Disney recently shared their reopening plans, with opening dates for Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom on July 11, and Epcot and Hollywood Studios on July 15. The plans discuss a phased reopening for the parks, including limited capacity for the parks.
In addition to limited capacity there was mention of focusing on mobile ordering. This is probably a way for them to keep lines down, however there really wasn’t any mention of the table service restaurants. Well, last night Disney released a statement saying they would be cancelling all existing dining reservations and experience bookings (this includes the Disney Dining Plan). They explained that they will reopen bookings for dining and experiences with more limited numbers closer to when the parks reopen. In addition, they are moving the dining reservation booking window from 180 days to 60 days.
Dining reservations are not the only cancellations happening. Disney will also be suspending the FastPass+ service for now. They are going to use that space to help manage the lines for attractions to help keep physical distancing possible. Disney also stated that Extra Magic Hours will not be offered when the parks first reopen. Not sure how long that will last, but hopefully Disney will release more details soon.
As previously reported, new ticket sales and hotel reservations are also temporarily suspended. Disney will be focusing on guests with existing reservations and tickets and will be contacting them about the new theme park reservation system. This new system requires guests to reserve a spot in the theme parks in advance. They have not released any more information about this new system, but hopefully we will hear something from them soon.
Disney is reaching out to guests affected by these new procedures. They stated they will discuss options, included refunds, with guests who wish to cancel their upcoming reservations.
Sample Letter Disney is Sending to Guests
If you have reservations later in the year you probably haven’t heard from Disney yet. I have clients with reservations later this fall and as of last night their dining reservations were still showing. ETA: I’m hearing from people who have reservations later in the fall that they have gotten the emails, so I’m not sure how Disney is picking and choosing who to cancel first. Either way, they are cancelling all dining reservations for the remainder of the year.
If you booked the free dining offer because of the park closures it sounds like Disney is offering a discount on a booking for a later date. So make sure to ask about any discounts when you call to cancel or rebook.
Have you received a letter from Disney about your dining and FastPass+ reservations?
Thanks for reading!
Liz
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Liz
I love all things Disney, but my main love is for Disney World and I'm always planning for the next trip. Before becoming a Disney blogger, I was a radio DJ, so I guess I'm just continuing in the communication industry, just in a different form. I love talking Disney and I could talk about Disney all day. That's why I started blogging and created the Facebook group. The Disney community is full of friendly, helpful, and happy people...and I love being a part of it! If there is any Disney subject you would like to see covered just let me know! Need help planning your Disney vacation. Feel free to contact myself or Melissa at Never Stop Dreaming Travel Co. We love helping people plan their trips! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy! Don't forget to check out our Countdown to Disney app! Feel free to email me with suggestions of things you would like to see in the app :-)
I have a trip booked in November and I can tell you if this is how it’s going to be for my trip I will definitely be canceling it! Lol
Just got our e-mail tonight. I think we are going to cancel and reschedule for spring next year (a year from our original date we had to cancel in May). My wife, daughter, son, and I would consider sticking with it if we didn’t have to wear masks the whole time (son is 4 and it just wouldn’t happen). But this was going to be my niece and nephew’s first trip. I can’t let this watered down version be their first Disney experience. Hopefully next spring things will be back to normal and they can see all Disney has to offer.
We have dining reservations for August 16th-21 that haven’t been canceled yet. Not sure Im going to like how this “New Disney “ is going to look.
Rescheduled previous trip to the end of September. A bit disappointed over the dining plan, but I think having less guests in the park will definitely be a plus. I’m still looking forward to my trip to Disney World. Actually it might be a bit relaxing, and more magical than before.
We have a reservation in early September. We have received the email and slowly our dining reservations are disappearing one at a time. Our tickets have also been extended to September 2021. I’m apprehensive about wearing a mask in the FL heat. I’ll be doing some research on the coolest masks for sure.
Our July 18-25 dining reservations are still showing as active. I expected to see them disappear from my Disney account already. At what point do I need to call Disney?
Had a September trip planned. Canceling until next year, maybe.Can’t justify spending 15-20k and have 90% of the experiences removed. No character meals, meet and greets, makeovers, parades, fireworks, and now my dining reservations scrapped=no fun. That’s pretty much everything my daughter and I were planning to do.
I want to thank Disney for making the necessary changes in today’s uncertain world. We will not be canceling our vacation. We are looking forward to returning to Disney World this September. We are positive that Disney will still have all of the “Magic” of past vacations (just a little modified).
Me, my daughter, and my niece are also scheduled for those dates and my travel agent recently told me that we will get an email in the next few days about a new reservation system and they are cancelling fast passes and dining plans. Also if you had the water park added they will not be opening them. She said they would refund us . I have yet to receive anything from Disney. Try looking in your junk folder as well to make sure it was not put in there. I’m about to call them as well.
They seem to be sending out the emails sporadically. I have some clients who have received emails and some who have not. I would keep an eye on your plans in your My Disney Experience account and check your card statements to see if the refund has come through.