Disney World Cancels Fall Events & Introduces New Festival
Since the announcement that Walt Disney World’s theme parks would begin to reopen on July 11, it’s been one seismic change after another, from shortened hours to a reservations system for park entry.
The biggest of which has undoubtedly been that All Reservations Will Be Cancelled—Free Dining, Restaurants, FastPass+ & Dining Plan. Unsurprisingly, that was just the first of many ‘modifications’ for the upcoming Walt Disney World theme park experience.
Walt Disney World has now shared an update regarding special events for this summer and fall season at both Magic Kingdom and Epcot. Let’s start with the good news, which concerns the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival…
For this year, Epcot is introducing a modified festival experience, which will be Walt Disney World’s longest festival ever: “A Taste of EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival!”
This new take on the foodie festival will debut July 15, 2020 (same date Epcot reopens) and continue through the fall (no end date has been set), offering over 20 signature global marketplaces like Hawaii, Hops & Barley, and Islands of the Caribbean, spaced out around World Showcase and Future World.
If you’ve ever imagined a world where the floral fun of Flower & Garden is sprinkled in with the global goodies of Food & Wine, here’s your chance. In addition to Food & Wine Festival cuisine, guests will be able to see Walt Disney World’s newest topiary, Remy, in the France pavilion and find Flower & Garden merchandise.
For scavenger hunt fans, Remy’s Ratatouille Hide and Squeak scavenger hunt returns. And stay tuned as Food & Wine merchandise joins the fun later on after the festival begins.
Unfortunately, in an effort to accommodate proper physical distancing, Walt Disney World will not be able to host the “Eat to the Beat” concerts this year (or “Garden Rocks,” for that matter).
There will be plenty of music to enjoy at America Gardens Theatre with local EPCOT entertainment such as Mariachi Cobre, the JAMMitors and more. These fan favorites will spread out their performances throughout the day, giving audiences more options to enjoy them.
While assessing Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, it was determined that many of that special event’s iconic entertainment–including stage shows, parades, fireworks, and meet & greets–are unable to take place in this unprecedented environment with proper physical distancing and without significant modifications.
With that in mind, Walt Disney World has made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. Additionally, Disney H2O Glow Nights, the nighttime special ticket event at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon, will not take place for the remainder of 2020. Guests who have already bought tickets to these events will be assisted with refunds over the coming weeks.
Looking ahead to the holiday season, this may spark questions about Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays, which includes the Candlelight Processional. Both of those events will likewise need to accommodate physical distancing, which will be a tough task.
Walt Disney World is monitoring health developments and the current environment closely, and will make a decision on these events as more is learned from government and health officials. Walt Disney World’s goal is to explore every option and look at ways in which we can still host events and festivals full of Disney magic, while still operating responsibly with the health and safety of our guests and cast members in mind.
In terms of commentary, there’s not a ton to add here. “A Taste of EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival” comes as a surprise to us, but it shouldn’t.
Prior to the reopening announcement, we made several comments about Epcot potentially not reopening until the start of Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival; that’s the most lucrative time of year for the park and the summer is slow by comparison. We were, frankly, shocked that Epcot would reopen in mid-July.
It never dawned on us that Epcot might simply opt to not take down the decorations and food booths from the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival, switch up the branding and menus a bit, and effectively extend that event.
It’s probably a bit disingenuous to call this “A Taste of EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival” and not “Epcot Flower & Garden Festival: Midsommar Edition” but it’s also a really savvy move on Walt Disney World’s part. Major props to whoever thought of this. (Knowing my luck, the menus will be all new, and those Outdoor Kitchen booth reviews I wrote right before the parks closed will remain obsolete.)
As for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, it’s disappointing news but an inevitability and the right move for guests. With only one month between the Magic Kingdom reopening and the first Halloween Party, this was pretty much a foregone conclusion.
We anticipate a lot of negative feedback in response to this decision. However, the guest satisfaction would’ve taken a more serious hit if Walt Disney World cut all of the major entertainment but still sold $100+ tickets to an event that almost certainly would’ve been a shadow of its normal self.
While we were intrigued about what Walt Disney World might offer as replacement entertainment, that’s us speaking as diehard fans who have attended dozens of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Parties over the years.
For first-timers or guests who simply don’t know what to expect, cancelling is without question the right thing to do here. Before getting too upset, just consider how mad you’d be had you paid money to attend what probably would’ve ended up being a cash-grab event. Hopefully the event will be able to return bigger and better in 2021.
As for the Christmas events, we’d expect Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party to be cancelled unless things change in a hurry. The same things that make the Halloween Party a non-starter–stage shows, parades, fireworks, and meet & greets–are also what makes the cancellation of that likely.
On the plus side, time is in Walt Disney World’s favor here. Things could change dramatically between now and November (as unlikely as that might seem right now) or Walt Disney World’s creative minds could start working overtime on alternative entertainment that better spreads out crowds and is of a high caliber. We’re not holding our breath, but it’s definitely a possibility.
As for Candlelight Processional, we fully expect that to happen–even if at 33% of normal capacity–because those dining packages are such a money-maker. (EDIT: Totally forgot about the mass choir when making this “prediction” and was only thinking about the audience. With that in mind, it seems less likely.)
On the other hand, they cancelled another big money-maker in the Disney Dining Plan, but that seemed like more of a panicked decision while scrambling to iron things out for reopening. With several months between now and Candlelight Processional, there might be sufficient time to come up with a suitable plan to make that work. That’s just our prediction, though. We’ll keep you posted on further developments as we hear them!
If you have questions about the closure, including policy changes and what we know thus far, please consult our Walt Disney World Reopening FAQ & Info, which should answer most inquiries. See our other WDW Closure & Reopening Updates for the latest news. If you’re planning a Walt Disney World trip, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know.
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think of ‘A Taste of EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival’? Lame that they’re essentially extending Flower & Garden and rebranding it, or a clever and fun hybrid of the two events? Are you disappointed by the cancellation of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, or do you think it’s the right decision? Do you have plans to visit Walt Disney World this summer or fall, or will you hold off until 2021 or beyond? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? 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!
As of Saturday, June 20th, face masks will be mandatory in Orange County. The numbers in Florida are rapidly increasing, while Disney is desperately trying to find safe ways to reopen their hotels and theme parks. I really don’t think it’s possible. Argue all you want, the virus will be the winner here.
Disney is removing many magical experiences, yet not offering lower prices. And all those new rules. Sounds more like a job you hate to go to than it does a vacation. I honestly don’t think Disney will reopen, simply based upon rising numbers and careless people. And if it does reopen, barring a miracle, I think it will close again. Hope I’m wrong.
I’m really happy they are having a festival, even if it’s only half. If the menus are all new, even better.
While some of the concerts were cool, it’s more often been a bust for the dates we’ve been there so no big deal to me.
And I love that shot of Imagination over the water!
A bit confused about the “new” Food & Wine festival. Lots of people eating and drinking while walking around…with no masks! Seems to contradict the safety protocols Disney has set.
No worries. Disney will sell you a mask with a stay implanted within a hole in the middle. It’ll cost $29.99. Maybe with a characters mouth on the mask so you can look like stitch drinking …. coffee. It’s coffee. That’s all.
Straw. Not stay.
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Have they made any decisions on run Disney events? I don’t see how they could possibly make this work, but I haven’t seen anything confirming that. We are signed up for the Wine and Dine, so just wondering how they might be handling the cancellation of that if you had any thoughts or had heard anything.
This looks like a good pivot to support the traditional guests in EPCOT, including annual pass holders who just want to relax around the world. All this while the NBA and MLS use the rest of the facilities for three months straight as a conference center. Personally, it makes me nervous that WDW might lose interest in making memories after it tastes the massive profit of conference business. Three months of daily corporate rates sounds exhausting but conversely, a huge $$ haul. It would take a lot for Disney to do terribly. Is this end of the nuclear family once in a lifetime trips, romantic moments and fun weekends? I hope to be proven wrong, but the bottom line affects WDW. Part of me hopes it’ll be slightly awkward for the sports teams so Disney nerds can circle back in revelry after October. At the very least, I am happy to see the end of the ADR/FP+ era and the dawn of a virtual queue life.
“Personally, it makes me nervous that WDW might lose interest in making memories after it tastes the massive profit of conference business.”
Disney has been tasting these massive profits for the last several years. The entire reason Gran Destino was built was for conference crowds. Disney Meetings and special events (including ESPN Wide World of Sports youth stuff) have been a huge growth area for Walt Disney World since the Great Recession.
I 100% understand why WDW cancelled the Halloween party. But since we prepaid for a party of seven many months ago why am I finding this out through your blog and not through WDW? When I called the customer service number I was told we would be issued a refund in 6-9 weeks?! Yet we were charged the day we booked.
This is not acceptable. They should have informed their paying guests before releasing this information to the public.
Not so magical.
Disney likes interest free loans. Your money is well appreciated. It’s assumed that no one in a financial crisis would need money. Plus, you might have used that money to book a trip somewhere else, and we can’t have that.
Tell me about it. I cancelled a Universal Orlando stay April 11, and finally the charge was reversed May 28.
I will say, however, the representative for Universal was hon TD that it would take up to 10 weeks, versus the usual 2-3, due to the number of cancellations.
Fortunately, as an essential worker (healthcare), I had money coming in.
I am happy with the Festival news. We had been planning to go in May before our trip was cancelled. I think that reopening the festival (sort of) is a nice consolation prize for the so many of us whose trips were postponed. It will be especially nice to have a festival in World Showcase to make up for the mess of Future World construction, and will hopefully balance things out a bit more in the new reservation system–encouraging more people to choose Epcot and leaving more room at the other parks instead of people planning multiple MK days and no Epcot. I bet they will open the Remy ride at or near opening for the same reason.
I understand the Not So Scary decision. Flower and Garden is my favorite festival so I’m very happy to hear that there might be a little bit of it on our July trip.
Will still come in December but hoping that Candlelight Processional will happen. We buy the dinner package multiple times while we are there
Odds for F&W running events? It’s a completely different animal, I know.
I lucked out and scored entries for the 1/2 for me & the misses as well as Riviera Tower studios for that lovely November weekend.
My thought is that runners can’t reasonably wear masks or stay away from each other, so that will be out.
The biggest risk for races would likely be the starting corrals. Once everyone is out racing on the course, the risk would fall quite a bit.
Can I just thank you for using the term physical distancing instead of the other phrase! Ugh it’s so over used. I like yours a lot better.
Social distancing is more all encompassing. Includes not going to parties etc. Physical distancing is the term Disney uses also and I think it’s used to just describe the six feet apart rule. I don’t think social distancing is overused when too many people are still not doing it!
YAASSS!!! Physical distancing is so much more clear.
I soooo agree with you! And I’m sick of all the television commercials with people wearing masks, too.
I love your blog, thank you for all of the up-to-date info. Do you have any idea if Early Morning Magic or Disney After Hours will be held?
If Epcot needed extra flowers for “A Taste of EPCOT,” I’m sure they’ve already got them. Florida has an extraordinary horticulture industry. It doesn’t hurt that the caladium growers south of Orlando had a bumper crop this year. Bulbs that make fantasy foliage on demand!
On a more sober note, Bloomberg reports that NY governor Cuomo is considering requiring people coming from Florida to quarantine for 14 days.
Yep he was asked that at his press conference today since it’s a 180 from the early days of the pandemic. However he was pretty nin-commital about it.
That would be a month if you came from the tri-state area to Disney (that’s a 2 week mandatory quarantine) then came back, that’s another 2 weeks.
Hi, so I understand that you said they are cancelling the not so scary party, but do you think that still means they are not hanging up all the decorations or would they be doing that?
Not do the decorations? I think that’s unthinkable. I’m helping with the lights at a tiny botanical garden in Florida, and we’re looking at options to ensure safety. It’s a wonderful time of year to be outside. I think that’s the attitude at places much bigger and better than us. LEDs have turned light shows into a national phenomenon.
You heard it here, WDW WILL close again by the end of 2020, that is if the Parks even end up opening at all with the never ending rising Covid-19 cases in Florida. Many hospitals already over capacity and out of ICU beds.
you willing to put money on that?
I completely agree with you. I am expecting it to close again once flu season hits and adds to problems.
According to the news Florida will be the next epicenter for the virus I don’t understand why people are in such a rush to go back to Disney with this news.
I’ve been going with the flow thus far, and have remained very excited about going back soon. But cancelling MNSSHP disappoints me more than anything else, personally. I certainly appreciate everything Disney is doing for our safety.
Just wondering if the park will still be decorated for Halloween even though the party is canceled.
I think another concern with Candlelight Processional is the choir – people tightly together, singing. Lots of articles on how this transmits COVID quickly. Capacity in the audience can be controlled but I fear they cannot do this show justice without the choir together, orchestra, and tight quarters to accommodate them. I remain hopeful for the holiday season, but something else to consider.
Well now we know the REAL reason why Walt Disney World is hosting the NBA bubble site–it’s a trial run for the Candlelight Processional choir! 😉
(Joking aside, good point that I overlooked.)
Thank you for these updates! Makes sense and not surprised. Anybody know if the Cirque du Soleil upcoming shows will be cancelled?
We ended up cancelling half our Disney to stay at Unicersal with all these changes. We are even considering Alunai resort until everything is more back to ‘normal’ at Disney World.
Don’t you have to self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival to the island?
Yes does Hawaii still have the 14 day quarantine in effect?
When you did your review of all the food bother for F&G, my husband and I read each one and made a list of all we wanted to try when we went in May. I was so excited to try so much so just know your reviews were not totally in vain. We had fun reading through and planning our meals and snacks, even if we didn’t get to try them.