Right now, there’s a lot we don’t know about the fallout from the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic and its effect on Walt Disney World. And though it looks like Disneyland is hoping to get back to some kind of operations sooner rather than later, things have ground to a halt at Walt Disney World, with Disney Springs shut down (some locations potentially for good) and hotels now closed for the foreseeable future. And though some wondered if construction on several Disney projects could continue during this unprecedented closure could continue, it looks like we now know the answer to this question…
Construction halted on new attractions, Cinderella Castle improvements
Contractors working on the various construction projects in and around Walt Disney World parks have confirmed that due to the CDC’s guidance against large gatherings,they will no longer be able to work at the resort. That means that projects that were originally slated to debut this year are all going to be delayed
Disney has of course not given an official status update on these projects, but it seems very likely that all of the opening dates of all of these projects will see short-term delays of six months or less after the parks reopen. Here are the original opening targets for these construction projects, which were all entering their final phases of work when the resort closed in early March:
- Space 220: April 2020
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure (and France Expansion): Summer 2020
- Cinderella Castle makeover: Summer 2020
- Harmonious: Fall 2020
- Cirque du Soleil: Drawn to Life
Though the vast majority of these projects will probably still debut before the end of the year, the new Cirque du Soleil Show may be an exception as reports point to it being either delayed indefinitely or cancelled, as all performers have been laid off.
But even though the vast majority of these projects we expect to see completed before the end of the year, what about Disney’s longer-term projects?
Projects scheduled for 2021 and beyond will likely see big delays
Right now, there are several high profile projects that could see significant delays as Disney grapples with a constrained budget over the next several years, due to not only the closure of all of its parks, but also lost revenue from films in theaters, as most movie franchises like AMC, Regal, etc. have said that they are going to remain closed for at least the next three months while social distancing is still being recommended.
This could potentially delay rides like Tron Lightcycle Power Run and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, which were both slated to (tentatively) open next year. Though nothing is for sure right now, we wouldn’t be surprised to see these projects pushed at least a year into the future, potentially waiting to debut until 2022 at least. The same could also be true of the Specaship Earth refurbishment, which was supposed to get underway this spring, and now probably won’t start until the end of the year at least, whihc would push a reopening to 2022 at the earliest.
Another project that could see a medium-to-long term delay is the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser. This hotel was meant to start taking reservations this year for stays beginning in 2021, but now we’d guess these windows will likely shift a year or more.
Could we see some project cancellations?
Most of Walt Disney World’s big projects are currently under construction or deep enough in the planning stages that a cancellation would be more of a loss than continuing on with the project (potentially at a slower pace). However, one project that has seen almost no traction yet has been the permanent Festival Center, which is supposed to be built somewhere in Future World, at some point (no date range was ever announced). Another mysterious project that could see the ax is the Mary Poppins attraction in the UK pavilion, which was never detailed or dated.
Right now, we’d guess that a lot of top-level decisions are being made about what the next several years of construction and development will look like at Walt Disney World. Though just a few short months ago it was full steam ahead for over a dozen projects, with the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic in full force, some hard decisions will have to be made very soon to keep the books balanced while the resort is continuing to innovate and draw guests.
As always, while this situation is evolving, all travelers should check out the CDC’s official site here, which has information on the virus and how to prevent its spread.
