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First Day Back: A Look around Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Bay Lake Tower

Disney, we’re home. After being closed since March, select DVC resort hotels are now open at Walt Disney World. Although the theme parks won’t reopen until next month, being able to set foot back on Disney property has such a great sense of optimism for the future. For its reopening day, Bay Lake Tower was still very empty, and people are not yet staying in Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Because Bay Lake Tower doesn’t have dining and shopping options, the Grand Canyon Concourse area at Disney’s Contemporary Resort is open for Bay Lake Tower guests, although options are limited. Currently the only dining options open are Contempo Cafe, The Wave, and the pool bar–no Chef Mickey’s, California Grill, or Outer Rim Lounge. Needless to say, it is very odd standing in the Grand Canyon Concourse and having it be eerily quiet.

Here’s some of what we saw today as we wandered around to take in the sights.

First Day Back: A Look around Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Bay Lake Tower

First Day Back: A Look around Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Bay Lake Tower

First Day Back: A Look around Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Bay Lake Tower

First Day Back: A Look around Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Bay Lake Tower

First Day Back: A Look around Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Bay Lake Tower

First Day Back: A Look around Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Bay Lake Tower

First Day Back: A Look around Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Bay Lake Tower

First Day Back: A Look around Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Bay Lake Tower

First Day Back: A Look around Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Bay Lake Tower

First Day Back: A Look around Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Bay Lake Tower

First Day Back: A Look around Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Bay Lake Tower

First Day Back: A Look around Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Bay Lake Tower

First Day Back: A Look around Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Bay Lake Tower

And yes, even though it has a new paint job, seeing the castle again was a sight for sore eyes!

First Day Back: A Look around Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Bay Lake Tower

First Day Back: A Look around Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Bay Lake Tower

Welcome home.

The post First Day Back: A Look around Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Bay Lake Tower appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

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Filed Under: Disney Vacation Club, Walt Disney World (FL), Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Contemporary Resort

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How to Make a Disney World Park Reservation

Disney launched its park reservation system at around 8 a.m. today. We’ve captured the screens that you’ll see in the process you’ll follow to make a Disney World park reservation.

In order to use Disney Park Pass System, you’ll need:

  • A My Disney Experience account
  • Valid theme park ticket or Annual Pass that’s linked to your My Disney Experience account
  • For those with a Disney Resort hotel reservation, you will also need to be sure to link it to this My Disney Experience account beforehand

Here are the important dates to keep track of:

  • June 22: Guests with Disney Resort Hotel reservations and valid theme park admission that is linked in My Disney Experience can start to make theme park reservations
  • June 26: Disney Park Pass System will open for Annual Passholders
  • June 28: Disney Park Pass System will open to existing ticket holders. In addition, by June 28, new Disney Resort hotel packages and theme park tickets will be on sale for arrivals in 2021.
  • Later this summer: Based on availability, sales of 2020 tickets and Disney Resort hotel arrivals will resume.

Step 1: Select everyone in your party who’s going to that park on the same day

This step is similar to the old FastPass+ reservation screen that allows you to pick everyone in your group:

How to Make a Disney World Park Reservation

Step 2: Select the date and park for your visit

This step displays a month-by-month calendar. Choose a date from the calendar and the site will show which parks have reservations available for that date.

How to Make a Disney World Park Reservation

If a park isn’t available on the date you’ve selected, you’ll see this screen:

How to Make a Disney World Park Reservation

Step 3: Select the time of your visit

There’s only one option here, and that’s the park’s current operating hours.  You don’t have to show up at park opening.  I’m not sure why Disney has this step in the process, other than they thought (at some point, anyway) that there might be a need to stagger guests’ entry into the parks.  So pick the one option available to you.

How to Make a Disney World Park Reservation

Step 4: Review and Confirm Your Reservation

You’re almost done – Disney’s lawyers want to make sure you’ve read the terms and conditions for entering the park.  Click that checkbox, then click the green ‘Confirm’ button.

How to Make a Disney World Park Reservation

Step 5: Receive Confirmation

This completes one park reservation for one day.

How to Make a Disney World Park Reservation

 

If you have other days for which you’d like to visit a park, you’ll go through the entire process again for each park and day you want to visit.

For those whose booking window opened today, were you eventually able to get park reservations? Want to share any tips or tricks you may have? Let us know in the comments.

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Filed Under: Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World (FL), disney coronavirus

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The Bourne Stuntacular: A Must-See at Universal Orlando

Stage shows at theme parks can be hit or miss. Certainly, we’ve all suffered through a show that made us wish for those minutes of our lives back again. We’ve also seen some shows that wow us and make us want to see it again on our next trip. Thankfully, The Bourne Stuntacular at Universal Orlando is the latter.

Located in the Hollywood section of Universal Studios Florida, and thankfully in an air-conditioned venue, the show runs 26 minutes at various times throughout the day. For the least-crowded experience, aim for the first couple of shows of the day.

The Bourne Stuntacular: A Must-See at Universal Orlando

The show is a combination of live actors, elaborate props, special effects, and music to truly put you into a movie from the series starring Jason Bourne, a daring international operative. What really provides wow factor is the 3,600+ square foot digital background screen. It really does help you feel like you are jet setting around the world with Bourne.

SPOILER:For example, during one fight scene, Bourne is chased into a prop built to look like two-story tower, which is rolled onto the center of the stage. As Bourne climbs out of the tower, the entire prop starts rotating and rising toward the ceiling, simulating a camera angle that’s also rotating and dropping. And while the building is rotating, the scenery on the screen behind the prop is also rotating. It looks simply amazing to see it live. END SPOILER.

Although the plot is not cinematic in its depth–the plot really just serves to move you from one amazing scene to the next–you’ll be so wowed by the effects that you won’t mind that the bad guys can’t hit an easy-to-spot target like our hero. As long as you’re willing to bring some good ol’ Hollywood suspension of disbelief, you’ll have a wonderful time and will want to see it again.

We rate this at 4 1/2 stars–a must-see, especially for fans of the Bourne series of movies. It’s one of the best shows in Orlando.

 

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Filed Under: Universal Orlando Resort, The Bourne Stuntacular

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Walt Disney World Resort Hotel Reopening Dates Announced

While we know that the Disney Vacation Club Resorts and Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort are all reopening at the Walt Disney World Resort on June 22, the questions has remained – when will the other resort hotels reopen? Disney has finally revealed those details.

Here are the dates that most of the resort hotels will be reopening. Do keep in mind, not every hotel has an official reopening date, as of yet.

  • July 10 – Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House, Disney’s Pop Century Resort, Disney’s Contemporary Resort
  • July 29 – Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
  • Aug. 12 – Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
  • Aug. 24 – Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resorts
  • Sept. 21 – Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
  • Oct. 1 – Disney’s BoardWalk Resort
  • Oct. 14 – Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort

As hotels reopen, there will be a deliberate approach to implement a number of health and safety measures based on guidance from various governmental authorities and health agencies.

Of course, of notice as not part of the announcement are Disney’s All-Star Resorts and Disney’s Port Orleans Resorts. No word on if/when these resorts will be reopening or if Guests booked at these resorts will be moved to other resorts. We do know that Guests with current reservations at impacted Disney Resort hotels can request help with modifying their reservation starting Monday June 22. Disney does state that they will continue to evaluate the situation and reopen more locations when the environment is right to do so.

Of course, keep in mind that all of these plans may still change, as Disney is closely monitoring the constantly changing health environment and its impact on the state of Florida. Guests should note that given the fluidity of the current environment, the dates that the Walt Disney World Resort hotels are to reopen are subject to change and Guests’ reservations could still be modified to other resort hotels if needed.

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From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: News, Walt Disney World (FL), coronavirus, walt disney world, Walt Disney World Resort Hotels

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Here’s What Will Be Closed at Walt Disney World

Yesterday, Walt Disney World released a list of what will be open–but when it comes to attractions, for most people knowing what will be closed is more helpful than what will be open. Here’s a list of what didn’t appear on the “open” list, that we would assume will be closed, at least during the first stages of reopening.

Magic Kingdom

Not appearing on the “to be open” (and presumed closed) list are:

  • Main Street Vehicles
  • Walt Disney World Railroad
  • Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade
  • Enchanted Tales with Belle
  • Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
  • Casey Jr. Splash ‘n’ Soak
  • Harmony Barber Shop
  • Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
  • All character meet and greet locations (although a “character cavalcade” will travel through Magic Kingdom with characters, very similar to the look and feel of the Move It, Shake It “mini parade”)
  • Festival of Fantasy afternoon parade
  • Once Upon a Time
  • Happily Ever After

Although an official dining list has not been provided by Disney yet, Disney did announce which table service restaurants would have mobile dine check-in. When the list was first published, not all restaurants were listed, however more restaurants have been added and it appears all table-service restaurants will be operating in Magic Kingdom.

EPCOT

Not appearing on the “to be open” (and presumed closed) list are:

  • Beauty and the Beast Sing-a-Long (although Impressions de France is on the opening list)
  • Turtle Talk with Crush (this was removed from Disney’s “open” list last night)
  • All character meet and greet locations (although there will be parade-like character meet and greets in World Showcase throughout the day)
  • EPCOT Forever

On Disney’s list, no live performances were listed for World Showcase acts, and some had been cut earlier this year before the COVID closures. We do know that Disney is planning to have the JAMMitors and Mariachi Cobre performing as part of the newly revamped Food and Wine festival.

Although only a few restaurants are listed as having mobile check-in for EPCOT, because there are so many restaurants run by third-party companies, we can’t compile a list of what will and won’t be open for table-service restaurants at this time.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Not appearing on the “to be open” (and presumed closed) list are:

  • Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage
  • For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Singalong
  • Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
  • Star Wars: Launch Bay
  • Trials of the Temple: Jedi Training Academy
  • Voyage of the Little Mermaid
  • All character meet and greet locations (although there will be motorcade-type character parades throughout the day)
  • Fantasmic!
  • Star Wars: A Galactic Fireworks Spectacular

Not on the list originally for mobile check-in was Hollywood Brown Derby, however it has now been added to the list. All table-service restaurants are listed, however Oga’s Cantina is not listed at present.

Animal Kingdom

Not appearing on the “to be open” (and presumed closed) list are:

  • The Boneyard
  • Festival of the Lion King (this was removed from Disney’s “open” list last night)
  • Finding Nemo the Musical
  • Fossil Fun Games
  • UP! A Great Bird Adventure Show
  • Primeval Whirl (which had already been in the “maybe” category for openings anyhow)
  • All character meet and greet locations (although there will be a character boat parade throughout the day)
  • Rivers of Light

Live performances were also not listed for Animal Kingdom–we’ll have to wait and see what will be there when the parks reopen.

When the list was originally published, no table-service restaurants were listed for Animal Kingdom as having mobile check-in, however Tiffins and Tusker House have now been added. Rainforest Cafe and Yak and Yeti are both operated by a third-party company, and so I would expect we’ll hear more information about them soon.

Additional Notes

In addition, at least in the short-term, resort hopping will be a thing of the past. If you’re not staying at a resort, you won’t be looking around or dining there. As of noon on June 21, there was a notice on Disney’s web site that only guests with a room reservation could book dining at resort hotels. This will be changing in the future, however.

We don’t know yet about Disney Water Parks–some park hours are listed starting in July, however Disney has been removing park hours on a rolling basis and they have not yet officially announced a reopening date for Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach.

There are also likely smaller diversions that I wouldn’t expect to see in the short-term–anything that requires close contact between people, such as face painting and hair braiding.

At Disney Springs, we still don’t have reopening dates for Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, Splitsville, or The VOID, and the new Cirque du Soleil “Drawn to Life” show doesn’t start up until August 4.

 

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Filed Under: Walt Disney World (FL), coronavirus