Hurricane Ian has rocked central Florida over the last 24 hours. As the sun rose on the waterlogged state this morning the storm began to run out of steam and was downgraded to a Tropical Storm. Ian is currently on Florida’s East Coast, with rain bands still affecting much of the state.
The storm is expected to be on its way out to sea and on its way north by Friday. Because of the flooding and damage to the area, albeit minor damage, relatively speaking Disney is acting in an abundance of caution to protect Cast Members and Guests and despite rumors to the contrary, the Resort will be enacting a phased reopening today Friday September 30, 2022.
Hurricane Ian has battered down on the area and as it moves away, time is needed as clean up efforts commence. Many are still without power. Many Cast Members lack the ability to report to work still and as such, the staggered openings help alleviate not only Guest traffic but allows Cast Members ample time to make arrangements.
It is unknown what exactly is meant by the phased reopening. Disney has not yet released Park hours but we would.imagine that each Park will have a different opening time to stagger the demand in the morning. They have promised more information will.come regarding the details and hours later today.
The official announcement from Disney reads:
“Update on Hurricane Ian: We are seeing the impacts of Hurricane Ian across Florida and are thinking of our neighbors in Central Florida and across the state. We will share more information about our plan to support relief efforts for our Florida neighbors soon.
We thank our first responders and community leaders for their courageous efforts in preparing for and managing the storm’s impact. To our cast members in Florida and in South Carolina, thank you for selflessly taking care of our guests.
We continue to closely monitor weather conditions as we assess the impact of Hurricane Ian on our property. While theme parks and many operating areas remain closed to guests today, we anticipate weather conditions to improve this evening. Walt Disney World Resort will resume theme park and Disney Springs operations in a phased approach starting on Friday, Sept. 30. Operating hours will be updated later today on DisneyWorld.com/weather.”
During the phased reopening of Walt Disney World, Disney has publicly stated that it has been operating around 35% capacity. In the last month, with spring break crowds, the parks have been nearly full, and park reservations have been more and more difficult to come by. We have received many messages from guests who were unprepared and did not have park reservations for their upcoming vacation that was days away. It’s terribly disappointing, but it is avoidable with a little planning.
1 – Check Park Availability First and Check Often!
We cannot stress enough how important it is to make your park reservations as soon as possible (like immediately) after purchasing your tickets. As noted above, we’ve received messages from guests disappointed and upset that they couldn’t get park reservations for their upcoming vacation. Don’t let that happen to you. Before you purchase tickets, check park availability! (Click here to view). You may be surprised at the lack of park reservations for the days you are planning on visiting. For example…
You can make a park reservation under three different categories: Theme Park Tickets, Select Resort Hotels, and Annual Passes. As of writing this article, for both Theme Park Tickets and Select Resort Guests, the next day that park reservations are available for Magic Kingdom is June 19—just under two months away. The next time a Disney’s Hollywood Studios park reservation is July 3! That park has the most demand because of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. Generally, Magic Kingdom, then Animal Kingdom fill up next, and usually, EPCOT is the easiest park to get a reservation.
Once you see what parks are available or not available, you can decide the dates you want to visit. Perhaps your dates are flexible. It’s easier to move your dates around if you have not booked a resort or purchased date-specific tickets. With park reservation availability in mind, you can then decide what kind of ticket you should purchase, which leads us to…
2 – Purchasing Tickets – Consider the Park Hopper Option
Under “normal” operations, a Park Hopper Option may not be the best purchase because it adds a lot to the overall cost of tickets. However, you should seriously consider paying for the Park Hopper Option during the phased reopening. That option will allow you to visit other parks after 2:00 pm that you may not be able to get a park reservation. If you can only get park reservations for EPCOT and Animal Kingdom, you could then at least plan to visit the other two parks after 2:00 pm, allowing you to visit all four parks. Do note that if you park hop over to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, you will not be able to join the Virtual Queue for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. Again, you’ll need to check the park availability calendar to see how limited park reservations are and decide if it is needed.
3 – Purchasing Tickets – Annual Passes Still Not Available
Disney has still not resumed sales for annual passes, although current passholders may renew their passes. Many people canceled their passes last August, so passholders have the best availability options for park reservations. Even during the busy holiday season last year, I was able to get same-day or next-day park reservations. The last month during spring break was a different story. Now, as a passholder, park reservations are full for multiple weekends and full for Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom during the week. If you are an annual passholder, you, too, will need to plan ahead. Do note that passholders are still limited to only have three park reservations at a time, which makes it even more challenging to get those high-demand park reservations!
4 – Park Hours and Capacity
Recently, park hours and park reservation availability were expanded for the month of June. Rumors are swirling that Disney is about to raise capacity for the summer due to demand. We do expect that capacity will be increased soon as more and more people get vaccinated. When capacity limits are raised, more park reservations will be available. But demand is so high that those spots will fill quickly. When availability was added to June, new park reservation spots filled up within hours. You will need to check the park availability calendar regularly if you are looking for a reservation on a particular day for a specific park.
5 – What to Expect as 2021 Rolls On
Everyone is yearning to “get back to normal,” but of course, no one knows when that will be. As we noted, as more and more people get vaccinated, Disney may alter their modified operations. They recently allowed guests to remove facial coverings while stationary for photos. We noted that capacity limits will likely get raised. But many, many restaurants still remain closed, making dining a challenge, whether it’s getting a Mobile Order spot or a getting a table service reservation. As more people come, wait times have steadily increased, and FastPass+ is still temporarily suspended. Most resorts are still closed, and only four have been given reopening dates. There are a lot of unknowns but a lot to look forward to as well! The Festival of the Lion King is returning in May, the 50thAnniversary Celebration kicks off on October 1, 2021, and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure will open also on October 1. Visiting during 2021 will still have its challenges, but it can still be magical if you plan ahead.
We previously shared Florida’s Governor announced Florida is moving into “Phase 3” reopening. Under Phase 3, “Theme parks may return to normal operations with limited social distancing protocols”. Despite this new order, Disney has stated face covering are still required.
Two young guests stop to take a photo at Magic Kingdom Park, July 11, 2020, at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., on the first day of the theme park’s phased reopening. (Olga Thompson, photographer)
As shared by FOX35: Governor Ron DeSantis announced on Friday that Florida will be moving into Phase 3 of reopening. According to the governor’s ‘Safe. Smart. Step-by-Step’ plan, “theme parks may return to normal operations with limited social distancing protocols” in Phase 3.
Disney responded to FOX35 with the following statement:
“We received the Governor’s executive order and are evaluating it to determine what it may mean for our business. We are not making any immediate changes. As a reminder, face coverings are still required at Walt Disney World Resort.”
HUGE NEWS for Florida last week! Governor Ron DeSantis issued an executive order September 25, removing all remaining restrictions on businesses because of COVID-19. Bars and restaurants are no longer required to operate at less than full capacity effective immediately.
As shared by OrlandoSentinel: “We are today moving into what we initially called phase 3,” DeSantis said during a press conference in St. Petersburg. “And what that’ll mean for the restaurants is there will not be limitations from the state of Florida.” “We’re also saying in the state of Florida everybody has a right to work,” he added. “(Local governments) can do reasonable regulations but they can’t just say no.”
There are four major provisions of the order:
It removes all remaining state-level restrictions on businesses, including on bars and restaurants, which were capped at 75% capacity in Phase 3 of DeSantis’ original reopening plan.
It provides a general right to work and to operate a business. Local governments can limit and regulate businesses, but won’t be able to close businesses because of coronavirus concerns.
Local governments won’t be able to prevent restaurants from operating at below 50% capacity. Under previous orders, local governments could go further than state-level restrictions, and counties in South Florida kept restaurants and bars closed after the state allowed them to reopen. Also, cities and counties won’t be able to impose any restrictions without an economic and health justification.
Cities and counties can’t collect on any outstanding fines they issued as part of their pandemic response. The order, though, doesn’t compel local governments to refund anyone who has already paid a fine.
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!
