Despite having its status recently updated to “Closed for Refurbishment” on the Walt Disney World website and on My Disney Experience, it seems Spaceship Earth may make its ascent once again upon the reopening of EPCOT on July 15th. Thank the Phoenicians!
According to the UNITE HERE Local 362 union, which represents attraction workers throughout Walt Disney World, Spaceship Earth’s refurbishment has been pushed back. The information was revealed during an web conference and subsequently posted on a WDWMagic forum earlier today. The attraction is set to reopen with the rest of the park. You can find more details on the refurbishment below:
As times have changed, the Spaceship Earth attraction at EPCOT has changed with them. Opening in 1982, the ride received massive overhauls in 1986, 1994, and 2007, usually with the departure or addition of a corporate sponsor. With over a decade since the last reimagining, coupled with the 2017 departure of Siemens, Walt Disney Imagineering is ramping up for another round of changes to the park’s icon attraction.
The reimagining was set to begin on May 26th, despite a $900M decrease in CAPEX spending on the parks due to postponed or cancelled projects.
It was first announced back in October 2018 of the closure, and the closure is still expected to last about two and a half years as part of the park’s massive overhaul, which includes a new building for the exit of the attraction, and potentially a new name, as revealed during the 2019 D23 Expo: “Spaceship Earth: Our Shared Story.” As with all the changes overtaking the park, this reimagining promises to make the attraction––in newly-appointed CEO Bob Chapek’s words––“more Disney, more family, more timeless, and more relevant.”
The overhaul will be so thorough that it will require the ride to close at least until the park’s 40th anniversary in the second half of 2022, possibly leading into 2023, or even further now with the closure setbacks and further postponement. It’s also unknown whether the full set of changes will be implemented given the current theme park climate.
Shanghai Disneyland became the first of the Disney Parks to reopen its gates following the COVID-19 pandemic back on May 11th, debuting new protocols on ticketing and reservations which have potentially been paving the way for the rest of the parks to follow suit.
When the park first reopened, new measures were implemented to help control and limit the capacity levels in the new, socially-distanced park. Therefore, guests were only given the option to purchase specific-day tickets, and Annual Passholders were required to apply for a reservation into the park each day. Today, after three weeks of this procedure, Shanghai Disneyland has announced the option for guests with General Admission Tickets to also apply for a reservation, too. This reservation-only system is a must for park admission, so it is encouraging to see that the option has been extended to guests holding tickets without specified dates attached. The details, as per the Shanghai Disneyland reservation website, read as follows:
One-Day General Admission Ticket Advanced Reservation Procedures and Requirements
Guests who have purchased but have not used their one-day General Admission tickets must make a reservation for their visit date and time by clicking here, prior to their visit to the park.
To make a reservation, guests must enter the order number and the government ID number that were used when purchasing their tickets. Paper ticket holders must provide the ticket number which is either in 19 or 22 digits printed on the back of the ticket. If an accompanying guest is a child under the age of 3 years old or with a height of 1.0 meter and below on the day of their visit, his/her name, government ID, and a phone number of the ticket holder are required for advanced reservation.
Beginning at 13:00, June 1, 2020, reservations will be available to guests for park visits from June 3 through June 7. From 13:00, June 2, reservations for park visits on June 8 will be available to guests. From 13:00 every day starting June 3, we will open a six-day reservation calendar. Guests cannot make a reservation for a visit on the same date as the reservation. The reservation system will be updated at 13:00 each day, with a limited daily quota.
Park entry times offered will vary based on daily operations. Please visit the Advanced Reservation page for further details and to select available visitation dates and park entry times.
Only one reservation per time per ticket is permitted. The reservation may be cancelled or modified subject prior to activating the ticket at park entry. Available dates and times for reselection are subject to calendar and park daily operations.
Guests under the age of 16 years old must be accompanied by a guest aged 16 or older in order to enter the park.
Guests who fail to make reservations during the Advanced Reservation Period will still be able to visit the park after the Advanced Reservation Period and before the end of the validity period*.
Guests can call the Shanghai Disney Resort Reservation Center (400-180-0000) for more information regarding the One-Day General Admission Ticket Advanced Reservation.
*The validity period of a One-Day General Admission Ticket will be extended for the number of lost days falling between the park’s closure date of January 25, 2020 and the end of the “Advanced Reservation Period.”
Guests wanting to reserve their entry must ensure they have their government ID number handy, alongside the details of the ticket. The reservation system can be accessed here, and the verification form looks like this:
A LOT is changing right now as Disney does their best to launch a new reservations system and open with CDC guidelines in mind. If you are hoping to visit during the phased reopening of July 11 for Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom and July 15 for EPCOT and Hollywood Studios, you’ll want to keep a close eye on Disney’s newest “Know Before You Go” page which can be found on the Walt Disney World landing page.
The main entrance to the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. (Photo courtesy, Walt Disney World)
While this site is filled with all sorts of useful information, one addition that grabbed our attention is that face coverings are now required for guests 2 years and up. It was previously required for ages 3 and up as part of Disney Springs phased reopening. Disney Springs landing page has since changed the face covering requirements to 2 and up as well.
Are you a parent with young children? Do you feel your child will cooperate with a face covering?
Disney has been steadily releasing more information regarding its phased reopening. Today they updated their website to give annual passholders information about what they can expect when the parks reopen beginning July 11, 2020. Check out the full statement below.
Here is the full statement from the Walt Disney World website:
Our Annual Passholders are some of our most loyal and valued Guests. We truly can’t wait to welcome you back—and we will do it with great thought.
With that in mind, when the parks reopen, park capacity will be significantly limited—and may continue to be for a period of time, based on guidance from health experts to promote physical distancing.
We understand how much excitement, thought and time goes into planning your Disney visits and realize some new changes may be disappointing. For example, during this unprecedented time, an annual pass will not guarantee park entry and Annual Passholders will be required to make an advance reservation to enter a park.
Please note that:
During the limited capacity period, it may be difficult for Annual Passholders to get park reservations to visit on certain dates. To help manage capacity, total reservation days held at one time will be limited. More details will be shared in the coming weeks.
Some pass benefits and features will not be available during periods of limited capacity. Also, park experiences and offerings will be modified and subject to limited availability or even closure.
Annual passes are subject to blockout dates. Guests should ensure their pass type is valid for park entry prior to making a park reservation.
As we prepare for the reopening of the parks, we’re planning a special preview opportunity for Annual Passholders. We look forward to sharing details with you soon.
Please know we will be here to help you as we remain focused on delivering a wonderful experience for everyone who visits.
If you have any questions, please contact V.I.PASSHOLDER Support at (407) 939-7277. Options to manage your annual pass continue to be available during the closure period.
Here is the Annual Pass Policy Update and Refunds from the Walt Disney World website:
Policy Updates and Refunds
Due to the closure of the Walt Disney World theme parks, some policies were modified to assist Passholders.
If you are an Annual Passholder who has paid in full: All active Walt Disney World Resort theme park and water park Annual Passes will be extended for the number of days the parks are closed. The new expiration date will be reflected on the Annual Passholder’s account prior to the reopening of the parks.
As an alternative, and in lieu of an extension of their passes, Passholders who have paid in full may choose to receive a partial refund for the park closure period. To request this alternative option, we ask that you contact V.I.PASSHOLDER Support at (407) 939-7277. We do anticipate heavy call volume and appreciate your patience as we answer all inquiries.
If you are an Annual Passholder on the monthly payment plan: On April 5, 2020, we automatically stopped and will waive monthly payments due while the theme parks are closed. We will also retroactively refund payments made between March 14 through April 4, 2020. Payments will resume on the Passholder’s regularly scheduled payment dates once the parks reopen. Please note, pass expiration dates will not be extended and passes will expire upon their originally scheduled expiration dates.
As an alternative, Guests who are paying for Walt Disney World Annual Passes using our monthly payment program may choose to have their monthly payments postponed starting with payments due April 5, 2020, through the park closure period, and then resumed on the Passholder’s regularly scheduled payment date once the parks reopen. Postponed payments will be collected in the months following the end of the Passholder’s currently scheduled payment term. The pass will be extended the number of days the parks are closed. The new expiration date will be reflected on the Annual Passholder’s account prior to the reopening of the theme parks. To request this alternative option, we ask that you contact V.I.PASSHOLDER Support at (407) 939-7277. We do anticipate heavy call volume and appreciate your patience as we answer all inquiries.
If you have any questions, please contact V.I.PASSHOLDER Support at (407) 939-7277.
