Walt Disney World Resort Update for August 17–23, 2021
Writer’s Note & News (Combined)
On the worldwide pandemic entrance as its impacting Central Florida, I’ve no new encouraging information to share. As was true final week, Florida continues to be among the many leaders within the counts of latest COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations spurred by the Delta Variant. The variety of younger individuals changing into significantly sick and requiring hospitalization continues to rise as nicely.
Disney Parks (on each coasts) proceed to comply with the up to date steering from the Centers for Disease Control: everybody ages 2 and up are once more required to put on face coverings in all indoor places, sights, and queues no matter vaccination standing. Outdoors, face coverings stay optionally available in most places for vaccinated visitors; face coverings are required outdoor for non-vaccinated visitors. All visitors proceed to be required to put on face coverings on buses, monorails, and on Disney Skyliner. Walt Disney World Resort encourages get vaccinated, and has mandated vaccination for new hires and present solid members in lots of roles.
Know earlier than you go. Screenshot from My Disney Experience.
I’ve been vaccinated, and, certainly, first mentioned it with my private doctor. If you haven’t been vaccinated and are eligible to be, I advisable you focus on with a licensed doctor the dangers to each your self and people you come into contact with as the worldwide pandemic continues, and the Delta Variant, Delta Plus Variant, and others unfold in your group and people you go to.
No matter your vaccination standing, at all times make sure to examine the “experience updates” page of Walt Disney World for the newest data you’ll want to know earlier than you go to. The insurance policies are in flux, and whereas it stays unlikely the Resort will shutdown once more within the near-term, Disney could very nicely impose visitor restrictions which are stricter than these imposed by the State of Florida. If emergency and hospital companies develop into too scarce, I’d anticipate Disney to curtail some actions, as Safety is its paramount operational Key.
Turning to climate, right here in Central Florida, we’re entering into probably the most lively a part of Tropical Storm Season, and there are three storms being monitored within the Central Florida space: Tropical Storm Fred which is within the Gulf of Mexico heading towards the Florida panhandle; Tropical Depression Grace within the Caribbean bringing rain and flooding to Hispaniola (significantly Haiti), and presently forecast to accentuate again right into a Tropical Storm heading towards the Gulf and towards the Cancun, Mexico on the Yucatan Peninsula; and just lately shaped Tropical Storm Henri within the Atlantic forecast to stay off the U.S. East Coast, probably headed towards Bermuda. If you’re heading this fashion (or dwell within the areas impacted by storms), please hold your self knowledgeable of the newest forecast and get ready.
Disney Very Merriest After Hours Tickets Go On Sale on Friday, August 20
The Christmas Disney After Hours occasions going down on 24 choose nights from November 8 by way of December 21 from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. will look an entire lot extra like Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party of years earlier than the worldwide pandemic, however with a Disney After Hours price ticket. Disney Very Merriest After Hours will embody the nighttime spectacular “Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks” and “Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade,” the primary bona fide parade introduced at Walt Disney World Resort for the reason that parks quickly closed in March 2020. The parade will embody Mickey and Minnie Mouse, characters from Frozen, the Toy Soldiers, and, in fact, Santa Claus amongst others.
Guests that buy tickets to the 4-hour After Hours occasion could enter Magic Kingdom as early as 7 p.m. on occasion night time and don’t must make a separate Disney Park Pass reservation to enter the park. By getting into as early as 7 p.m., ticket holders will have the ability to see the brand new “Disney Enchantment” fireworks and the transformation of Cinderella Castle right into a “Beacon of Magic” earlier than the occasion begins (in fact, climate allowing).
During the limited-capacity occasion, the Jingle Cruise will function and the Monster’s Inc. Laugh Floor can have its vacation overlay with season-appropriate jokes. More than 20 sights might be open with “much less” ready time, together with Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, The Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Peter Pan’s Flight, Space Mountain, and others. Club Tinsel dance occasion will return to Tomorrowland, and characters might be “all through the park” of their “vacation finest” and Main Street, U.S.A. can have Disney’s model of snow from time-to-time.
Like different Disney After Hours occasions, snacks like ice cream novelties and popcorn, in addition to choose bottled drinks are complimentary. There may even be seasonal treats included, whereas specialty vacation meals and drinks might be obtainable for buy.
Event dates are:
November: 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 19, 21, 23, 28, 30
December: 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 14, 16, 17, 19, 21
Tickets go on sale this Friday, August 20 on-line or by calling (407) 939-7947. Guests of choose Disney Resort resorts, Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotels, in addition to Shades of Green at Walt Disney World Resort can guide their tickets as early as in the present day, August 17.
Here is the half that’s fairly totally different than previous vacation events: Tickets vary from $169 to $229 plus tax for choose November-December nights, and $249, plus tax on December 19 & 21.
Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club Members can benefit from a $10 low cost on choose occasion dates in November.
Space 220 Restaurant at EPCOT To Open Mid-September
Space 220 restaurant at EPCOT expects to start service in mid-September. Announced again at D23 Expo 2019 and initially anticipated to open final Spring or Summer earlier than the worldwide pandemic put a damper on that, the brand new desk service restaurant developed by Walt Disney Imagineering and to be operated by Patina Restaurant Group (operators of eating places at Italy pavilion, Disney Springs, Disneyland Resort, and different places), will present an immersive expertise that begins when visitors examine in to the Space 220 Departure Lounge in Future World adjoining to Mission: SPACE.
From the Departure Lounge, visitors will board certainly one of two “Space Elevators” to take them to the Centauri Space Station which seems to be 220 miles above Earth. During the ascent, visitors will have the ability to look down by way of a viewport to see EPCOT “shrink away” and can have the ability to look as much as see the Space Station become visible.
The eating room’s “home windows” will present a panoramic view of Earth and actions in area. Lunch choices might be a two-course prix fixe menu; dinner might be a three-course prix fixe menu. The “upscale, modern fare” created by Executive Chef Marc Kusche might be provided with distinctive drinks as nicely. Reservation reserving and costs haven’t but been introduced.
The World’s Most Magical Celebration Begins in Less Than 50 Days
As Walt Disney World Resort counts down the times to October 1st, its fiftieth anniversary and the beginning of the 18-month-long salute it has named “The World’s Most Magical Celebration,” Disney Parks Blog has revealed that Platinum-selling songwriter/music producer Alana Da Fonseca and Nashville-based songwriter/producer Bobby Studley created “The Magic Is Calling,” an unique anthem for the fiftieth anniversary created in collaboration with award-winning composer Emily Bear and singer Journi. Different preparations of the anthem will accompany the park icon as every transformations into a distinct “Beacon of Magic” on choose nights. The anthem may even be included in dwell leisure, together with throughout Mickey’s Celebration Cavalcade that includes the “EARidescent 8,” at Magic Kingdom, the Main Street Philharmonic, the Dapper Dans, the Discovery Island Drummers, and the Voices of Liberty.
In conjunction with asserting the brand new anthem, Disney launched up to date idea artwork for how the “Beacon of Magic” will take a look at every of the theme parks. Imagineer Zach Riddley revealed on his Instagram page that the lighting modifications created for the EPCOT Beacon will stay a everlasting addition for the park past the celebration.
Cinderella Castle will remodel with “EARidescence” right into a Beacon of Magic at night time in the course of the park’s anniversary celebration.
Spaceship Earth’s EARidescent transformation will stay a everlasting a part of the EPCOT entry plaza past the anniversary celebration in accordance with Imagineer Zach Riddley.
The Tower of Terror will make its EARidescent transformation on choose nights at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in the course of the anniversary celebration.
Some Tree of Life Awakenings at Disney’s Animal Kingdom will embody its EARidescent transformation right into a Beacon of Magic in the course of the anniversary celebration.
Images courtesy Disney Parks.
Stores round Walt Disney World Resort started early gross sales of among the fiftieth anniversary merchandise on Friday, August 13. EARidescence and Cinderella Castle’s darkish blue are slightly distinguished options of the gathering.
The World’s Most Magical Celebration merchandise assortment has begun showing in shops throughout Walt Disney World Resort forward of the October 1 begin of the fiftieth anniversary’s 18-month-long occasion.
The “EARidescent” Cinderella Castle with the fiftieth emblem is distinguished on the anniversary merchandise assortment.
Gold trim can be distinguished within the merchandise assortment.
Of course, Mickey Mouse additionally makes appearances within the merchandise assortment.
Photos by Alan S. Dalinka.
October 1 can be the thirty ninth anniversary of the opening of EPCOT. The subsequent landmark in its ongoing transformation might be that night time’s scheduled debut of the brand new nighttime spectacular “Harmonious.” This previous week, Disney Parks Blog shared particulars concerning the creation of this new present’s soundtrack which might be a “journey by way of new interpretations of acquainted Disney songs, carried out in additional than a dozen languages.” At least partially due to the worldwide pandemic, the soundtrack was produced remotely by greater than 100 separate recording classes with performers in 9 totally different international locations and 5 states. Nearly 240 musicians, artists, composers, arrangers, cultural consultants, and vocalists supplied contributions.
Disney Parks Blog supplied a behind-the-scenes take a look at the creation of the brand new soundtrack.
The new soundtrack additionally contains the melody of composer Pinar Toprak’s new EPCOT anthem that was debuted again at D23 Expo 2019. Arranger Mark Hammond, Walt Disney Imagineering Senior Music Producer and Creative Director Yaron Spiwak are accountable for creating what Disney calls “a powerful cultural symphony not like something heard earlier than.” Imagineer Zach Riddley additionally confirmed on his Instagram page that the torches round World Showcase Lagoon that had been added again in 1999 for the Millennium Celebration will stay within the park and might be a part of the brand new present.
This & That…
…Boma—Flavors of Africa will reopen at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge on Friday, August 20. Reservations reopen tomorrow, Wednesday, August 18.
Just introduced: Boma – Flavors of Africa at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge might be reopening this Friday, Aug. 20! Bookings begin Wednesday, Aug 18. pic.twitter.com/2sEEKxLjev
— Disney Parks (@DisneyParks) August 16, 2021
…The reimagination of the doorway to Disney’s Polynesian Village continues and the monorail station there may be not but reopen.
The porte cochere at Disney’s Polynesian Village seems practically full, as work continues on the monorail station behind it.
Bell and Valet companies can be found on the porte cochere, however the entrance to the foyer remains to be across the sides of Grand Ceremonial Hall.
Inside the higher stage of the foyer, take pleasure in a view throughout Seven Seas Lagoon all the best way to Cinderella Castle.
Photos by Alan S. Dalinka.
…Well, I assumed we had excellent news when Cirque du Soleil revealed on Facebook on Friday that its new collaboration with Disney, “Drawn to Life” would debut in November at Disney Springs and that tickets had been on sale. Unfortunately, over the weekend, the present’s standing modified again to “Coming Soon” and tickets will not be but on sale. As you could recall, I had the chance to preview a number of scenes from this new collaboration in early March 2020 simply earlier than the worldwide pandemic quickly closed down Walt Disney World Resort and Cirque shut down its Central Florida operations. You can regulate the show’s page on Cirque’s website and on the show’s page on the Disney Springs website. While the latter nonetheless exhibits a hyperlink to buy tickets, at our publication time, the hyperlink generates an error message.
…Near the idle Cirque du Soleil theater, Orlando Sentinel studies that the NBA Experience, which has been shuttered for the reason that short-term closure of Disney Springs final March on the onset of the pandemic, is not going to reopen. According to the report, Disney and NBA collectively made the choice to completely shut the interactive attraction that debuted in August 2019 on the previous web site of DisneyQuest on the West Side. The connected NBA Experience retail retailer additionally has not operated since final March. Plans for the area and its retail retailer haven’t been introduced. The City Works Eatery and Pour House, which is a part of the identical constructing, reopened in the course of the phased reopening of Disney Springs and continues to function throughout regular enterprise hours.
…Speaking of Disney Springs, Joffrey’s Coffee has a meals truck serving objects impressed by (Disney-owned) Twentieth Century Studios’ new adventure-comedy Free Guy now taking part in at AMC Theatres at Disney Springs and different theaters. The Joffrey’s Free Guy Coffee Truck is positioned on the West Side and might be open from 4-11 p.m. in the present day and tomorrow, August 18. Joffrey’s location in The Landing (throughout from The BOATHOUSE is also providing a collection of specialty objects.
Joffrey’s “Free Guy” Coffee Truck operates on the West Side of Disney Springs by way of tomorrow, Wednesday, August 18 (4 p.m. till 11 p.m.). Image courtesy Disney Parks.
…A brand new Alice in Wonderland by Mary Blair Collection is now obtainable on shopDisney.com and might be coming quickly to each Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
…With Halloween celebrations underway at Walt Disney World, and coming quickly to Disneyland, resorts on each coasts and shopDisney have a brand new Halloween merchandise assortment.
…REMINDER: The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic returns Friday, October 29 and Saturday, October 30, providing an outside pageant that includes limitless meals tastings from the resorts’ culinary group, and wine, beer and different sips from around the globe. Overnight packages and event-only tickets are actually obtainable at FoodAndWineClassic.com. Overnight packages begin at $580; event-only ticket choices are $165 per individual (together with tax and repair charges). Reservations are additionally obtainable within the resort’s new tower, Walt Disney World Swan Reserve.
…REMINDER: Give Kids The World Village introduced a return of its extremely in style “Night of a Million Lights Holiday Lights Spectacular” for its second annual exhibiting, November 12, 2021 by way of January 2, 2022. Tickets are already obtainable at www.gktw.org/lights for timed entry for the 5:00 to 10:00 p.m. nightly alternative to go to the 89-acre nonprofit resort with a glowing tree path, larger-than-life vacation shows, one-of-a-kind step-in frames and backdrops, in addition to a guided storytelling tour of 100 lit villas from the consolation of a tram. Enhancements this 12 months may even embody a 360-degree dancing lights present encompassing 21 buildings set to music with six three-minute vacation vignettes taking part in every hour, a vacation market with upgraded meals and beverage experiences, vacation merchandise, and a possibility for youngsters to satisfy Santa in an elaborately designed Florida house. VIP packages can be found, as are reductions for teams of 25 or extra. Proceeds help Give Kids the World Village (positioned at 210 South Bass Road in Kissimmee, Florida), which offers critically sick youngsters and their households with weeklong want holidays for gratis.
…FINAL REMINDER: Masquerade Ball returns to The Edison at Disney Springs Friday, August 20, from 7:30 to 11:30 p.m. Live leisure might be accompanied by trays of handed appetizers, meals stations, and a devoted menu of unique masquerade-themed cocktails. Tickets are $150 per individual (plus tax and gratuity) and visitors should be 21 or older to attend. VIP cubicles and couches are additionally obtainable for an a further $250 for assured seating and a devoted server. VIP data is offered by emailing [email protected] or calling (407) 560-8155.
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Note: MousePlanet doesn’t edit previous Updates to mirror value will increase; for up-to-date costs, examine the latest Walt Disney World Resort Update.
Summer Florida Resident ticket choices obtainable by way of September 17 enable Florida residents to go to the parks for $54/day (plus tax) with the $215 (plus tax) 4-day Florida Resident Summer Fun Ticket. The ticket is one park per day and Florida proof of residency is required. Specially priced two and three-day Florida Resident Summer Fun Tickets are additionally obtainable. All tickets can be utilized both on consecutive or non-consecutive days. Add-ons, like Park Hopper are additionally available. Park reservations are additionally required to go to a park along with a legitimate ticket.
Florida Residents resort charges for bookings by way of September 4, 2021, can be found on this page of DisneyWorld.com.
For everybody, Walt Disney World Resort Summer Room Offer for Select Disney Resort hotels offers financial savings as much as 25% on rooms for stays most nights by way of September 29, 2021.
Walt Disney World Resort Vacation Packages can now be booked as much as 500 days prematurely on a rolling calendar, and a bundle might be held for only a $200 downpayment with remaining cost due 30 days previous to journey.
Our journey companion Get Away Today is offered that will help you guide rooms and packages, and embody its complimentary Concierge Services. More particulars are here. With Get Away Today’s complimentary Price Monitoring, any time a particular comes out, it can routinely value examine it for every of its visitors. If the brand new particular is healthier, it can routinely apply the brand new financial savings and let the visitor know. If it is not a greater deal, they’ll go away all the things as is, and hold their eyes peeled for future promotions that would save visitors extra.
You can get a trip quote from Get Away Today here. (Responses supplied in 1 to three enterprise days.) You also can name 855-GET-AWAY throughout common enterprise hours (Monday to Friday 9 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. MT) and inform them MousePlanet despatched you!
Be positive to take a look at Get Away Today’s Universal Orlando Resort ticket offers too.
Only buy Disney theme park tickets instantly from Disney, a licensed vendor, or a journey company like MousePlanet journey companion Get Away Today! As at all times, we remind our readers that Walt Disney World Resort theme park tickets are not often provided at deep reductions until you’re a resident of Florida or eligible for U.S. Military Personnel advantages. Historically, non-Florida residents have a tendency to profit probably the most by buying tickets prematurely (and, in fact, being aware of the foundations related to these tickets). Don’t get scammed! Never purchase tickets from an unofficial or secondary outlet, resembling by way of eBay or Craigslist. Never hire or buy tickets from individuals approaching you exterior Disney property stating they’ve remaining days or leftover tickets. This observe is towards the phrases of use for Walt Disney World Theme Park admissions, and should lead to denial of entry. There isn’t any approach to decide if these tickets are legitimate till you attempt to use them to enter the parks.
 
