Though Walt Disney World won’t reopen until next month, the resort has made some interesting announcements about what guests can expect when the theme parks reopen in mid-July. From two cancelled seasonal events to the re-imagining of an Epcot mainstay, here are the latest changes coming to Walt Disney World you need to know about!
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party cancelled for 2020
Though it may come as little surprise considering the moratorium on parades, fireworks shows, and character meet and greets, Disney has gone ahead and officially cancelled Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party since most of this event’s headlining activities can’t happen with current health and safety measures in place. In addition, the Disney H2O Glow Nights summertime event at Typhoon Lagoon has also been canceled for the rest of 2020.
And while no decisions have been made regarding Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays, unless the situation with the COVID-19 Pandemic changes drastically, we’d imagine that these events will either be reworked or cancelled as well later this year.
Epcot International Food and Wine Festival gets reworked
And speaking of reworked special events, Disney has announced that a “modified” version of the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival at Epcot will debut on the park’s opening day on July 15 and continue until the fall, making it the longest festival yet, Disney said. This event will not only include over 20 signature global marketplaces but also merchandise and topiaries left over from the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival, which was cut short when the parks closed back in March.
Unfortunately the Eat to the Beat concert series has been cancelled, and there may be some other changes to this festival that we’ll hear about in the near future, but it looks like, the main star of this particular festival will be the food and Disney will be providing plenty of opportunities for guests to bite and sip their way around Epcot this summer and fall.
Where does this leave Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando Resort?
With Mickeys Not-So-Scary Halloween Party officially cancelled many are looking towards the other big Halloween event in central Florida, Universal Studios Florida’s Halloween Horror Nights. And while its true that this event doesn’t hinge on fireworks shows, parades or trick-or-treating, it may be hard to have guests packed in enclosed haunted houses with scareactors covered in masks while maintaining social distancing.
No official word about this event has been released by Universal Orlando Resort, and tickets are still on sale, but with Walt Disney World cancelling Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, many are wondering if this cancellation is a canary in the coalmine, and could prompt Universal to consider cancelling their event as well. And though Universal’s event doesn’t start until September (Disney’s event was set to kick off in August), we’d expect to learn more in the next week or two as final decisions are being made about the future of this annual event.
Image: Universal
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.
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