Disney World Reopening Plan Next Week, Disneyland Status, Universal Details & FAQ
In this update, we’ll cover the likelihood of a reopening proposal by Walt Disney World to Orange County leaders next week, Universal’s official plans to welcome back guests, Disneyland’s status, and more. Suffice to say, it’s been a busy few days for Florida theme park news!
Let’s start with Universal, as that’s the big and juicy, substantive news. After receiving approval on their plans from Orange County and the State of Florida, Universal officially released a “welcome back” statement announcing Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, and Volcano Bay would all reopen to the general public on June 5, 2020.
This lengthy release included information about health safety procedures, temporary rules, a surplus of liability disclaimer warnings, and temporary policies as the parks get back up and running. As we’ve noted before several times now, Universal and Disney generally collaborate on safety policies. Even if you don’t care about Universal, this is interesting to the extent that it offers a sneak peek into what Walt Disney World will likely announce…
Universal Orlando’s Frequently Asked Questions page is extensive, and we are not going to reproduce that in full here. If you’re curious about every single policy, please refer to that.
Instead, we’ll focus primarily on new ground that is not redundant to policies implemented at CityWalk and Disney Springs…
Face masks are one of the top questions on the FAQ, and we have some new info on that front: “With regard to face masks, If you have a disability that prevents you from wearing a face covering you will be referred to guest services to discuss ways we can accommodate you. If you do not have a face covering, we’ll have them available for purchase. Also, per CDC guidelines, children under the age of two are not required to wear facial coverings.”
Universal is likely to allow modified face masks to the extent feasible (think face shields). Beyond that, the ADA requires no “reasonable accommodation” here, as doing so would pose a direct threat to the health or safety of others. This comes directly from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission–it’s not a matter of opinion.
Also on the topic of face coverings, Universal’s FAQ states that they’ll be available for purchase at a merchandise cart in the screening area within CityWalk. At this time, face coverings are available in one size. Note no mention of the free disposable face masks that Universal executives stated would be available during the task force meeting.
Additionally, Universal has arranged tables and seating so that guests can remove their face coverings while they eat. Masks need to be worn them at all other times. This goes for Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida.
At Volcano Bay water park, it’s a different story. There, face coverings are recommended when guests cannot socially distance. They will not be permitted on slides and in pools.
As a practical matter, the likely scenario is that guests will need a mask to enter the park, and they’ll be recommended while in shops and lines for food, but otherwise it’ll be a matter of social distancing. Since masks are not permitted on slides and in pools, this means guests also will not be wearing them to/from or in those lines.
Reservations will not be required or available to visit Universal Orlando’s theme parks, but they are limiting attendance. This means that there may be times when the parks reach capacity and additional guests will not be admitted.
This has been a frequent area of concern for readers, but it’s worth noting that reports from CityWalk and Disney Springs thus far indicate that both have been ghost towns. If Universal viewed theme park capacity and demand as a concern, they’d almost certainly be taking reservations to avoid complaints and backlash.
The majority of the attractions and experiences within Universal’s theme parks are scheduled to open on June 5. Select experiences will not be available during this first phase, and some queue experiences may be slightly altered as the parks implement new procedures.
Guests will be required to wear face coverings on attractions. The only exception will be for attractions that include significant amounts of water as part of the experience.
Select attractions at Universal Orlando will utilize Virtual Line to help facilitate social distancing. (If you check out the Universal Orlando Resort app, you can see where it’s been added.)
Virtual Line allows guests to select a time to experience an attraction via the app so they’re minimizing the time they’re actually waiting in the queue line. Guests can make Virtual Line selections while they’re onsite at the parks on the day of their visit.
Hotels were not brought up in the task force meeting, and while it’s possible to make reservations beginning June 2, Universal Orlando has not announced anything official on that front.
Per the FAQ, Universal is still finalizing hotel reopening plans and will contact those guests with reservations as soon as plans are available. The grand opening of Universal’s Endless Summer Resort — Dockside Inn and Suites has been delayed indefinitely from its March date, as Universal “continues to evaluate our offerings during this time.”
Following the the splashy announcement of Universal Orlando reopening, Walt Disney World made its own non-announcement announcement. (When we say Disney has done a poor job with communications and transparency, this is exactly what we mean.)
None of this is anything new to anyone who has read the updates on this blog. Members of Walt Disney World leadership have said the exact same things in interviews and task force roundtables for the last couple of weeks. Nonetheless, it’s the first time Disney has released this info via official channels, and a couple things do bear reiterating since not everyone reads every single reopening update (we don’t blame you!).
First, while Walt Disney World is “currently accepting reservations starting in July 2020 at both resorts, as this situation evolves, timing may continue to shift.” In straightforward speak, this means that just because you can make a vacation package or hotel reservation for July dates doesn’t mean Disney won’t cancel on you.
Second, Walt Disney World “may also need to make real-time adjustments to booked experiences, park tickets and park passes.” This means that your FastPass+ selections and Advance Dining Reservations may be cancelled, even if they’re for a time when the parks are open, due to modifications in capacity or queuing.
It also mentions restricting the use of tickets, which means a reservation system could be implemented. This has been implemented at Shanghai Disneyland, which is currently utilizing date-based tickets plus a reservation system for Annual Passholders during its Advance Reservation Period. That system allows APs to make a new reservation once they’ve used a previous one (judging by the online calendar, reservations are easy to book on short notice).
Notably, Shanghai Disneyland has not “restarted the clock” on Annual Pass expiration dates during the Advance Reservation Period. All days during the initial reopening phase are a bonus, whether passholders visit or not. We’ve received a lot of question from Walt Disney World APs about this same issue for the Florida parks, and we don’t have a definitive answer. The best we can do is point to Shanghai.
If the domestic parks were to deviate from that approach, there will be significant backlash, as many fans quite clearly don’t want to visit during the initial reopening. We thus suspect Walt Disney World and Disneyland will both adopt the same approach; the less likely scenario is offering forward-looking prorated refunds on Annual Passes.
Of course, all of this is speculative, and nothing is certain until Walt Disney World announces its reopening plans. Even then, expect some ambiguity and mixed-messaging at first. We’d once again stress patience during this unprecedented time; while Walt Disney World could improve its communications, fans would also be well-served in improving their “chill levels.”
Speaking of reopening plans, it’s expected that Walt Disney World and SeaWorld will be delivering reopening presentations to the Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force next week. Both were expected to be presenting a couple days ago (and rumors are still swirling that they will soon privately submit plans to Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings).
For his part, Mayor Demings appeared on CNBC to discuss Universal’s reopening. Unsurprisingly, the question of when Walt Disney World will reopen came up. Here was what Demings had to say about Disney:
“Disney has given an indication that next week they will submit their plans. Once they do, we will schedule that for a full briefing before our Economic Recovery Task Force as well. So at this point, it’s an undefined time or date, but we do look forward to seeing that sometime next week.”
The task force voted to unanimously approve Universal Orlando’s plan, but to our knowledge, there was no requirement of a public presentation. DeSantis is requiring the mayor’s approval before submitting plans to the state (which Demings gave following the task force meeting), but task force approval is not a necessary prerequisite to the mayor’s approval. Nevertheless, it sounds like Walt Disney World and SeaWorld will present next Wednesday based on Demings’ interview.
Both the task force and Demings previously indicated that they would defer to Disney and Universal with regard to reopening plans, so it’s little more than a rubber-stamping at this point. Demings could deny Disney’s plan if it included something absurd like, “we will hand out a flamethrower to every guest to ‘disinfect’ surfaces.” Even that might get approved, though. Florida leaders are very eager to have the tourism industry start recovering.
Finally, we’ll conclude with a non-update update on Disneyland since many readers have asked about this. Our ‘Disneyland Delays Reservations Another Month’ post covers California’s timeline for that state’s economy, as well as San Diego’s plan to fast-track the reopening of that city’s theme parks and zoos. Nothing noteworthy has changed since then.
As before, we anticipate Disneyland and Universal Studios Hollywood testing the San Diego approach, but there’s probably a month or two lag between what happens in Florida and what happens in California. It wouldn’t be surprising to see plans announced for CityWalk and Downtown Disney in the next couple of weeks, but don’t expect their respective parks open in June. At this point, July also seems like a long-shot.
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 next month? Hopeful that Walt Disney World will announce its reopening date next week? Thoughts on Disneyland? 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.
I understand why people hate the masks but it may become our new reality. Due to the emergence of different lab created respiratory diseases that can get out and become Pandemics relatively quickly like we just saw, who knows where the next attack will come from? This one may have been an accident but the next may be intentional.
Swine Flu, SARS, MERS and now COVID-19 prove that the world is susceptible to a fast moving virus.
It is nonsense to require wearing a mask. If someone who is already ill or who has a pre-existing condition, or is just afraid because of main stream media fear mongering and statistical lies, then do not go to the park. Or wear a mask if it makes you feel safe. But this needs to be a choice for each individual, not forced upon us.
The latest updates from the CDC say that Covid is no more virulent than seasonal flu – R0 2.5, and for those under age 60, about the same risk of severe illness or death. Further, until a month ago, the CDC was also saying that masks were of little benefit in containing the spread of contagious disease. Soon enough, sanity will return and we will all laugh awkwardly about the mask saga.
I certainly hope it will never be the new reality. I don’t believe these viruses were created in a lab. Pandemics do happen every so often for natural causes. I hope I never live to see the time when everyone has to wear a mask all the time, that is just so unnatural.
It’s simple you don’t want to wear a mask DON’T GO stay your ass home better for us that don’t mind following the rules.
Well said!
Masks??? Let’s focus on the important part of this article – FLAMETHROWERS..now that would be kewl…
That is exactly how I feel. Well said!
Masks are useless. In fact, unless they are medical n95 masks, they are less than useless. A South Korean study found that wearing a cloth mask for any reason, whether it be to attempt to keep from contracting, or to keep from spreading any illness, actually INCREASES the chance of spreading disease. You are actually strapping a cloth petri dish to your face. Just think about that study that found beards to contain microscopic particles of feces… for that matter, hair, clothes, and skin can contain any amount of germs. Hand washing and not face picking/touching is key. It has always been key. Masks are not only a false sense of security, they are adding to the danger. Moreover, a Johns Hopkins study found that COVID-19 is no more transmissible or deadly than the Flu. Numbers from the CDC confirm it as well. My wife wears a mask to avoid confrontation, but I refuse to be a prisoner to irrational fear. Plus, I have worn enough masks in my lifetime. If they do not keep dust out completely, how in the heck will they keep out germs? And if they fog your glasses, you know that all that air is coming and going right past the most sensitive part of your anatomy, your eyes, where most disease is contracted. Mandatory masks are in fact, as another wise gentleman said, a placebo.
Sounds like you’re going to make life a living hell for Disney employees Karen…
That’s why doctors stopped wearing masks years ago. They simply don’t work. You are so smart. Military members get injured and die on the battlefield but asking you to wear a mask so your coughs and seizes don’t spray on everyone around you is too much to ask. The mask is to protect others from you.
You are right Kevin.
The unions kid of took control in this situation maybe ?
I will take some time…
My family will probably to to the East Friday coast this September.
Maybe even February 2021.
I agree! I won’t go anywhere that forces me to wear a mask. It’s unhealthy for healthy people and the decision should be made by the individual not the company not the government. I love and miss going to amusement parks but I will not sacrifice my or my families Health by wearing their masks. Sad times. Let’s make it clear the Corona virus is the least of our concerns right now!!
You can easily make a n95 quality mask at home, requiring minimum sewing skills. You don’t even need a sewing machine.
Thanks for bringing your weird politicizing of human decency into a forum meant to inform people how and when will the parks reopen.
100,000 people are dead q1 less than 3 months. It might be deadly.
AGREED! Well said. It is nonsense to require wearing a mask. If someone who is already ill or who has a pre-existing condition, or is just afraid because of main stream media fear mongering and statistical lies, then do not go to the park. Or wear a mask if it makes you feel safe. But this needs to be a choice for each individual, not forced upon us.
Kevin Jones I agree with your entire post. Most people also do NOT wear their mask correctly. Are the people clamoring for masks and berating those who don’t want to wear one, going to be satisfied with a bunch of people running around Disney with a mask hanging off their ears, UNDER their nose or just covering their chin? That is what I see when I go out. Are those people going to think to themselves ‘what good, safe little guests we all are, wearing the required face masks’ -because that just makes me laugh and laugh. They are no safer than someone without a mask. I’m not going to judge a person for correctly wearing a mask- maybe they have a legitimate health concern and I expect the same respect in return. With all that being said my family will not be visiting the hottest …oops I mean happiest place on earth until Disney is totally back to normal. No masks and all the experiences available. We will enjoy a vacation here at home in Texas this year.
Why is Disney so far behind the power curve
Maybe because Disney has more parks and employees to bring back?
My teen and 20-somethings are super excited to check out Universal on the passholder-only days. We drive from South Florida and found a nice room for a GREAT rate. Thank you So Much for your Blog!!
No Disney for us this year . No need to rush back . Hate the masks and just try keeping one on a 3 or 4 year old , not to mention children don’t understand social distancing. We will sit out this summer .. fall of 2021 sounds better . If they don’t have any problems with the one person who gets sick this summer and says “ I was at Disney “ to the news media . Good luck tho !
We are scheduled to be there end of July and even if everything is back open, we will most likely reschedule, again, for Spring Break 2021. We were originally supposed to be there this past Spring Break.
We can’t stand masks or social distancing and these ridiculous things will do nothing except for distract us from enjoying ourselves and giving our kids a great and memorable experience. Guarantee you at least one mask will get left behind or blow off on a ride. Yet another distraction.
It’ll end up being us focusing too hard on trying to follow the stupid rules than actually enjoying our time there. Plus, masks, in Orlando, in July. Yeah that alone is not a “magical time!”
Brian, like you didn’t change your pre-9/11 life because of terrorism? Air travel changed significantly after 9/11. Even as far as removal of shoes and going through body xrays. We adapted. Stanchions were put in place in front of key buildings to avoid suicide bombers driving into the buildings. We go through security mostly everywhere now, not just airports. Bags and purse checks are commonplace, even in Disney. We adapted to all that, and we’ll adapt to what we must do after Covid.
Will not be ANY fun with a face mask…. which by the way di not protects you at all. I will not attend any park or vacation spot until the mask requirementamyt is gone.
@Barbara – taking off my shoes for a couple mins at an airport and not taking water on a plane is far, far different from wearing a mask for hours outside on a hot, hot Florida day … but I tell you what, you go and wear that mask all day every day for your whole Disney vacation, and then let us know what you think.
By the way, the survival rate with this virus is 99%. I have a better chance of dying in a plane crash on the way to Disney, than I do of dying from covid. And since we haven’t found a cure for death yet, and people need to work to have money to eat and pay for rent, I’m going to get back to living a full life and support those who feel the same.
No Disney fir us this year . No need to rush back . Hate the masks and just try keeping one on a 3 or 4 year old , not to mention children don’t understand social distancing. We will sit out this summer .. fall of 2021 sounds better . If they don’t have any problems with the one person who gets sick this summer and says “ I was at Disney “ to the news media . Good luck tho !
I wont be voluntarily visiting anywhere, spending my money, where a facemask is required. Not going to happen. Sorry if this offends anyone, but if you feel like your life is too precious and personally at risk, then stay home, or take the necessary precautions you personally feel will protect you. I see no reason to change my pre-Corona life over this.
I do not get what the stress and rush is to return to Disney this year. Reschedule your plans for next year when it may be a much better experience. Take the money you have for this years plans put it in an account with interest and maybe you can buy a Mickey Ice cream bar with the money you made.
That sounds like a reasonable plan. But it takes on the assumption that it is possible to reschedule your trip. My daughter starts her very demanding internship on July 13 and our March then May then June then July trip is scheduled for July 3-12. That is the latest we can go when my daughter will be able to travel with us. My son is joining the military in December when he graduates college so July 12 is the very latest date that my whole family can visit our magical place all together for what may be the last time as a core family unit.
And it is possible this mother’s magical dream may die. Disney may not open in time. Or the resorts may not open to out of state guests. But without exception my whole family understands and accepts that the experience will be modified, it will be hot with masks, and will not be like previous trips. We all feel that our time together in our favorite place is worth both the inconvenience and the risk.
Not to mention that we own at Copper Creek but I managed to book 8 consecutive summer nights at Beach Club Villas (my dream resort) – one night at a time over about a week of constant refreshing. A miracle probably only made possible by a pandemic.
You folks enjoy breathing in the heat of a Florida summer with a mask on your face.
We sure will, Negative Nelly!
I wonder how many will end up in the hospital from heat stroke and pulmonary issues after wearing that death trap on their faces?? Won’t go again until the control mask is lifted! The virus is not the problem here.
The most interesting thing to me regarding face masks in the long-term is how it could change the little things.
For example: I am wearing a mask. Am I going to to want to take photos with characters – with my mask on? Or save ride photos? Therefore, will I buy Memory Maker?
What about snack carts? Is Disney going to do away with selling chocolate Mickey ice cream or popcorn?
I would imagine these are the kinds of questions that Disney is spending time figuring out how to manage with policy. In Universal’s case, to require a mask on a theme park ride but not in a water park demonstrates that masks are nothing more than placebos.
If it was truly a threat, the water park would remain closed.
The difference between the water park pools and slides and a regular park ride is the chlorine treated water. The virus can’t survive or spread in chlorinated water
Agreed. Even if chlorine kills the virus, that doesn’t help when someone swims past and breathes/spits/coughs/sneezes on you. Unless the pool will be closed and only the slides will be open. But then if they were really concerned, they could have single-use masks at the ride entrance and ask guests to dispose of them after waiting in line, before getting onto the slide.
I’m very curious to see how the Disney resort hotels situation will work itself out. We are booked for September and I’m concerned that if Disney is limiting capacity and the guests at resort hotels exceed that, plus offsite hotels, that we might not make it into parks. Of course, if Disney did a 20-30% capacity limit at each park that still may be a big number. No clue. Tom, do you think if Disney is open by September, but their resort capacity is higher than they want that they would cancel random reservations?
Chances are no. Enjoy the water parks, mini golf, Dianey Springs, etc. You are going to have to have a park reservation so you will know if you get into the park or not.
Good point. I think most people on here feel the same. It’s scary to spend a good amount and not know what the experience will be like, but it’s all a roll of the dice I suppose. I miss Disney dearly so I have to think hard about what to do. I’m also interested at what the bus situation will be. No way they’ll be able to pack people in like sardines for a long time. Definitely eager to see how the next couple months play out
September is the most active month for hurricanes in Florida. Season doesn’t officially start until 6/1 & we’ve already had one. The ‘rona may not be what jams up your vacay. Hope everything works out; pack ponchos.
Hurricane season Disney is awesome though. We went during Dorian. We live south of Disney though it’s usually safer in Orlando.
Honestly though most advice right now is to stay home as much as possible. Even if it’s open it’s risky etc etc. I don’t know that a huge number of people will risk it either because they have a high risk family member or they just don’t want to risk exposure. I’d expect hurricane level cross for awhile which as usually very light.
Tom, love your blog. You provide great info and it’s fantastic how you’ve taken all the doublespeak and boiled it down to clear messages. I do have to take you to task … “fans would also be well-served in improving their “chill levels.”” Well, we moved our June trip to July and now have a $15,000 payment staring us in the face for June 5th. It would be easier to “chill” if Disney delayed that final payment a few weeks.
I understand the constantly changing situation and I understand this is new to everyone. Never before seen circumstances. But not knowing what the customer experience will look like before I plunk down $15k is very unsettling.
My understanding is you have a week before not a month because of the situation. We have res for June 27th and that’s what I was told by disney rep a few weeks ago.
I think part of the problem here is that when Disney openly communicates its intended plans, fans freak out and overwhelm the call centers with questions, concerns, etc.
That, in turn, leads to Disney being more cautious and guarded about its plans, releasing vague statements and quietly/incrementally cancelling travel dates (and so on). The lack of straightforward communications likewise irritates fans.
To an extent, it’s understandable that people are upset and wanting immediate answers given the multi-thousand dollar stakes. However, it is an unprecedented situation, so patience and understanding (again, to a degree) is necessary.
In my view, Universal has handled this better than Disney (not just now–throughout the course of the last couple months). Universal’s leadership deserves kudos, but I think part of the difference can be attributed to differences in the fanbases, and Universal being lower sakes for most of its visitors.
Hope that clarifies a bit.
Has DeSantis said anything about when the out of state quarantine for NY, NJ, CT and LA will be lifted? I just googled quickly and did not see anything.
Not to my knowledge.
@Tom thanks for the reply! I have also emailed guest communications although I know they probably won’t know–I mentioned that I knew they were in reopening talks with Orange County and the state and asked if this has been discussed.
We are not sure we are even going to return soon but the quarantine would completely eliminate the possibility! We are APs and don’t want to pull the plug and ask for the refund just yet…
Thanks for this blog! Love it!
The Florida out of state quarantine ended a month ago. My son returned to his apartment from NY with no issues.
Not according to this: https://floridahealthcovid19.gov/travelers/
Unless I missed something, that expires when Florida’s state of emergency expires. Executive Order 20-114 extends that (via Executive Order 20-52) by 60 days until July 7, 2020.
Enforcement (or lack thereof) is a different story entirely.
I am an AP holder from NJ and this is a concern of mine as well. What’s frustrating for me is there doesn’t seem to be a path to lifting this rule. What’s the criteria for lifting it? Nobody knows. I have a trip booked for early October and I’m worried that Disney will be open but I won’t be able to go because of this rule, even if NJ is showing low infection rate numbers (which we are showing currently)
On visitflorida.com the quarantine is still in effect. I think If your son is a Florida resident, which I guess he is if he has an apartment in Florida, that is different. â€â™€ï¸
I am also concerned with the quarantine since I am from NJ. If you read the executive orders it seems to be tied into what phase Florida is in. Seems to be still in play in phase 1. Anybody from tri state NY area go to Florida recently? Did you have to quarantine?
I moved my trip from June to July hopefully its done by then if I can get into the parks.
Thanks @Tom for that link re the quarantine!
It ends July 7
Should we read anything into the fact that there are hours listed for sun june 14th but not the 13th?
No. Those dates are pulled from the calendar as vacation packages are cancelled. Up until two days ago, there were hours for June 6-13.
Tom,
I loved your “we will hand out a flamethrower to every guest to ‘disinfect’ surfaces” comment! It had me in stitches. What a mental picture. Now I really want to see them do it. Can you imagine the pictures you could take if every guest had a flamethrower? It would make it very easy for that family at Disney Springs who cooked hotdogs over an open flame to cook their hotdogs. Thanks for the laugh.
Still crossing my fingers for our end of june/early july trip. World Showcase is my absolute favorite part of wdw. I hope they have the CMs to open. I’m okay with fake accents if the tequila bar is open haha!
Can you wear neck gaiter as long it’s a face cover.. it should be optional either you wear a mask or neck gaiters as long as it covers your face..
Just bought some of these that are also coolie towels so I hope!
I think someone on here went to Disney Springs and her neck gator passed inspection!
Most of the cast Members interacting with guests at the world showcase are from the country they represent. Is there any word on Disney flying people back in from those countries?
If not, are they going to hold off on opening Epcot, or are they just going to have Americans in all the pavilions. Boring old Americans…
LOL wow I totally forgot about this. You’re exactly right.
Keep in mind that a lot of cast members we see are part of the college program as well. What’s the plan for bringing this group back?
Ha we love World Showcase and I never even thought of this!
Reopening is so complex!
I don’t know how often they change those people out, but my guess would have been that those CMs were i quarantine in Orlando and never left the country yet. Therefore they could just use the CMs from that country that are already here. Considering they could get their Visas extended.
This is the primary reason I believe Epcot will be the last park to reopen.
Then there’s ongoing construction and the reality that Epcot would be reopening during its least busy time of year (summer). I wouldn’t be surprised if Epcot reopens just in time for Food & Wine Festival.