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By Valerie Marino, Condé Nast Traveller
Ahead of reopening on July 11, the new online system for Disney World reservations launched today.
When Disney’s Florida theme parks begin their phased reopening next month, only those with an advance reservation will be welcomed through the turnstiles. Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Animal Kingdom will welcome guests for the first time in nearly four months on July 11, followed by Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios on July 15.
Those with both a previously booked Disney World resort stay and valid theme park admission tickets were invited to access the online system first. On June 26, the system will open to annual pass holders, and on June 28 guests with theme park tickets who are staying at a non-Disney property will be able to book reservations. The system isn’t just for people visiting in the next few months, either—Disney World reservations are now available through September 26, 2021.
June 28 is the date to keep in mind if you want to book a new trip: Disney World paused new hotel bookings and theme park ticket sales when the reservation system was announced, but new bookings for 2021 will open up on that date. Ticket sales will resume for the remainder of 2020 later this summer, likely after Disney has evaluated the demand from existing ticket holders.
While we already knew about some of the new policies related to health and safety—including mandatory temperature screenings before entry and face coverings required for all guests ages 2 and older—Disney revealed a little more about what visitors can expect when the parks reopen.
The two biggest changes that will drastically impact how many approach planning a Disney World trip are the suspension of park hopping and the FastPass+ system. While Disney will offer the park hopping add-on for tickets sold for 2021, guests will only be able to visit one park per day for the remainder of this year. And gone are the days, at least for now, of meticulously mapping out a strategy for FastPass+ ride reservations. Only a traditional standby queue will be offered until further notice, even for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, which had previously used a virtual standby system in the Disney World app.
Most attractions, including those with indoor theater seating like Mickey’s PhilharMagic, will be available, but live entertainment like the Frozen Sing-Along Celebration at Disney’s Hollywood Studios or the Monster, Inc. Laugh Floor at the Magic Kingdom is temporarily suspended. Though Epcot’s Spaceship Earth was scheduled to temporarily close this spring for renovations, it will remain open in July, as Disney has delayed upgrades to the attraction that were announced in honor of the resort’s 50th anniversary.
The Happily Ever After fireworks show at the Magic Kingdom is another casualty of new social distancing guidelines, as are other nighttime spectaculars, parades, and character meets. But you can still see Mickey, Disney princesses, and other favorites in new character experiences that will appear in all four parks. Character cavalcades—mini parades with Disney characters on floats—will take place on the main thoroughfares in the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and along the waterway at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
A full list of available attractions and experiences is available on Disney World’s website.
Other big changes include the suspension of character dining in the theme parks and across the resort (with the sole exception of breakfast at Topolino’s Terrace at Disney’s Rivera Resort), and the cancellation of Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, a ticketed event that typically runs from August through October with trick-or-treating and character interactions.
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