food IS a theme park
Animal Kingdom has now officially reopened to guests!
Tree of Life
And we’re here to see what it’s like to spend a day inside the reopened park! Now that we’ve gotten a peek at the crowds in Animal Kingdom, let’s see how the attraction wait times stack up throughout the day!
Today’s the big day — Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom are now officially reopened to guests!
Main Street, U.S.A.
We headed out to see what it’s like to spend a day in the reopened parks! Prior to the reopening, many guests were wondering what wait times to expect for attractions. The parks are operating at a reduced capacity, and guests must have a Disney Park Pass reservation in order to enter. BUT, social distancing measures also mean that attractions aren’t operating at full capacity, and rides must be regularly sanitized.
As of today, Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom are now reopened to guests!
Magic Kingdom
If you’re staying in a Disney World Resort hotel, you will still have access to Disney transportation to take you to the parks. But how early can you rope droppers head out? Here’s what we know!
The Disney World parks have remained closed since initially shutting their gates on March 16th.
Magic Kingdom
But with Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom set to reopen on July 11th, followed by Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios on July 15th, the longest closure in Disney World history will soon be coming to an end.
There will be a number of new health and safety procedures implemented upon reopening, including reduced park capacity with required reservations, limited attractions and entertainment offerings, required face coverings for guests and Cast Members, to name a few.
Select Disney World restaurants have now reopened, and we’re checking them out! So far, we’ve swung by Captain Cook’s to try the gorgeous Welcome Back Cupcake and gotten a quick Dole Whip fix at Pineapple Lanai!
Kona Cafe
Now, we’re headed to Kona Cafe at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort to scope it out — let’s take a look!
As of today, select Disney World Resort hotels have now reopened!
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort
And prior to the reopening, Disney released lots of details regarding changes guests could expect to see — including the suspension of some resort activities, enhanced cleaning protocol, and the requirement that all guests have a hotel (or both hotel and dining) reservations to enter.
While most character dining is suspended in Disney World, Topolino’s Terrace — Flavors of the Rivera is the one location currently offering a modified character dining experience.
Topolino’s Terrace | Photo Courtesy @carlyewisel
And, while we know there will be a number of changes to the dining experience, including a limited menu, we stopped by Topolino’s Terrace to see what it’s actually like on reopening day!
One of the ways Disney World will be encouraging guests to reduce contact upon reopening is by utilizing the Mobile Order service at eligible quick-service restaurants.
Captain Cooks on Mobile Order
But for table service restaurants, Disney World has added a new feature to its My Disney Experience app called Mobile Dine Check-In so that once you arrive for your dining reservation, you can bypass the host stand. Let’s see it in action!
Disney World has released more information about what to expect when the parks reopen!
Be Our Guest Restaurant
Select Disney Resort hotels will begin to reopen starting June 22nd, and Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom will welcome back guests on July 11th, with Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios following on July 11th. In order to ensure the safety of guests, a number of new health measures will be implemented upon reopening, including some NEW info about dining.
Disney theme parks around the world have been closed throughout the current health crisis, and there are a lot of questions about what policies and procedures may be put into place once they reopen.
Magic Kingdom Entrance
One of the biggest concerns Disney has right now is figuring out how to safely get guests and Cast Members back into the parks. We’re certain Disney won’t re-open the parks until they come up with the best possible solution. But in order to keep everyone safe while in their care, there are probably going to have to be some BIG changes. One of those changes might be a mandatory health screening.
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