Despite Walt Disney World’s still-advertised reopening date of April 1, recent developments seem to point to the inevitable extension of that date, as more and more people are encouraged (or otherwise mandated) to stay home to mitigate the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. While Disney normally leads the pack in terms of setting established dates for openings, it seems certain companies have moved ahead with prolonging their closures.
Over in Disney Springs, the Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace has since announced that the hotel will be closed through April 30, signaling the first of potentially many more delays in opening as the Orlando tourism area hunkers down for the epidemic. Guests booked through Costco Travel recently received this email informing them of the closure:
The Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace, while independently run by Hilton, is considered an Official Walt Disney World Hotel, located in the immediate Disney Springs area. In the email sent to guests, as well as on the COVID-19 advisory landing page on the hotel’s website, it is mentioned that the hotel will not reopen until April 30th. It is likely that many other hotels in the area will follow suit.
The April 30th date puts the current closure estimate past the original April 1st date, and even past projections for mid-April as was previously assumed. Over in California, various leading theme parks have already announced closures through mid-May. No official statements have been issued by The Walt Disney Company regarding a revised reopening date.
