ORLANDO, Fla. - Walt Disney World resorts are now taking reservations for July.
The Walt Disney World website will now allow you to make reservations for July. In fact, reservations are already coming in. As of 10:40 a.m. on Monday, the website listed that 158 people have booked a room at Disney's Pop Century in the last 24 hours. Another 127 had booked a room at Disney's All-Star Movie Resort.
When attempting to book a room in June, the website states that the resorts are "unavailable for the dates."
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In addition, in an update from Walt Disney World, they said that those with existing travel dates can modify their reservation because of the closures. They can adjust their reservation or make a new one for dates starting on July 1st or later. If Walt Disney World opens before or after that time, they said that you can modify the booking again.
The entire Walt Disney World resort is currently closed until further notice because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. However, Disney Springs will reopen in phases starting May 20th.
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Disney Springs to reopen May 20
Disney Springs announced they will begin a phased reopening on May 20.
Meanwhile, Shanghai Disneyland has officially reopened, becoming the first major theme park to reopen following the global coronavirus pandemic.
After announcing its reopening on May 11, tickets for Shanghai Disneyland’s first available dates were reportedly snatched up within minutes of going on sale Friday. The Chinese theme park has been closed since January 25.
- With the park's reopening, several new safety protocols have gone into place.
- These protocols include but are not limited to:
- Crowds limited at 30 percent capacity.
- Tickets are only available by advance reservation on a specific date.
- People have to have apps on their mobile device with a QR code that shows that they are not currently sick and you have to be able to show that in order to get in.
- Social distancing will be promoted as well, as posters on the ground guide guests to keep six-feet of distance between each other.
- No close-up photos or interactions with characters will be permitted and parades have been suspended.
MORE NEWS: When will Florida enter phase 2 of reopening and what will it include?
Robert Niles, an editor at ThemeParkInsider.com, told FOX 35 Orlando that if something goes wrong with the park's reopening, it will set back the reopening of parks in America. But if successful, Walt Disney World’s reopening may look very similar.
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All eyes on Shanghai Disneyland
All eyes are on Shanghai Disneyland as it i the first major theme park to reopen following the global coronavirus pandemic.
Another expert, Bernie McTernan with Rosenblatt Securities, said that we could see a July reopening of Walt Disney World, citing that "If the timeline for reopening Downtown Disney in Shanghai and the Shanghai Disneyland is similar for Disney Springs and Disney World it suggests Disney World would reopen July 22nd, 41 days ahead of our current forecast."
Sean Snaith, a University of Central Florida economist, added that “I’d be shocked if they remained shut through the summer, to me that would be devastating both to the region’s economy and for the company."
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Economist says Walt Disney World will reopen within months
Disney reported a lost of $1.4 billion dollars due to the coronavirus pandemic. Many wonder when Walt Disney World will reopen and what will it look like once it does.
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