DisneyDawgs

Category: Disney History

  • Disney releases statement clarifying cancellation policies

    The following is a statement released by the Walt Disney Company reguarding the closure of both Disneyland and Walt Disney World parks, hotels and resorts.

    Full statement:

    In an abundance of caution, and in the best interest of our Guests and Cast Members, we are proceeding with the closure of our theme parks at Walt Disney World Resort, beginning March 16, through the end of the month.

    The Walt Disney Company will pay its Cast Members during that closure period.

    Disney Resort hotels and Disney Springs will remain open until further notice.

    We will continue to stay in close contact with appropriate officials and health experts.

    Below, you’ll find information on impacts to current and upcoming plans. Please continue to check this page for additional updates.

     

    TICKETS

    May I get a refund on my ticket?
    Unexpired multi-day theme park tickets with unused days, or date-specific theme park tickets with a start date on or before March 31, 2020 will automatically be extended to use any date through December 15, 2020. If you are unable to visit by December 15, 2020 you may apply the value of a wholly unused ticket toward the purchase of a ticket for a future date.

    Florida Resident Discover Disney Tickets may be used through July 31, 2020.

    Guests who have purchased tickets for Disney After Hours, Disney Villains After Hours and Disney Early Morning Magic from March 16, 2020 through March 31, 2020 will be automatically refunded.

    ANNUAL PASSES
    How does the closure of Walt Disney World impact annual passes?
    Walt Disney World annual passes will be extended by the number of days the parks are closed, March 16, 2020 through March 31, 2020.

    RESORTS
    I have a future stay at a Disney Resort hotel while the park is closed. What does that mean for my vacation?
    Guests who have not checked in for stays between March 16, 2020 through March 31, 2020 may modify or cancel their Disney Resort room reservation or Walt Disney Travel Company package up to their original check-in date. If no action is taken, Disney will automatically process a refund to the original form of payment within seven days of the original check-in date. If you did not book through Disney directly, please contact your travel professional.

    What if I want to cancel a Disney Resort hotel reservation after the parks reopen?
    We will waive all Disney imposed change and cancellation fees up to the date of check-in through June 30, 2020.

    DINING & OTHER EXPERIENCES
    I have a pre-paid dining reservation or experience reservation like Droid Depot during the time when the parks are closed. Will I receive a refund?
    Yes. All pre-paid dining and experience reservations will be automatically refunded if scheduled between March 16, 2020 through March 31, 2020.

    What happens to dining reservations that required a credit card at the time of booking?
    Reservations made at locations impacted by the closure will not be charged a cancellation or no-show fee.

  • Walt Disney World Releases Statement on Coronavirus

    Walt Disney World has released its first public statement regarding the coronavirus and the steps that they are taking for Walt Disney World.  Currently three Disney parks world-wide are closed (Shanghai, Hong Kong and Japan) due to the coonavirus.

    The following statement was given to People magazine by a Disney spokesperson:

    “We know there is new information this week about coronavirus in Florida.

    “We have very stringent sanitation procedures in place at Walt Disney World Resort. We are in close contact with health agencies for information and guidance, and at this time, we are continuing to communicate to our Cast the importance of preventative measures such as frequent hand-washing and rigorous cleaning processes.

    “For guest convenience, we have placed additional hand sanitizers throughout our parks and resorts and will adjust our protocols as the situation warrants.”

    Currently, there are two confirmed cases of coronavirus in Florida

  • Leap Year #ExtraDayForMagic

    An #ExtraDayForMagic does not come around very often, as a matter of fact, it only comes once every four years.

    This year on Leap Day (February 29) Disney World is celebrating its Cast Members and the incredible job that they do.

    If you are visiting Disney World on February 29th, share the #ExtraDayForMagic hashtag to see the magical moments of Disney World.  Disney will be sharing select tagged #ExtraDayForMagic photos on the Walt Disney World Cast & Community Facebook page and the @wdw.ambassador Instagram account, so you may see one of your photos that you’ve shared.

  • Cinderella Castle Makeover Scheduled

    A major refurbishment is scheduled to take place on Cinderella Castle in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World within the next couple of weeks and is expected to last until mid-Summer.

    With Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary scheduled for 2021, most of the parks have been seeing major changes and new rides.  Magic Kingdom has pretty much been spared other than construction of the Tron Rollercoaster in Tomorrowland (Disney World Railroad and Tomorrowland Speedway have taken the brunt.).

    Disney announced today that the Icon of all Disney World parks, Cinderella Castle, will start refurbishment within the next couple of weeks.  Disney claims that the work on the castle will not interrupt any of the shows or fireworks that are held at Cinderella Castle daily.

    Disney released an artist’s rendering of what the completed work will look like.  The majors change will be the pinkish hue added to the structure along with golden highlights very similar to Disneyland in California’s Castle.

    We are disappointed with the extremely late notice of this construction by Disney.  Most of those that will be visiting Walt Disney World this Spring and Summer had booked trips months ago knowing that there was MAJOR construction throughout Walt Disney World.  To have Disney spring this upon guests that may not be able to view the icon on of the Disney Empire is not leaving many long time fans of the Mouse too happy.

     

  • Regal Eagle Smokehouse Finally Opening?

    Regal Eagle Smokehouse Finally Opening?

    Rumors are swirling around this morning that the Regal Eagle Smokehouse located in the American Adventure at EPCOT will be opening soon.

    WDW News Today reported that on Google the listing for the restaurant is showing that it will be open on Sunday, February 9th at 11:30am…  I did the Google search for Regal Eagle Smokehouse and it is indeed showing operating hours for that date.

    I wouldn’t smack your lips for some delicious BBQ while visiting EPCOT this coming Sunday quite yet.  If you also look at the hours, it is showing that the restaurant is CLOSED on Monday.  I would think that if Disney was opening the restaurant on Sunday, that it would be continuously open from that point.  Remember, this information is coming from a Google search and quite possibly could be a mistake.

    I also went to the Disney website to see if there were any hours there.  At the time that I am writing this post, the Disney website is still showing the Regal Eagle Smokehouse as COMING SOON.

    If I were a betting man, I would guess that if you go to EPCOT on February 9th at 11:30am, the restaurant will still not be open.

  • FastPass+ Teirs to Change at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

    FastPass+ Teirs to Change at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

    With the recent openings of two new major attractions and a third coming in March, Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be currently changing its FastPass+ tier structure.

    Currently, there are two tiers for FastPass+ at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.  When booking a FastPass there, you may only choose one attraction from Tier 1 and two from Tier 2.  The main complaint about this current structure is that the following rides are all located within Tier 1

    • The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™
    • Aerosmith’s Rock n Rollercoaster
    • Slinky Dog Dash Rollercoaster
    • Toy Story Mania!
    • Alien Swirling Saucers

    These are the major rides in which guests visit Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

    Alas, there is a change coming and it seems as though Disney may have listened to the thousands and thousands of complaints about the way the rides at Disney’s Hollywood Studios were structured.

    As of February 19, 2020, there will only be two rides listed as Tier 1 for FastPass+ and they are:

    • Slinky Dog Dash Rollercoaster
    • Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run (Yes, as of February 19th, FastPasses may be booked for this attraction.)

    This means that all other rides, Tower of Terror, Rock n Rollercoaster and even Toy Story Mania are now Tier 2 attractions.  This is a tremendous option now for those that are visiting Hollywood Studios.

    Don’t forget, you are not limited to just three FastPasses a day.  Once you have exhausted the three that you have chosen, you can search using the MyDisney App or one of the many kiosks for any available FastPasses.  This can be done in any of the four parks.  We have actually been able to reserve as many as 14 FastPasses in a single day.

    Now with Mickey’s Runaway Railroad slated to open in March, I think that it is a safe bet that it will be a Tier 1 FastPass and very difficult to get at first.

    So there you go, riding the attractions at Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be come much easier come February 19th and I think it is also safe to say that DHS is no longer a half-day park.

     

    Thanks for taking the time to read this article.  Please let us know how your feel about this new policy and if you think that there may be any changes to Epcot’s tiered FastPass+ structure in the near future with their additions of the Guardians of the Galaxy Rollercoaster, the Ratatouille ride and all of the new attractions coming to Epcot over the next five year.

  • Five Dollar Noodles are not Five Dollars Anymore…

    Five Dollar Noodles are not Five Dollars Anymore…

    Hard-core Disney World fans will feel the sorrow of this news. Tambu Lounge at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort offers a couple of hidden menu items.  One of them is the Teriyaki Noodles.  This dish has been a hidden treasure for some time now.  The noodles are the same that are served at Ohana, but for only $5.  Although a much smaller serving than those served at Ohana, the Tambu Lounge version offer them as a quick snack without having to pay $60 for the Twilight Meal at Ohana.

    Alas, as with anything at Disney, the price was raised in early January to $9!!! Although the Teriyaki Noodles are still very good, $9 for the portion that you receive is not worth the price.

     

    Sadly, another thing that was a comfort when visiting Disney World has been either taken away or priced to the point that it is no longer worth purchasing.

  • Disney World Reducing Bus Service to Resorts

    Disney World Reducing Bus Service to Resorts

    Disney World has reduced its bus transportation from Resorts that are on the Disney Skyliner to the Parks that are connected.  Reports are showing that buses are running once an HOUR to Hollywood Studios and Epcot from Pop Century/Art of Animation, Caribbean Beach and Riviera.

  • Regal Eagle Menu Released

    Regal Eagle Menu Released

    After a long wait, Disney has released the Menu and Pricing for the new Regal Eagle Smokehous in Epcot.  Regal Eagle Smokehous is located in Epcot across from the Amphitheater and where the American Adventure show is currently located.  Now all we need from Disney is when the restaurant is going to open…

  • Disney’s Hollywood Studios announces March Park Hour Changes

    Disney’s Hollywood Studios announces March Park Hour Changes

    Disney has announced that Morning Extra Magic Hours scheduled in March, 2020 have been changed to evening Extra Magic Hours.

    In March, 2020 Hours have been changed from

    • March 1: 8-9am to 8-10pm
    • March 8, 15, 22, 29: 8-9 am to 8:30 – 10:30pm

    As always, keep checking the official Disney World Park’s schedule here for updated park hours and Extra Magic Hours

     

     

  • Disney+ Has Arrived

    The long awaited launch of of Disney Company’s step into the Online Streaming Media sector has occurred.

    Disney+ started streaming on Tuesday, November 12, 2019.  Disney+ is boasting a starting library of over 500 movies and 7,000 Television titles from Disney, Pixar, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, 20th Century Fox, and National Geographic.  This is quite a lot of content for a start-up streaming service (Apple TV Plus only has 9 total.).

    It seems as though everything did not go as smoothly at launch as Disney would have hope it would be.  Many customers reported frozen screens, massive buffer times and the app crashing all together.

    I have purchased Disney+ for my family and we were able to watch for several hours with no major interruptions with the only issue that we had is a 10-15 second buffer at the beginning of each stream (This may be very-well due from my ISP and not Disney+.).

    So far, I am very impressing with the selection and wide range of genres that are offered.  There are movies that I remember watching on NBC’s “Wonderful World of Disney” that aired on Sunday nights in the late 1970’s and early 80’s.  I really enjoyed the amount of Pixar shorts that are available.  Some of the Shorts, are Pixar’s best work.

    The streaming quality of the audio and video is excellent.  There is virtually no difference in the picture quality between Disney+ and a regular Cable TV station (I think that Disney+ is actually better!).

    So far, I would recommend Disney+ to those hard-core Disney Fans and those with small children that are interested in Marvel, Star Wars or the Disney Princesses.  For those viewers, there are hours and hours of streams that will keep them entertained.  I hope that Disney continues to improve this service as technology improves (4K) and does not offer this low rate for now to bring in the audience, and then continually raise the rates to where it is not affordable.

    As of right now, I think that the service is a good investment for the Disney-minded Family.

     

  • Magic Kingdom Entrance Upgrade

    The entrance to Magic Kingdom has not been spared in the MASSIVE amount of construction that is being done throughout Walt Disney World.

    Crews are currently rebuilding the bag check area in front of Magic KIngdom so that it will be ready to handle the overflow amount of crowds that are expected in 2021 for Magic Kingdom’s 50th Anniversary Celebration.

    Some construction still exists at the TTA, but the majority of the disruptions are focused on the Magic Kingdom side of Seven Seas Lagoon.