Tokyo Disney Hotels Continue Operation; Suspend Some Benefits

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

Since sharing the news that Tokyo Disney Resort is closed from February 29th through March 15th, the Oriental Land Company has released new information regarding the operation of the on-site Disney Hotels. While it seems the hotels will remain in operation for now, it seems that some changes are forthcoming, effective either immediately or within the next few days.

Unavailable Benefits

The following benefits are unavailable to Guests staying at Disney Hotels:

  • Happy 15 Entry is unavailable.
  • Disney Hotel Exclusive merchandise is unavailable due to closure of in-hotel shops.
  • Baggage delivery is unavailable to Guests staying at the Tokyo Disney Celebration Hotels due to closure of Bon Voyage.
  • In-room relaxation services are unavailable.
  • The Disney Ambassador Hotel “Disney Resort Cruiser” and Tokyo Disney Celebration Hotel shuttle services are not operating.

Cancellations/Refunds

Guests with Vacation Package bookings that begin between February 29th and March 15th will have their reservations refunded in full automatically. No action is necessary on your part, and no cancellation fee will be charged.

Guests with room reservations may cancel their reservation online and receive a full, no-fee refund. If you booked through a third-party site or travel agency, you will need to work with them.

In-Hotel Closures

All restaurants will be open for business as usual, except for the following:

  • Chef Mickey at the Disney Ambassador Hotel will close starting March 1st. Guests with reservations on February 29th may dine, but there will be no character greetings.
  • Empire Grill at the Disney Ambassador Hotel will not offer the My Anniversary Story package from March 1st.
  • Hyperion Lounge at the Disney Ambassador Hotel will not offer breakfast from March 1st.
  • Sherwood Garden Restaurant at the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel and Oceano at Tokyo DisneySea Hotel MiraCosta will accept Guests with existing reservations through March 2nd. It is undecided at this time if business will continue after, and an announcement will be made.

In addition, all hotel shops and the Terme Venezia pool at Tokyo DisneySea Hotel MiraCosta will be closed. Please note that the Disney Resort Line is still running as normal.

Tokyo Disneyland Closed Until March 15th Due To Coronavirus

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

As the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak continues to evolve, the situation in Japan has worsened, and the Oriental Land Company has given us some sad news today. For the safety of Guests and Cast Members, the Tokyo Disney Resort will be closed from February 29th through March 15th. This is the first closure of the resort since Typhoon Hagibis last year, and the first long-term closure since the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011.

This closure applies to both Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea. The Ikspiari shopping mall adjacent to Tokyo Disney Resort will also be closed during this time.

Guests with the following types of tickets are eligible for a fee-free change to a ticket valid through March 31st, 2021, or for a full refund:

  • Fixed date tickets with a Park admission date within the period from February 29 to March 15, 2020.
  • Park tickets with an expiration date within the period from February 29 to March 15, 2020.

Guests will be able to request these changes between March 6th and April 1st, 2020.

In addition, Guests with dinner show, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, or Vacation Package reservations will be refunded in full.

The Disney Resort Line is scheduled to operate as normal. Operations related to the Disney Hotels will be slightly adjusted as necessary.

While we’re very disappointed to see this development, it’s for the best. The safety of Guests and Cast Members is the highest priority, and it’s critical that the COVID-19 situation remain under control, especially with the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympics looming. With this closure, there are no Disney parks currently operating in Asia.

Be sure to keep your eyes on a trusted global news source and check with your doctor and the US State Department before travel to Japan and China. If you choose to come, wash your hands as often as possible, use hand sanitizer, and consider wearing a mask and/or touching your face as little as possible.

Cast Members Asked To Stay Home After Trip To Italy Due To Coronavirus Concerns

Posted on by Mathew Corn Animal Kingdom, Disney Parks, Disney Resorts, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom

With all of the recent concern about coronavirus outbreak and its spread to other countries outside of China, many countries, like Italy, are placing travel restrictions due to isolated outbreaks. Despite Shanghai Disney Resort and Hong Kong Disneyland being closed indefinitely, all Disney Parks outside of China remain open. However, precautions are being taken to avoid further spread of the virus. At Tokyo Disney Resort, they’ve outright asked guests who are sick to refrain from visiting the parks and resorts. Now, a group of Cast Members who work at Walt Disney World have been asked to stay home after a trip to Italy.

According to WESH 2 News, a Walt Disney World spokesperson confirmed that a small number of individuals who work at Disney, but are not all Disney employees, have been asked to stay home due to coronavirus concerns.

The spokesperson said there are no confirmed or suspected cases of coronavirus at Disney and nobody who was on the trip to Italy has shown any symptoms of the virus.

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Disney said the decision to keep the workers at home was made from “an abundance of caution.” The exact number of workers involved was not immediately available. At this time, there are no confirmed or suspected cases of coronavirus at Walt Disney World.

Mulan Movie Success Could Be Altered By Coronovirus Epidemic in CHina

Posted on by Mathew Corn Uncategorized

We have March 27 on our calendar as we gear up to hit the theaters to watch the live-action remake of Mulan. Mulan isn’t only an anticipated success here in the United States, but was supposed to be an especially successful film in China. Sadly, the coronavirus may be altering that prediction. Here are the details below from New Year CNN Business:

Disney’s theme park business in China has already been rocked by the coronavirus outbreak. Its box office hopes in the country could be next.

The company is preparing to release “Mulan” — its live-action remake of the beloved 1998 animated film about a Chinese warrior woman — in North America on March 27.

The film cost $200 million to make and was expected to make a big splash in China. But the country, which is also the world’s second-biggest movie market behind the United States, has been thrown into turmoil by the public health crisis.

More than 1,300 people are dead and more than 60,000 have been infected, mostly in mainland China. The outbreak has forced the closure of businesses all over the country, including cinemas. While some companies have started to reopen this week, many others remain closed. Disney’s theme parks in Shanghai and Hong Kong, for example, have been shuttered until further notice.

It’s not clear when “Mulan” will make its debut in China. Release dates for films in the country are set by the Chinese government, rather than studios, so they are often confirmed just weeks before a film is set to open. Disney CEO Bob Iger told CNBC earlier this month that while the film will eventually be released there, “at this point, we’re not sure when.”

“All of the movie companies that are expecting to distribute movies coming up in China obviously are impacted by this,” Iger said. “The bigger issue on everybody’s mind, the bigger concern, is what’s going on with this virus and how far will it go in terms of its impact on people.”

A Disney (DIS) spokesperson said that the studio is monitoring the situation closely.

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Disney Grants Government Access to Vacant Site For Coronavirus Quarantine Facilities

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

With both Hong Kong Disneyland and Shanghai Disney closed due to the widespread Coronavirus outbreak in China, the parks have seen tremendous financial loss, but according to a recent article by the South China Morning Post, Disney is doing what it can to aid in recovery efforts.

According to officials, Hong Kong Disneyland has agreed to lend part of a vacant site to the government to build coronavirus quarantine facilities. The vacant site is the 60-hectare area reserved for the theme park’s expansion on Lantau Island, and can potentially provide up to 600 quarantine units.

“We have secured the company’s consent to use part of the site if it is needed,” Commerce and Economic Development Bureau chief Edward Yau Tang-wah said at a government press conference. “We need all quarantine facilities for surveillance, basically we will leave no stone unturned [when identifying sites for building quarantine facilities].”

Having sufficient quarantine facilities is one of the conditions that must be met before the government allows the 2,200 Hong Kong residents stranded in Hubei province (the epicenter of the deadly outbreak) back in.

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