2020 has been quite the year, hasn’t it? The good news is that Disney World is starting their phased reopening plan in July, but with that comes some big changes. So today, we’re talking about the changes to your trip planning that you’ll need to make if you’re planning on visiting Disney World in 2020!
Recently, we posted a video with a brief overview of the policy changes that will be happening with the reopening of Disney World. And if you missed that video, I’ve linked it here for you.
With every piece of news that we receive, we are endeavoring to give you the most up-to-date information as soon as we have it, so you can make an informed decision on your Disney vacation.
Here are some important things that you must know if you’re planning on visiting Waslt Disney World right now:
- To enter a park, you’re going to need both park reservations and a park admission ticket
- Face coverings will be required for all guests over two years of age
- Some locations will require temperature checks
- Some experiences and theme parks may be modified or unavailable to allow for limited contact and social distancing
Things are changing very quickly, but you can always find the most up-to-date information on Disney’s website, by visiting DisneyWorld.com/Updates.
Today we’re covering ticket sales and hotel reservations, dining and experiences, FastPasses and Extra Magic Hours, park hours, and new requirements. So let’s get started.
First of all, if you’re on the fence about your 2020 Disney vacation, we have a little bit of advice for you that will hopefully help you make your decision. If you do choose to go, you have to go with the understanding that things will be different. Go with an open mind and stay positive, and I am 100% certain that Disney will make the experience magical. For first-timers choosing to go or not will all come down to your attitude about the situation. If you think the limitations will hinder your experience in any way, then maybe it’s not the best time for you to go.
New Ticket Sales and Hotel Reservations
Here’s what Disney has to say about new ticket sales and hotel reservations:
So here’s what we know. As of now, only the DVC resorts and the cabins at Fort Wilderness will be open, and Disney will be contacting all guests that have current reservations at other resorts to discuss their options. Disney will be opening up their reservation system to new guests once they have confirmed their attendance numbers for this year. If you wanna take advantage of those low crowds and you really wanna get to Disney in 2020, then we highly encourage you to put down your deposit for your 2020 vacation as soon as those reservations are released. Click HERE to get your name on that list and you’ll be one of the first to know as soon as these reservations are released and you can secure a reservation yourself.
Dining and Experiences
Here’s what Disney has to say about dining and experiences:
Here’s what we know. Dining plans will not be offered up until September 2021 and Disney is offering a 35% room offer to those guests that have a free dining plan already on their package. I know that some people were a little upset about losing their dining reservations, but I feel like this is Disney’s way of hitting that refresh button so we get a nice clean slate to start with and they’ll have an accurate representation of numbers for who will be in their restaurants at each given time. Also, the experiences such as fireworks and parades and other events that draw a big crowd will be temporarily suspended.
FastPasses and Extra Magic Hours
Here’s what Disney had to say about FastPasses and Extra Magic Hours:
As of now, we don’t have any updated information on the queues. All we know is that they are going to open the FastPass queues for regular guests, so there won’t be any FastPasses, so they’ll have a bigger space to accommodate the social distancing requirements. A positive on this one though is that since the park is at limited capacity, you essentially should be able to walk onto a ride with a very small amount of wait time.
Park Hours
For park hours, looking at the schedule on Disney’s website, it looks like the park hours will be limited during this time as well. The Magic Kingdom: 9-7. Epcot: 11-9. Hollywood Studios: 10-8, and the Animal Kingdom, 8-6. These are the current park hours as of today, but be sure to check the schedule before your trip to ensure that you have the most accurate information.
As a recap, planning for your 2020 Disney World vacation has changed.
- You will need both park admission and a park reservation to enter the park
- Existing ticket holders and annual pass holders will be among the first to be able to reserve park days
- There will be no park hopping
- All guests over two years old are required to wear a face mask
- You can expect temperature checks
- There will be no dining plans
- Dining reservations will be available to book 60 days prior to your trip date and will have limited availability due to capacity
- The FastPass+ service is temporarily suspended
- There will be no Extra Magic Hours
- Shorter park operating hours
With all that being said, if you are planning on visiting, I am 100% certain that Disney will make this experience as magical as possible and I encourage you to stay positive through this. Let me know what you think about the phase reopening plans. Do you have any concerns? Are you planning on visiting in 2020, or are you moving your vacation to another year? Let me know in the comments below.
Thank you for taking the time to visit. Enchanted Vacations is a travel agency specializing in Disney Vacations and our agents are here to help you get the most out of your Disney Vacation! Our FREE service includes customizing your vacation to your family’s needs and budget, personalized itinerary creation, dining reservations, and MORE! Click here to get in touch with one of our agents today!
For more planning help, be sure to visit our YouTube Channel for everything you need to know before you go!
See you in the parks,
Alma
