When Will Disney World Reopen?
“When will Walt Disney World really reopen?” and “will the parks stay closed until [insert date/season]?” have become frequently asked questions. This is due to Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and the resort hotels all currently closed. (Updated June 1, 2020.)
With so much uncertainty in the air and people wanting to plan vacations or cancel trips, these questions are unsurprising. Accordingly, we’ve been doing an ongoing series that attempts to offer balance, nuance, and our best guesses with all things considered. To recap, here are questions what we’ve addressed:
- Will Walt Disney World Offer Huge Discounts Once It Opens?
- How Bad Will Crowds Be at Walt Disney World After Reopening?
- What Operational & Health Safety Changes Will Disney Make?
Likewise, you can find regular updates in our Disney Closure & Reopening News & Rumors. In this post, we’ll share official reopening dates for Walt Disney World’s four theme parks, plus the future of the resort hotels, and what operations will look like when they resume. If you want further updates when Disney makes official announcements, sign up for our free email newsletter and we’ll send you notifications ASAP when important new info is released…
The good news is that we have a few pieces of official news in terms of when Florida’s theme parks will begin reopening. First, Universal Orlando that Islands of Adventure, Volcano Bay, and Universal Studios Florida will reopen in early June 2020.
Next, SeaWorld Orlando will reopen on June 11, 2020, as will Busch Gardens Tampa. Legoland Florida has already reopened, as have the majority of smaller regional amusement parks and roadside attractions in the Orlando area and throughout Central Florida. That leaves Walt Disney World as the final park operator to reopen…
For its part, Walt Disney World has already begun to reopen its Disney Springs shopping and dining district.
We shared thoughts and photos from a recent visit there in “Our ‘Ghost Town’ Experience at Disney Springs.” As the title suggests, Disney Springs has not been particularly busy since reopening. To the contrary, it’s been dead most of the time.
When it comes to WDW’s theme parks, fans will have to wait a little longer. Walt Disney World will begin a slow, multi-phase reopening beginning on July 11, 2020.
On this date, Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Animal Kingdom will officially reopen to the general public.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot will officially open on July 15, 2020.
Prior to these dates, Walt Disney World will host a series of Cast Member previews and soft opening days for affinity groups (such as Annual Passholders, Disney Vacation Club Members, Florida Residents, Club 33, Golden Oak, etc). The details of these preview days will be announced at a later time.
It’s unclear when these soft openings will begin, but we believe it could happen as early as late June 2020. Walt Disney World could attempt to scale up park operations with the lower stakes, less-demanding local audience.
Disney has also announced that once the parks reopen, advance reservations will be required. It’s likely this will also hold true for the soft opening preview days–we’d expect email invitations with a registration link to go out to affinity group members within the next week or two.
Walt Disney World’s two-dozen resorts will likely open in phases.
It has already been announced that all Disney Vacation Club properties at Walt Disney World will reopen on June 22, 2020. When the other hotels will reopen has not yet been announced. Disney initially released a statement suggesting some would reopen on July 11, 2020, but that has since been retracted.
Our expectation is that the first hotels to reopen will be those with DVC add-ons. The hotel side and Disney Vacation Club villas side share infrastructure, staffing, and other resources with one another. It doesn’t make a ton of sense to reopen only the Disney Vacation Club side of the property.
Following the hotels with Disney Vacation Club wings, we’d expect the next phase of resort openings to include those connected to the parks by non-bus transportation (Caribbean Beach, Art of Animation, Pop Century, and Yacht Club), followed by the remaining resorts.
There might even be some Walt Disney World hotels that don’t reopen this year at all if there’s a lack of demand or if they’re being utilized for events or other purposes, such as the NBA or MLS finishing their seasons (think Coronado Springs, the All Stars, both of the Port Orleans Resorts).
If that does happen, guests with existing bookings at those properties would be relocated elsewhere. This already happens now when resorts are overbooked, and frequently entails an upgrade.
It’s also worth noting that there is still an executive order requiring residents of Louisiana and the New York Tri-State Area (Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York) arriving in Florida to isolate or quarantine for a period of 14 days after arrival.
This does not expire until July 7, 2020–it’s unclear whether it will be extended (we doubt it). Plus, most international tourists still cannot enter the United States. This brings up the issue of demand, which will be an obstacle to Walt Disney World getting back to normal.
The complexity of Walt Disney World is another huge variable, and it’ll undoubtedly take the sprawling Florida resort much more time to ramp up operations than it did to wind them down. There are literally dozens of hotels, hundreds of restaurants, and myriad other components–in addition to the four theme parks. This machine will require a slow restart that’ll take more than a week to initiate.
It’s also problematic that Disney terminated its College Program, clearing out the housing, and sending those students home. The argument could be made that these are moves made to limit liability or cut surplus labor that won’t be necessary when the parks reopen. However, the reality is that they’ve cut or furloughed a lot of labor, and it’ll take some time to get that back.
Demand is another hurdle. Over 30 million Americans have now filed for unemployment in the last two months, and millions of employers have closed their businesses and slashed their workforces. It’s by far the worst string of layoffs on record, adding up to more than one in six American workers. Economists have forecast that the unemployment rate could go as high as 20% in the near-term, and possibly surpass the 25% rate reached during the Great Depression. Consumer confidence is likewise plummeting.
While some of this will bounce back when the economy reopens, some of the damage will be lasting. Americans have already expressed an overwhelming reticence to travel on airplanes and be in large venues right now. Between that and economic anxiety, a majority of Americans may be unable or unwilling to take a Walt Disney World trip right now. That too will likely impact Disney’s reopening plans.
All of this is a very long-winded way of saying (and explaining) that a lot still remains up in the air when it comes to Walt Disney World’s reopening. Even now that we have official reopening dates for Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom plus Epcot and Hollywood Studios, there are still many unknowns.
In the last week, we’ve seen Walt Disney World Cancel All Reservations–Free Dining, Restaurants, FastPass+ & Dining Plan. We’ve also seen Park Hours Cut Significantly for Reopening. Additionally, Character Dining Has Been Cancelled. These are just a handful of changes–with many more likely to come. This might leave you wondering what you should do if you have a Walt Disney World vacation planned for July 2020 and beyond.
Ultimately, that’s a personal decision. If the lack of parades, fireworks, character meet & greets, playgrounds, nighttime spectaculars, and other entertainment are important to you, waiting is recommended. If the health safety protocol and requirements are too burdensome or sound like they’ll ruin the magic for you, waiting is also recommended. However, if you want to experience the parks with significantly limited attendance and other advantages, now might be a good time to visit. We cover all of the upsides in our new post, “The Dawn of a Temporary Disney Era.”
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
Do you plan on visiting Walt Disney World in July 2020 when the parks reopen? Hoping to visit earlier for soft openings? Or will you wait until modified operations and restrictions end, and the experience is closer to “normal” again? Do you agree or disagree with our advice and assessment? 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 an ER nurse currently facing mandated overtime and the risk of daily exposure I applaud the efforts of everyone attempting to minimize the spread of this virus while praying daily for a quick resolution for more reasons than I could ever begin to list. It is very difficult to predict an end when the reality of what’s to come hasn’t really even started yet but I do know when this does end me and my family will be on the first plane to Orlando ASAP!
Thank you Josh for all you are doing on the front lines of this fight.
Stay safe & healthy and hopefully you’re on that plane soon!
On behalf of my fellow Cast Members & myself, we are looking forward to having the opportunity to welcome you & your family to WDW once it’s all safe!
Josh, when this does end, I would hope that all of you hard working and dedicated people on the frontlines taking care of this unprecedented situation are rewarded in some capacity. I know it’s your job, but this goes above and beyond for the greater good. Stay strong and healthy.
On behalf of my fellow Cast Members & myself, we are looking forward to having the opportunity to welcome you & your family to WDW once it’s all safe!
I doubt WDW will reopen until June at the earliest.
I have a trip to WDW planned for the first two weeks of May2020. Just received email from Hilton re: my reservation for May1, 2020:
“Due to the evolving global novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace Disney Springs Area is temporarily suspending operations to accommodate the situation, and will unfortunately be unable to honor your reservation.“
I will have to cancel that reservation as well as Caribbean Beach.
And most probably I will have to cancel my stay at Universal Cabana Beach, although they have not yet notified me of any preemptive measures.
Not sure when I will be able to reschedule this trip.
Tom & Sarah, Thank you for sharing your insights, knowledge, and beautiful Disney pictures.
Count me among the pessimists who think 12-18 months, in line with the ICL projections. My feeling is the US has no idea what’s coming for it, and will pay dearly for its early inaction. I’d be very keen to hear optimistic commentary from those who believe in a quicker recovery (not in the sarcastic sense that’s usually meant, but because I’d genuinely love to believe it!).
HappyMom, there’s a segment of society that will try to blame ole Donnie no matter what he does or what happens. I don’t think this will last through summer or long enough for conditions to completely shut down the economy. If it gets to that point, be more worried about the looters piled up in the streets than scheduling a trip to Orlando.
My wife is a nurse.
They don’t have protective equipment to give her when she goes to work. They are re-using masks and having a volunteer group knit them triple ply cotton masks.
The conditions she is working in are unacceptable and like something you’d expect out of a third world country; not the USA.
You’re free to think whatever you want, but if the Executive Branch was taking this seriously and doing a half way decent job my wife wouldn’t be living separate and apart from her family right now because she’s so worried she’s going to get us all sick because of the lack of supplies at her hospital.
I genuinely didn’t expect my comment to be so controversial, and I think it points to the difference in perception between Europe and the US. Believe me, I would hate an extended period of lockdown, which is why I’d be keen to hear the alternative and how this virus would play out under that scenario. At the moment, neither option seems credible – doing so would decimate society and the economy, not doing so would cause millions of deaths in the US alone (and a second wave, since viruses don’t “burn themselves out” evenly).
Suspending travel to China was a good move that could have allowed us to ramp up our testing capability and hospital readiness before the virus inevitably arrived here…but we didn’t. I truly pray that we only have 12,000 deaths, but I think that’s looking optimistic right now.
Mid May which certain restrictions and screenings for temperature as you enter park . But with parks of Disney already opening in China I see a mid May start with full operations around end of June . Still it will be different and less activities due to layoffs .
Temperature screening does nothing but pinpoint a few who may or may not have this virus. It would be security theater, like randomly running a few people through metal detectors instead of 100%.
Tom & Sarah, thank you for your continuing updates!
I would be saddened if my two week May WDW vacation was cancelled, but I would not be surprised.
From management’s point of view this situation is an opportunity for “crisis management” which could go into textbooks for years to come. For all of you that remember, someone poisoned some Tylenol in 1982 and the company pulled all of the product off the shelves – to a cost of over a quarter of a Billion dollars in today’s money. What really transpired was that the company saved their reputation.
Realistically I can imagine a group of very ambitious employees (that is my polite word for corporate sharks) finding ways to make their mark by handling this crisis. Some of those decisions will be based on reputation, and others on cash flow etc. It will be interesting to see how they manage it.
When (if) we go back to the parks, we may not like what changes have been made… just think what could they do to change the park to avoid viral contamination and to datamine our activities…. I just hope they do not take out the Disney magic.
State unemployment offices are overwhelmed with unemployment claims now. I’ve been participating in handing out grab and go meals in my local community- which is a fairly well -off one on a normal day. So sad to see how the economy is going to tank and more significantly- the huge loss of life that will likely occur around the world. Not sure a lot of families will be able to afford Disney for some time. I have a trip scheduled for October at WDW, thinking about cancelling due to the current circumstances.
I’d cancel A Disney holiday is something to be looked forward to, not constantly thinking ‘ is the park going to be open in time’. It needs to be looked forward to with excitement There’s plenty time in the future in safer times to go. Keep safe xx
I agree completely!
they will almost certainly remain closed for the foreseeable future, and i applaud disney for not taking the exemption they were initially given when groups gatherings started being limited (however i still feel it took them longer than it should have to close). certainly glad they aren’t following florida’s governor lead, or lack thereof. the beach pictures are a total disaster. a big chunk of europe’s cases originated in italian ski resorts before things there broke wide open- in fact that how some Scandinavian countries wound up with their limited number of cases at all, from their citizens that had been at those ski resorts when italian people ignored the self distancing recommendations, so don’t be surprised if pockets break out across the country here from people who went to florida for spring break because florida didn’t close the beaches and none of those visitors cared about social distancing.
since it was mentioned (and i had no idea that many people from illinois came to visit) i’m in illinois and at 5pm today we have a shelter in place order from the governor. while i have not and will not agree with him on everything politically (high taxes…) but he has been a leader to model after for this whole situation. we want to feel like we have done too much, because then that means all the measures worked. we don’t want the number of cases to skyrocket, then we haven’t done enough.
We had a trip planned for Disneyland the second week of June. At this point we’re 95% sure that’s not going to happen. We did Disney World in January and I’m glad we did because I think a June 1st re-opening date is still looking optimistic. But we will all get through this and eventually we’ll all be able to stroll down Main Street again. Right now it just feels like that is very far away.
I don’t think Disney is going to flip back on like a light switch even when they do re-open.
Disney is a big operation, and it has a long logistical tail. Getting everyone back to work, making sure the restaurants have food (perishable stuff will be purged and have to be restocked), making sure the local hospitals have capacity to manage an influx of tourists, the list goes on and on.
My money is on a phased/gradual re-open and it being further in the future than we’d like to imagine.
I agree with this. It will take time to get such a large operation underway. I’m thinking July 1 right before we celebrate our independence. June seems too soon. Tom I recall you wrote a piece on losing and regaining the magic but can’t locate it. I suspect as an aside this closure may bring the magic back. A reprieve of RoR rope drops may be nice. Nice write up btw.
i totally agree with your timing forecast. Who knows how we’ll all feel after another couple of months of closures and health impacts, as more cases are confirmed? I was on a call for work yesterday, in which a “global retail expert” was talking about the Chinese economy rebounding as isolation restrictions have been lifted. She reported that while there was a lot of pent up demand and a surge in retail sales, people are psychologically impacted. She said restaurants are not recovering as quickly, and that people who do go out are eating fast, not lingering. It makes me question how Americans will feel, after another 8 weeks of this, going to theaters and theme parks this summer, knowing it is likely the virus will still be active. On the other hand, people who are willing to risk getting sick on vacation will likely benefit from low wait times and great prices.
Interesting perspective–thanks for sharing that.
Personally, I’d expect Americans to be more negatively psychologically impacted. Most of Asia has dealt with outbreaks before (albeit not to this degree), so this is not totally unprecedented. Here, we’ll battling this for the first time, and with means that are anathema to American individualism.
Let’s talk about what the parks will look like when they re-open:
– reduced capacity
– everything touchless– magic bands for everything
-mandatory masks
-temp checks to enter the park
Plain and simple no one knows when Disney will open again. We are living thru a Pandemic and we have to stay home until it’s safe .
Mandatory masks? You only need a mask (and I’m guessing you mean a procedure or surgical mask and not a respirator) if you are trying to protect others from you. You wear a respirator if you need to protected from some airborne hazard. No one needs to wear a mask unless they are the sick person or they are performing a procedure on a person where they get right into the person’s body. You only need a respirator if you are taking care of sick people. So, no. No mandatory masks.
A mask prevents you from spreading to others. Japan is mostly open – by wearing masks.
You don’t wear the mask to protect yourself, you wear it to protect others from you.
Since you may be carrying the virus without knowing… you wear the mask.
If everyone is wearing masks, greatly reduces spread.
Theme parks are starting to re-open in Shanghai – with that very requirement. Masks at all times.
It is a total waste of procedure masks that could be put on patients who leave their isolation room or for physicians and others in surgery to wear just because you might or might not be contagious without knowing. Especially when they are currently in short supply. No, just no.
They won’t be in short supply when the parks open.
In Japan, everyone must wear a mask at all times in public. Several theme parks in Shanghai have re-opened– with a mask requirement.
Part of the reason parts of the USA are under quarantine – lack of masks.
It’s going to come down to this: Disney will stay closed for 18 months, OR everyone will wear masks.
using my home NY as an example, we expect the state to stay locked down until June minimum. They won’t reduce the restrictions until there are enough masks for everyone (and when the numbers come under control of course)
No way April 1st. We were at Disneyland Tuesday-Friday, the week they closed on that Friday and it was business as usual, even with the announcement. Disney is so great at keeping everything calm. With that being said, I have self quarantined my family for 2 weeks just in case. IF the corona virus plays out here like it did in China, End of May/first of June would be the earliest re-opening. I do think Disney will open as soon as they can and even though Disney was on the verge of “hoping and attempting” to be able to stop promo’s with the opening of all the new rides, they may have to re-introduce promo’s to get guests back and fill rooms. This virus has put a fear in the hearts of alot of people. Hopefully we will find the answer to this virus and we can come out of this a stronger country/world. I wonder how many people will stay away from Disney for a while, once it is finally opened? That will be interesting to see how it impacts the crowds through 2020, especially over the summer. Prayers to everyone through all of this.
I think the earliest Walt Disney World will reopen is August, and that is probably too optimistic. It could be closed until early 2021.
I cancelled my April 10-14 trip and rescheduled for June29-July 5…fingers crossed the world is healed by then and Disney is up and running …also FYI I had to call and there was like no wait time to speak with someone
I am not naturally a pessimist but I am a doctor in the UK (we were planning to visit WDW this Autumn… hey ho).
Without being bleak I think this virus changes the world we were used to… quite fundamentally. I think we’re not just looking at recession, there is a possibility of a depression. We can only hope stimulus packages work. Here in Britain the government is unbelievably paying 80% of the wages of any worker at threat of
redundancy for at least three months. Things which were impossible a week ago are now realistic.
There will be huge impetus for WDW to reopen and I can honestly see the USA imposing restrictions on internationally travellers without proof of serology (ie blood tests showing immunity to COVID19, when these are commercially available) as a proviso of travel. This virus is not going until
We have a vaccine- and that’s years away. So we need to learn how to manage our communities with it constantly with us.
A mixture of lowered demand, consumer uncertainty and an unstable job market probably mean mothballing of certain resorts, particularly the spread out ones (more
expensive to maintain) and minimal investment beyond entertainment and parades.
Sad times.
So as a doctor you are making prognostications about a depression with zero proof or expertise? And in the same paragraph talk about this being with us like some sort of perma cold with no vaccine in sight with the CDC already announcing the vaccine has been formulated in record time and testing already?
You sir are trolling and spreading doom and gloom when we need clear and informed information.
“Like most vaccinologists, I don’t think this vaccine will be ready before 18 months,” says Annelies Wilder-Smith, professor of emerging infectious diseases at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
The Guardian, UK, Friday March 2020, ‘When Will a Coronavirus Vaccine Be Ready’
From what I have read, there is no immunity from the China virus. If you get it once, you can get it again.
There’s no way Disney will reopen 1st April. One indication is that they have waived the cancellation fees through to 30th June 2020. They certainly would not have done that if they were planning on opening any time soon. Have already submitted my cancellation request which is being processed in date order (was due to arrive 21 April for Worlds Cheerleading competition)
It’s going to be a long time before any normality reappears especially with all the idiots ignoring advice. I live in the UK and although I did not vote for Boris Johnson I do think he’s trying hard to get us through this horrendous ordeal (a bit late with some things). I think we are in a much better position in the UK as we are being told the truth about what is happening unlike yourselves. Keep safe and stay at home.
This is an April Fools joke that will anger a lot of people. I don’t see DW opening at all this year.
If that’s the case they won’t reopen at all because it’ll mean our economy jumped the shark and passed the point of no return. Honestly, I think governors will open everything back up and take their chances before letting that happen.
Great article, we renewed our passes in January from Oklahoma. We had a trip booked early April now cancelled and June 8, now in jeopardy. What we really need is American Airlines to start refunding our fares instead of banking them. If we have to cancel June also and use by 12/31 I doubt we could use it all, especially since our passes will be extended into 2021. Anyone had luck with AA refunding fares? I appreciate that Disney is refunding your cash in these times, and wish the airlines would also since they will receive federal funds once again.
I haven’t even attempted to call AA and rebook our flights in a few days because earlier in the week, the “extremely high call volume” repeatedly caused them to hang-up on my call. I’m thinking that the longer this goes on, the more flexible they will need to be. I could see them extending the rebook date, but in my experience with American, I doubt they’ll refund the money.
I would gather your predictions for cruises would extend through (potentially) mid May as well?
In my view, there is a zero chance that cruises will resume in May 2020. Maybe August, could be later.
This is non-related, but that sunset picture at CBR is beautiful, and I wish I was there right now.
Haha, that was my thought too! My family has sat in those chairs and watched the skyliner or the wildlife in the lake too many times to count. A drink from Banana Cabana would be pretty good right about now!
Yes yes yes! Daydreaming of it until we can get back there again!