Disney World Reopening Update: More Cancellations & June Opening for Universal!
In this Walt Disney World reopening update, we’ll cover the latest meeting by the Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force (which includes a bombshell from Universal Orlando), what came from VP Pence’s meeting with Florida’s hospitality and tourism leaders, and more. It’s been a busy couple of days, so let’s get started!
This was the first meeting of the task force since Governor Ron DeSantis held his press conference last week announcing that Florida would enter “Full Phase 1” of reopening the state’s economy. At that time, DeSantis also indicated that theme parks in Florida could submit their detailed reopening plans (which would require a target opening date) for review and approval.
In the lead-up to today’s Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force meeting, a few Orlando journalists tweeted reports that Walt Disney World, Universal, and SeaWorld would all be presenting their plans, including proposed reopening dates. This was quickly picked up by CNBC and immediately caused a spike in share prices of the Walt Disney Company’s stock. A rep for Disney corrected this–but then further reports emerged that maybe they’d be presenting…
Suffice to say, yesterday was a whirlwind day. In addition to this roller coaster of reveals and walk-backs about whether Walt Disney World would present its target opening date and plans at the Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force meeting, there was also the successful reopening of Disney Springs, plus Vice President Pence’s meeting in Florida, which was attended by representatives from Disney.
Before we get to the good news, let’s start with the bad: more cancellations for Walt Disney World reservations. The second week of June 2020 is now officially out; park hours have been removed from the calendar and cancellation emails have now gone out to those with vacation arrival dates between June 7 and 13, 2020.
This is consistent with Walt Disney World’s standard practice of week by week rolling cancellations. As with all email notifications from Walt Disney World, it’s entirely possible not everyone impacted received one—either check your spam folder or attempt to view the reservation directly on My Disney Experience if you didn’t get an email but should have.
It also squares with Walt Disney World Delaying New Reservations Until July 1, 2020. At this point, it seems like all of the parks and resorts being operational in June is a long shot. It’s entirely possible we’ll see a phased reopening beginning next month given Universal’s bombshell announcement at today’s Orange County Economic Task Force meeting (see below), but the entirety of Walt Disney World being up and running before July still seems like a long-shot.
On the plus side, the reopening of Disney Springs was largely successful. While there were a couple of odd occurrences, the consensus of social media reports was that crowds were far lower than anticipated and the experience was generally pleasant and smooth (despite the heat and humidity).
We were actually shocked to see so many photos of Disney Springs almost entirely devoid of crowds. We expected pent-up demand to last through (at least) the holiday weekend, especially with no turnstiles acting as a monetary barrier to entry. As we noted previously, concerns about crowds were our main motivation for staying home.
Also yesterday was Vice President Mike Pence’s meeting with Governor Ron DeSantis and executives from Florida’s hospitality and tourism businesses. Per media reports, Walt Disney World advised the vice president that they are considering reopening the parks with a 20-30% cap on attendance.
If Disney Springs is any indication, organic demand may limit the number of guests at or below those levels. We’ve been pretty consistent in our belief that the parks would reopen to a short period of pent-up demand from locals before seeing a lull due to a lack of tourists (resulting from a mix of the lag between booking trips and actually traveling, unemployment & economic uncertainty, and lack of demand for a “compromised” guest experience).
The non-existent crowds at Disney Springs has us wondering whether even our pessimistic projections for Walt Disney World’s theme parks are inflated? Perhaps the safety measures and reduced entertainment will significantly suppress demand, even among locals?
Next, let’s jump to the Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force meeting (watch here), where John Sprouls, Chief Administrative Officer, and Rich Costales, Executive Vice President of Resort Operations at Universal Orlando presented the reopening plan for their theme parks, which will begin in early June 2020 in a phased soft opening.
Even if you have zero interest whatsoever in Universal, this is HUGE NEWS! The health protocol plans here are certain to be collaborative in nature between Universal Orlando and Walt Disney World. While some diehard fans of both companies project their own aspersions and view the competitors in an oddly adversarial light, that doesn’t reflect reality.
As you might’ve noticed, the reopening health screening procedures and policies at Universal’s CityWalk and Disney Springs were nearly identical–right down to policies and the specific verbiage on the on the liability disclaimer warnings at the two resorts. While CityWalk opened a week earlier than Disney Springs, we would expect similar timing and policies when it comes to the respective theme parks.
In other words, if Universal is opening at the beginning of June 2020, it’s almost certain that Walt Disney World will begin reopening around the same time or shortly thereafter. There are obviously other variables at play, but it’s not as if Universal’s parks will reopen in June 2020 and Walt Disney World will wait until January 2021. Early July for WDW is now the pessimistic prediction, with the more optimistic scenario being that Magic Kingdom (and maybe 1-2 other parks) opens a week or two after Universal.
Universal Orlando’s plan is to open Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios Florida, and Volcano Bay to team members on June 1 and 2, followed by Annual Passholders on June 3 and 4, and then to the general public on June 5, 2020.
During the presentation, Universal’s executives laid out a “guest journey” (above) that would stress the importance of communication, engaging guests and building confidence to encourage visitation.
Next up, Universal highlighted their preventative measures plan (above), which was put together with government and health official input, consumer research, competitive benchmarking, scenario planning, and demand modeling.
Significantly, Universal stated that masks will be required at all times for employees and guests. They indicated that if a guest arrives without a mask, Universal would provide a disposable mask free of charge.
Other modified practices are identified above, including the elimination of single rider lines, character meet & greets, and parades. Another noteworthy thing is that 3D attractions will still be operational (contrary to rumors), with glasses for those attractions handed out individually.
Universal indicated that social distancing signage and graphics have already been installed throughout both parks (above) so guests know where to stand and where to avoid.
This is similar to what can be found throughout CityWalk (Walt Disney World has a comparable version of the same at Disney Springs).
Following the presentation by the Universal executives, a presentation was made by local health officials who did a field inspection of Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida earlier today.
In summary, the Orange County health officials team had no concerns about Universal’s plan. From there, the full Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force voted on the plan (with Walt Disney World and other ‘conflicted’ members recusing themselves), approving the plan and essentially giving it the green light to proceed to Governor DeSantis.
Given that Governor DeSantis has repeatedly expressed an eagerness to reopen Florida’s theme parks and other attractions, it seems like a foregone conclusion that he will approve of these plans and the June reopening date. (In fact, it’s likely that Universal executives discussed this yesterday before publicly unveiling the plan.)
It’s also noteworthy that Universal Orlando’s plan only addressed the theme parks and not the resorts. However, it is possible to book hotel stays at Universal Orlando beginning June 2, 2020. It’s unclear whether that’s intentional and the hotels simply were not mentioned during the presentation, or an error.
As we’ve stated previously, we think it’s plausible for Walt Disney World’s theme parks to begin reopening before the hotels, which could then follow in waves. Central Florida locals can sustain theme parks (to a degree) and help get the ball rolling there, whereas they will not sustain two dozen-plus hotels. Tourists will take some time to return for a variety of reasons, the most noteworthy of which is that there’s a lag time between booking a trip and actually traveling.
Above is a look at the tentative reopening dates of other Central Florida attractions. Local health officials also conducted field inspections of most or all of these amusement parks and attractions today (May 21, 2020).
During the task force meeting, neither SeaWorld nor Walt Disney World presented reopening plans. It was previously reported that both parks (in addition to Universal) had prepared plans for the review of Mayor Demings, but he didn’t mention that on the call. Moreover, Walt Disney World’s (newly-promoted) President of Signature Experiences Thomas Mazloum did not speak on the call. Regardless, the news that Universal Orlando will be reopening at the beginning of June 2020, and we’re consequently now much more optimistic that Walt Disney World will begin greeting guests before July 2020!
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
Will you be visiting Universal Orlando when those two parks reopen in June, or will you wait? Surprised to see Universal’s three parks reopening at the same time Walt Disney World is cancelling vacation packages? Optimistic that the WDW parks and/or resorts will reopen in July? We welcome a variety of viewpoints here, and will not delete anything on opinion alone. However, we will not tolerate insults, arguing, or politically-charged comments. Don’t ruin a 95% fine comment with an unnecessary cheap shot—that 5% will get it deleted. Additionally, please do not incessantly harp on the same point across multiple comments. Respectfully share your opinion and move along.
Glad to see forward movement from the theme parks. I find it hard though to judge possible attendance related to Disney springs. I mean they open expensive 3rd party stores when numerous people have been out of work plus was during work week. Parks I feel will see more people come than they expect. You just need to open then let country and world see life finds a way and goes on then. Yes I know, Disney who thrives on shoulder to shoulder crowds now has to find a new norm for now, but it only can start by opening the gate. Disney knows how to adapt improvised and overcome.
Isnt volcano boy a water park? How will mask policy be enforced at such parks?
I have wondered that as well. Not sure how well a saggy mask will work or how you will keep a saggy mask up.
Tom, I know I’m asking you for a crystal ball type answer, but in your best guess, do you think Disney (World) is going to require face masks throughout the remainder of the year? I ask because I have a planned trip in Nov with my special needs son, who really wouldn’t understand nor tolerate a mask. I’m thinking I may need to cancel that trip, but would really appreciate your thoughts.
Hi Tom, I was wondering if they’ve explained how the reservation process would work at Disneyland for someone with a Flex Pass. If the date we wanted to go fell on a “reservation required” day for the pass, would we need to make two types of reservations or would a regular reservation serve the purpose for both in that situation? BTW, thanks for all the info about Universal and Disney parks, our family loves going to both 🙂
My family and I have reservations for Disney the beginning of July. I can’t see the resorts being open by then now that universal has announced an opening date and still no word on their resorts. If Disney follows universal studios plans without announcing an opening date (which obviously is going to be later) I’m sure resorts won’t be open by then. I wouldn’t have a problem wearing a mask. I can’t wait to go. I just wish they would let us know sooner rather than later.
All these cry babies whining about wearing a simple face mask, and not going to go to the parks if they have to wear them. I hope they all stay home. That will make for better crowd control, and a better experience.
I’ve heard that when WDW reopens that it will be for Florida residents only. Is this true?
Tom, first thank you for all your updates. You and Sara are awesome. I have been reading comments and I really do wish everyone would get off the face mask issue – I think everyone gets it. There are some that agree and some that don’t but it is what it is. I think everyone is doing the best they can, listening to the doctors and the science, at the same time keeping people safe, having them feel secure even if in some cases it’s a false sense of security. This is unknown territory for all and their have been so many lives lost, businesses that may never recover and jobs that may never be available again to those that are now unemployed.
I think we can all agree if you are lucky enough to be able to even be thinking should I stay or should I go is fortunate in itself as some are trying to figure out how their family is going to be fed. Fear of school come fall is wearing heavy on the minds of most parents, the school year coming abruptly to an end this year is taking its toll on all the kids. Seeing my daughters struggle to keep my grandchildren on top of their work, doing the best they can and I am sorry to say not all teachers are warm and fuzzy as they still receive their paychecks and then some. My grandchildren are struggling, especially one who has OT, speech and sensory issues. The kids are not use to being in lockdown – and although the percentage is small for children in catching this virus, nonetheless, I wouldn’t want one of my own to have to go through it never mind any other child.
I understand everyone has an opinion but all the back and forth isn’t helping. Some of the comments I have read makes me think this is exactly why precautions are being taken and unfortunately with so many opinions/differences of, someone has to take control whether we agree or disagree. Just suppose you have no symptoms but you are a carrier and bring it home to a loved one and they get so ill it causes death – never mind all the others you came in contact with that you don’t know. I worry about my almost 80 year old mom who has a heart condition. I don’t worry about her taking the necessary precautions I worry about the person that she may come in contact with that doesn’t. I miss my son who is in CA, I had planned to leave with my mom in a couple days to visit him, mom who is petrified to fly but she was so looking forward and visa versa to meeting him in Vegas for a couple days then on to San Diego where DL for a day, Seaworld for a day and the San Diego zoo was on the agenda. He is still single and her one and only grandson – she does have young greats. Although he is 37 he watches her like a hawk long distance, sends her masks and gives her a stern talking too when he hears she was out. We miss him – lucky to have my youngest mil daughter and family close by and my oldest daughter and family right down the street. I miss my grandchildren, not being able to hug, kiss them or the occasional sleepover. Two of them brother will be 9 and sister will be 11 have birthdays in a couple days – so many occasions gone by celebrated by drive-bys – 2 more coming up.
I understand, everyone has been caged up but hopefully you have not been touched by losing a family member, close friend to this deadly virus or without one of your loved ones close by.
We too are diehard fans and before this pandemic the love between guests was anything but, some guests were cruel – if anything at all comes of this virus besides a vaccine and treatment – I hope the freedoms we took for granted we can truly appreciate when we get the green light.
Tom, sorry I know I have went on, but what do you think about the thought of Disney discounting their packages in light of all the changes, lack of experiences and frankly all the inconveniences. Would be appropriate, don’t you think? I truly believe Disney will recover and sure would be some well deserved pixie dust they could send out to all the fans.
Please be kind – show respect, share the love. God Bless – stay safe!
Well stated
I am very curious as to whether they are mandating mask wearing for people with disabilities/medical conditions? Our state and many others have a requirement of mask wearing right now with the exception of people with disabilities or medical conditions. My son has a genetic syndrome with high sensory issues and he has not been able to wear a mask at all at this point. This also would fall under the Americans with disabilities act. I have heard no mention of this kind of exception so I am very curious since we are supposed to go in September. Have you heard any news on this?
Heather- I am curious myself. I am deaf relying solely on lipreading for communication – Will Disney have clear masks avail for for cast members to be able to communicate deaf lip readers guests?
This does not fall under ADA since it is a public health issue. Others have posted links and longer explanations but that’s the gist of it. In other words, it’s not about your son but about those around him.
I’m sure Disney’s lawyers would have looked into this very carefully.
Same here. My daughter will not wear one. Doesn’t want anything on her head or face
If your son has a medical issue that may put him in a higher risk category, WHY IN THE WORLD, would you want to bring him to a public place with thousands of other people? (In the first place.)
I definitely agree and if I or any of my children were a CAST member I would be extremlely nervous working in the parks openly exposing myself to tons of germs from all over the place. While the mask is unpleasant and likely not foolproof it feels like a reasonable compromise for those at risk. Im thankful that Disney is trying to balance the safety of their essential CAST while trying to temper the reactions from the public. All in all freedom of choice to visit is a blessing to be grateful for. Glad to comply to ease the concerns of those most affected.
I am currently in FL on vacation, it was originally our Disney Vacation. We went to Disney Springs today, well we tried. Parking was easy and there were very few people. It was the masks in the 96 degree heat. It was so bad my 7 seven year old broke down and cried that he couldn’t breathe any more and in his tears told is that he didn’t like Disney anymore. It was unbearable with the heat and and the sweat. We left after an hour
I am an ER nurse, I am use to wearing a mask daily in my line of work. However I do that in an air-conditioned building not outdoors in the sun and humidity.
I understand Disney and Universal wanting to and having the right to demand mask usage but for me and my family we will not try this again anytime soon.
NOTE:
I understand the need for some people to believe that masks are for safety, but know the truth. The masks that 99% of people are wearing DO NOT stop the virus. Even the cotton handmade ones. People wear them wrong and touch them constantly with their hands. Also the material fibers they are made of will not stop the molecular dropplets. It is clearing printed on every mask box.
Emjay, I am sorry to hear about your experience but am glad you posted exactly what I have been saying also. I have been a respiratory therapist for 28 years and as you do, I also have to wear a mask for 12 hours a day. Even in an air conditioned hospital it is miserable. It won’t take long for people to realize the whole face mask thing isn’t going to work in the FL heat. You are so correct about the improper use of the masks by most people and they touch their faces way more than if they just didn’t wear one.
The mask is not there to stop you from contracting the virus. Its intent is to limit the amount of virus that escapes an infected persons body. Just like when you see sick people in a hospital wearing a mask. The doctor gave it to them so that they don’t spread their sickness to others. If you are truly a nurse you should know this. Yes, I understand that more than half the people in the world only read headlines and never investigate anything. So I am sure that there are people who think it is the other way around. That is their ignorance, or stupidity for not wanting to know the truth.
My husband is an ER pediatrician. tHE masks do help prevent spread. Proper use is critical but so is washing hands. I cannot imagine walking a child (or anyone) around in 96 degree heat and humidity under any circumstances much less during a pandemic. It is uncomfortable, sticky, sweaty and unpleasant.
I agree with you about the mask issue. I am an OR nurse and also wear a mask daily at work but as you stated it is in an air conditioned area. I understand the need for masks and the drawback that the cloth masks don’t provide adequate protection, not to dispute or not. I also understand that Disney and other parks have to respect and prepare for the safety of cast members and guests. That being said, I love the summer but often have some challenges with the Florida heat in July. I can speak for myself that if maskscare required, I won’t be able to tolerate it at least during the very hot months. I fear my trip will have to be rescheduled, I just hope that my money/reservations won’t be lost completely. I know Disney will be fine when we are able to go but the airfare (changes/cancellations) and park tickets that I bought from a 3rd party(military base)fear they will expire.
While I realize that Disney et al are private companies and have the power to set a mask requirement, my family and I won’t go if masks are required. We enjoy theme parks, resorts, and Disney Springs, but not enough to put up with masks. I’m sure we aren’t alone in that. If they choose to require masks, then I hope those willing to wear them have a magical time and come in numbers sufficient to support the businesses until such a time that masks are no longer required.
Maybe we will have to wait, if masks are required. Or maybe suck it up and visit Universal. Any word on Sea World?
nice attitude Scott 🙂
My family has been saving up for 2 years to take the best trip to WDW with our kids and two weeks after we booked a condo outside of the parks and got our plane tickets this all hit. If I cancel either of those I lose money. I really wish I was confident that our trip starting Sept 24th was going to happen. As a family we have discussed it and we are happy to wear masks and take precautions but we have agreed that we aren’t willing to sacrifice certain parks and rides. So if all the parks aren’t open, we won’t be going. We saved too long to take a trip that isn’t what we wanted. Fingers crossed for the best!!
What about the opening of the Vero Beach Resort? It is never mentioned, our family is flying in from Washington State and we have reservations there for a week . If I have to make other plans it would be nice to know now!
I’d think you’d have to call the Vacation Club directly to talk with them about VB.
I’d like to chime in and add that it’s very possible cast members WANT guests to wear masks. If we all want the parks to open as soon and safely as possible, perhaps it would be a good idea to respect the cast members that could quite possibly be putting their lives on the line to make sure you have the most magical experience possible. The griping about masks is getting old. I feel very sorry for the cast members being charged to enforce this rule.
I’m very curious to see what happens. June 21st check in for my family. Will it happen? Who knows! Be safe everyone and take care.
Thank you for your thoughtful, kind response! It is sad that some folks can’t seem to think of anything but themselves.
I am also getting tired of all the pseudo- scientists with their rants about masks not being effective. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. We are in an unusual situation and real scientists are learning more each day. Keep up or keep your lack of knowledge to yourself.
Thank you for the information. I have a trip planned in September. While I’m not a fan is wearing masks, and I usually don’t, if those are the rules, then those are the rules. Disney and Universal as a private business, have the understandable right to require whatever safety precautions they determine need to be in place. I’ll happily wear a mask if it’s worth my time and money. Hopefully by September most attractions will be operational, and will make my trip enjoyable. . I only hope the mask restrictions don’t become permanent.
I had a reservation next weekend at a Disney Springs hotel and a dinner reservation at Wine Bar George. I canceled both. I understand people’s concerns but I don’t want to visit Disney wearing a mask.
I’m in the DVC and have reservations for September. I’m honestly less concerned about safety measures, reduced attractions and uncomfortable masks than about irate tourists.
Nothing ruins the atmosphere more than watching some entitled guest berate a CM for just doing their job. I’ve seen it in better times, and I fear it will be worse now.
I’d like to think guests will be considerate, but sadly that has not been my experience.
Completely agree! Hate witnessing that kind of behavior! I agree that with all the debate on masks coupled with summer heat that will be a frequent occurrence. I feel so bad for all staff dealing with that! I work with the public and know what that feels like…
This was my first thought too – so many people are complaining about wearing masks in stores for just a few minutes – After a whole day in the hot park, how many people will pull it down under their chins and fly off the handle when a cast member asks them to please cover their face? (I understand the complaints – they aren’t comfortable and research of effectiveness is all over the place) – but this is where we are and what we need to do to get the economy going again. We can be good sports about it and if it makes you mad, don’t go. I think all guests should sign a “I promise to be kind to everyone and not complain” clause. Wouldn’t that be nice? â¤ï¸
Best news I’ve heard in weeks!! â¤ï¸
While I realize that Disney et al are private companies and have the power to set a mask requirement, my family and I won’t go if masks are required. We enjoy theme parks, resorts, and Disney Springs, but not enough to put up with masks. I’m sure we aren’t alone in that. If they choose to require masks, then I hope those willing to wear them have a magical time and come in numbers sufficient to support the businesses until such a time that masks are no longer required.
I’m concerned about how reopening with heavy restrictions and minimal capacities will affect APs. I tried to make Disney take a stand on this, and the phone rep finally said that, even if the parks open at a low percentage capacity, only to FL residents, only to resort guests, or whatever the restriction may be – the Pass days start ticking down again the second they say “We’re Open.” Let that sink in for a minute.
The rep on the phone would not be privy to that information–they are making a guess.
A guess that, I might add, directly contradicts Disney’s policy at Shanghai Disneyland. I’m not saying Walt Disney World will take the same approach–just that we don’t know yet, and the only precedent is for the clock to NOT start ticking down during the reservation period.
We have the Premier Pass and live in California. My fear is that my pass days will start ticking down when Florida opens even though Disneyland is still closed. I have tried to find out how this will be handled, but have been unable to so far.
The amount of people complaining about not wanting to go back to Disney (whether it’s the parks for Disney Springs) solely because it’s inconvenient to wear a mask is truly astounding and frankly, disappointing. It’s Florida, it’s hot, I get it – but we’ve all been dealing with increased security protocols on airplanes for almost 20 years because of extraordinary circumstances to help people safe. World events happen and we adapt – there are worse things.
The problem with saying that you accept the culpability and would rather not wear a mask is that the mask is not for your own protection. It is so you don’t infect others.
Saw several people saying this kind of thing and just wanted to put my two cents in.
I am pro-mask –we live in the epicenter, NYC–bit I also don’t think it sounds like fun to wear for a full day in the parks in summer. We usually do the pin trading event in August but we figure that will likely be canceled anyhow…
I would like to echo this point. The masks people are wearing (outside of N95, n9, or n100 respirators) are NOT to protect the wearer from Covid. It’s to protect others from wearer. So if everyone wears a mask, regardless of the grade of the mask, the likelihood of spewing viral particles into the air or onto your hands or on the person next to you is mitigated. The Covid virus is too small to be filtered by a typical surgical or cloth mask (according to the specs a single viral particle wouldn’t even be filtered by an N95) but the larger clusters of particles that would be coming from your mouth and nose when you breathe, cough, sneeze or talk would be captured on inside your mask. You want to trap those at the source. I see many debating whether or not they care about themselves or wanting to take the risk of not wearing a mask. But wearing these masks is not about the wearer it’s about everyone else. If you don’t wear your mask you not endangering yourself, you are potentially endangering everyone else.
That being said I totally understand why someone would not want to wear a mask all day in the heat at Disney. I would say to those people wait it out. I would wear a mask if I went “today” and even with the mask at this point I wouldn’t go.
Unfortunately for Disney I think they are going to get hit on both ends of that spectrum. I would expect demand to be exceedingly low. Maybe I’m being a pessimist.
I wish there were a concise way of conveying this to skeptics, many of whom are still citing studies that analyzed mask efficacy for the wearer (in isolation).
As you point out, this isn’t that. It’s about protecting others by reducing the spread/reach of aerosolized particles contained in the mask wearer’s breath. Same idea as sneezing into your elbow.
Thank you for laying this out so concisely. I’m very frustrated by all the people who want to argue about how effective masks are in protecting the wearer when that’s not the point at all. It’s really nice to see it communicated so well.