Disney World Hotel Reopening Dates
With the reopening of Disney Vacation Club Resorts at Walt Disney World only a few days away and theme parks debuting in only 3 weeks, many are wondering when the remaining on-site WDW hotels will reopen. Well, we finally have some answers as to which resorts will–and will not–open later this year, along with dates they will open, and commentary.
To briefly recap, Deluxe Villas and DVC resorts are reopening on June 22, 2020 with the exception of Animal Kingdom Lodge – Jambo House. Disney Vacation Club members have been able to book at these resorts, and most still have plenty of availability for June, July, August, and September 2020. (There’s far less availability for Halloween and Christmas seasons.)
All other new hotel reservations have been paused, with the only options being renting Disney Vacation Club points (we’d strongly recommend insurance if you go this route right now) or booking at third party hotels that have reopened already or will be doing so in the near future (many of these hotels will have priority access to the Disney Parks Pass system). Guests with existing reservations at non-Deluxe Villas have been given a few options…
Guests with bookings between June 22 and July 4, 2020 who are booked at other resorts are being offered adjustments. During this window, Walt Disney World will move guests from closed to open resorts at no additional cost. However, anyone choosing this option won’t be able to pick the resort to which they are moved for this date range.
While there have been rumors that guests with travel dates of July 5 and later are being asked to pay the cost of upgrading, this is not exactly true. Guests may modify their resort choice and choose an alternative, but must pay the difference in cost if picking the resort. Guests with reservations from July 5 to July 10 are likewise expected to be moved to a Deluxe Villa Resort not of their own choosing.
However, beyond that it’s likely that the guest recovery option will not be moving guests to Deluxe Villa Resorts. That’s because several other Walt Disney World-owned resorts will begin opening in phases starting July 10, 2020.
Additionally, starting on June 22, guests with existing hotel reservations at impacted resorts can request assistance in modifying their reservations. (We understand this to mean that guests with resorts booked will be able to call to add tickets to their reservations, but are awaiting further clarification on that.)
Here are the official reopening dates for each of the resorts…
Value Resorts:
- Disney’s All Star Movies Resort – TBD
- Disney’s All Star Music Resort – TBD
- Disney’s All Star Sports Resort – TBD
- Disney’s Art of Animation Resort – August 12, 2020
- Disney’s Pop Century Resort – July 10, 2020
Moderate Resorts:
- Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort – July 29, 2020
- Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort & Gran Destino Tower – October 14, 2020
- Disney’s Port Orleans Resort — French Quarter – TBD
- Disney’s Port Orleans Resort — Riverside – TBD
Deluxe Resorts:
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge: Jambo House – TBD
- Disney’s Beach Club Resort – August 24, 2020
- Disney’s Boardwalk Inn – October 1, 2020
- Disney’s Contemporary Resort – July 10, 2020
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa – September 21, 2020
- Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort – August 12, 2020
- Disney’s Wilderness Lodge – TBD
- Disney’s Yacht Club Resort – August 24, 2020
Deluxe Villa Resorts:
- Animal Kingdom Lodge: Jambo House – July 10, 2020
- All Others Reopening June 22, 2020
Commentary
There are some surprises here and some reopening dates that pretty well comport with expectations and what’s been rumored. The latest NBA at Walt Disney World rumors point to three resorts being used: Gran Destino Tower, Grand Floridian, and Yacht Club. These official dates align with that, even though the NBA arrangement no longer seems like a sure thing.
With regard to other resorts, our previous expectation that we repeatedly stated was that the hotels most likely to reopen sooner rather than later would be any resort connected to a DVC property, any resort with non-bus transportation (Skyliner, monorail, boats), and resorts that don’t typically host special events.
Specifically, we predicted that Coronado Springs, both of the Port Orleans Resorts, and the All Star Resorts would be least likely to reopen right away–potentially not at all in 2020. Based on the ‘to be determined’ dates above, we got 5 of those right.
Given the size and sprawl of the Port Orleans Resorts, with their bus-only transportation to the parks, it makes complete sense for Riverside and French Quarter to remain shuttered. We wouldn’t be surprised if these resorts aren’t back again until 2021, perhaps with some very light rebranding in spots.
The All Star Resorts host a lot of youth groups that host events at the ESPN Wide World of Sports. For the remainder of 2020, virtually all of those events have been (or will be) cancelled. So no surprise there, either.
Speaking of events, we honestly did not expect Coronado Springs to reopen right after the NBA was done there. It’ll be interesting to see whether that’s just Gran Destino Tower (which makes complete sense) or the outlying building clusters as well. Perhaps it’s easier to simply keep it open rather than wind down and back up again later.
There are a few other things we definitely didn’t see coming. Chief among them are the delayed reopening dates for Deluxe Resorts that are attached to Disney Vacation Club properties. Given the shared infrastructure costs, it’s very surprising to see Disney’s BoardWalk Inn not reopening until October and others delaying until August.
Wilderness Lodge is far and away the biggest surprise, which does not have a reopening date set at all. This strikes us as especially odd since the main lobby will be open as of June 22, with restaurants and the Copper Creek DVC villas in the main lodge reopening then. (Not to be confused with the Boulder Ridge stand-alone building, which is also reopening in June.)
We’re curious as to what this means for Disney Vacation Club maintenance fees down the road for these properties, as that DVC is footing the entire bill for shared amenities for several months. (Thankfully, we pay ours at Saratoga Springs Resort, which doesn’t have that issue.)
That’s another story for another day, though.
The big thing here is how this will allow Walt Disney World to accommodate guest relocations. At present, it’s unclear how this will work, but it appears that Walt Disney World will proactively require guests to modify, request a modification, or confirm a modification made by Walt Disney World.
Recently, Disney has been requiring guests confirm their visits. If no action is taken for impacted stays, Disney has been automatically canceling reservations within 7 days of the original check-in date. (We already had to do this for our upcoming stay.)
With Pop Century and Contemporary Resort opening as of July 10, 2020–not coincidentally the day before Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom reopen–this gives Walt Disney World two additional resorts above the Deluxe Villas as a “release valve.”
In other words, if you have a reservation at the All Stars, it’s likely you’ll be moved to Pop Century. If you’re booked at any Moderate Resort, you’ll probably get Contemporary Resort or one of the Deluxe Villas. Art of Animation family suites will likely end up with the Fort Wilderness Cabins or a Deluxe Villa. You get the idea. This only applies to mid to late July reservations; Caribbean Beach and other resorts should provide another release valve/relocation option for August and beyond bookings.
Overall, this should provide some clarity and reassurance to those with upcoming vacation bookings at Walt Disney World. It should also underscore a couple of things that we’ve been stressing. First, Walt Disney World is being slow and methodical with its reopening plans, and is not overly-eager to have everything back up and running this year. As we’ve said before, the remainder of 2020 is like a de facto soft opening for locals, Annual Passholders, DVC members, and very motivated visitors.
Second, on-site occupancy for later this summer and fall remains really low (the second point probably helps explains Disney’s perspective with regard to the first). We’ve already pointed out that there’s a ton more DVC availability than normal. The fact that so many other bookings can be consolidated at just Pop Century and Contemporary should be further proof of this. Once again, this should be viewed as good news by anyone who is worried about Disney Park Pass reservations ‘selling out’ incredibly quickly.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think about these reopening dates for Walt Disney World hotels? Any surprises on this list for you? Think any of the TBDs will end up opening later in 2020, or are those resorts looking at 2021? If you have an upcoming booking in June or July 2020, has Disney already relocated you? Will you be attempting to visit Walt Disney World this summer or fall, or are you waiting until next year? Do you agree or disagree with our advice? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
I feel bad for people called to be proactive and move their reservation and having to be charged. Are they aware that if they had let Disney do it, it would have been free? Seems a little loop-holey in Disney’s favor to me..I would hope disney is letting these people know that if they wait and let Disney pick they won’t be charged. My question is, are the resorts that are closed eventually going to be opened at lower capacity so they are all open eventually? We were hoping to reschedule this Mays trip that we cancelled at ft wilderness cabins to next may (2021) at the cabins. I don’t know if we would bother if we can’t stay there.
Thank you for keeping us informed. Your information was the only lifeline we had to Disney!! We had reservations at Port Orleans from July 11 to July 19. Last week we called Disney because we had not received an email about the ticket reservation system or Port Orleans. We were informed that we would have to pay for our upgrade to a new hotel. It would have been a $2,000 addition to our trip just for the hotel. The cast member was an absolute sweetheart about everything. But, we had to cancel our trip to Disney and get a refund. It’s just cutting it too close to not know anything. We are super disappointed and we love Disney. We rescheduled for the beach because with all these COVID restrictions we needed an escape!
I’m confused. They said I had to change to an open resort and pay upgrade. I have to because I was July 4-9, otherwise I would have been cancelled. It was like a 3,000.00 difference so I was forced to rebook in October for less days and more money because I had to book at a DVC resort. I will be calling tomorrow and having a discussion with them. I’m also not happy because I was booked from May 21-31 and my pass expired on May 31. Well they have extended it but it now expires in September but I cannot afford to pay the thousands of dollars to upgrade my room. I’m really disappointed. I’ve been very patient changing my reservations and flight from May, to June, to July. I was very saddened to have to book so far out because of price difference and now my pass is wasted so I will have to pay for park tickets as well. I don’t blame Disney, I know it’s not their fault but I wish they would offer me tickets to use at a later date rather than extending my pass and now having it expire during the height of bad weather season. 🙁
Hi Tom. We have points rented for two studios in late September at Poly Village. My husband and I have APs (which we’ve yet to use ) and will have my MIL and three kids with us. Do you anticipate us being able to purchase tickets for them? We can’t cancel the stay through David’s
We have Poly from August 8-14 and wondered the same thing. I posted above wondering if we would be moved to another Deluxe that is open or maybe be moved to a value or moderate and be given a refund for the price difference.
Hi Angela. We’re hoping to remain on the monorail line. Fingers crossed.
We are also wondering how Deluxe reservations will be changed that aren’t open while there. We are booked at the Beach Club July 20th but only for Stomalong Bay, which I’m assuming won’t be open until the resort side. We are still on the fence about going but will book park reservations tomorrow and will see how it all plays out.
We have reservations for August 8-14 at Poly and it doesn’t open until August 12. I’m curious if we will be moved to another Deluxe that is open in our dates (Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House and Disney’s Contemporary Resort). Or will we be moved to a moderate or value (which I would be fine with either of those).
I think I will get online tomorrow to make park reservations and just sit and wait to see how the resort plays out. I think that is the best plan of action based on what you said Tom:
“That’s the part that’s unclear right now. I would not proactively call yet, as WDW has been moving people for no extra charge without guest intervention. If guests make the first move, Disney is charging them.So…give it a few weeks and see how things shake out? (Probably not the answer you want to hear, but that’s how they’ve been handling resort relocations thus far.)”
Hi! Can’t tell you how much I appreciate all of your wise counsel in the blog. We’re booked for Polynesian Resort for a week beginning 7/22. Does this mean we’re being moved to the DVC side? In reading this blog it doesn’t seem like those rooms are as nice as what we’re paying for. Thoughts? Many thanks!!
Finally some more info! I’m doing a split stay at Polynesian DVC and then moving to Yacht club on 8/2 but that won’t happen now. Hoping I can move to a DVC studio at same cost since they are comparable to Yacht club price.
The hardest part for those of us Disney addicts is that we have been trained by Disney to plan. We use excel worksheets, read blogs, watch videos, even breathing is incorporated into those plans. Now, we have been told to wait, maybe this, maybe that. We are in withdrawal. I hope Disney knows that some of us may recover from our addiction and just get in our car and drive to the mountains. Might not be the right place to vent, but this is the new normal.
Totally understand your need to vent–and you’re right.
Part of the reason this whole process has been easier for Universal is that those parks are more local-oriented and less planning-centric. Disney’s problems here are entirely ones of its own creation by virtue of the planning ‘machine’ that it has built up over the course of the last decades, and conditioned guests to expect. It’s hard to “retrain” guests to expect something very different in the course of only a few weeks!
I forgot to include I am booked in Movies last week of October. If they make me pay more for a change, I can’t go.
We’re booked for a preferred room at Caribbean Beach beginning July 24th–we have not been contacted about a move. Where do you think they will put us? Looks like we’re just missing the opening date for the resort.
That’s the day we are set to arrive too. I just talked to them and they said wait for an email telling us we can switch.
We are there on July 26. I’m wondering the same. The wait and see is stressing me out.
Wow. Have to say we feel “lucky” for choosing to stay at the Polynesian for our late August trip. We have club level and my question is if club level services are still not available by then, would we be able to either downgrade to regular room price or change to another resort? If so, then when?
You should be able to do that starting tomorrow. I’d recommend doing nothing and waiting until mid-August just to see what happens–what do you stand to gain by acting earlier?
Yep. That’s the plan – to wait and see what happens. I am sure we will have more info to go on by then. Amazing how this time last year we were trying to figure out how Galaxies Edge was going to work and Passholder previews for it. What a difference.
I checked today and could change to a non club level room for $100 less per night. Still going to wait on it.
I’m wondering if they will let those who rebooked from June with only the options of Ft. Wilderness/DVC modify for something less expensive now that a few more options are open? Of course they will have to rebook existing reservations first but it would be nice to use a less expensive alternative than the choices we previous had.
If you paid to upgrade (and it sounds like you did), you should be able to do this starting tomorrow.
If you did *not* pay to upgrade, I wouldn’t mess with it.
We had a reservation at Pop Century for July 15th – 20th. We were informed this morning we had to swap resorts as Pop Century wasn’t going to be open while we are supposed to be there. They told us we had to swap to a DVC property, but didn’t tell us if we would get charged.
In that scenario, you shouldn’t be paying anything extra. You got lucky by a matter of hours.
Unless you for some reason want to downgrade back to Pop Century, I wouldn’t call back…
Tom,
In your opinion, would a standard Little Mermaid room reservation get moved to Pop or Contemporary? Pop is cheaper, so hoping for the Contemporary upgrade! 🙂
This was my question too. I’m hoping NOT Pop, since they’d have to issue a refund(?) and… I don’t like it!
That’s a really good question and I don’t have an answer for that. I’d let the scenario play itself out and call if they move you to Pop Century!
Keira, let’s hope Disney does us right! 😉 It would be nice to get the upgrade perk since we are dealing with so much craziness and uncertainty.
Tom, do you think Disney is trying to finish the WL room refurbishment before reopening this resort?
That’s a possibility, but it would be more plausible to me if the entire lodge were shut down so construction could proceed more quickly without guests in the building.
I guess it can still move more quickly this way…
We have a trip booked August 1 for Riverside. So what i am understanding is we would move to Caribbean Beach – that resort equals in size to riverside. So because it has the skyliner (assuming it even operates) that’s the reason? We have no ither choice? When can we modify considering our trip is one month away?
“When can we modify considering our trip is one month away?”
That’s the part that’s unclear right now. I would not proactively call yet, as WDW has been moving people for no extra charge without guest intervention. If guests make the first move, Disney is charging them.
So…give it a few weeks and see how things shake out? (Probably not the answer you want to hear, but that’s how they’ve been handling resort relocations thus far.)
I moved my reservation at the end of June from Riverside to Fort Wilderness, but Disney charged me for the upgrade. Was this an error based on what I have read above?
Did you initiate the change or did Disney?
If they did, you shouldn’t have had to pay extra. If you did, you should’ve paid the difference.
It sounds like they charge you when you choose what resort to change to. If you let them move you, you wouldn’t have been charged.
You should not be charged unless you specified which resort you wanted them to change you to.
My fiancé and I were supposed to spend our honeymoon weekend at Gran Destino Tower after our wedding on October 10th. This news, while it was expected amidst everything else going on, is completely disappointing. For the last 8 months, I have envisioned eating at Toledo and watching the fireworks on our wedding night and then staying at the hotel for the first time. Now we won’t get to experience that. I understand that the world is in a state of chaos right now and that certainty is scarce, but it’s the little things like this that make it hard to know when we will return to normalcy. I’ve had my heart and sights set on Gran Destino since it opened last year, but I’m really hoping that Disney will make this up to us, and the many other people it affects, somehow
Jkay….sounds like first world problems. You do have the option of canceling.
First we had reservations in March and those were postponed to August. Would you want to cancel your trip when you’ve spent time planning and had it all pulled out from under your feet, twice? I’ve been shut in my house now for over three months and this trip was the only thing keeping me sane as something to look forward to. If all of Disney World was still closed that would be different but to open the villa side and not the Inn side is difficult. I also have two more months of being home and now our fabulous long awaited trip in a cottage suite isn’t happening. I’m entitled to be upset and disappointed. Don’t be so critical of me because I have feelings and am sad. Just cancel is what everybody says who have no feelings for those who are extremely disappointed. Just cancel is not what I want to explore at this moment.
I’m not happy about this at all. We have a cottage garden suite at Boardwalk Inn reserved for our anniversary. I know of no other resort that would be equal in value for the two of us for the money we spent on this reservation. We wanted to be at Boardwalk for the convenience of walking to Hollywood Studios.
hi, we have a reservation at Wilderness Lodge 18-29 August…do you think we’ll be moved or put into the villas there? What’s the likelihood of moving to the Poly?
thanks!