Disney World News: Construction Resumes, Resort Closures & Addressing Frustration
In this Walt Disney World news roundup, we’ll share the latest about the ongoing closure & upcoming reopening, plus a fun story or two. This includes details (and photos) of construction resuming around Magic Kingdom, the roller coaster ride of resort reopening plans, and Disney’s attempts at addressing Annual Passholder frustrations.
Let’s start with something fun, heartwarming, and pure: Duffy & Friends. Earlier this week, Shanghai Disney Resort welcomed Olu Mel the Turtle to the park on Instagram. This is Duffy’s newest pal, previously exclusive to Aulani Resort in Hawaii, who will now have merchandise available at Shanghai Disneyland. We’d expect Olu Mel to head to Hong Kong and Tokyo next.
As we discuss at length in our Duffy Phenomenon article (a long read you might actually find fascinating), we have really come around on some of the Duffy & Friends characters, and have even “adopted” Duffy and Gelatoni in recent years. This was after being vehemently opposed to them about a decade ago when Duffy was everywhere at Walt Disney World and Disneyland, as the US parks tried to manufacture a merchandise trend.
In a new video released by Walt Disney Imagineering, Duffy’s whole crew (ShellieMay, Gelatoni, StellaLou, CookieAnn, and Olu Mel) plant morning glory seeds in their garden given to them by Mickey Mouse. They work together and eagerly watch as the plants grow — until a small, unexpected hiccup happens. Find out what happens next and how the friends come together to overcome all with a message of love, teamwork and friendship.
Before reading the rest of this, check out the adorable new stop-motion “Morning Glory” video:
If that doesn’t put a smile on your face (and make you more of a fan of these characters), I don’t know what will.
We’ve previously viewed both CookieAnn and Olu Mel with some skepticism and cynicism, but this warms us to them a bit. To be sure, the Duffy & Friends Power Rankings are still go Duffy, Gelatoni, ShellieMay, Tippy Blue…StellaLou…..CookieAnn…………….Olu Mel, but there was a time when we didn’t even consider the newest two to be true members of the crew.
None of this matters in any way whatsoever, but ‘debating’ the merits of plush critters feels like a nice change of reprieve and change of pace.
Let’s continue some of that optimism with a Walt Disney World construction update. The first two photos (above and below) are from exactly three months ago, a few days before the parks closed. At this point, Magic Kingdom construction crews were about two weeks into the Royal Makeover of Cinderella Castle.
If you look at the lower left turrets, you can see the before/after contrast. Crazy how faded those were! The the right of the castle’s clock, you can see a bit of the new pink or salmon color. Also quite the contrast to the more neutral colors.
Yesterday, we took a slight detour through property on our way home from getting groceries to see how things were looking. This actually is far from our first time driving through Walt Disney World during the closure, as virtually anywhere we go requires driving through property unless we take a toll road (that’s not a humblebrag–it’s normally an inconvenience, but not so much with zero traffic).
You might recall that All Construction Stopped at Walt Disney World shortly after the closure. Well, work has clearly resumed since the reopening announcement… (Apologies in advance for the photo quality.)
Here’s a look at the progress on Cinderella Castle as of yesterday. The rear turret looks like it’s the only one left to go, which should be fairly easy to finish over the course of the next month. On the plus side, the first guests back should be greeted by the completed Royal Makeover of Cinderella Castle, with construction equipment presumably gone and the moat refilled.
The above photo doesn’t tell the whole story, but it is looks very vibrant–and very pink–in the midday Florida sun. We’ll withhold final judgment until seeing it from within Magic Kingdom, but our preliminary impression is that this paint job is an overcorrection. Cinderella Castle was definitely looking washed out and faded, but this looks a tad too far in the cartoonish direction.
Then again, maybe we’ll get used to it and this new-look Cinderella Castle will grow on us! The whimsical pink style absolutely works for Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Paris, so perhaps it’s just the initial shock of Cinderella Castle looking so different as compared to before. We shall see!
Continuing down World Drive, here’s a look at the Cove Hotel expansion to the Swan & Dolphin. It’s located across the street from those properties on Epcot Resorts Boulevard, near the Fantasia Garden miniature golf course. When finished, the Cove Hotel will be 14 stories tall, have 349 guest rooms, a rooftop terrace, restaurant & lounge, and 21,000 square feet of meeting space. It was originally supposed to open this year, which now seems unlikely.
This is plainly visible from World Drive and Buena Vista Drive, but should not be visible from within Epcot or Disney’s Hollywood Studios. That’s definitely a good thing, as the design is hideous (and not in an ambitious but odd way like the Swan & Dolphin–this is going to be ugly and industrial).
Now, what you’ve all been waiting for: a look at the All Star McDonald’s. Despite the closure, construction actually never stopped on this and it appears almost ready to open now.
Notably, there was also a huge construction crew around the Transportation and Ticket Center working on the new arrival experience, which looks like it’s nearly finished. Likewise, we caught a fleeting glimpse of work on the Grand Floridian to Magic Kingdom walkway, which has also resumed work (it was too brief of a view to ascertain how much progress has been made).
Hopefully this bodes well for construction projects inside the parks, too. It’d be nice to return to Epcot with Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure ready to open–and some progress in Future World, too. While work has resumed, we’re still expecting long-term ramifications to the scope and scale of future projects.
Next, the ongoing saga of Animal Kingdom Lodge – Jambo House. Two days ago, we provided an update that reservations were now available on DVCMember.com. From that, we surmised that the resort would be reopening, which seems like a logical conclusion.
Logical, but not accurate. Members are now being advised that Jambo House will not be reopening, and their reservations will be moved to other resorts. Our understanding is that reopening reservations for Jambo House was intentional (meaning it wasn’t done in error), with the intention all along of relocating guests.
Even today, there’s still a ton of availability for Jambo House (more than any other resort). We haven’t the slightest idea as to what will become of these bookings, but have decided to roll the dice and book some nights in Value Studios. At least for that room tier, there’s little downside. We’re willing to gamble that we’ll be placed in a nicer room at a different resort with our lower point rate locked in. Of course, your mileage may vary.
That provides a nice segue to our final topic, which is Walt Disney World’s email thanking Annual Passholders for their patience while they adjust during these unprecedented times. Here’s the email in full:
If comments on this blog are any indication, a lot of Walt Disney World fans are dissatisfied or downright disgruntled with how things have been handled. In our view, some of the fan reaction has been understandable. Disney’s communications have been inconsistent and scattershot–each new announcement has raised as many or more questions than it has answered.
Obviously they’re very different (and smaller), but Universal Orlando has comparatively done a superior job with its messaging during the closure and reopening. Suffice to say, lots of unforced errors by Disney throughout this.
However, Walt Disney World is incredibly complex, with a ton of moving parts–and these truly are unprecedented times. A lot of people seem to expect the normal Disney experience, oblivious to the real world reality of the global pandemic.
While we all love the WDW “bubble,” the parks and resorts exist in the actual Central Florida community. Disney must take into account the health and wellbeing of Cast Members, Orange County hospital capacity, and other variables. It cannot simply about “making guests happy and creating magic” right now. Trying to thread the needle and striking the appropriate balance in reopening is undoubtedly challenging.
Disney’s decisions reverberate throughout Florida and have ramifications far beyond the borders of its property. It’s easy for all of us to sit at home and critique what they’re doing/not doing, but I do not envy Walt Disney World’s leaders right now. It’s a tough task with absolutely no existing playbook. Literally every possible decision is going to leave some people unhappy or disenchanted.
In some ways, recent announcements by Disney have felt like not-so-subtle ways of inducing cancellations. Not necessarily because they “need” people to cancel due to capacity limitations, but because Walt Disney World wants to manage expectations and be blunt about the near-term guest experience. In the long run, it’s better to have people be upset now and make the informed decision to cancel than it is to have them take trips, be disappointed, and demand refunds…or just never return.
In our recent “Dawn of a Temporary Disney Era” we looked on the bright side and pointed out the opportunities for some guests this year. The emphasis there most definitely belongs on “for some guests.”
To reiterate, this year is not a good time for once in a lifetime trips to Walt Disney World. It’s not a good time if entertainment or the ‘full’ experience is paramount to you. It’s not a good time if you’re unwilling to wear masks or adhere to added health safety protocol. It’s not a good time if you’re an obsessive planner and aren’t willing to compromise and be flexible.
To be fair to fans, these are all problems of Walt Disney World’s own creation. Over the last decade-plus, they have actively cultivated a culture of meticulous pre-planning while also taking the misguided notion of “the customer is always right” to its extreme. The ideas of spontaneity and going with the flow are anathema to the Walt Disney World experience for many, and that’s by Disney’s own design. (Then again, it’s safe to say that Disney didn’t consider the possibility of a global pandemic while crafting the original policies.)
Nevertheless, present circumstances are what they are. All of this is a long-winded way of once again stressing patience and flexibility. It’s going to take some time before we have a complete picture of what Walt Disney World’s operations entail for the remainder of the year. Disney must enact policies that prioritize the health and welfare of Cast Members and guests, in line with recommendations of experts. The experience will undoubtedly suffer in some ways (as we’ve noted before, it might benefit in others!) but that comes with the territory. It’s one thing to be frustrated and vent a bit online (and totally okay with us–we don’t mind anyone voicing their thoughts!), but some of the ‘demands’ and outrage are patently unreasonable. No number of complaints or threats will change the reality that we’re in the midst of a pandemic. This year is not going to be the time/circumstances for many people to visit. The good news is that Walt Disney World will still be there in 2021!
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
Any opinion on Duffy & Friends? What do you think of the colors for Cinderella Castle’s Royal Makeover? Think Jambo House will actually will remain closed, or will end up reopening? Thoughts on Walt Disney World addressing AP frustrations? Do you agree or disagree with our commentary here? Other thoughts or concerns? 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’ve been a huge disney cheerleader in the past, but I am frustrated. I understand that some things may take time for Disney to work out–reservation system for example. But it grinds my gears that Disney won’t tell us what they DO know. Case in point: last night, UK guests got an email from Disney that, among other things specifically said waters parks would be closed upon reopening. Would it kill Disney to put that information on the website? And this Jambo bait-and-switch ticks me off. I heard from someone on another site that they rented points for a stay at Jambo after the inventory was released–now they are stuck because they can’t modify a reservation rented with points. Finally, several people with late-June/early-July stays prior to park open have reported being told by CMs that there was no option to keep their dates and be transferred to DVC for free and that they would HAVE TO modify their dates and pay extra. That is not true.
Again, I understand that there are some things where Disney is still figuring out what they will do. I don’t expect Disney to have everything figured out. But I do expect them to tell us what decisions they HAVE made that impact our vacations and not announce little bits and pieces to different sets of guests.
Seeing how no one else has responded, here’s my thoughts. YMMV:
– don’t care about Duffy (sorry, Tom)
– don’t pay much attention to Cinderella’s Castle when I visit, but the new colors do look better
– no opinion on Jambo House, not a DVC owner. Would like to stay where I can view the animals (if I visit)
– AP frustrations are understandable, but hope Disney will mostly “make it right” eventually. Agree this is a really tough time for Disney. Was a one-time AP holder so this doesn’t affect me one way or the other personally.
– appreciate your commentary generally and realize you have to address an audience with much wider interests than mine, but you did ask for feedback . . . so I read the parts I care about more closely and skim the rest.
– main thing I’d like to know, but neither you nor anyone else can really answer, is how safe it will be to visit WDW or DL, including plane flight and hotel issues. Mostly depends upon the trajectory of the disease plus how well people comply with restrictions on their behavior.
– in summary, thanks for writing this blog, it’s very helpful. Sometimes I don’t agree with you, but that’s life, it would be very boring if we all agreed.
And for some reason the 55 other responses didn’t show up even after refreshing the URL. Didn’t make sense I would be the only one, but there wasn’t a timestamp on the article so I didn’t know.
Hahaha, I thought your “seeing how no one else has responded” was with regard to Duffy, since only a handful of other people had replied to that.
In any case, thanks for your feedback! Respectful disagreement is always welcome–as you point out, the world would be a boring place if we all agreed on everything.
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I enjoy your blog, thank you. Magic Mountain in SoCal is apparently letting people put a hold on their passes (per a friend who held her family’s four not from me calling). Any chance Disneyland will do the same? Due to family medical situation it is unlikely we will feel like going this summer, but are long time pass holders. Seems like they could make it be for six months so after holidays which might be easier for capacity control.
“Any chance Disneyland will do the same?”
I truly do not know, but I hope so. It’d be the right thing.
Hi Tom and Sarah! Thoughtful and helpful as always!
I’m wondering: does the recent surge in cases in Florida give you pause?
There is not a recent surge in Florida. There is a huge spike in testing which has resulted in a small increase in positive cases.
Sadly the fact is that no one (at least in the public) actually knows if there’s a surge or not. Facts have become politicized to the point where there’s not an agreed reality.
“Gives us pause” is probably the right way to put it. As the state/country reopens and testing increases, a rise in cases is inevitable even with the best precautions, testing & tracing (and nothing we’re doing can be described as “the best”). We’re also now seeing the impact of Memorial Day weekend.
The operative question as cases continue to rise will be whether we’re coming in danger of overwhelming hospital capacity. That’s not the true yet locally, but it could still certainly happen.
Both Dr. K and Tiffany shared the same link. The link clearly shows that after a spike Florida testing is on the decline and infections are going up.
The tri-state quarantine is clearly not based on science and data. Here in NYC despite some daily fluctuations as all locations will experience when reopening we have bent our curve, not just flattened it!
Thanks for that response, Tom! I think we’re like-minded, wide readers, and my perspective matches yours.
Disney is a private business and needs to do what they must, even though I disagree with the level they have taken things. This whole Covid 19 situation has had so many different projections and reactions, that it’s understandable for them to be concerned, especially about being sued. While Disney holds our money hostage for unused park tickets we bought many months ago, we sadly cancelled our August trip. Not knowing if Storm Along Bay will be open was the last straw. No fires works, uncertainty if we would be allowed to use our park tickets, no light saber building, all ADRs cancelled, reduced hours, and stupid masks being worn outside. This is just not a good year at all to go. We will put our interest in Disney on hold for a year or longer.
A touch of irony:
In the sense that masks have no IQ, yes they are stupid. However, they are highly effective (as I’ve posted in previous threads). There is 75% reduction in disease transmission if one person wears a mask. There is a 94% reduction in transmission if everyone wears them.
https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M20-2567
The irony is that the hysteria and pandemic are perpetuated by those who won’t wear masks.
Several have asked about the current state of infection. Please see the current model for your state with the drop down box, but I Florida on first. (See data at the following link:)
https://covid19.healthdata.org/united-states-of-america/florida
Florida is surging. There is no question. Politics can try to spin it as more testing, however, the data shows testing has actually decreased in Florida. At the same time the percent of positives has steadily increased. (If it was just more testing, the rate of positives would decrease).
If you’re bored, look at the model for New York. It’s very reassuring. Begging the question of why a tri-state ban would be upheld. (Not going to touch that one!)
Dr. K respectfully, it is so important to be informed. Florida is NOT surging, and yes testing has gone way up relative to new cases. Facts are facts. Here is the data from the IHME. This is why places are continuing to open up.
https://covid19.healthdata.org/united-states-of-america/florida
Every COVID discussion lacks PERSPECTIVE. So let’s put some here.
In the U.S. we’ve reached 2,090,000 confirmed cases. This includes both active and prior/resolved cases. The US population is 331 million. Basic math tells us the CUMULATIVE infection rate is:
2,090,000 / 331,000,000 = 0.0063 which is 0.63%.
That is 6 tenths of 1 percent. In other words, 99.4% of the US population are neither infected NOR have they ever knowingly been infected. 99.4%.
Yes, this is a terrible, serious illness and people are dying every day. But PLEASE keep perspective. We slammed our economy (and our lives) closed over slightly more than one HALF of 1% infection rate.
My family of three are all Platinum Plus Florida Resident APs and I don’t need to be catered to but I wish the email had been a little more, “Hey, things are a little confusing right now, but we’re doing our best to get ducks in a row before re-opening. We’ll keep you in the loop!”
I get that it’s a huge undertaking and that they’re having to re-imagine nearly every part of every guest’s experience, but at least acknowledge that it’s a big job so they may not be able to hold each guest’s hand like they used to. I don’t think thiS messaging is going to end up in a crisis communication textbook one day.
“I don’t think this messaging is going to end up in a crisis communication textbook one day.”
Not everything that ends up in textbooks is an example of what TO do. 😉
(Totally agree otherwise–it’s well past time to drop the ‘magical’ Disney marketing-speak and got more real with people.)
Well said!
I haven’t really thought about that. Disney does need to get real with its people. Quit the magical lingo and just tell us how it is!
Masks are not magical. A pandemic is not magical. Social distancing is not magical. So stop pretending otherwise.
I just want to go hug Donald Duck again.
I work in crisis communications and have a couple of large, Fortune 50 clients (NOT Disney, though I wish!) who I have recently advised to be extremely honest and transparent, to speak from the heart while owning missteps. Unfortunately, every statement my team and I have drafted gets torn apart by the most senior of executives or the legal department. Just know there are likely a lot of people within Disney’s marketing and PR departments who want to share honest communication but are probably getting steamrolled. It’s such a shame.
Tom Bricker said, “it’s well past time to drop the ‘magical’ Disney marketing-speak and got more real with people.”
Fully agree. Corporate America usually defaults to their PR posture in a crisis, or even bad news, rather than leveling with their customers and that often does more harm than good. Years ago I dealt with a technology provider who was fully transparent with their customers when network incidents happened. The occasional mea culpa helped build trust that we weren’t getting PR-fluffed. It was refreshing, customers respected it, and I think it helped us empathize with those who were struggling to remediate outages and such. If they had stuck with non-answer, deflective talking points from their marketing team, we would have cut them a lot less slack.
Disney would be far better served to level with its loyal fans and stop trying to put the “magic fluff” on us during a time when it’s clear the parks will be far less magical.
It’s hard to feel magical when a park full of masked visitors and conscious distancing reminds us every second that we’re in the midst of a pandemic.
I made a reservation at the Beach Club for June 5th and Disney emailed me to tell me the resort is still closed and said they would refund my money or I could make a new reservation for a later date which I did however my reservation for June was during Florida Residents and the new one is not so I had to pay more money which I feel is not fair . They should honor the price they gave me for June which I have already paid half.
We are going in August!! Granted it’s me and my two adult children. No way would I spend the money to take little ones at this time. But, we’ve been a few times…done and seen all the “must do’s” We had to reschedule our spring break trip and received 35% discount when they took away our free dining. They are trying to compensate for inconvenience, and we are just a lucky demographic that’s fine to just go and see what happens. Just walking around with lower crowds and being able to take in the often overlooked details from the imagineers is enough for us. Anything more than that will be icing on the cake!
Actually I was happy to see the update of all star McDonalds. We stay at the all stars every trip. Thanks for all your great posts. Really enjoy a little bit of Disney magic.
Hi Tom
I kind of like the new blush castle color, looks like the setting sun is reflecting off it!
I am still waiting to talk with someone, I have reservations for September 8. I am wondering if I can make reservations for September 2021now or not. Hopefully by then things will be back to normal someway. I am in remission right now and it’s been five years, I hope I am still here for normal.
Prayers to you and I bet you’re a fighter! You’ll see normal again. And you’ll enjoy it all the more !
Definitely NOT loving the extra pink look of Cinderella Castle. I never cared for it on Sleeping Beauty Castle, and always believed “our” castle was superior. Taller, regal, and NOT painted with paint that looks like a blend of of “Pepto Bismol” pink and “children’s chewable asprin” orange.
+1 on being an AP holder who is bitterly disappointed with the spotty, unreliable, and downright absent communications from Disney corporate. Too many holes in their messages, zero info on when the AP expiration clock will begin ticking, allowing people to reserve at Jambo House knowing they’ll be punted to another resort…. that kind of thing. That is NOT how you treat guests in general, and especially not ones paying the premium Disney prices.
I am definitely one of the frustrated Disney fans. It has been a slow trickle of information released from the company over the last few months. I find the AP email just really annoying – why even bother sending that? You know? It was yet another “thank you” with no real news or information. I appreciate the gesture, but it just didn’t come to me as sincere. I could be taking it the wrong way.
I’d also comment on your note Tom regarding the customer is always right mentality at Disney. I’ve vacationed a couple times with friends and cringed multiple times how they would treat and talk to cast members. Maybe this pandemic will implement an attitude of gratitude among guests once again. I get that these trips are expensive, but the entitled attitude of some guests is exhausting. I guess I may suffer from that attitude too though since I complained about the trickle of information. ^_^
The resorts are opening June 22nd, yet there is still no information on making dining reservations. I’m trying to be optimistic and positive, as you said it already Tom that these truly are unique times that are challenging every business model on the planet.
I’m curious/concerned what will happen if cases continue to rise and increase again. Will they shut down the parks again? Or will they just reduce capacity, utilize masks/social distancing, etc.
Here’s to everyone having a great vacation when the parks open again.
Their latest email was to lower our expectations: “As we adjust to these unprecedented times, the Theme Park experience will understandably be different from what it was when you last visited.”
Concurrently, they want us to believe the experience will still be magical– restrictions, closed attractions, mandatory masks and all: “But one very important thing will remain the same: the magic will still be there.”
Sorry, but no.
I *love* Disney World. Have visited faithfully for nearly 50 years. Long term AP passholder. But until life returns to normal, my desire to return is very low. Just not worth the premium $$ for a “less than Disney” experience.
Tom-
I really enjoy your informative, insightful and eloquent posts. However, you’ve gone too far with the word “anathema.” Now you’re just showing off! Keep up the great work Tom and be safe.
Jason I’m sorry you’re getting tired of all the entitled attitudes. You might not have thought this out, we saved for three years for this vacation.We went top shelf, AKL dining plan hopper tickets.Then came the virus, vacation cancelled Disney offered fdp, ,Disney took away fdp , Disney gave 35% room discount. Our room will still cost me well over $500 nightly, Disney offers information, Disney changes rules, Disney says room service will be every other day , they will dump trash, get Clean towels that’s it .Are you getting it yet.Still don’t know if we will have hopper passes Disney still giving very little info.I call that BAD service not entitled attitude.
Has anyone heard if Disney world will offer hopped passes, and where will hte NBA and MLS players be staying at.
Tom, I just want to thank you again for all your thorough, accessible and amazing writing! I don’t expect to get back anytime soon for a number of reason including that (apparently) those of us from New York (and NJ & CT) can’t get in without a mandatory two-week quarantine! But mostly I just don’t trust people to adhere to the health precautions.
Big news regarding water parks?????
Did anyone notice the language that water parks will not reopen has been removed from Disney’s website? Am I missing it? Could it be the operating hours as shown are REAL? Fingers crossed!!!
Thanks Tom for another honest and informative post. I’m writing to share my partner’s and my experience with a refund of a 3 night package we bought for Disneyland Paris. We were to arrive at Disneyland Paris on March 16. The resort closed on March 14. We talked to our doctors and read everything, including this blog, regarding all things coronavirus before making the decision to go with the understanding that we could be stranded in Paris if matters escalated. That took just 2 days. We arrived in Paris on March 10. On March 12 friends began texting us regarding the president’s statement that all international travel would be halted. A few hours after receiving the concerned text messages we heard that the president issued another statement that Americans in foreign countries would be allowed to fly home. We didn’t know on March 12, when we rebooked our return flight for March 15, Disney would send an email statement that the resort would be closing on March 14. We easily changed our flight home on Delta’s website. We even have a $1000 credit with Delta for reduction in airfare. The credit was processed immediately. Then I did as requested by Disneyland Paris, cancel our reservation and if successful we would receive an email confirming our cancellation request. On March 17 we received a “we’re working on your request” email. On April 16 we received an email with a link to a document stating, “You have cancelled a booking at Disneyland Paris for one of your clients; please find attached all the information regarding this cancellation.” No mention that Disney was working on a refund. The only mention was that we owed $0. I called the international number for Disneyland Paris twice and held on both calls for over an hour before hanging up at the cost of about $100. On May 21 I sent a “comment” on Disneyland Paris’ website asking if I could be contacted regarding our refund. On March 28 we sent a registered letter to Bob Iger’s office asking for his assistance with processing our refund. We were now 73 days after we were to check in at Disneyland Paris. 10 weeks of no news from Disney and we were frustrated. Almost $1800 and no mention from Disney other than we had paid in full for the 3 night package. On June 4 a credit was issued by Disney on our credit card. I doubt our refund would have been processed if not for our letter. I thank Bob Iger’s office for handling this quickly on receipt of our request. My partner and I sympathize with the many guests that feel stranded by Disney. For those of you expecting refunds for cancellations write a letter, put a stamp on it and mail it. I rarely go to that much effort because I rarely become so frustrated with something that requires a tap on keyboard or a programing change to a computer system. I worked in IT management for 25 years. It’s not that difficult or complicated, and Disney had 10 weeks to get it done. We’re not so influenced by this experience that we are writing off Disney. We are fans, not die-hard fans, but we enjoy the parks. When the world recovers from our shared pandemic we will plan a trip enjoy Disney again. For now though, we’re staying close to home, continuing to practice what is recommended to remain virus free, steering clear of areas where the population has relaxed their safety protocols, and are very grateful that we remain healthy. Thanks for reading.
We had a prepaid Marriott reservation for Paris in June that was cancelled and per their website fully refundable. I emailed the hotel a few weeks after cancelling to check status, and they referred the email directly to that property manager. They emailed me to say they agreed it was refundable but could only process the refund from the hotel’s systems – not working remotely – and the hotel was closed until June 1 and they would process promptly upon their return. I received the refund ~ June 3, so wondering if you were in the same “Paris is closed” boat and just didn’t get someone to communicate it. Either way glad to have that money back!
Is there a word on the Cirque soliel show in Disney Springs.. Bought tickets on line at the disney site for Sept.3…What are my chances??? b
Hi Tom,
First, thank you for being almost the only insight we can get considering long phone hold times. Our family is hoping for a resort vacation in a couple of weeks. I had a few questions that I can’t find answers to.
1. Is there a Florida restriction on hotel/resort capacity that might be beneficial to us who have bookings? Our fear is a full resort with a capacity limited pool. Not sure what else we’ll do if we can’t get to the pool.
2. Other than our ability to see if rooms are still available or calling to beg DVC helpers, there’s no way I can tell how full the resort actually is. Any tips there to know that?
3. Given the COVID driven changes in cancellation, do you see any downside to me keeping my Kidani reservation and booking a 2nd one at Jambo and seeing where I end up? I’m thinking i could cancel one or the other without penalty and pick the best value choice!
Thanks,
Dan
So… is Disney moving people to lateral or upgraded rooms at no additional cost? Or are they forcing guests to pay the difference if their resort is closed? Please please some clarity if you have any! The current comments seem to contradict your predictions. We have an all star reservation in November, and don’t want to book flights if they close the resort and make us pay the difference.
People whose resorts are closed and still want to keep their trip on the same dates without changes are being moved to an open resort without an increased charge. People who have reservations before the park opens who want to move their reservation later are having to pay rack rate at the new resort for the new dates.
That’s what I thought at first but everyone’s comments seem to contradict that! But thank you for the reply! Maybe the emails that have gone out are still in the closed parks period of time.
We had reservations for Disney Beach and Yacht Club for June 5th, which they contacted me and said the resort was closed and I could make another reservation or I could get my refund back so i made a new reservation for late Aug which there was a price difference because it wasn’t Florida residence and i had to pay the difference. Which i felt was wrong.
I don’t think that’s accurate. Guests with res dates before parks reopen are getting moved (without a choice of resort, so currently Value moved to Ft Wilderness cabins) at no extra cost. But in agreeing to this, that is the extent of consideration – no further discount or compensation for having the free dining package taken away.
If the res is for a period when parks are open, but your booked/confirmed hotel is closed, you have to pay the difference or cancel the trip. In this case, you can apply the 35% room discount, but it doesn’t come close to making up difference if jump is from Value to Deluxe. Park tickets being paid for as part of a package are not guaranteed to offer access, but resort guests with ticket packages do have priority for a booking window before the general public.
This is just what I was told, hope it helps.
Called 2 days ago…we had All Star reservations for 06/19. I tried to modify them for an October trip. One available was a cabin at WL. The cost? $2100+. The CM did find 2 others, but they were $2800+. Huge difference between the $800 for my original room! It was so embarrassing to have to say I couldn’t afford it. I guess Disney is only opening the higher end resorts…it’s a shame because they are pricing out loyal guests! Also, no word about MNSSHP or Food & Wine: the CMs haven’t been told anything. Disney should have spent more time in addressing the guests…not MLS or NBA. I guess it is all about the money, after all, they did raise food and beverage costs during the closure!!