Author: chipandco.com

Walt Disney World is preparing to open its theme parks next month. Disney also launched a new park pass reservation system for guests to schedule their park visits.

Guests with current 202o reservations were able to make their park pass reservations earlier this week. Tomorrow, June 26, Annual Passholders will be able to schedule their Park Pass Reservations. Other existing ticket holders will be able to make reservations on Sunday, June 28.

Disney will not open new availability at a pre-announced time of day. When the system opens, all Passholders will be eligible to make theme park reservations for up to three days at a time. Or, Annual Passholders staying at select Disney Resort or other select hotels with valid theme park admission will be eligible to make theme park reservations for each day of their stay(s).

For example, if an Annual Passholder has three five-night reservations, they will be able to hold up to 15 theme park reservations at one time.

Disney will be using virtual waiting rooms as needed to manage the high volume of guests looking to make park reservations for their upcoming visits. They anticipate many Passholders and Guests will begin making their park reservations right away, so wait times may be longer earlier in the day.

Here are a few helpful reminders for those looking to make park reservations:

• Ensure your ticket or Annual Pass is linked to your My Disney Experience account for each member of your travel party.
• Please be sure you are searching for available park days within the valid use period of your ticket or Annual Pass. You can view your valid use period under Tickets and Passes in My Disney Experience. All reservations are subject to availability and applicable pass blockout dates.
• Contact the Disney Reservation Center via phone or online chat if these tips do not resolve the issue. Please note that Disney is experiencing a high call and chat volume at this time.

Also, check out the Disney World Park Pass Tutorial video Disney released today:

 

Don’t forget, 2021 Disney World package reservations are also available to book now for dates through September 26, 2021.

From our friends at chipandco.com
Filed Under: News, Parks & Resorts, Planning, Walt Disney World, 2021 Disney World Packages, annual passholders, Disney World Reopening, Park Pass Reservation System, Park Pass Tutorial Video

Downtown Disney is getting a new store: California Sole!

The footwear store previously known as “Sanuk” will be coming to Downtown Disney at the Disneyland Resort later this summer and offer a variety of brands born in California.

“California Sole is a California-inspired, full service footwear store” mentioned the owner, Wayne Heck. “Our staff is very knowledgeable and can share with guests the stories, passion and heart behind each line of footwear while providing personalized service.”

The store will carry brands like Vans, Sanuk, OluKai, Reef and Havaianas, as well as, Stance socks, Pura Vida bracelets and other accesories.

The store is also getting a new look, now it will be light, bright and modern with iconic California artwork and the doors will stay open to take advantage the perfect California weather!

Despite Disneyland not reopening on July 17th like it was previously announced, the Downtown Disney District will open on July 9th.

Credit: Disney Parks

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Filed Under: Downtown Disney, Disneyland, News, california sole, disney, Sanuk

Splash Mountain in Disney World and Disneyland to be rethemed to The Princess and the Frog

Disney has just shared that they are going to be retheming Splash Mountain in both Walt Disney World and Disneyland…

Read on for more!

Today we are thrilled to share a first glimpse of a project Imagineers have been working on since last year. Splash Mountain – at both Disneyland park in California and Magic Kingdom park in Florida – will soon be completely reimagined. The theme is inspired by an all-time favorite animated Disney film, “The Princess and the Frog.” We pick up this story after the final kiss, and join Princess Tiana and Louis on a musical adventure – featuring some of the powerful music from the film – as they prepare for their first-ever Mardi Gras performance.

Tiana is a modern, courageous, and empowered woman, who pursues her dreams and never loses sight of what’s really important. It’s a great story with a strong lead character, set against the backdrop of New Orleans and the Louisiana bayou. In 1966, Walt himself opened New Orleans Square when it became the first new “land” added to Disneyland park, so it feels natural to link the story and the incredible music of “The Princess and the Frog” to our parks.

The voice of Princess Tiana and Tony Award-winning actress, Anika Noni Rose, shared, “It is really exciting to know that Princess Tiana’s presence in both Disneyland and Magic Kingdom will finally be fully realized! As passionate as I am about what we created, I know the fans are going to be over the moon. The Imagineers are giving us ‘The Princess and the Frog’ Mardi Gras celebration we’ve been waiting for, and I’m here for it!”

The approach to retheming or “plussing” attractions (as Walt Disney referred to it) begins with Imagineers asking the question, how can we build upon or elevate the experience and tell a fresh, relevant story? It’s a continuous process that Imagineers are deeply passionate about. And with this longstanding history of updating attractions and adding new magic, the retheming of Splash Mountain is of particular importance today. The new concept is inclusive – one that all of our guests can connect with and be inspired by, and it speaks to the diversity of the millions of people who visit our parks each year.

Charita Carter, the senior creative producer leading the project at Walt Disney Imagineering shared, “Like Princess Tiana, I believe that courage and love are the key ingredients for wonderful adventures. I am delighted to be a part of bringing this fun-filled experience to our guests.”

For Imagineers, change is rooted in a tradition set by Walt Disney who encouraged new innovations, new ideas, new scenes and current storytelling. And the experiences they create can be enjoyed by guests who visit our parks from all over the world.

As part of the creative development process, conceptual design work is well underway and Imagineers will soon be able to conduct preliminary reviews and develop a timeline for when the transformation can start to take shape.

Stay tuned for more!

Recently petitions were submitted to change the theme of Splash Mountain and also to keep it the way it is.

D23 sat down with Bob Weis, president of Walt Disney Imagineering, to discuss evolving the attraction, why The Princess and the Frog was a perfect fit, and what this means for other Imagineering projects on the horizon. You can read it here.

What do you think about the update to Splash Mountain? Let us know in the comment box below.

 

Source Disney Parks Blog

From our friends at chipandco.com
Filed Under: Parks & Resorts, Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Disney World, Splash Mountain, The Princess and the Frog

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Jambo House removed from reopening list

Disney has just changed the extended Disney World Hotel Reopening list to exclude Animal Kingdom Lodge Jambo. These resorts were scheduled to reopen from July to October.

Here is the updated list and more information from Disney.

With the opening of these hotels, we have taken a measured and deliberate approach to implementing a number of health and safety measures based on guidance from various governmental authorities and health agencies. In addition, we currently plan to open the following Disney Resort hotels to booked Guests on the following dates.

Please note that given the fluidity of the current environment, these dates are subject to change and Guests’ reservations could still be modified to other Disney Resort hotels if needed.

Given the current situation, there are some Disney Resort hotels and other areas that are not, as of this time, being scheduled for reopening yet. We will continue to evaluate the situation and reopen more locations when the environment is right to do so.

While these plans may evolve, we will be monitoring the constantly changing health environment and its impact on the state of Florida as we find the right time to welcome back even more of our Guests.

We continue to assist Guests with current hotel reservations for 2020, modifying travel plans as needed.

Beginning Wednesday, June 24, Guests will be able to book their 2021 travel dates for select Disney Resort hotels. These include:

• Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
• Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
• Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village
• Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
• Disney’s Beach Club Resort
• Disney’s Beach Club Villas
• Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
• Disney’s BoardWalk Villas
• Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
• Disney’s Contemporary Resort
• Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort
• Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground
• Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
• Disney’s Old Key West Resort
• Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
• Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
• Disney’s Pop Century Resort
• Disney’s Riviera Resort
• Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
• Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
• The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

Additionally, Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort and Disney’s Vero Beach Resort are now open to Members and Guests.

 

 

From our friends at chipandco.com
Filed Under: Parks & Resorts, Resorts, Walt Disney World, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Disney World, Disney World Reopening, Jambo House

Starting this week, the New York Tri-state area is now implementing new travel guidelines for visitors coming to their states. The states of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut issued a travel advisory Wednesday that requires people arriving from states with high coronavirus rates to quarantine for 14 days.

The travel advisory to self-quarantine applies to anyone coming from a state with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents over a 7-day rolling average or a state with a 10% or higher positivity rate over a seven-day rolling average. As of Wednesday, the advisory applies to Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Utah and Texas. It went into effect on Wednesday, June 24, 2020.

These new health and safety precautions are similar to what the state of Florida implemented for travelers coming to their state. For instance, Governor DeSantis is taking extra health precautions before Walt Disney World Resort reopens in July. He’s requesting visitors from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to self-quarantine for 14 days upon entering the state. of Florida. Those planning Disney trips can continue reading to learn the official details.

Governor DeSantis directed all individuals entering the state of Florida from the New York Tri-State Area (Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York) to isolate or quarantine for a period of 14 days from the time of entry into Florida or the duration of the individual’s presence in Florida, whichever is shorter. This includes persons entering Florida by roadways.

• This order was extended in Section 3 of Executive Order Number 20-139.
• This Executive Order does not apply to individuals involved in commercial activity and students traveling for the purpose of academic work, internships, sports training and any other activity or program approved by the educational institution.
• All persons isolating or quarantining will be responsible for all costs associated with their isolation or quarantine. This includes transportation, lodging, food, medical care and any other expenses to sustain the individual during their period of isolation or quarantine.
• Roadside checkpoints are set up on interstates to check for potential COVID-19 cases coming into Florida from areas with substantial community spread of the virus. The checkpoints do not apply to commercial drivers or health workers.

Source: Florida Health COVID19

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Filed Under: News, Parks & Resorts, Universal, SeaWorld, Legoland and More, Walt Disney World, Florida, Florida Travel, orlando travel, Universal Orlando