In light of the ongoing Disney Parks closures, Walt Disney World has issued new details regarding partial refunds and monthly payment plan holds for Annual Passholders. Check out the details below.
The announcement regarding potential refunds and pay holds came as the result of multiple discussions and reports regarding possible payment holds during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, which has left many people either furloughed, unemployed, or otherwise cutting unnecessary or luxury expenses. Annual Pass prices went up across the board earlier this February, and for many, these payments could represent anything from an essential cellphone or utilities bill, to groceries.
Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic has closed Walt Disney World indefinitely, but it seems that Virgin Trains is moving full speed ahead on their Orlando to South Florida rail.
Last we checked in on the status of the South Florida to Orlando expansion, Disney and Virgin Trains USA were already in advanced talks for a train station to built on or near the resort. Since the memorandum of understanding that was established in November, work on engineering and design work for the proposed project is coming to fruition, and there are no plans of stopping work throughout the pandemic, but merely adjusting it to adhere to new health and safety guidelines.
According to Fox 35, the high-speed train is still on track for its December 2022 completion date. In an interview with Michael Cegelis, Virgin Trains Executive Vice President, he stated:
“We’re proceeding and proceeding on schedule. We’ve been able to absorb the impact so far, with the impacts being change in work procedures, change in cleaning procedures, sanitation, change in social distancing.”
In order to keep work going, changes have been made to daily operations at the job site, but given the wide span of the project (after all, it is a 168-mile railroad), it’s easy to keep workers spread out. In fact, they’ve had an outpouring of labor given the halting of multiple other construction projects due to the pandemic. With 750 workers currently on the job, the rail project is 30 percent complete.
The railway is on schedule to be completed by December 2022, and is set to include a Walt Disney World station as an extension to the main Orlando station. As Disney stated in an earlier press conference:
“As the top vacation destination and largest single-site employer in the United States, Walt Disney World Resort is an obvious choice for a rail station between Orlando International Airport and Tampa.”
Once the pandemic is over, analysts don’t expect attendance to pick up at the parks for the next two years, meaning the train will hopefully be up and running just in time for the next parks boom, all while providing an alternative mode of transportation for guests who’d rather not fly in to MCO.
We may not be able to physically ride Incredicoaster as Disneyland Resort remains closed due to the spread of COVID-19, but we can say we are thrilled to enjoy a ride virtually! Check out the video below from DisneyParksBlog:
Hold on to your super suits and step right into the world of “The Incredibles” – with Mr. and Mrs. Incredible, Violet, Dash and Jack-Jack, along with Edna Mode – on the exhilarating Incredicoaster, the fastest attraction at the Disneyland Resort! In the latest installment of our #DisneyMagicMoments series, buckle up and enjoy this virtual ride around Pixar Pier at Disney California Adventure park.
To set the scene, the attraction tells the story of the inaugural launch of a new coaster dedicated to the Parr family in gratitude for their heroic efforts and incredible deeds. When Jack-Jack is left with Edna as his babysitter, things go immediately awry and Jack-Jack creates chaos along the track while his Incredible family sprints into action to save the day.
Zoom along on the super thrilling Incredicoaster. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1… go!
Today is a huge milestone for the Disney Conservation Fund as it celebrates 25 years of making an impact! As we celebrate Earth Day and this Disney Conservation Fund milestone, check out the details below from DisneyParksBlog:
As Dr. Mark Penning recently wrote, during these unprecedented times, we can look to nature to bring us hope and inspiration. This Earth Day, the Disney Conservation Fund (DCF) marks a milestone — 25 years of recognizing and supporting conservationists and communities that embody that hope and inspiration.
Check out this inspiring anniversary message from one such conservationist, world-renowned primatologist, Jane Goodall, PhD, DBE, Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute & U.N. Messenger of Peace. You can learn more about Dr. Goodall’s inspiring story with a new documentary called JANE GOODALL: THE HOPE, premiered on April 22, on Nat Geo, Nat Geo WILD, and streaming beginning Earth Day on Disney+ and Hulu.
Thanks to generous donations from people around the world, the support of our employees and cast members, and funding from The Walt Disney Company, the DCF has directed $100 million to protect the magic of nature since 1995. We have supported 600 respected nonprofit organizations –and counting – that are working with communities to save wildlife, inspire action and protect the planet. Grants directed to these organizations have helped protect more than 315 million acres of habitat and 1,000 species globally from lions and leopards, to butterflies and bees.
These achievements are made possible by strong collaborations and dedicated people, who continue to inspire us and provide hope for our planet. We’re grateful to the members of the Disney Conservation Team Wildlife staff, who lead best-in-class scientific programs to conserve wildlife in Disney’s backyard and beyond, connect people to build a network for nature, and care for the planet through everyday actions. We’re also grateful to the hundreds of Disney employees and cast members who review funding proposals, raise and monitor funds, share stories that inspire people to make a difference, and expertly care for animals and our planet each day.
You can read more about Disney Conservation projects in our new FREE digital book: “The Disney Conservation Fund: Carrying Forward a Conservation Legacy”. Inside you will find some incredible stories highlighting organizations like the International Crane Foundation and its partners in East Asia, who have increased habitat protection for critically endangered Siberian cranes by 19,000 square miles. Or Associação Mico-Leão Dourado, Save the Golden Lion Tamarin, and Proyecto Tití, who have collectively planted more than 900,000 trees to create forest habitat for tiny golden lion and cotton-top tamarin monkeys in Brazil and Colombia, while benefitting more than 165 families through forest-friendly income-generating programs.
In honor of Earth Month, we are also offering a Disney Conservation Fund 25th anniversary-themed wallpaper, featuring some of the most beloved Disney animal characters. You can download the desktop version the wallpaper below, or find the mobile version exclusively on Instagram, shared by @DisneyConservation.
We invite you to learn more about the amazing work some of our Disney Conservation Fund grantees and 180 Disney Conservation Heroes are doing. Their devotion to furthering conservation in their communities and making the world a better place is truly admirable and inspires us every day.
For more stories and updates from Disney’s Animal Kingdom, follow Dr. Mark @DrMarkAtDisney on Instagram. You can also learn more about your favorite animals through Disney Magic Moments and NatGeo@Home.
Thank you for your continued commitment to do what you can do to save resources, recycle and support nature organizations with time or donations. There is no better way to help us honor the 25th anniversary of the Disney Conservation Fund!
Keep up with the work we’re doing all year round by following Disney Conservation on social media. We can’t wait to see what we accomplish together in the next 25 years!
