The Cinderella Castle “royal makeover” is moving right along! We’ve been following along from the skies with @bioreconstruct Twitter feed. Yesterday, more photos were shared to show the Castle’s paint job is well on the way to be complete soon.
Disney’s art rendering of the “royal makeover” as shared here by Disney:
Today, we have four stunning aerial photos thanks to @bioreconstruct on Twitter! Check them out here:
With dining reservations now available to be made via phone for Walt Disney World Resort Guests, Disney has also updated their Dining “Enhanced Technology” to include Mobile Check-In for Dining Reservations.
Mobile Check-In for Reservations: Check in to your dining reservations at select table-service restaurants using the new mobile check-in feature on the My Disney Experience app. There’s no need to visit the host stand to check in!
Now you can check in for dining reservations at select table-service restaurants via the My Disney Experience mobile app! This convenient feature enables you to maximize your vacation time with family and friends—and minimize your contact with others.
Note: Mobile check-in is only supported by devices running Android or iOS with the latest version of the My Disney Experience app installed and location services enabled.
How It Works: It’s easy to use mobile check-in during your visit. All you need is your phone, the My Disney Experience app and a dining reservation at a participating restaurant! Here’s how it works:
When your check-in window arrives, you’ll receive a push notification prompting you to check in via the app. Or, you can begin the check-in process by scanning a QR code located in the restaurant’s lobby. There’s no need to visit the host stand to check in.
From the push notification or QR code, you’ll be able to check in for your reservation—and confirm your arrival time and party details.
Once your table is ready, you’ll be notified to proceed to a specified location.
“Yo ho, yo ho! A pirate’s life for me!” If you need a new backpack to carry all of your pilfered loot, you might want to check out this all new Pirates of the Caribbean Loungefly mini backpack that’s arrived on shopDisney!
We were thrilled to announce last week that the Walt Disney World resort hotels would be reopening to guests starting from July 11th. This date matches up with the reopening of Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Animal Kingdom on the same date, and before the reopening of EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios on July 15th.
However, it has been revealed that the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin will not be reopening this early, as their website clearly points out that their closure will be effective right through July 29th.
All existing reservations to this hotel are being offered cancellation or changes without charge up to 24 hours prior to arrival, providing the modifications are made before the resort reopens on July 29th. If you do have a stay booked at the resort between now and then, we encourage you to contact your travel operator.
It is worth mentioning that the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin was one of the last resorts on property to close for the COVID-19 pandemic on March 24th, after slowly reducing operations down to just the Swan Wing as the Walt Disney World closures began to take effect.
Virgin Atlantic has announced that flights between the UK and Orlando will be resuming starting on July 20.
Last month, it was announced that Virgin Atlantic had suspended all their operations from London Gatwick, a major hub for Orlando passengers. Caused by the sharp impact of Coronavirus on the travel industry, this also resulted in over 3,000 job losses for the company, throwing the future of transatlantic travel in doubt. Now, Virgin has announced that their flights will soon be resuming from London Heathrow Airport, and Orlando is one of the first destinations on the list.
We’re taking to the skies again. We’ll be flying from @HeathrowAirport to Orlando, New York, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Shanghai from the 20th July. And with our brand new health and safety measures in place, you can be sure you can fly safe, and fly well: https://t.co/BCk1jCKFcqpic.twitter.com/2bqqBtUD7h
In a tweet posted by the airline, passengers are assured of the strict safety protocols being carried out for all flights, to ensure the wellbeing of guests. These include health screenings and social distancing precautions (including boarding in smaller groups), ‘meticulous’ onboard cleaning (including disinfectant fogging), and the distribution of health packs including masks given to each passenger.
The other destinations included in the new timetables are New York, Los Angeles, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, so if you’re an international Disney Parks hopper, this could be the good news you’ve been waiting for.
Manchester is the other major UK airport serviced by Virgin Atlantic, however timetables including that destination are yet to be released. Of course, it still remains a question of when non-US citizens are being permitted entry to the United States. Therefore, if you’re a UK resident planning a holiday, it might be best to check with your travel operator for the best guidance before assuming or confirming plans.
