Every week is a busy week when it comes to Disney news. To help you keep up with all the updates coming out of Walt Disney World and other Disney resorts, here’s WDWNT’s weekly recap of the Disney news from June 22-28 2020.
Walt Disney World
Parks
- The big park news this week was the announcement that the Magic Kingdom and Disneyland Park Splash Mountain attractions will be rethemed to “Princess and the Frog”
- A full list of dining locations set to reopen with the theme parks was released earlier in the week. However, news of menu changes sweeping the parks has been rife. The limited menus for several EPCOT restaurants have been revealed, including Coral Reef, Le Cellier Steakhouse, Rose & Crown, and more. In the Magic Kingdom, Be Our Guest Restaurant will reopen as Table Service only for lunch and dinner with a Prix Fixe menu, with breakfast discontinued
- Carol Stein, aka “The Piano Lady” has shared that she will be returning to the UK pavilion at EPCOT next month, indicating that live entertainment in the park will be resuming
- Check out our photos of the Cinderella Castle transformation and construction over at TRON Lightcycle Run, taken from Bay Lake Tower
- November dates have been announced for the Dapper Day Fall 2020 events at Walt Disney World
Disney Springs
- Check out this week’s photo report for Disney Springs, including crazy Toy Story hair accessories, masks, construction updates, and more
- Following the spike in COVID-19 cases across the state, The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation announced that all on-premises consumption of alcohol at bars has been suspended. From this announcement, Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar and other bar locations across Disney Springs closed their doors once more
- UNIQLO became the first store to re-close at Disney Springs, following the surge in COVID-19 cases. Rustic Cuff also abruptly shut their temporary pop-up location this week
- In World of Disney, sales of Splash Mountain merchandise soared this week after the announcement of the attraction re-theme
- The new patio area and shades have now been completed at City Works Eatery & Pour House
- An Everglazed Donuts & Cold Brew location will be coming soon to Disney Springs
Walt Disney World Resort Hotels
- We discovered that no temperature screenings are taking place within the resort hotels
- Resort mugs are still available at the resort, however with a modified refill procedure
- Disney character face masks can be purchased from hotel shops
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom – Jambo House will be reopening on July 10th to Disney Vacation Club Guests only
Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground
- A tradition has been reborn as the new Tri-Circle-D Ranch has opened at Fort Wilderness
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- Tour the newly-reopened Grand Floridian
- We reviewed the cute new Mickey “Welcome Back” Celebration Cake Pop from Gasparilla Island Grill
- Construction work has begun at the resort ahead of the arrival of the NBA players
Disney’s Old Key West Resort
- We went to have lunch at the newly-reopened homey gem Olivia’s Cafe
Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
- Tour the newly-reopened Polynesian Village Resort
- We reviewed the new Aloha Welcome Back ‘Ohana Cupcake from Captain Cook’s
Reflections – A Disney Lakeside Lodge
- Take a look at the progress on Reflections – A Disney Lakeside Lodge in our latest photo update
Disney’s Riviera Resort
- We visited Topolino’s Terrace for the new, socially-distanced character breakfast experience
Other Walt Disney World Reopening Announcement Updates & Guest Information
- An official Disney Park Pass system tutorial was released earlier this week, ahead of the Annual Passholder reservation window opening. Just hours after the system launched, reservations for Disney’s Hollywood Studios and have been booked up through the entirety of July for Annual Passholders. Furthermore, some Annual Passholders with resort guest reservations have not been allowed to make additional Park Pass selections, due to clashing policies. It wasn’t long before Disney released an official statement on the glitches guests were experiencing on the system
- 2021 Walt Disney World Resort reservations and vacation packages are now open for booking, and you can take a look at the full list of available resorts here
- Following the announcements from the Disneyland Resort this week, Walt Disney World has stated that their plans for phased reopenings remain on schedule. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has also stated that he has no plans to “Roll Back” the approved plans for Walt Disney World reopening, and Orange County officials have said the same
- The resort airline check-in service will be resuming on July 12
Around Walt Disney World
- We got a first look at the social distancing measures aboard the monorails, with new dividers in the carriages, whilst the resort buses have debuted modified seating
- It has been formally announced that the NBA will be coming to Walt Disney World for their resumed 2019-2020 season, and the full schedule has been released, showing the start date of July 30
- Read up on the updated Pin Trading procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic at Walt Disney World here
- Disney’s Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf reopened this weekend
- The D23 “Destination D: Fantastic Worlds” event due to happen at Walt Disney World in November has now been postponed to 2021
- Over at Disney’s BoardWalk, Jellyrolls is set to reopen on October 1
Other Walt Disney World News
- It has been confirmed that cast members will be provided face shields for work, while some Walt Disney World cast members have voiced their displeasure at the conditions of their return to work
- Eric Clinton, president of the Local 362 union, shared photos from the resort ahead of the parks reopening whilst on a visit to see the new safety measures and meet with cast members
- UK travel giant TUI has canceled all Florida vacation packages in light of the new Walt Disney World protocols, claiming they will impact guest enjoyment
- We were saddened to hear that furloughed cast members are still struggling with unemployment, leaving Orlando food pantries empty-handed due to such high demand
- The Cinderella Castle icon on My Disney Experience has been updated to reflect the new coloring
Disneyland Resort
- Disneyland resort has canceled their July 17 reopening, delaying the parks returning after the rising COVID-19 cases and development of strict government regulations. California Governor Gavin Newsom has publicly complimented the resort on this decision
- Guests with reservations in July are receiving requests to take action and modify or cancel their bookings
- It has been announced that the Walt Disney World and Disneyland Splash Mountain attractions will be rethemed to “Princess and the Frog”
- Over in the Downtown Disney District, a new California Sole footwear store is set to take over Sanuk
- Park flyovers will be performed this coming week for aerial reference footage of the resort
Disneyland Paris
- It was finally revealed that Disneyland Paris will be reopening on July 15
- For its reopening, a reservation system will be utilized to ensure park admission for Annual Passholders and guests with non-dated tickets
- New health and safety guidelines for park entry were published, and photos of social distancing floor markers across the resort surfaced this weekend
- New flexible booking options were published for Disneyland Paris hotel stays, along with more health and safety guidelines for hotel guests
- Disneyland Paris Annual Passes are to be automatically extended by 153 days, a full month longer than the park closure period, to make up for losses
- Disneyland Paris has donated over €1.5 million in food and medical supplies during the resort closures, with help from the VoluntEARS
- Despite previous reports, it has been announced that performances of “The Jungle Book Jive” and “The Lion King: Rhythms of the Pride Lands” will still take place through the summer
- A new ‘There’s no magic without you’ TV spot was released for the resort’s reopening
- A new attraction photo has emerged for the upcoming “Cars Route 66” attraction in the Walt Disney Studios park
Tokyo Disney Resort
- It was finally announced that Tokyo Disney Resort will be reopening on July 1
- The full list of attractions, shops, and restaurants which are set to remain closed for now can be found here
- A snazzy new Type-C monorail will be entering service on the Disney Resort Line on July 3
- The Bon Voyage merchandise shop is set to reopen on June 25, ahead of the parks reopening
- Following the news from the US parks, Tokyo Disneyland released a statement on the possibility of retheming their Splash Mountain
Disney Cruise Line & Adventures by Disney
- Adventures by Disney have now canceled all trips through September 15, due to the risks of COVID-19
- Disney Cruise Line has announced a temporary “Cruise Date Flexibility” option for sailings through March 31, 2021
New Merchandise
- Add to your Pandora bracelet with this cute new UP ‘Adventure is out there’ charm
- Prepare for your Walt Disney World trip with these new pre-arrival exclusive MagicBands, available now on the resort website
- Unleash your inner Skipper with this cute Jungle Cruise knapsack, artwork, and pull-back toy
- Reach for the chopsticks and fall in love with these adorable Sushi Tsum Tsums from Disney Store Japan
- Treat yourself to a new phone case with this new PIXAR Luxo Ball case, or this Stitch phone case with matching strap
- Check out this chilling new model concept art for a LEGO Twilight Zone Tower of Terror set
- Plan your trips in this “My Adventure Book” replica journal inspired by UP
- Make your coffee in this playful “Toy Story” Walt Disney World mug, or this Rainbow Mickey Pride mug
- Dress for the parks in these cute park icon shirts by Her Universe
- Travel the world in this new Soarin’ travel tumbler
- Spread fantasy magic with this new Rainbow Unicorn MagicBand
Entertainment and Media
- Disney has once again postponed the theatrical release of “Mulan”, which will now hit theaters on August 21
- It was announced that Margot Robbie will be starring as the female lead in the new “Pirates of the Caribbean” reboot
- It was revealed that Disney Channel will be closed in the UK as programming moves to Disney+
- A story trailer has been released for the “Marvel’s Avengers: War Table” video game, which is due for release September 4
- A new trailer also debuted for Disney and Pixar’s “Soul”
Disney+
- The first official trailer has landed for “Muppets Now”, which will premiere on July 31
- New movie posters and a trailer have been revealed for “Hamilton”
- A trailer was revealed for “Into the Unknown: Making Frozen II”, which premiered on Disney+ this Friday
Other Disney News
- Disney English has closed its learning centers after 12 years of teaching in China
- It was reported that select merchandise from Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will be coming to Target
WDW News Today
Make sure you catch up on the News Today episodes from this week!
Splash Mountain Closing for Princess and the Frog Ride at Magic Kingdom, Disneyland – NewsToday 6/26
Every Disney Park in the World Will Reopen by July – News Today 6/24
Walt Disney World Park Reservations Go Live, Resort Hotels Reopen – NewsToday 6/22
That’s all the Disney news for this past week folks! Make sure you check back at the end of each week for our weekly recaps!
