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Moments ago, Governor Ron DeSantis spoke at Universal Orlando Resort which is currently hosting an Annual Passholder preview ahead of its June 5th reopening to the public.

Universal Orlando Resort

Governor DeSantis announced most of the state of Florida will enter Phase Two of his Safe. Smart. Step-by-Step. Plan for Florida’s Recovery, but he also shared a few comments on Universal Orlando’s reopening.

While some state officials have been to the Orlando-area theme parks (including Disney World) to conduct inspections prior to approving their reopening proposals, Governor DeSantis said this was the first time he’s stepped foot inside Universal Studios since the temporary closures began.

Universal Studios

Father to a newborn, two-year-old, and three-year-old, Governor DeSantis said his kids “aren’t quite old enough yet” to visit Universal Studios this weekend, but he says Univeral is taking every precaution to ensure its guests can come and enjoy themselves safely.

Gringotts

Governor DeSantis also mentioned he’s been impressed by how companies such as Universal and Dinsey have conducted themselves during these times, exhibiting “forward-thinking” but implementing new health and safety measures so guests could safely return.

Hogsmeade

Finally, the governor concluded with the statement that the CDC assesses open-air venues to be lower risk than being indoors and that there hasn’t been a lot of evidence of widespread outdoor transmission since public beaches, parks, and other public spaces have begun to reopen throughout Florida.

Hogwarts Express

Governor DeSantis also said he hopes to provide more news soon regarding major sporting events resuming their games Florida such as the NBA which will voting on finishing their 2020 season in Disney World tomorrow.

We will continue to provide you up-to-date information on the reopening of Florida’s theme parks, so stay tuned!! And if you have any questions about how Universal is operating today, please let us know.

Follow along with our live coverage of Universal Studios’ reopening today here!

Are you planning on visiting Universal Studios or Disney World this year? Let us know in the comments below!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Featured, News, comments on reopening, florida governor, health and safety, outdoor venue, phase two, ron desantis, universal studios reopening

Today the Walt Disney Company announced that it would be pledging $5 million to nonprofit organizations that support social justice.

Walt Disney Company Logo

Let’s take a closer look at the donations pledged.

According to Bob Chapek, Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company, “This $5 million pledge will continue to support the efforts of nonprofit organizations such as the NAACP that have worked tirelessly to ensure equality and justice.”

Bob Chapek

The first wave of donations includes $2 million to the NAACP (The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), an organization that supports “the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons.”

In addition to donations, several Disney-owned networks paused their normal programming on Tuesday night, instead airing special programming to encourage a discussion of racism and oppression in America. This included an ABC News primetime special, “America in Pain: What Comes Next?” and two special episodes of black-ish.

Black-ish Cast ©Disney

The company also spoke out against racism in a social media campaign.

©Disney

The donations and special programming are just a part of what Disney calls an “ongoing commitment to support organizations that advance social justice,” which also have included a $2.5 million donation to the United Negro College Fund. You can click here to read Disney’s statement in its entirety. 

Click here to read all of the Disney NEWS you need to know this week!

What do you think of this charity move by Disney? Let us know in the comments!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Disney News, Featured, News, abc news, black-ish, bob chapek, charity, Disney, Disney charity, donate to charity, George Floyd, give to charity, NAACP, social justice, the walt disney company, United Negro College Fund

Universal Orlando is now OPEN for a special Annual Passholder preview, (and we’re ready to drink all the Butterbeer we can get our hands on)!

Butterbeer

While we’ve been taking you to some of Universal’s newly reopened hotels, as well as showing you how the new virtual lines works, we’ve received a lot of questions from you guys about what it’s like to wear face coverings while riding attractions!

Does wearing a mask detract from the thrill of riding Univeral’s attractions? We’re here to tell you everything you need to know about wearing a mask at the theme parks — including a few tips and tricks we’ve picked up from some of the rides we’ve been on today!

Universal Studios

Universal Orlando announced that it would be taking necessary health and safety precautions for guests to visit the parks. While they will have temperature screenings and physical distancing, the parks will also be requiring masks for both guests and employees.

Health Signage

This means that everyone will need to wear masks at all times, except when they are eating, drinking, swimming, or visiting one of Universal’s new U-Rest Areas. Guests are required to provide their own face masks. We’ve also seen Universal’s shops are selling additional face coverings throughout CityWalk and the theme parks.

Universal

Guests without face coverings will be turned away at the gate. Universal MIGHT be able to provide guests with face masks if they forget to bring one, but since this isn’t a guarantee, we think it’s best NOT to chance it!

Learn more about the first day of CityWalk’s phased reopening here!

How Weird Does It Feel To Wear Face Masks on Rides?

Believe it or not, it didn’t feel that strange to us! Since we’re used to wearing masks when we leave the house now (and seeing others wearing masks in our everyday lives), it feels more surreal to actually be sitting down on our favorite attractions again than it does to be wearing a mask!

Universal Studios

Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts along with Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure were still super fun — even while wearing a face-covering! We didn’t think it took anything away from our enjoyment of these experiences!

Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure

Similarly, we were expecting our mask to blow off on faster roller coasters like The Incredible Hulk Coaster, but to our surprise, the speed of the ride kept our mask in place with no issue!

On a water ride like Jurassic Park River Adventure, after our entire car was seated (with rows left empty between guests), we were permitted to take our masks off.

Jurassic Park River Adventure

We’ll keep updating this post as we ride more attractions so you can see how our masks survived on various rides!

Tips and Tricks

And now for a few quick lessons we’ve learned along the way!

• On 3D attractions where you’re given special goggles, we recommend placing them over your mask to prevent them from fogging up.
• We’ve been wearing face coverings with elastic ties that wrap around our ears which have stayed in place during the rides we’ve experienced!
• Bring a back-up face mask or two for everyone in your family in case your mask gets wet. Even if the forecast doesn’t call for rain, we’ve noticed the misting features on several rides (like the Incredible Hulk Coaster and Escape From Gringotts) are still working.

Queue for Hogwarts Express

We’ll be back soon with more face mask ride reviews for you — so sit tight while we check out some more rides!

See everything happening in Universal Orlando LIVE today with us!

What are your favorite rides in Universal Orlando? Let us know in the comments below!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Disney News, Featured, News, Disney, Disney Entertainment, disney news, disney parks, face masks, Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, harry potter and the escape from gringotts, incredible hulk coaster, Islands of Adventure, jurassic park river adventure, universal attractions, universal entertainment, universal news, Universal Orlando, universal orlando reopening, universal parks, universal rides, Universal Studios Florida