Tag: disney’s hollywood studios

Chairman of Disney Parks Josh D’Amaro Shares a Message On the Reopening of the Disney Parks

Post author By disneyfoodblog.com
Post date June 10, 2020

Disneyland Resort has just announced a proposed reopening date.

Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle

If the reopening proposal is approved by the state and local governments, Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure will reopen on July 17th. Disney World will also begin their park reopening around this time — Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Animal Kingdom will reopen on July 11th, with Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios following on July 15th.

Following the announcement regarding Disneyland’s reopening proposal, Josh D’Amaro, Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products, has shared a message.

©Disney

He began the message by pointing to the reopening of Shanghai Disneyland, Disney Springs, and several Disney stores, and indicated that there are more exciting announcements on the horizon. He also acknowledged that Disney has been slower to reopen than other theme parks by saying the company is, “purposefully taking baby steps during this very intentional phased approach.”

©Josh D’Amaro

He said that Disney is taking the health and safety of guests, Cast Members, and local communities very seriously, and the efforts are, “guided by a talented team of professionals who’ve helped us implement a variety of new health and safety measures reflecting the guidance of local health and government authorities.”

Magic Kingdom

D’Amaro acknowledged that while the guest experience will be different when the parks reopen, Disney is still striving to maintain the magic. “While certain aspects of your visit may change, I assure you the quality of our storytelling, magic of our experiences and the caliber of our cast members has not. We recognize the trust that you have in the Disney brand, and we will continue to earn your trust every day.”

Spaceship Earth

He also pointed to the successful reopening of Shanghai Disneyland. “Guest satisfaction has been extremely high, and we will continue to make sure that as we bring back experiences, our attention to promoting your safety, maintaining your trust, and providing unique ways for you to come together with family and friends to create new memories remains high as well.”

©WaltDisneyImagineering on Instagram

D’Amaro thanked loyal Disney fans as well as all of the people working hard behind the scenes to make the reopenings possible. “I want you to know how eternally grateful I am for all of you who have made Disney parks, stores, hotels, cruise lines, guided tours and vacation properties part of your lives, as well as for the cast members, crew members, Imagineers, and employees who have brought them to life for the past 65 years.”

Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival merchandise ©Disney

He wrapped up the message by sharing how excited he is to see everyone return to the parks upon reopening. “I look forward to hearing the laughter and seeing the joy of families making memories together…and I can’t wait to see you when the magic returns to all of our parks and resorts.”

As the reopenings of Disney World and Disneyland come closer, we’ll continue to keep an eye out for additional information about what to expect in the early stages!

Do you plan to visit the parks when they first reopen? Let us know in the comments!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Animal Kingdom, disney california adventure, disney parks, Disney Springs, disney’s hollywood studios, Disneyland, Epcot, Featured, magic kingdom, News, Chairman of Disney Parks Experiences and Products, Disney World reopening, Disneyland reopening, health and safety, josh d’amaro, shanghai disneyland

Tags animal kingdom, Chairman of Disney Parks Experiences and Products, Disney California Adventure, disney parks, Disney Springs, Disney World reopening, disney's hollywood studios, disneyland, Disneyland Reopening, epcot, Featured, health and safety, josh d'amaro, magic kingdom, news, Shanghai Disneyland

Disney Parks Other

Here’s What We Know About MagicBands During Disney World’s Reopening

Post author By disneyfoodblog.com
Post date June 9, 2020

As many of us are already keenly aware, our summer Disney World vacations are going to look and feel very different this year. There’s going to be a lot fewer people in parks, tons of new health and safety measures, and no parades, fireworks or character meet and greets to start.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

But with so many modifications being made to Disney World’s guest experiences, you might be asking yourself what’s going to happen with MagicBands? Will we still be using them? Can we still pre-order them? We’re just like you guys — we can’t picture a trip to Disney World that doesn’t include MagicBands since we’re so used to swiping them to enter the theme parks, our guest rooms, and even pay for stuff! Plus — that’s only a couple of ways we use ’em! The list goes on and on!

Rest assured, while many changes are happening for Disney World’s July 11th and July 15th reopening, Disney World will still be using MagicBands. While we won’t have all the details for you until Disney World reveals its new reservation system, here’s what we know about MagicBands so far.

What if I’ve already ordered my MagicBands?

Shortly after the parks announced they were closing, Disney World suspended MagicBand orders. Guests who had placed orders that were shipped out would still receive their MagicBands while any upgraded MagicBands that were to be delivered to Disney World resort hotels after March 20th were automatically canceled and refunded.

Screenshot from Disney World Website

Since the Disney World theme parks and hotels were closed indefinitely, MagicBand orders were suspended. But now that the parks are reopening July 11th and 15th along with several Disney Vacation Club resorts and Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort opening June 22nd, is there a way for guests to order their MagicBands again? We investigated!

Will I still be able to order my MagicBands?

Normally, Disney Resort hotel guests and Walt Disney World Annual Passholders can order MagicBands through the My Disney Experience website. But since Disney World has temporarily suspended its ticket sales, stopped taking new hotel bookings, and aren’t allowing guests to reserve any FastPasses or dining experiences at this time, we were curious to see if we could still place a MagicBand order.

Beach Club Resort

When we tried to place an order as a Disney World Annual Passholder this morning we received a message stating, “While the Walt Disney World theme parks and Resort hotels are temporarily closed, we are not currently accepting new MagicBand orders linked to Walt Disney World Annual Passholders or Disney Resort hotel reservations. Please continue to check this page for additional updates.”

Screenshot from Disney World’s Website

Okay, fair enough. Luckily, we also have a reservation to stay at Disney’s Contemporary Resort as well as Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort on July 1st.

Screenshot from My Disney Experience App

At first, it appeared as if we could order our MagicBands, because we saw this “Choose MagicBands” option…

Screenshot from My Disney Experience App

…but when we clicked on it, we still weren’t directed to the ordering process. Instead, we saw this screen which informed us we could order our MagicBands up to 11 days before our arrival date if we wanted them sent to our homes (which has been Disney World’s shipping policy on MagicBands since before the temporary closures).

Screenshot from My Disney Experience App

We searched high and low and didn’t find any way to place an order for MagicBands at the moment, so as far as we’ve been able to dig up, MagicBand orders are still being temporarily suspended at this time. We’re hopeful once Disney World launches its new reservation system, guests will be able to place their MagicBand orders once again.

Check out Disney World’s newest solid color MagicBand here!

I have 12 days left to order for a July trip and I’m not sure what I should do!

Prior to the closure, Disney World advised guests to order their MagicBands at least 11 days before your arrival date if you would like your MagicBands shipped to your home and at least 6 days before your arrival date to have them shipped to your Resort hotel. Disney World’s website still states this as their policy.

However, while we were attempting to order MagicBands today, we noticed this “Shipping Timeline” which reads a little bit differently.

Screenshot from My Disney Experience App

Disney World says you should choose a MagicBand 10-6 days before your arrival date and MagicBands will ship only to your resort for the time being. If you select your MagicBand 5-1 days before your trip, you won’t get to pick out a color or design. You’ll be issued a gray MagicBand, available for pick-up at the guest relations.

Disney’s Beach Club Resort

Once the hotels reopen, Disney World will be strongly encouraging guests to utilize online self-check-in as well as a new chat feature that will instantly connect guests with a Cast Member, saving you a trip to Guest Relations. However, Disney has informed us standard check-in will be available for guests whose MagicBands are shipped to the resort.

It’s still very unknown when Disney World will resume shipping MagicBands out to guests’ houses or how fast they’ll arrive, but we’ll update you with any new information Disney provides on this matter.

What if my Disney World hotel doesn’t have a reopening date yet?

We’re keeping a watchful eye on Disney World’s hotels for any reopening announcements and we’ll let you know as soon they’re accepting new bookings. So far, we know in order to have priority access to the new reservation system, guests will need to have valid admission and Disney World accommodations booked.

MagicBand reader in Walt Disney World

We did, however, see the feature on the My Disney Experience app which allowed us to forego the option of ordering new MagicBands so we could recycle our old MagicBands from previous trips. While not everyone has old MagicBands lying around, any MagicBands you’ve used at Disney World and haven’t deactivated from your account could still work at the parks and hotels.

Screenshot from My Disney Experience App

You can also purchase MagicBands on shopDisney or other third party websites such as Amazon or eBay and link them to your account, but since Disney World provides MagicBands for free (included in the price of your reservation) you may want to hold off.

Keep in mind — having just park tickets or only a hotel reservation will not guarantee you’ll have access to the theme parks upon their reopening. Since Disney World has suspended all ticket sales, new hotel bookings, and a bunch of other services (which we now know includes ordering MagicBands) we know many of you are anxious to get the ball rollin’ on your vacation planning. Just sit tight for now, try not to worry yourselves too much, and we expect Disney World to be releasing many new details about its procedures very soon!

Are you waiting to order MagicBands for your Disney World trip this summer? Let us know in the comments below!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Animal Kingdom, Disney News, disney’s hollywood studios, Epcot, Featured, magic kingdom, Walt Disney World, can I still order magicband, Check-In, contactless payment, Disney World, Disney World Website, hotel reservation, july 11th, july 15th, MagicBand, magicband orders, My Disney Experience, no reopening date, official reopening, room key, self check-in, sent to house, sent to resort, will disney world still use magicbands

Disney Parks Other

Give Kids The World Issues a Statement Regarding Their Extended Closure

Post author By disneyfoodblog.com
Post date June 9, 2020

Give Kids The World Village is a non-profit resort that works closely with The Make-A-Wish Foundation to provides cost-free Disney World vacations for children who are battling critical illness along with their families.

It’s Mickey!

But due to the global health crisis and the vulnerability of its guests, the resort has remained closed, and sadly they don’t know when they’ll be able to resume granting kids’ wishes.

Pamela Landwirth, President and CEO of Give Kids The World, posted this message on social media today regarding the current status of the non-profit. Since the children they assist have medical issues, it seems inadvisable for them to grant wishes involving trips to Disney World’s theme parks upon their reopening.

Give Kids The World Statement

Because The Village has had to shutter itself and will stay closed indefinitely, the group has had to make the difficult decision to lay off the majority of their staff which will go into effect June 27th. A small staff will be retained to ensure the upkeep of The Village as well as prepare for Give Kids The World’s eventual reopening.

We wish this wonderful organization that has provided so many kids with happy memories over the years nothing but the best and a speedy return to their very important work! For ways you can help Give Kids The World, click here.

Have you ever visited Give Kids The World Village? Let us know in the comments below.

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Animal Kingdom, Disney News, disney’s hollywood studios, Epcot, Featured, magic kingdom, Walt Disney World, Disney World, Give Kids The World, give kids the world village, granting wishes, kissimmee, Make-A-Wish, non-profit

Tags animal kingdom, Disney News, Disney World, disney's hollywood studios, epcot, Featured, Give Kids The World, give kids the world village, granting wishes, kissimmee, magic kingdom, Make-A-Wish, non-profit, Walt Disney World

Disney Parks Disney Rumors & Gossip Other

Could This Annual Passholder GLITCH Keep You From Getting Into Disney World?

Post author By disneyfoodblog.com
Post date June 9, 2020

While Disney World has launched a new Annual Passholder webpage with its updated policies, there are still a lot of questions left unanswered.

Walt Disney World Annual Passholder

And thanks to one of our readers, we’re now aware of a potentially problematic situation regarding Annual Passes that were originally set to expire during Disney World’s temporary closure period.

A reader reached out to us today to let us know about a tricky problem she ran into and was unable to get resolved regarding her Annual Passholder status. AP’s are allowed to sign up early for runDisney events so, she called guest relations to inquire about the AP registry for the Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend even though her annual pass had technically expired during the temporary closure.

Spaceship Earth

Keep in mind, Disney World has stated they would automatically be extending the AP passes of members who had already paid in full or were keeping up with their monthly payments. But at this time, Disney World has yet to extend the expiration dates which means if your Annual Pass was originally set to expire between March 18th and July 11th, the system Disney uses won’t be able to recognize your membership is still valid until it’s reset. As far as the computer will see, you don’t HAVE a valid Annual Pass (even though you technically DO!).

MMRR Annual Passholder MagicBand

Our reader told us the Cast Member she spoke with said an internal team will be working on resetting the expiration dates around the time the parks reopen. Annual Passes cannot be reset by the guest services or management team at this time.

Cinderella Castle

This created a major roadblock for our reader who needed a valid Annual Pass for her early runDisney sign-up. But this issue, if left unresolved, could also cause major headaches for APs who are trying to attend Disney World’s Annual Passholder preview days, if their pass expired during the lengthy closure. The system must recognize your Annual Pass is still valid in order to get a reservation, so until Disney World gives its out new expiration dates, some APs might be out of luck.

Magic Kingdom Sign

This also means APs whose Annual Passes expired during the temporary closure will most likely be blocked from early registry to the Princess Half Marathon Weekend — which, as we saw with Walt Disney World’s 2021 Marathon Weekend, can sell out VERY quickly.

We’ll keep an eye on this issue and let you know if there’s any way APs whose passes expired during the closure can resolve this issue. We’ll keep you updated as soon as we learn any new details.

Did your Disney World annual pass expire during the theme parks’ temporary closure? Let us know if this glitch impacts your plans in the comments below.

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Animal Kingdom, Disney News, disney’s hollywood studios, Epcot, Featured, magic kingdom, Walt Disney World, annual pass, annual passes that expired during the closure, Annual Passholder, annual passholder preview, ap, ap preview, Disney World, Disney World Annual Passholder, early registry, early sign-up, expiration date, extend expiration date, flagged as invalid, Guest Relations, preregister, priority access, Reservation System, reset, reset expiration date, runDisney, sign up, temporary closure period

Disney Merch Disney Parks Disney Rumors & Gossip Other

Could This Be The End of Specialty Merchandise Releases in Disney World?

Post author By disneyfoodblog.com
Post date June 9, 2020

While Disney World has remained closed, items you could previously only buy inside the parks have been released on shopDisney, the Disney Store’s online platform.

Magic Kingdom

And while initially, this seemed like a good thing, (not having to put on pants, get off the sofa, and physically drag ourselves to the theme parks), it’s been a major headache — which we’ll get into in a sec! But when the parks reopen, is this going to be our only option for those must-have merch items from now on??

Now that some Disney Stores will be reopening soon, they’ve announced some limited-edition releases and specialty products might not be available in stores anymore.

©Disney

They stated the reason for no longer providing these types of items in stores is crowd control. Limited releases tend to be known for a bit of a mad dash as guests scramble for what they want, and since distancing guests is important right now, those big crowds need to be a no-go.

So what does this mean in terms of buying exclusive Disney Parks items at the theme parks when they reopen? Surely Disney World will want to keep gatherings to a minimum, so how will they address this issue?

Learn more about the health and safety measures the Disney Stores will be implementing here!

Will Disney World Resume Selling Its Limited Edition Collections Again When the Parks Reopen?

Disney World recently shared that limited releases will NOT be sold in the parks when they reopen.

Disney’s Statement on Limited-Release Merchandise

Does that mean no more hunting in every gift shop for Rose Gold Ears after they’re released, or snagging a new spirit jersey right as a Cast Member puts them on display? What about lining up early outside a gift shop to snag the newest Dooney and Bourke bag? For now, yes.

Why is This a GOOD Thing?

This way, guests who are unable to get a reservation to visit the parks can at least have access to the limited edition items such as Pins, Designer Ears, Dooney and Bourkes, and other exclusive wares.

See some of the Limited Edition Disney Parks Pins that have been released online here!

©shopDisney

And not having to wait in a physical line for your chance to buy your Disney Dooney and Bourke bags really has some added benefits! We don’t know many folks who would complain about snapping up these purses without having to leave their houses!

And while some Vera Bradley bags have previously been sold on shopDisney, the Vera Bradley website is selling Disney styles for the very first time! Sometimes they even offer special discounts like free shipping!

Vera Bradley x Disney Collection

So what’s the problem, right? Not having to go out AND still getting your Disney gear? Sounds like a pretty sweet deal! Only…it isn’t always perfect.

While buying some of the parks’ limited edition items online is super-convenient, it can also be quite frustrating if you’re going after Disney’s more-popular items!

Why is This a BAD Thing?

Here’s the thing — while being able to buy this stuff online ROCKS when it works, many of the most desirable items are selling out SUPER FAST! We’re talkin’ you click refresh on a page a fraction of a second too late and you might miss out on that item you so desperately want!

Ever After

One of the hottest ticket items recently have been some of Disney’s Designer Ears. We’re talking mega-trendy Mickey and Minnie-themed headwear designed by Disney’s most elite! Some of our favorite ear sets include Ashley Eckstein’s Ahsoka Tano Ears (who she also portrayed in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series!)…

Check out Ashley’s designer Star Wars Droid Ears here!

…and who can forget Disney Imagineer Joe Rohde’s Designer Ears!

These seemed to sell out faster than Thanos could snap his fingers! (Seriously — as soon as we shared with you that they were available we were turning around to tell you they were gone!)

See how much Joe Rohde’s Designer Ears were selling for on eBay shortly after selling out on shopDisney!

How Disney Is Trying to Fix This?

There’s some good news (although the results so far have been underwhelming). Disney is aware of this problem of their merch selling out too quickly online and they’re actively addressing the issue. Just before releasing their Star Wars May the Fourth collection, Disney said they would be implementing a virtual waiting room system that was supposed to give everyone a fair shake at getting their goods.

©Disney

However, the new system had major technical issues. Many would-be-shoppers were very frustrated to see a cartoon Millennium Falcon endlessly floating on their computer screens telling them to wait for the page to load!

We’ve tried (and failed) to jump on the Minnie Main Attraction merch as it’s been released since the parks have been closed…we’ve come up empty each time (so if you missed out, you’re in good company ).

©shopDisney

Disney once again tried to use the virtual waiting room when they released their Minnie Mouse: The Main Attraction collection for May only to once again encounter more problems. Enchanted Tiki Room fans sobbed as the Minnie Ears, Loungefly Backpacks, and Minnie Plush all slipped through their fingers! Surely there has to be a better way!

©Disney

We were slightly reassured when World of Disney reopened on May 27th and we saw a few Minnie Mouse: The Main Attraction items were for sale. However, in mere moments, all of the Mad Tea Party Loungeflys and Pirates of the Caribbean Minnie Plushes (which had previously been released months before) were gobbled up and haven’t been replenished since.

What Was Left of the Main Attraction Collection

So, we won’t be seeing specialty or limited edition merchandise in the parks or brick and mortar stores for a while. But in the meantime, it seems Disney will continue to release their limited edition stuff online for now.

There are FAR too many glitches on the shopDisney site right now to currently handle this sort of change, so time will tell if they can get a reliable and efficient system to shoulder this influx of traffic. If they can just work out some of the kinks of their virtual waiting room — we wouldn’t be so bothered by the idea of not having the opportunity to buy this stuff at the parks. But only time will tell!

See how shopping in Disney World has changed since the last time you visited here!

Have you encountered problems using shopDisney’s virtual waiting room? Let us know if you’ve missed out on something you really wanted in the comments below!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Animal Kingdom, disney merchandise, Disney Springs, disney’s hollywood studios, Epcot, Featured, magic kingdom, Walt Disney World, Designer Ears, designer minnie ears, disney vera bradley, Disney World, dooney and bourke, droid ears, Joe Rohde Mickey Ears, limited edition, limited edition pins, limited release, minnie mouse the main attraction, park exclusive, pin trading, popular items, shopdisney, Vera Bradley, virtual waiting room