Grace From Disney’s Animal Kingdom Gorilla Family Celebrates 1st Birthday

Posted on by Mathew Corn Animal Kingdom, Disney Parks

Check out this super cute birthday girl! Grace, a member of the Gorilla Family at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, is celebrating her 1st birthday! The team at Animal Kingdom is sharing the birthday celebrations with us! Check out this dose of sweetness from DisneyParksBlog as Grace’s birthday was celebrated.

It was just over a year ago now that Grace was born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. And while the park is temporarily closed, our team was able to throw her a special princess-themed birthday party!

The team created a cardboard princess carriage attached to plastic horses by paper chains for Grace and her family to play with. There was also a cardboard castle and colorful piñata. The materials we used in the decorations are enrichment items we give the gorillas as a special treat – perfect for a birthday surprise!

Grace’s birthday “cake” was made of three layers of ice treats – blocks of ice with berries and currants for the gorillas to pick out as the ice melts. We also froze pureed sweet potatoes and kiwis and cut them into shapes for another birthday surprise.

Grace was born May 1, 2019, at Disney’s Animal Kingdom to mother Kashata and father Gino, who were selected to breed as part of the Species Survival Plan overseen by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The plan ensures responsible breeding of endangered species so they will have healthy, genetically diverse populations for years to come.

Grace is named after the Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education Center (GRACE), a gorilla sanctuary in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is dedicated to helping gorillas orphaned by poaching. Our animal care experts at Disney’s Animal Kingdom have spent more than a decade helping the GRACE team and local community rehabilitate orphan gorillas and protect the species in the wild.

We’re thrilled to watch Grace every day as she matures and develops magnificent new skills. She likes walking upright and hanging upside down, for example. She’s also very energetic, inquisitive and social, and loves to play – especially with her three older siblings.

It was a wonderful time celebrating Grace’s big day, and we’re looking forward to the time you can come see her and her family again on the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail here at Disney’s Animal Kingdom! 

Walt Disney World Resort Not Accepting New Reservations Until July 1st

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Disney Resorts

We recently shared the news that Disneyland Resort Hotels are no longer taking new reservations until July. We have learned that Walt Disney World Resort Hotels are following suit. Walt Disney World has announced an official update on their website. Travel agents also received notification from Walt Disney World that they are no longer accepting new reservations until July 1. We too have checked the My Disney Experience App and yes, find that no rooms are available until July.

The main entrance to the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. (Photo courtesy, Walt Disney World)

According to the Walt Disney World website:

Need to Adjust Your Travel Plans? Walt Disney World theme parks and Disney Resort hotels are currently closed and a reopening date has not been identified. For Guests who are interested in modifying their existing travel dates or making a new reservation for a future vacation, reservations
are currently available for travel dates July 1 and later. As always, Guests are able to modify these bookings if Walt Disney World Resort opens before or after that time.

To read more from the Walt Disney World website click here.

Here is the update from Disney as received by travel agents as shared by WDWNT.com:

  • Reservation Availability: We’ve announced a phased reopening of Disney Springs area at Walt Disney World Resort, starting May 20. As a reminder, the rest of Walt Disney World and Disneyland theme parks and resort hotels, as well as the Downtown Disney District at Disneyland Resort, are currently closed, and a reopening date has not been identified. For guests who are interested in modifying their existing travel dates or making a new reservation for a future vacation, reservations are currently available for arrival dates July 1, 2020, and later. As always, Guests are able to modify these bookings subject to availability if Walt Disney World or Disneyland theme parks and resort hotels open before or after that time.
  • Cancellations Due to Closures: Disney has been regularly notifying Guests whose Walt Disney World or Disneyland Resort hotel bookings are being impacted by our temporary closures, letting them know 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. We expect that this notification process will continue one week at a time, including any potential reservations cancelled in June 2020.
  • Offers and Tickets: For guests who are interested in modifying their existing travel dates or making a new reservation for a future vacation, reservations are currently available for arrival dates July 1, 2020 and later. At Walt Disney World Resort, guests wishing to make new reservations can save up to 25% on rooms at select Disney Resort hotels for stays most nights through August 31, 2020, when they book through August 31, 2020.
  • Please know that no new bookings are being taken on the Walt Disney World summer recovery offer. The Florida Resident Discover Disney ticket is no longer available for purchase. For Guests who have this ticket, the usage window has been extended through September 30, 2020.

We will continue to keep you posted as the news comes forward. Keep in mind, the July 1 date does not mean the parks will open by that date. No official reopening date has been set except for Disney Springs which begins phased reopening on May 20.

WDW Donates Fabric To Orlando Ballet To Create Face Coverings For Florida Communities

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

We love the good news coming out of Walt Disney World Resort! Sure, the parks are closed and we’re all craving a dose of Disney like Winnie the Pooh craves his honey, but we’ll keep being patient for now! In the meantime, Disney is working their magic in the Central Florida Community by making fabric donations to Orlando Ballet to create face coverings. Check out all the details below from DisneyParksBlog. Thanks Disney and Orlando Ballet for making a difference!

With the temporary suspension of the performance season at Orlando Ballet, staff from their wardrobe department have been hard at work using their talents to sew face coverings for the members of our community who need them most. To support this inspiring effort, Walt Disney World Resort donated more than 400 yards of fabric and 2,400 yards of elastic to the organization, which will be converted into an estimated 3,000 of these much-needed non-medical, non-industrial-grade face coverings for local healthcare workers. Check out this video to see how the teams are making a difference together! 

“It’s an honor to collaborate with one of Orlando Ballet’s longtime supporters and neighbors — Walt Disney World Resort — on this project,” said Cheryl Collins, interim executive director, Orlando Ballet. “Disney does such inspiring work in our community and we can’t thank them enough for their generosity. Orlando Ballet is extremely proud of our team and volunteers who have come together to create so many face coverings that are vital to people in Central Florida during this time.”

For Costuming Strategy and Initiatives Manager Fredd Gunzel, who has worked at Walt Disney World Resort for more than 20 years and has a background in the arts, this story was particularly meaningful. It was only fitting that he would be the one to make this impactful delivery.

“In costuming, we’re all about taking care of each other,” said Fredd. “So being able to donate this fabric and elastic to Orlando Ballet to create these face coverings for our local community is something we are grateful to be a part of.”

In addition to this contribution, Walt Disney World Resort actively supports Orlando Ballet through dance programming sponsorship, financial and in-kind support.

Disney Springs To Begin Phased Reopening On May 20th

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

We just learned some exciting news from Disney! Disney Springs in the Walt Disney World Resort area will begin phased reopening on May 20. See the details below as shared by DisneyParksBlog:

A phased reopening of Disney Springs will begin on May 20. Following the guidance of government and health officials, a limited number of shopping and dining experiences that are owned by third-party operating participants will begin to open during this initial phase. The rest of Walt Disney World Resort will remain closed, including theme parks and resort hotels.

As we continue to monitor conditions, and with the health of guests and Disney cast members at the forefront of our planning, we are making several operational changes. Disney Springs will begin to reopen in a way that incorporates enhanced safety measures, including increased cleaning procedures, the use of appropriate face coverings by both cast members and guests, limited-contact guest services and additional safety training for cast members. 

We will apply learnings and ideas from leaders in the health and travel industries, and we’re also talking to our unions as we prepare for some cast members to return to work.  

During the initial opening phase, Disney Springs will have limitations on capacity, parking and operating hours. Given this unprecedented situation, we appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding as we navigate through this process as responsibly as we can. Additional protocols and procedures may be announced closer to the opening date. Please check DisneySprings.com as we get closer to May 20 for the most current information on operating hours, locations and safety procedures.

Disneyland Resort Hotels Not Accepting New Reservations Until July

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Disney Resorts

Disneyland Resort Hotels including Disneyland Hotel, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel are no longer accepting new resort reservations until July according to the Orange County Register.

Before this announcement, Disneyland Resort Hotels were accepting reservations beginning June 1 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The news now pushes any new resort reservations back until July.

On top of new resort reservations being pushed back until July, dining reservations and bookable merchandise experiences at the Disneyland resort are also unavailable until the Anaheim parks set a reopening date.

Just earlier today, Disneyland and Walt Disney World have begun cancelling resort hotel reservations for the week of May 24th – May 31st.

Disneyland and Disney California Adventure closed on March 14 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and remain closed until further notice. No reopen day has been announced. We are however thankful to see a reopen date of May 11th announced for Disneyland Shanghai. We eagerly await the safe reopening of Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts.