Phase 2 For Reopening Florida Begins Tomorrow June 5th

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

We’re seeing progress in Florida! Phase Two reopening for Florida begins Friday, June 5! Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis, spoke at Universal Orlando to make the announcement that Florida is advancing to Phase Two beginning June 5th.

According to WFTV: “DeSantis said 64 of Florida’s 67 counties are moving into the new phase. The counties not moving into the phase are Palm Beach County, Miami-Dade County and Broward County.”

What does Phase Two allow for? Phase Two will allow bars, nightclubs, bowling alleys and movie theaters to reopen at 50% capacity. This means bar-top seating will appropriate social distancing will be allowed. Retail businesses and gym can operate at full capacity. Tattoo parlors, tanning salons and massage establishments may also reopen.

What exactly does this mean for Walt Disney World? While Disney has yet to release an update regarding the announcement of Phase Two beginning Friday, we do know this can only help the phased reopening approach Disney is planning for July 11th (Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom) and July 15th (EPCOT and Hollywood Studios). Disney Springs began its phased reopening on May 20 with a second phase of reopening May 27. We can’t help but wonder if Florida opening of Phase Two will allow for the Disney Springs venues such as the movie theater and bowling alley to open soon!

What comes next? Well, after Phase Two is of course Phase Three which for the most part returns Florida back to normal. While we wait for Walt Disney World to reopen, we are keeping our fingers crossed that Florida will continue to have reduced cases of COVID-19 and reopening of local business and venues continues to rise!

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Says That WDW is “Far Ahead Of The Curve” With Reopening

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

With Governor Ron DeSantis’ Re-Open Florida Task Force Executive Committee now fully assembled, it seems the governor is already in talks with Walt Disney World executives in order to spearhead a plan for reopening businesses across Florida.

Just yesterday, it was announced that the President of Walt Disney World Resort Josh D’Amaro would be joining other executives from top Florida businesses like Universal Orlando, Publix, and Florida Power & Light, along with government officials from Miami, Broward, and Palm Beach County in the Task Force. In an interview with Fox News this morning, DeSantis emphasized Disney’s readiness in face of the health crisis:

In the video clip, DeSantis states the following:

“It’s amazing the ideas that the businesses are already thinking about. They’ve been thinking deeply about this for weeks and weeks… there’s a lot of great ideas that I’ve already seen put on the table. I’m in discussions with places like Disney. They are so far ahead of the curve, and I think everyone wants to make sure we do it safely.

And yeah, if you think about it, if you own a hotel in Miami, the last thing you want is to do a false negative and have a small outbreak in your hotel… so they are very keen on safety and I think that they’re going to be leading the way on the innovation. So we’ll have some guidelines of course, but I think some of the businesses are going to go above and beyond…”

The governor seemed fairly impressed with Disney’s plans for moving forward. As it stands, Disney has already been implementing extensive health screenings and social distancing protocols within the partially-reopened Shanghai Disney Resort, so having a venue to test these new guidelines and garner feedback may prove to be useful when it comes to moving forward with reopening the other parks.

Florida Governor Issues a “Stay At Home” Order

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

Following previous county-specific stay-at-home orders, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has now issued a stay-at-home order for the entire state of Florida. The order goes into effect tonight at midnight and will last for at least 30 days through May 2.

Only essential services will be allowed to operate. A list of services will be released, and some businesses can be added to the list if they are deemed essential. Walt Disney World Resort and the rest of Orlando’s theme parks have been deemed non-essential since the initial stay-at-home orders issued by Orange and Osceola Counties.

All Disney Parks remain closed indefinitely, with the only earliest travel dates to book a reservation at Walt Disney World Resort currently starting at June 1 and later.

Walt Disney World Signs a Sponsorship Agreement With UCF

Posted on by Mathew Corn Uncategorized

With a new sponsorship agreement, Walt Disney World Resort hopes to spread some extra magic to Orlando’s hometown college football team, the UCF Knights. Beginning this season, Knight fans will see a little extra pixie dust as Disney becomes the official Theme Park, Water Park, Resort and Cruise Line Destination of the university’s football team.

The joint announcement was made last Friday–as the 16th-ranked Knights football team prepared for its second home game.

“Walt Disney World Resort and UCF share a commitment to making Central Florida a key destination for sports,” said Faron Kelley, vice president of Disney Sports. “With this agreement we hope to reach even more of Knight Nation.”

The new multiyear agreement includes shared marketing opportunities, in-game promotions at UCF home football games and Disney signage inside Spectrum Stadium. It also extends the existing relationship between UCF and Disney which have joined together as part of the Disney Aspire education investment program. In May, UCF was added to the Disney Aspire network of schools. This groundbreaking program offers 100 percent free tuition to eligible hourly Disney employees and Cast Members, making it easier for them to pursue their dreams and fulfill their career ambitions.

“As Orlando’s hometown college football team, we are thrilled to be teaming up with Disney to add a touch of magic for fans at Spectrum Stadium,” said UCF vice president and director of athletics, Danny White. “Additionally, this agreement enables UCF to have the most unique student-athlete experience in the country as every year all of our student-athletes will have the opportunity to visit Walt Disney World Resort.”

The collaboration is a natural fit between UCF and Disney since both institutions are powerful economic engines in Orlando and across Florida.

Hurricane Dorian Likely to Bear Down on Florida over the Weekend

Posted on by Mathew Corn Uncategorized

Recent updates from the National Hurricane Center indicate that the now-Hurricane Dorian is barrelling its way towards Florida, affecting all of the eastern coastline and many inland areas, and Governor Ron DeSantis has just issued Executive Order 19-189, declaring a state of emergency for counties in the path of Hurricane Dorian.

The Governor is urging all Floridians on the East Coast to prepare for impacts, as the latest forecasts from the National Hurricane Center project Hurricane Dorian will make landfall on Florida’s East Coast as a major hurricane.

By declaring a state of emergency, Governor DeSantis is ensuring that state and local governments have ample time, resources and flexibility to prepare. The State Emergency Operations Center will activate to a Level 2 on Thursday morning, enhancing the coordination between federal, state and local emergency management agencies.

“Today, I am declaring a state of emergency to ensure Florida is fully prepared for Hurricane Dorian,” said Governor DeSantis.“It’s important for Floridians on the East Coast to monitor this storm closely. Every Florida resident should have seven days of supplies, including food, water and medicine, and should have a plan in case of disaster. I will continue to monitor Hurricane Dorian closely with emergency management officials. The state stands ready to support all counties along the coast as they prepare.”

You can check for any further updates for Hurricane Dorian from the National Hurricane Center here, and read up on Walt Disney World’s hurricane policy here.