ever After! Finally, a PhotoPass in-ride family portrait worthy of a frame!

Waiting in Long Standby Lines

And while we’re still awaiting more details about the new virtual queue system Disney World will be implementing, Disney CEO Bob Chapek has already stated rides will have significantly shorter wait times due to the parks operating with a limited number of guests!

7 Problems You WON’T Have When Disney World Reopens

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Fewer people? Less waiting? This is starting to sound like a pretty sweet deal if you ask us!

Not Bringing Enough Hand Sanitizer With You

Didn’t we hear somewhere that all the water rides and pools are having their H20 replaced with Purell?  Boy wouldn’t that be nice, but we kid, WE KID!

7 Problems You WON’T Have When Disney World Reopens

Travel-Size Hand Sanitizer

Ok, hand sanitizer madness hasn’t gotten THAT bad, but here’s the thing — Disney World will provide plenty of free hand sanitizer as well as additional places for guests to wash their hands when the parks reopen. Don’t freak out if you can’t find the stuff at your local grocery stores. Rest assured hand sanitizer will be in high supply!

Having to Stake Out Your Spot for the Parade or Fireworks

Even though we’re sad about Disney World’s parades and fireworks being canceled for now, at least we won’t have to lose an hour (or MORE!) of our time staking out the perfect viewing spot!

(Real talk — we love the fireworks and parades and are quite bummed these will be missing for a while — and we know lots of you are, too — but we’re trying to see the bright side.)

7 Problems You WON’T Have When Disney World Reopens

Heavy Fireworks Crowds

We’re also not going to miss getting caught and almost trampled in the mass exodus of people once the parade and firework crowds let out. That doesn’t mean we won’t be wishing for these special events to return — but if there’s a silver lining to be found, we’ll just enjoy more time on rides than waiting for shows!

Making Awkward Chit-Chat With Disney Face Characters

Since most character experiences (except for Topolino Terrace’s character breakfast) won’t be resuming right away, another thing we’ll be cutting back on is the awkward small talk we sometimes have with face characters. Meeting Mickey and Minnie seems easy-breezy, but coming up with a few topics to discuss with princesses requires a lot of effort!

7 Problems You WON’T Have When Disney World Reopens

Snow White!

Don’t get us wrong — we love a chance to gab with Cinderella or Snow White! But there are only so many ways a grown man or woman can ask about gooseberry pies or talking mice before it starts to get weird!

We’re just trying to stay positive and hopeful about the new routine once Disney World reopens (which is shaping up to be something we NEVER thought we’d ever experience!). But if you only take away one piece of info from this story, remember this — Disney World is so much more than just a sum of its parts. Take some of those parts away, and it will still be Disney World, no matter what! We just have to look on the bright side!

What are some things you’re looking forward to not having to deal with when Disney World reopens? Tell us what they are in the comments below!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Animal Kingdom, disney’s hollywood studios, Epcot, Featured, magic kingdom, Walt Disney World, disney world attractions, fewer cars, fewer people, find a seat on the bus, fireworks, get to sit on the bus, good things, hand sanitizer, less challenges, less crowded, less people, limited capacity, make chit chat, no parade spots, problems you won’t have to deal with, ride more attractions, shorter waits, sit down on bus, standby lines, talk to face characters, won’t have to stake out a spot