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Disney News Disney Parks Other

Disney World & Disneyland is cancelling reservations through Mid-June

Disney Parks

Walt Disney World® and Disneyland® Resort Guests with resort hotel bookings during the week of June 7-13, 2020, are receiving notifications that their stays will be impacted by our temporary closures, and they may modify or cancel their Disney Resort hotel reservations or Walt Disney Travel Company packages. Disney is asking Guests who didn’t book directly with Disney to call their Travel Professional.

Here is the sample letter being sent out to Disney World and Disneyland Guests

Sample letter – Walt Disney World Resort Guests

Important: Disney Resort Hotel Closures

In keeping with our focus on the well-being of our Guests and Cast Members during these rapidly changing times, Disney Resort hotels and theme parks at Walt Disney World Resort are currently closed until further notice.

Your upcoming travel dates are impacted by these closures. You have the option to modify or cancel your Disney Resort hotel reservation or Walt Disney Travel Company package up to your original check-in date. If no action is taken, we will process any refund due to your original form of payment if a payment had been made. If you did not book through Disney directly, please contact your Travel Professional. Note that cancellation fees imposed by third-party suppliers, including airlines and rental cars, as well as nonrefundable products like travel protection plans, are deducted from refundable amounts for Walt Disney Travel Company packages.

If you wish to reschedule your vacation for a later time this year, please call 407-939-4251 or your Travel Professional.

Rest assured, we will continue to monitor the situation and make timely decisions based on expert guidance. For the latest information, please visit DisneyWorld.com/Updates.

We thank you for your continued understanding, and we hope to see ya real soon!

Sample letter – Disneyland Resort Guests

Dear Guest,

We are sorry to inform you that your upcoming visit with us will be impacted by several closures.

While there is still much uncertainty with respect to the impacts of COVID-19, the safety and well-being of our Guests and employees remain The Walt Disney Company’s top priority.

As a result of this unprecedented pandemic and in line with direction provided by health experts and government officials, the Disneyland Resort is currently closed and a reopening date has not been identified.

If you have already modified or cancelled your upcoming Disneyland Resort hotel room reservation or Walt Disney Travel Company vacation package, no further action needs to be taken. If you’re interested in modifying your existing travel dates or making a new reservation for a future vacation, reservations are currently available for travel dates July 1, 2020 and later.

To provide additional flexibility, we are waiving Disney-imposed change and cancellation fees up to the date of check-in for reservations with arrivals through June 30, 2020. If you are unable to reach us before your check-in date for such time period, you will not be penalized or assessed Disney-imposed fees for cancelling your Disneyland Resort hotel room reservation or Walt Disney Travel Company vacation package after your check-in date.

Note that some package components are nonrefundable and subject to third-party operator cancellation policies. You should work directly with any third-party operators you have used to book any parts of your vacation package that were not booked through the Walt Disney Travel Company, including flights, travel protection and car rentals.

A Special Offer for Eligible Guests

Eligible Guests of the Disneyland Resort Hotels may receive a $50 per night resort credit* for stays between July 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020. In addition to the resort credit, eligible Guests may also take advantage of a special Disneyland Resort offer to save up to 35%** on stays most nights July 1, 2020 through October 3, 2020.

The resort offer is valid for Guests who booked a room reservation, or a Walt Disney Travel Company vacation package, to stay at a Disneyland Resort hotel during the period from March 16, 2020 through June 30, 2020 and on dates that the Disneyland Resort theme parks are closed. Offer is not valid for room reservations or packages cancelled before March 1, 2020, or for multiple rebooks of the same room or package reservation.

To receive more details about this offer, and to cancel or modify your reservation, please contact the Walt Disney Travel Company at (714) 520-5050 between the hours of 8:00 AM and 7:00 PM, 7 days a week. If you originally booked through a Travel Agent, please reach out to them directly if you have questions or would like to reschedule. Be sure to ask about the special offer above!

We do anticipate heavy call volume and appreciate your patience as we work hard to respond to all inquiries.

Sincerely,

Disney Destinations LLC

*Resort credit is valid for select food and beverage, spa services, and merchandise from any Disney owned and operated location at the Disneyland Resort that offers room charging privileges to Disneyland Resort hotel room accounts. Resort credit is not valid for Disney Gift Cards and other select items; please ask about eligible items at participating locations. Room credit will be applied against charges made to the room account, and Guest is responsible for any balance due after the credit has been applied. Not valid for payment of room rates or associated fees or taxes, must be used during the Guest’s stay, and expires on day of check out. Nontransferable, and may not be redeemed for other credit or for cash, in whole or in part. Subject to other restrictions and change without notice.

**Savings based on the non-discounted price for the same room at the same hotel from 7/1/20 through 10/3/20.  Book through 5/31/20.  Savings not valid on select suites. Subject to availability as the number of rooms allocated for this offer is limited. Excludes applicable fees and taxes.  Limit two (2) rooms per reservation and occupancy restrictions apply per room. Not valid in combination with any other hotel discounts or offers, except the resort credit offer for eligible Guests. Subject to restrictions and change without notice.

From our friends at chipandco.com
Filed Under: Parks & Resorts, Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Disney Cancelling Reservations, Disney World

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Other Star Wars

Learn about Planetary Science from Star Wars

Planetary science

Rejoice! You may know more than you realize about astronomy and planetary science. For young students at home, there is an online introductory  class that teaches planetary science using iconic planets of the Star Wars universe as classroom models. Who would have guessed that watching Star Wars movies would pay off in real life education?

The one-time online course teaches about solar system formation, the habitable zone, exoplanets, and how size impacts a planet’s habitability. The class discusses the feasibility of line on planets such as the ocean world Kamino, the frozen Hoth, multi-sun planets like Tatooine, and more.

Have you wondered why there is diversity in planet types in our universe? Want to know why Tattoine is hot and Hoth is cold? This class helps break down the fundamentals of planetary science so you can understand what fascinates astrobiologists.

The course is a one-time class for students in the 9-14 age range. The course lasts for a duration of 50 minutes and costs $17 to partake. The video chat course is offered on the Outschool website and you can learn more about it here.

Having a better understanding of the solar system might make your trip to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge feel more fun in the future!

Source: Outschool.com

From our friends at chipandco.com
Filed Under: News, Parks & Resorts, Star Wars, Astronomy, Disney Education, learning, planets, solar system

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Disney Parks Other

Homecomin’ in Disney Springs is Getting a New Patio Area

disney springs

Disney Springs partially reopened yesterday and one of the more popular restaurants, Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’, is continuing progress on their patio expansion.

Homecomin’ has always had outdoor seating, but this patio expansion will dramatically increase that. The expansion was planned before the pandemic shut-down and will provide coveted outdoor seating that restaurants will want to provide going forward.

Homecomin’ is located at The Landing in Disney Springs and is known for its delicious farm-to-fork cuisine showcasing Florida’s freshest flavors. Reservations are strongly recommended.

Have you ever dined at Homecomin’? What’s your favorite item there?

From our friends at chipandco.com
Filed Under: News, Disney Springs, Parks & Resorts, Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin, Homecomin’

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Disney Parks Other

Photos and Video: Disney Springs Is Now Back Open At Walt Disney World

Photos and Video: Disney Springs Is Now Back Open At Walt Disney World

Disney Springs is officially reopened. Today was the first day of operation for Disney Springs since it shut down along with the rest of the Walt Disney World Resort in March. We took a visit to check and see all the new safety measures put in place.

Photos and Video: Disney Springs Is Now Back Open At Walt Disney World

Today only the Orange Garage was open and as soon as you approached the entrance to Disney Springs you were greeted with the temperature check. Guests with a temperature over 100.4 will not be permitted in. Guests over 3 years of age are also required to wear a face mask at all time unless eating or drinking. If you have a disability please see guest services.






There is a lot of new signage around Disney Springs as well as hand wash stations and hand sanitizer. They have also propped open the trash cans all over so guests won’t have to touch them. There were arrows directing traffic on narrow bridges and markers telling guests where to stand for shops and restaurants.

LIVE: Live from Diseny Springs to check out the afternoon crowd on reopening day

Posted by Chip and Co. on Wednesday, May 20, 2020

We also took some time to stop and eat at Chicken Guy to see how the restaurants at Disney Springs are handling the new procedures.  Along with most shops and restaurants, Chicken Guy had the social distancing guides on the ground and only let so many people inside to order at a time. They also had plexiglass  between the guests and the cashier and people preparing food. The drink station was manned and guests can not refill their own drinks at this time. Someone on staff is there to do it for you. Everyone was very friendly and helpful.




Not all of the shops and restaurants are open yet. You can find a list of what opened today here. There  are also some Disney owned and operated shops and dining options opening next week on May 27th.  Everyone seemed to be in good spirits and happy to be back. There is a new team in yellow shirts to help with social distancing and to answer questions. If you’re planning a trip to Disney Springs have fun and be safe.



From our friends at chipandco.com
Filed Under: Disney Springs, News, Parks & Resorts, Disney World, Walt Disney World, Walt Disney World Resort, WDW

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Disney Parks Other

M&M Store Takes Shape in Disney Springs

M&M store

There can never be enough chocolate; this saying seems to resonate with the folks at Walt Disney World as they announced the 2020 opening of an M&M retail location in Disney Springs back in December of 2019. The store is set to open sometime this year and has already begun construction. It will be located on the West Side, close to the NBA Experience. Luckily, now that Disney Springs has reopened, we can take a look at the progress!

So far, the outside matches the bright preview sketches shown last year. A bold M&M yellow is visible in the windows, and the signs advertise their website for shopping. But if you can stand to wait for your chocolate, the new store sounds like it will be worth it. The Mars Company has promised an interactive experience at their Disney Springs location. The vague description has piqued our curiosity, especially as the only other M&M store in Orlando (Florida mall) is already pretty amazing, with colorful merchandise and every option of M&M we could dream of.

While little is known about what lies behind the window obstructions, we do know that everything at Disney Springs goes above expectations. We can’t wait to see what’s inside! Now the only question is what kind of M&M’s we’ll be buying first.

From our friends at chipandco.com
Filed Under: Parks & Resorts, Disney Springs, Walt Disney World, Disney Springs M&M Store, Disney Springs stores, Disney World, M&M Store