Disney Cruise Line Guests Ages 5 and Older Must Be Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19 for Departures Beginning January 13, 2022

Posted on by Mathew Corn Uncategorized

The SeaMail below will be sent to affected Guests today to inform them of updates to Disney Cruise Line health and safety protocols, including a new COVID-19 vaccination policy for Guests ages 5-11 for sailings beginning on and after January 13, 2022, as well as updated information on accepted vaccine types.

The Disney Dream docks at Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island in the tropical waters of the Bahamas, reserved exclusively for Disney Cruise Line guests. In a setting of crystal-clear turquoise waters, powdery white-sand beaches and lush landscapes, the 1,000-acre island offers one-of-a-kind areas and activities for every member of the family. (David Roark, photographer)

Dear [Guest who booked through a Travel Agent],

All of us at Disney Cruise Line hope you and your family are staying well. We are reaching out with important updated information about the COVID-19 vaccination and testing requirements for your sailing.

As we welcome Guests aboard our ships, the health and safety of our Guests, Cast Members and Crew Members is a top priority. We have resumed sailing in a gradual, phased approach that emphasizes multiple layers of health and safety measures, developed considering guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other medical experts.

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements

Currently, Disney Cruise Line continues to require all vaccine-eligible Guests (based on U.S. eligibility requirements) to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at the time of sailing, as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This will be a requirement for all Guests (U.S. and international) ages 5 and older for sailings beginning on and after January 13, 2022.

In consideration of guidance from the CDC and the World Health Organization, Disney Cruise Lines accepts the following vaccine types: Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, Covishield, Novavax, Sinopharm, and Sinovac.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines fully vaccinated as 14 days after receiving:

  • a single-dose of an accepted 1-dose vaccine
  • the second dose of an accepted 2-dose vaccine
  • the full series of an active (not placebo) COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S.-based AstraZeneca or Novavax COVID-19 vaccine trials
  • the second dose of any “mix-and-match” combination of accepted COVID-19 vaccines (administered at least 17 days apart)

Pre-Trip COVID-19 Testing:

Guests who are not vaccine-eligible, because of age, must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test result (paid for by the Guest) taken between 3 days and 24 hours before their sail date. Guests ages 5-11 may complete these testing requirement in lieu of being fully vaccinated for sailings that depart before January 13, 2022. Guests 4 years of age and under must complete these testing requirements.

The test should be a NAAT test, rapid PCR test or lab-based PCR test. Rapid antigen tests are not accepted. Disney Cruise Line has secured a special rate of $98.33 per PCR test (which includes a 3.5% processing fee) through our third-party vendor, Inspire Diagnostics. Guests may also obtain their test from any independent testing supplier.
 

Safe Passage website, by Inspire Diagnostics:

In order to sail, all Guests (adults and children, regardless of age) must upload their proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 test results on the Safe Passage website by Inspire Diagnostics. A parent or legal guardian will need to use their own account to provide this information on behalf of minors. To learn more about how to provide proof of your negative COVID-19 test result, please visit Before Leaving Home: Know Before You Go.

After appropriate documents have been uploaded and reviewed by Inspire, Guests should see the words “Clear to Arrive” in the Pre-Sail Screening section when they log into their account before arriving at the port.

It is also recommended that Guests bring a copy of their proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 PCR test result with them to the port. If you have any questions about your Safe Passage registration or status, please contact 877-250-5132.
 

Embarkation COVID-19 Testing:

In consideration of guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, all Guests (regardless of age and vaccination status) are required to take a COVID-19 test (paid for by Disney Cruise Line and administered by Inspire Diagnostics) at the terminal before boarding. This will be the second of two COVID-19 PCR tests required for unvaccinated Guests. Guests with positive COVID-19 test results—as well as those sharing the same stateroom and their close contacts—will be denied boarding.
 

Debarkation Day COVID-19 Antigen Testing

All unvaccinated Guests on 5-night and longer sailings are required to take a COVID-19 antigen test (paid for by Disney Cruise Line) on the ship the day before debarking.

Online Check-in:

You must complete Online Check-in beginning 30 days prior to your sailing. You will need to submit the required documents as well as select a Port Arrival Time. All Guests, including our Platinum Castaway Club Guests, will need to select a Port Arrival Time. It’s important you arrive at the terminal on time. Guests arriving prior to their selected arrival time will be asked to return at the appropriate time; and Guests arriving after their scheduled time may be delayed and asked to wait behind those arriving at their scheduled time. Online Check-in can be completed or modified up to one day prior to sailing. After completing Online Check-in, you will receive a Port Arrival Form by email. Bring this with you to the port to expedite your arrival.

Going Ashore:

Considering guidance from the CDC, fully vaccinated Guests who wish to disembark the ship while in a port of call can do so on their own. Guests who are vaccinated and wish to disembark the ship with unvaccinated children, in any port of call other than Disney Castaway Cay, will need to purchase a Disney Cruise Line Port Adventure for their party. Additional details about going ashore can be found in the Ports of Call: Know Before You Go section of our website.
 

My Plans:

Download the Disney Cruise Line Navigator app or go online to make advance reservations that are necessary for participating in youth activities or reserve premium experiences like beverage tastings and dinner at Palo. You’ll be able to reserve these experiences once your reservation is paid in full and you are within your Castaway Club booking window. At this time, we are still finalizing some of the onboard activity offerings and Port Adventures for your sailing and encourage you to continue checking back as new inventory becomes available.

Guests sailing on the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy through May 30, Disney Magic through May 8 and Disney Wonder through April 17, 2022, may modify their sail date or cancel their sailing without any Disney-imposed cancellation fees by contacting their travel agent by December 1, 2021. Please note that cancellation fees imposed by third-party suppliers, including airlines, as well as travel insurance, are not refundable. Refunds will be processed back to the original form of payment. Standard cancellation policies and terms and conditions apply for any cancellation or modification requests received on or after December 2, 2021. 

We look forward to welcoming you aboard soon.

Sincerely,

The Cast and Crew
Disney Cruise Line

Updated information will be reflected on the Disney Cruise Line Know Before You Go page.

Disney World has new procedures for handling ride breakdowns

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

Around every corner, you’ll find more surprises, magic, and pixie dust than you what to do with.

But even the most magical of trips to the parks can have their hiccups, especially when it comes to the technical side of the aforementioned magic.

Attractions at Disney World hinge on some of the most advanced, state-of-the-art ride technology, but as anyone will tell you, even the best technology can have its snafus. The same is true at Disney World, regardless of the pixie dust that abounds.

Have you ever been on a ride when it has malfunctioned and stopped? (Hint: if you’ve ever experienced the Haunted Mansion attraction, there’s about an 80% chance you’ve been on a ride when it glitches.) If so, you know that most of the time, the glitches are more of a “pause” on the attraction, rather than a full meltdown, leading to the need for technical engineers to visit and assess the scenario.

But when a ride does stop for an extended time, Disney usually gives Guests the option of staying in the queue for the ride so they can enjoy it once it’s up and running or exiting the queue and returning later to experience the attraction again. If Guests choose to exit, they are guided to a Cast Member who grants them a “recovery pass,” which functions like a FastPass, once the ride is fully functional again. The pass usually says “Anytime Experience” on the My Disney Experience app.

But thanks to Disney’s new Lightning Lane, FastPass is no more, and, it would seem, that the Anytime Experience passes are a thing of the past as well.

Now, according to reports, when a ride malfunctions and Guests have to disembark from the ride, they will still have the option to stay in the queue and wait or exit. But Guests who choose to exit will have an altogether different experience in the parks.

That’s because Disney World is reportedly not offering a recovery pass for Guests who choose to exit and come back. The only recovery passes granted now will be to those Guests who were forced to evacuate the attraction or queue completely. So if there’s not a directive to evacuate completely from a Cast Member, but a Guest chooses to exit and return, he or she will have to wait in the queue as though there had never been an issue.

Some Guests feel like this protocol is another example of inconsistency in procedures on the part of Disney, while others feel it is an example of what they see as Disney’s greed and its apathy toward the very people who are paying to be in the parks in the first place.

Face Mask Policy Updated to Reflect That Guests Must Remain Stationary While Eating or Drinking with Masks Off

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

Guests are being asked to stop and remain stationary, standing off to the side, while consuming drinks and snacks while in the Walt Disney World theme parks.

Now, an official policy has been added to the Walt Disney World “Know Before You Go” Face Covering policy webpage.

In the updated policy, it reads “You may remove your face covering while actively eating or drinking, but you should be stationary and maintain appropriate physical distancing.”

What do you think about this new policy regarding face masks? As a reminder, there are multiple “relaxation stations” located in each Walt Disney World theme park, where guests may remove their face covering and have a socially-distanced sit-down.