Florida officials are making plans to reopen businesses, including theme parks. We will continue to update this article as new information becomes available. We will update plans and announcements made by Governor Desantis and Mayor Dyer as well as the Orange County Task Force. HOWEVER, it is important to remember that it will be up to Disney to officially announce plans for their parks. Readers should also note that this information is subject to change at any time depending on circumstances.
May 27 - Disney presents it's reopening plan to the task force. They propose a phased reopening beginning with Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom on July 11 followed by EPCOT and Disney's Hollywood Studios on July 15. The plan calls for safety measures such as required masks, limited ride capacity and social distancing. There will also be a significant reduction in offerings. No parades, character meets or fireworks. Limited resort capacity. Reservations required for park entry. Closure of high traffic areas and many other restrictions. We are waiting on a full detailed reports for exact closures and limits. Read their official statement HERE
May 22 - Disney Parks Blog issues an "update", yet no more information on opening dates is given. You can read it HERE
May 21 - Universal Studios submits it's plan to the Orange County Task Force to reopen to the public on June 5.
May 20 - Select third party locations open to the public with restrictions in Disney Springs. In total, 44 businesses opened. World of Disney, the complex’s giant retail store, Marketplace Co-op and mobile ordering for D-Luxe Burger will become available on May 27, Disney said.
May 8 - Walt Disney World updated their website to state that reservation availability is now changed to July 1 and later.
May 7 - Disney Parks Blog announces a phased reopening of Disney Springs beginning May 20
May 5 - Although dates have still not been discussed, a statement was issued detailing what steps are being considered to begin a phased reopening of some locations. The statement can be found on Disney Parks Blog
May 4 - Phase 1 of the statewide reopening begins. This phase includes:
May 1 - Orange County Task Force recommendations sent to the governor were made available to the public. These recommendations suggest that theme parks should begin reopening in Phase 2 with limited capacity, strict social distancing and proper measures to clean and disinfect. No dates have been given as to when each phase will begin. The governor stated at a press conference that the timeline would be driven by data and "does not need to take months".
April 29 - In a news conference, Mayor Demmings said he will announce plans for opening the county on Friday, May 1. He said "I didn't say end of May. I didn't say June. We don't want it to open too quickly without a plan in place." "In order for people to have ample time to prepare to get their workers back to work and get all the equipment they need, it takes planning."
April 29 - The Orange County Task Force announced they will let theme parks use their own discretion in their reopening timeline. Thomas Mazloum, Senior Vice President of Walt Disney World Resorts, said: "The guidelines given were intended to be a starting block for conversation and did not constitute the initial recommendation by the task force for the opening of Walt Disney World."
April 28 - The Orange County Task Force releases initial guidelines for reopening businesses. These guidelines are specific to the large theme parks:
March 29, 2020 - Walt Disney World offers a Free Dining Package to those whose reservations have been impacted by the closure. Free dining would be valid for most arrivals June 1, 2020 through September 30, 2020 when booked by May 31, 2020.
March 16, 2020 - Walt Disney World closes due to government restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
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