Disney World Officially Closed Indefinitely
Walt Disney World has announced an extension to the current closure of Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios plus its Florida hotels past spring break and through at least mid-April 2020 due to the current public health crisis.
The current plan is for Walt Disney World to remain closed “until further notice.” Disney also has specifically indicated that it will continue to pay parks and resorts hourly Cast Members through April 18, 2020. This does not mean that the parks will reopen after that date, but we’re assuming they will remain closed until at least then. That means Easter and what’s left of remaining spring breaks are off the table, which is probably for the best in terms of containment.
We cover pretty much everything you need to know in our Walt Disney World Closure FAQ, including why you might not want to call Disney right now, and more. Here, we’ll offer some additional insight and thoughts on reopening, including why this extension should not come as any surprise for a number of reasons…
It’s unclear what this means in terms of cancellations, modifying reservations, and rebooking. DisneyWorld.com’s notice has been modified in several spots, and now reads: “If no action is taken by you before your check-in date for arrivals during the closure period, Disney will automatically cancel your reservation within 7 days of the original check-in date and process any refund due to the original form of payment.”
However, since the “closure period” is now presently undefined, this presumably means that auto-cancellations will simply occur on a rolling basis a week before check-in. Several readers have reported issues with Walt Disney World issuing refunds during this process, so we’d recommend being proactive about it.
Unfortunately, the phone lines are jammed and the website has slowed to a crawl, so you might want to give it a few days (if possible) before doing anything. Walt Disney World’s updated notice also indicates that they will “soon…share additional options for booking and modifying vacations.” (We’d love to hear firsthand feedback in the comments regarding phone hold times and success/failure in canceling, modifying, and rebooking!)
This comes after frustrated fans and Cast Members complained that Walt Disney World had been dragging its feet on extending the closure. It was a foregone conclusion that this was going to occur several days ago due to stay at home orders being issued at the county level. Despite this, Disney held off on extending, due to rumored strifes with local unions.
Prior to this, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings issued a stay-at-home order took effect on March 26 and lasts through at least April 9, 2020. This will require the county’s 1.3 million residents to only leave home for essential business, plus grocery store, takeout food, or pharmacy trips. People are allowed to exercise outside, but are discouraged from doing so in groups.
Officials for Osceola County likewise issued a similar order. These two counties are home to Walt Disney World, effectively forcing the parks and resorts–as non-essential businesses–to stay closed until at least that time. Both counties have indicated that the stay at home order is at least through April 9, 2020 and will be reevaluated thereafter.
After considerable criticism last weekend (including a scathing editorial in the Miami Herald), Florida Governor Ron DeSantis requested the federal government issue a Major Disaster Declaration in Florida to free up additional resources for fighting the outbreak. However, Governor DeSantis has not issued a statewide stay-at-home order like those imposed in California, New York, Illinois, and other states.
The number of cases in Florida has exploded, which follows media coverage showing crowded beaches and cringe-worthy interviews during the state’s lucrative spring break season. It’s too soon to say whether the state government is starting to treat this seriously, but at least it’s starting to occur on a local level.
At present, Florida now has 2,900 cases, including 34 deaths. There are 156 cases in Orange County, which has recorded three deaths. These numbers have roughly quadrupled since last weekend. Additionally, a fifth TSA worker at Orlando International Airport has tested positive.
However, it should be noted that the actual number of infections is undoubtedly higher as Florida is still in the process of ramping up testing and there are still over 1,000 pending tests.
Florida’s population is more vulnerable than most of the United States, especially considering that over 20% of the state’s 21.5 million residents are over 65 and have a heightened risk of dying.
Between that and its status as a hub for global tourism, it would thus stand to reason that Florida and Walt Disney World would be particularly diligent in battling the outbreak, and err on the side of caution. (For our part, we are certainly not eager for Walt Disney World to reopen any time soon. As much as we might love the place, we value health and safety more.)
Prior to Disney’s announcement, Universal Orlando extended their closure through April 19, 2020. This includes Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, Volcano Bay, and CityWalk. The Universal Orlando Resort hotels have also temporarily suspended operations.
“For now, we must make the health and safety of our guests and team members our top priority and we will continue to take guidance from health agencies and government officials,” a statement from Universal reads.
These extended closures also follow an announcement from runDisney that the 2020 Star Wars Rival Run Weekend that was scheduled for April 16-19, 2020 at Walt Disney World has been cancelled out of an abundance of caution. RunDisney indicated that because the races use local medical professionals and first responders to monitor and treat runners, this will free up those resources for more critical needs during this time.
All participants for the Star Wars Rival Run Weekend who purchased their registrations will receive a refund for their race registration, commemorative merchandise, ChEAR Squad, and processing fee. RunDisney reports that on-sale dates for future races will be adjusted, and more information will be shared soon. (The Disneyland Paris Princess Run scheduled for May 8-10, 2020 has also been cancelled.)
These closure extensions come after Walt Disney World closed all resorts in Florida at the end of last week. In addition to WDW hotels, two standalone Disney Vacation Club properties, Vero Beach Resort and Hilton Head Island Resort, are also now closed.
Walt Disney World has also Disney Springs and virtually all other facilities around Florida. To our knowledge, the only venues that remain open are Disney’s Palm, Magnolia, Oak Trail, and Lake Buena Vista Golf Courses plus FootGolf. (So, you can still get your “Disney fix” if you like to golf!)
This news also comes after it was revealed that all construction has stopped at Walt Disney World. With these projects halted, plus all hotels and Disney Springs shuttered, it’s no surprise that the parks are remaining closed for a longer period.
By way of recap, Shanghai Disney Resort closed two months ago, followed shortly thereafter by Hong Kong Disneyland. Tokyo Disney Resort was the next two close–initially for two weeks, with an indefinite extension and delay of Beauty and the Beast land’s grand opening following that. On the heels of that extension, the closures of Disneyland Paris, Disneyland in California, and Walt Disney World were all announced.
Shanghai Disneyland is in the process of resuming operations, but the parks have not yet reopened.
We should reiterate that the extension of the closure does not establish a reopening date. Do not expect the parks to magically reopen on April 19, 2020. That’s simply the earliest foreseeable date that the parks and resorts could reopen in light of this news. We’re anticipating the closer lasting longer than that, and hesitate to estimate as to an end date. Cases in the United States (and Florida in particular) have yet to peak.
Walt Disney World and Disneyland are both taking an incremental approach to these closures, announcing something near-term with the intention of reevaluating the situation in a couple of weeks and making a determination about reopening then.
That approach is easier to manage, as it prevents a slew of cancellations all at once that could have the potential to overwhelm Disney’s websites and call centers. It also projects optimism to the public, who may be otherwise wary about planning trips for later this year.
In short, there are a number of reasons to be conservative with Disney issuing closure dates right now, even though internally, there’s a sense that the actual closure duration will extend what’s publicly been confirmed. As a corollary to this, do not expect call center Cast Members to have any insight as to when the parks will actually reopen. They are not privy to any insider information. They receive these updates at the same time they’re released to the general public.
Ultimately, that’s all we have right now. I really wish we had a credible reopening date we could point towards as being definitive, or even a timeframe that’s likely. As we’ve said before, this is an incredibly fluid and dynamic situation, with things evolving by the hour, and the extent of closures and shutdowns continuing to worsen rather than improve.
We remain hopeful that Walt Disney World will reopen by sometime in May 2020, but we’re no longer optimistic of that actually happening. Again, we would much rather that Disney take the cautious and conservative approach, resuming operations once this is under control. Prioritizing health and safety should be the goal here, especially given the nature of theme parks.
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
Are you surprised that Walt Disney World is extending its closure? Will this impact your upcoming spring or summer vacation plans? Did you cancel your WDW trip prior to this announcement, or were you in ‘wait and see’ mode? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions? 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!
Tom, I have a trip planned for late October (whew!) and am wondering if the Advance Dining Reservations system is still up and running; I am about a month away from being able to start that process. Thanks!
We have a trip scheduled in September, and our 180-day mark was two weeks ago. It happened to also be the day that everything started to close. Nevertheless, on that day I was able to enter our ADRs with no problem. It surely win’t hurt to try making your ADRs. You can always change them later, if necessary. Best wishes!
Thanks, Diana! I hope that we can both enjoy our trips.
Since this is unprecedented, I am curious what they have to do with restarting rides, and to rooms that may have been vacant for perhaps quite awhile. I assume that will factor into reopening dates too depending how long they are actually closed. Which I hope is not long….
Thanks for keeping us posted
Has there been any updates for Disneyland?
Booked a trip for April 9-14. Booked another trip for July 6 -12 as soon as everything went sideways. Called on Monday, minimum wait time, and had April reservation modified to July. All took about 10 minutes (or maybe less). Now keeping fingers crossed that we. An go in July…???
Keep em crossed but ask yourself this: How is Disney going to guarantee that the virus does not go hog wild on their properties? Given that the entire planet is dealing with this. How can you ensure someone from a different country does not bring it in? When you start looking at the larger picture, Disney will not be opening for quite some time. It is a place designed for thousands of people to be around one another. They is not going to happen any time in the near future. Until the world starts vaccinating and even then no guarantee. So, July 2020? Unlikely.
Bill, lets be honest, you don’t know any more about what’s going to happen in the future than anyone else. Heck, nobody is sure what’s happening in the next two weeks, let alone by July. Don’t be such a downer to someone just holding on to some hope.
Robert, it is not being a downer but a realist. Do keep hope and plan but all you need to do is look at New York. That’s all I need to know. Just everyone needs to do their thing and we will all be good.
Just got off the phone to cancel our Riveria stay and Villian Night tickets. The first took only 5 minutes to cancel, the second had to be transferred as the cast member said she didn’t know they would be closed past the 31st of March. The second cast member handled it, no questions asked.
I just feel bad for the cast members who were in the dark and just trying to do their job. Be kind, they’re learning what’s going on just like we are….
Well said Tom! I feel like this was pretty much what most of us were expecting at this point. Personally I am annoyed that Disney, as you stated, has “been dragging their feet” about all this; I totally get that things are chaotic right now, but I feel that they owe it to us as a community to communicate what their plans are (even if they can change in response to changes in the current situation) given that our lives are affected by their closure too. As FL resident and AP, I was planning on going to the FGF in the middle of April and again in June to get my magnets (and of course to explore the festival itself), but I doubt that will be happening now (at least going in April). Also, I know that it is already a hot topic for APs, but I really think that Disney, now more than ever, should be mailing magnets to passholders because it’s not fair that a bunch of people won’t be able to get the FGF magnets (particularly the Donald Duck and Spike the Bee magnet) because Disney is closed. I realize that magnets and keeping AP happy is really not that important in the grand scheme of things going on in the world now (I acknowledge that people and their health/wellbeing is always the most important thing), but Disney is a company and they need to remember that their customers (especially their loyal ones) matter too and that the least they could do is meet us half way. What do you guys think?
Maybe instead of worrying about magnets, Disney could use of their clout to help purchase ventilators for the millions of Americans that are about to need them.
Really, you think that Disney should be responsible for purchasing ventilators? State government needs to deal with those issues NOT companies. And it is not millions, Check the CDC website instead of putting out false info.
Paul live in denial if you like. Look at New York alone! Wake up buddy. And yes, Disney can do its part just like many other companies that have nothing to do with health care are. Example, Bauer, makers of hockey equipment, are now making protective visors for medical staff. State governments? You’re kidding right? lol
Very well said Bill! Stay safe!
Look at the bright side. We’ve all got a 5yr supply of toilet tissue!
Shades of Green has extended their closure until May 15. Don’t know if that may be an indication of what Disney may be anticipating.
I am a Florida resident and passholder and I’m proud of the caution with which our governor is handling this situation. With the cases being concentrated in metropolitan areas, there is no need to further cripple our state’s economy by mandating a statewide shutdown. That is a decision which needs to be made by each county based on each individual situation. It is not a sign that he is not taking it seriously.
Dawn, if you look around the world, those that shut it all down asap are the ones doing better with their curves. Don’t kid yourself, this virus is not just in the metropolitan areas. The sooner everyone gets on board, the better chance they have. The feds dropped the ball by not taking this more seriously in February.
Also schools are being closed for the year already up in provinces in Canada where the situation is not even remotely as bad as it is developing here. Get ready. Trump can insult everyone he wants, but that will not make the virus disappear.
That makes sense from an economic viewpoint. However, given the way viruses spread, it is not in the best interest of our population from a health viewpoint.
Dawn, I’m sorry to tell you that anything short of mandatory shelter in place, only essential businesses are permitted to remain open is an irresponsible response from your governor. This type of response, and those Americans who support it, puts more and more Americans at risk of getting sick and worse. American lives are far more important than your economy.
I had a trip planned for last weekend, March 20-22. After the initial closure was announced, my phone wouldn’t even dial Disney’s number. I cancelled my hotel online and my refund was back in my account within several days. I did call Disney about 4 days after the closure announcement to ask some questions about the 1 day ticket I had purchased and my call only took 9 minutes from start to finish. Very pleased with the experience!
We have had no trouble getting hold of anyone on phone and just small delays on website. We cancelled our April trip and have rebooked for May, June and Sept thinking one of them should work!
Donna try September or October unless the country can get this curved, which at this point that is not looking good, at all.
If you dig down into their announcement and click on Resort Rooms and Packages you will see that you can cancel or modify reservations booked through June 30. I went online, went to My Plans, clicked cancel and 100% of my booking costs for my spring break trip were refunded.
My boyfriend works for Busch Gardens, Tampa. Just got the word. He is “furloughed indefinitely.” We pretty much knew it was coming, same as Disney World (a dear friend works at WDW) but I still feel like GULP! I hope all of you are well and we’ll get through this. Thank you for this site. It’s a ray of sunshine in a difficult time.
If you used DVC points and your “DVC points year” ends before you want to travel, they DO NOT put them back in your account. You LOSE your points for that year. That’s what is so bad about this
Hi Tom!
Thank you for the update. I’m a cast member learning of the extension from you. Lol.
Disney can’t reopen until numbers are significantly down. I’m betting on June…
i just found out the most disturbing news…i had reservations using DVC points for mid-April. I called DVC after today’s news to reschedule my trip and was told that even though the parks are closed i needed to use my points before the end of my points year–which they told me translates to I LOSE all my points because my DVC points year is probably before the park reopens.
Is this true?! This means i lose hundreds of points because they’re closed but they say (with a straight face) that since i can’t use them before my points year is up–too bad?!
That’s definitely not fair! I’m sorry to hear that Mike.
No. I don’t think that’s right. You should be able to bank your points into the next year. Email member services or call.
I called two different cast members and they said Disney’s position is that if you didn’t bank them by my bank date (in January) I would lose the points. They were emphatic and each person mirrored what the other said, so the story is consistent-if horrible outcome.
Well then DVC is about to get a shitstorm of a fight and legal battle from many owners. I think they are obviously concerned that if they lax the rules, there will be so many banked points that it will cause a backlog for a couple of years. Tough for them not for the owner. Ultimately, you could try the rental market but without this thing ending any time soon (read months not weeks) it is going to be hard.
I have rented points for a reservation in early May which I assume will be canceled. I have until Sept to bank those points, so I will probably bank them to avoid your situation and offer the people to book for 2021.
I have said all along China ran about two and one half months. I am going with mid June this whole thing will have run it’s course.
China enacted much tougher rules than the us has in regards to quarantine. For instance Covid19 patients were separated from their families as soon as they were found to be positive (getting same day results). In the US they are supposed to self quarantine in their own homes. We are not being as tough and it will translate to a longer, more severe outbreak. I’m hopeful that things will turn around by Memorial Day, but it really depends on whether individuals can even comply with current recommendations.
They should just cancel now through to May 1st and evaluate every 2 weeks moving forward. The US is now the epicenter of the virus. Unless it can be planked, nothing remotely like Disneyworld will be re-opening any time soon. Months not weeks now. Stay safe!
Curious as to how they will do cancellations. Maybe on a two week ahead rolling basis ?
That’s a good point because we have a trip scheduled in May so I would like to know what we’re supposed to do. We kinda want Disney World to cancel on us so we don’t incur any cancellation fees. We also need to figure out our flights too.
While you are waiting, make sure you read whatever fine print of the kind of vacation you booked. There are many different variations each having it’s own ruled. If you have a “package” it is usually 30 days before arrival to cancel with no fees. After you read those details and find out what applies to you MARK THOSE DATES ON YOUR CALENDAR, and assume it will take you a couple of days if you have to call anyone. RE: flights -is it part of a package or stand-alone?
start learning what your airline is doing now too. Each one seems to have different policies. Be prepared. You don’t want to find out that you need to do something by March 31 and be kicking yourself later. For example Delta was doing certain things through March 31.
I think Joyce in the comments above makes an excellent point about it taking 90 days in China. And Florida (and some other states) has not clamped down hard on this yet. Ask yourself, if it is an early May trip do you really want to go? And have to keep worrying about it getting cancelled? Or would it be better to pick an alternate day.? Everyone is different in their flexibility and schedules and such. Their is no right answer, just alternatives. It is almost 30 days NOW out from May 1 if you have a 30 day deadline-just saying! Read the fine print and be prepared. Do your homework now-it totally depends how you booked it.
It will pay off and have a plan B of some kind.
This is all a very murky picture. People should understand that the amount of testing is enormously larger than it was previously, so they will be catching a lot more active cases including a great number that are mild in effect. So a quadrupling if active cases wouldn’t be surprising if the number of tests has quadrupled, as well. Until they deploy a test that will yield immediate results, ( and at least one is in the works) It will be very difficult to get an accurate picture of where this disease is. It would be particularly useful to know how many people have COVID-19 antibodies to forecast the future expected cases of the disease.
Social distancing is the only thing that has been shown to plank the curve in other countries. People in this country need to get on board, otherwise see you some time in 2021.
Well given the unknown that we are all facing, I do think that Disney is doing the best that they can right now. I think that they are working on a plan regarding DVC members and any lost points. They have to understand the financial impact to the dedicated members. For those of you affected, you might be surprised sooner than later. I hope I’m not wrong and Disney step up. Think of the meetings and discussions they are having to plan for the unknown.
So…cancel our April 13-19th trip, huh? I was waiting for the official confirmation before doing it.
Yes cancel. Re-book for 2021 if you want to be sure. Forget about April, May, June, July, and August. Take a look at what is actually happening in this country and beyond. Do not panic but get on board to help curve this damn thing.
@Mike with all that’s going on related to the virus, i.e. husband laid off, kids off school, now remote learning starting this week, I was just waiting for the official confirmation to cancel because that’s just how I can mentally do it. We have no intentions of traveling anytime soon. I live in NYC, the epicenter, and we’re not even going outside much less thinking of traveling, so I know this is serious. I pushed Disney to the side in my head dealing with the other stuff keeping in mind deadlines to cancel and now that I see they are extending their closure, it’s my trigger to cancel. It coincides with my 2-week-cancellation-before-trip plan too. Next is our Carnival cruise, they said they were going to let us know if they were going to extend their closure today then pushed it to Monday. Everyone is just jerking us around. Airlines are another story. If they cancel we can get our cash back, if we cancel before that, we only get a future cruise credit.
Understood. Suggestion, just cancel them if you can to avoid the cat and mouse. You couldn’t pay me to go on a cruise given how they have been breeding grounds for this virus. I am sorry you are in New York but do take care. Disney will be waiting for all us when this comes to an end.