Disney World’s 2020 Reopening Details

by Jenny · Published June 23, 2020 · Updated June 26, 2020

Disney World closed in mid-March of this year because of the crazy pandemic that shut down almost everything else too. That’s roughly 100 days ago for those of us who are counting, although in some ways it feels like so many more. This week, Disney Vacation Club properties are reopening throughout the resort. In a few short weeks, all four theme parks will start welcoming guests back too. Of course things will look a bit different than they did before the closure. Doesn’t everything at this point? Today’s post covers the details of Disney World’s 2020 reopening.

Let’s start with the straight forward stuff.

Dates

Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom are scheduled to reopen on July 11. Epcot and Hollywood Studios will follow on July 15. All of the parks will operate at reduced hours with reduced capacity and require a park reservation in addition to a standard ticket for entering.

What will open within the parks?

The short answer is the majority of ride-on attractions will be open and the majority of non-ride attractions will not. That means roller coasters like Thunder Mountain will be back in business at Magic Kingdom, but other theme park entertainment like crowd-creating parades and fireworks will not. Disney characters will still be visible periodically throughout the parks, but they will not be available for one-on-one meet ‘n greets like they traditionally are. Some of the shows, particularly those housed indoors, will also be closed.

All of the open attractions will be offered with a traditional, albeit six-foot-apart, stand-by queue. FastPass reservations (the ability to reserve a spot in line in advance) will be temporarily suspended.

The shops throughout the parks will mostly be open too, with newly installed plexiglass barriers in spots. Most restaurants should be operating as well, with the notable exception of buffets or character meals.

What will be open outside of the theme parks?

Speaking of shopping and eating, Disney Springs is already (mostly) open and will remain so when the parks welcome back guests in July. Advanced dining reservations for some of the entertainment complex’s many restaurants are also currently available. Dining reservations are temporarily operating under a 60-day advance window, instead of the traditional (and somewhat crazy!) 180-day one. New restaurants for all locations should be added over the coming weeks.

All of the Disney Vacation Club Properties, such as the Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort or Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort, reopened this week. Disney’s Ft. Wilderness Resort and Campground also reopened.

Gran Destino tower at Disney’s Coronado Springs resort will host Lebron James and friends this summer.

Most of the balance of traditional Disney resorts will remain closed for at least another month or two. A few of them, like the Gran Destino Tower at Coronado Springs, the Grand Floridian and the Yacht Club are planned to “open” in July but will only serve NBA players, coaches and staff.

If you haven’t heard, Disney will be hosting 22 teams when the NBA returns to action (without fans) in late July at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex on property.

Similarly, Major League Soccer will also be resuming at Disney World in early July. The MLS teams plan to stay at the Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotels through mid-August.

If you have current reservations to any of the resorts listed above you will have the option to cancel your reservation or move to another resort. Unfortunately, any change will require patience. Disney is working through existing reservations to make changes on a week by week basis. One hundred days of closure means there are quite a few eager Disney fans trying to manage (salvage?) their vacations at the same time.

Park Tickets

So what about that park reservation thing you mentioned above?

So glad you asked.

Basically, anyone that wants to visit the Disney World theme parks when they reopen in July will need a traditional theme park ticket AND a specific park reservation. This is a change from pre-corona when you could purchase tickets at the front gate to enter the park or buy your tickets in advance and choose your park the day of your visit.

The new theme park reservation system launched on June 22. You can find it on Disney World’s main web site, within the My Disney Experience section.

After a few glitches on launch day as the masses all tried to update their existing Disney reservations at the same time, the system now appears to be working. (Mostly?!) Guests need to reserve which park they plan to visit for each day. If you have a multi-day ticket, then you’ll need to repeat the process accordingly. Disney implemented the new park reservation system in order to monitor the volume of guests per park per day. They have also temporarily suspended Extra Magic Hours and Park Hopping perks (visiting more than one park on the same day) for the same reason.

Sadly, Disney also cancelled all the planned Mickey’s Not-So-Scary-Halloween-Parties last week for crowd control purposes. There has been no word on the Christmas parties yet, but considering they primarily feature similar entertainment option as the Halloween version (special parades, fireworks and character meet ‘n greets…) it doesn’t seem promising.

Guests with existing park tickets, including those with Disney or nearby resort reservations, could start making the newly required reservations on June 22. Annual pass holders without resort reservations can start making park selections on June 26. Everyone else planning to visit Disney World this year can start making theme park reservations on June 28.

Due to the uncertainty with all of this, Disney has also relaxed its cancellation policies for those taking a “wait and see” approach.

New Rules

As you have guessed or heard elsewhere, the parks will open with quite a few new rules. You can google “Disneyland Shanghai” if you want to get some idea of what the Disney World reopening will look like, since this Disney park has been operating under similar rules for a few weeks now.

In summary, all guests will get their temperature taken upon entry. Guests with a temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher (including those who are traveling with them!) will be directed to cancel or postpone their visit. All guests two years old or over(!!), will also be required to wear a face mask. Masks are mandatory for entry to the park, riding attractions, viewing shows and pretty much every other activity except eating.

So the more you eat the less you have to wear a mask.

Kidding.

Although it’s true.

Of course the other rules are as you expected. Guests are required to social distance as much as possible. This includes waiting in lines for attractions and enjoying the rides. Cashless transactions are strongly encouraged. You can also use the My Disney Experience app to view menus, order quick service meals in advance and more.

Closing Thoughts

So those are the details of Disney World’s 2020 reopening as we know them today. Of course you can read way more information on Disney’s website here. Please do so, in fact, if you intend to take a trip to Disney World sometime this year since the information seems to be changing every day.

Overall, the most important things to note right now are that park reservations are required in addition to a traditional theme park ticket, attractions within the parks will be limited and face masks are required.

What do you think? Are you going to brave the new Disney World this year or wait for some time in the future?

Whichever path you choose and wherever you are, please be safe and add a little magic to your world!