For post-coronavirus reopening, Disney suspends FastPass service, cancels reservations
New ticket sales and reservations will be temporarily paused
FOX Business' Kristina Partsinevelos says Disney plans to reopen its Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, EPCOT and Hollywood Studios theme parks on July 11 and July 15 with various preventative measures put in place.
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Disney plans to suspend its FastPass service. paue ticket sales and cancel existing dining reservations as the theme park operator cautiously moves forward with plans to reopen in Florida this July.
Reopening, which is still subject to state approval with the slate of temporary changes will help theme park staff better manage park capacity, according to the company.
"We will automatically cancel existing FastPass+ selections and share any future updates on the service at a later date," the company said adding that Extra Magic Hours, which are extended theme park hours available to Disney World Resort hotel guests and some non-hotel guests, will also be temporarily suspended.
Disney is seeking to focus on guests with existing tickets and reservations for the time being before it resumes sales of tickets and Disney Resort hotel reservations, Disney said.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIS | THE WALT DISNEY CO. | 114.70 | +0.43 | +0.38% |
DISNEY WORLD SETS JULY 11 REOPENING DATE, UNVEILS CORONAVIRUS SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
On Wednesday an Orange County task force approved a range of safety measures proposed by Disney which plans on reopening its Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom parks on July 11, which would end a nearly four-month shut down that stifled business for Central Florida's biggest employer.
EPCOT and Hollywood Studios would then reopen on July 15, the company announced. The parks have been closed since mid-March because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Magic Kingdom theme park at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida on Jan. 15, 2020. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File)
As the park works to limit capacity, it will also cancel all existing dining reservations and experience bookings, including Disney dining plans included in packages.
However, dining and experience bookings will reopen with more limited numbers closer to when the parks reopen, according to Disney which did not specify when.
DISNEYLAND GIVES GLIMPSE INTO ITS POST-CORONAVIRUS REOPENING PLANS
When it does, Disney will also shift from a 180-day booking window to a 60-day booking window for dining and experience bookings "to allow guests to make their plans closer to their visits."
Disney also warned that for the foreseeable future, its FastPass+ service, allowing guests to skip the line for popular attractions, will be suspended in an effort to better manage capacity at its attractions and maintain physical distancing.
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Disney's proposal came in tandem with SeaWorld's reopening plans, which is also waiting for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' approval.
Both theme park operators are seen as a pivotal piece in Florida's tourism industry.