Walt Disney World Proposes A Soft Opening For Cast Members & Affinity Groups

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

Who will have the chance to step into Walt Disney World first? Walt Disney World Senior Vice President of Operations, Jim MacPhee, shared with the Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force on Wednesday, May 27, the proposed dates of reopening Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Animal Kingdom on July 11 and EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios on July 15. MacPhee also gave insight into who may be invited to enter the parks prior to the phased reopening dates.

As quoted during the Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force meeting, Jim MacPhee shared: “We believe our reopening proposal for our property reflects a very thoughtful, methodical, and phased approach. And we’ve incorporated all of the reopening protocols throughout our guest experience and our cast experience. We will deploy a series of soft opening tactics for select audiences several days prior to July 11 with Cast previews and affinity soft opening preview days. This will reflect a thoughtful ramp up in our attendance strategy and allow us to launch, learn, and adjust along the way.”

We know Cast Members are likely to get a preview, but the real question is what qualifies for a Disney “affinity” group? Whenever Disney has soft openings for new experiences, the groups typically invited are VIPs (such a Media), Annual Passholders, Disney Vacation Club Members, and select special groups such as Club 33 Members and Golden Oak Residents.

Do you fall into one or more of these possible “affinity” groups? We’re eager to learn more from Disney on when these soft openings proposed by MacPhee will take place!

Hong Kong Disneyland Testing Soft Reopening With Cast Members

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

In the past couple of weeks, Hong Kong Disneyland has been making preparations for reopening. Temperature screening tents and social distancing markers similar to those seen at Shanghai Disneyland were installed recently. But now, it appears Hong Kong Disneyland is imminently set to be the second Disney park to reopen! According to user HKDL of Fantasy on Twitter, a soft reopening for Cast Members is taking place from May 19th through 21st.

Reportedly, this soft opening began yesterday, with Cast Members likely testing procedures for social distancing that will be used once Hong Kong Disneyland reopens, including temperature checks for guests before entering the park. There’s been a slow return to operations at Hong Kong Disneyland, similar to Shanghai’s pre-reopening. Character dining returned at the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel at the end of April, and reservations recently reopened for the Disney Explorer’s Lodge and Disney’s Hollywood Hotel on May 15th.

Cast Members Promised Paid Time Off and A Change in Attendance Policy For COVID-19 Symptoms

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

Cast Members will be returning to work as early as this Friday after months of being on furlough to welcome back the first wave of guests to the property on May 20. While many are eager to return to work, the ever-present fear of infection lingers. Thankfully, workers unions are negotiating certain terms to allow Cast Members some safety and relief––as well as financial security––once they head back onto the property.

As the Orlando Sentinel reports, Cast Members who get sick with COVID-19 will get guaranteed paid time off to quarantine, according to the Service Trades Council Union. Employees who call in sick will not be in violation of the attendance policy if they show coronavirus symptoms.

Just yesterday, it was revealed that Disney would be providing its Cast Members with three washable face masks. They can also request a thermometer.

Throughout the complex, plexiglass dividers have been installed at registers. Guests will swipe their own payments cards, as they will no longer be handled by employees. Custodians will be retrained to focus on cleaning high-traffic, high-touch areas.

Disney has developed new global training guidelines for park employees amid the pandemic. The company will also hold monthly safety meetings, with which the union will be involved.

Disney Springs will begin its phased reopening on May 20, with Disney-owned shops and eateries scheduled to reopen on May 27.

WDW Resort President Josh D’Amaro Post Cast Member Tribute In magic Kingdom

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Magic Kingdom

Walt Disney World Resort President Josh D’Amaro has been like a ray of sunshine during park closures, consistently visiting the parks and updating his followers on how the parks are looking during this grim time of indefinite closures.

Yesterday, we shared the photo that Josh posted on his Instagram of the Fantasia-themed Sorcerer Mickey topiary in EPCOT and his extremely heartfelt caption.

Well, the prince of park closures is back and this time, he’s sharing photos of some essential Cast Members at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom.

In the picture of Josh and the Cast Members, it’s a bittersweet feeling to see a group standing in front of the “Partners” statue and Cinderella Castle, without any park-goers bustling quickly around them. On a happier note, though, it is heartwarming to know that our beloved Main Street U.S.A. is not alone during this time and is still being looked after until we can return.

In the second photo, you see Cast Members name tags with blue tape across them with short and inspiring messages, such as “Tomorrow”, “Ready”, “Be Alright”.

In the caption for these photos, Josh wrote,

“I made a quick visit to Magic Kingdom to thank a small group of Cast Members who are still taking care of the magic. I love seeing so many of our team wearing messages of courage and optimism on their name tags…until the day we welcome all of our Cast and Guests back to this special place.”

I sincerely hope Josh keeps posting these photos to his Instagram to show glimpses into our favorite place while we can’t be there!

Disney Cruise Line Cast Members Continue To Help

Posted on by Mathew Corn Uncategorized

Disney Cruise Line has put a halt to their sailing departures due to the spread of COVID-19. There are however a handful of Crew Members that remain behind to maintain the ships. Check out how they are continuing to “make magic” as shared by DisneyParksBlog:

Since making the important decision to temporarily suspend Disney Cruise Line departures, we have continued to take time to focus on the well-being of our Cast and Crew Members, Guests, families and the communities we call home. To help others in need during this time, Crew Members have been working on a series of Disney VoluntEARS events focused on what they do best – making others smile with a dose of Disney magic.

While closely following safety and social distancing guidelines, Crew Members onboard have teamed up with several organizations, including the Foundation for Hospital Art and the Starlight Children’s Foundation, to bring some Disney pixie dust to those who need it most.

Crew Members have been harnessing their creativity to paint multi-paneled murals inspired by classic Disney characters and movies. Once completed, the Foundation for Hospital Art will donate each unique piece of art to hospitals. The foundation’s mission strives to bring comfort and hope through art to people in healthcare facilities around the world.

Disney Cruise Line Crew Members have also dedicated time to package and decorate greeting cards featuring Disney-inspired designs that will be delivered to children in the Starlight Children’s Foundation network of medical facilities. This foundation has brought smiles to more than 16 million children and their families since its inception with programs meant to inspire hospitalized kids.