The list of things that will be unavailable when Walt Disney World reopens is beginning to really pile up, as Disney has confirmed that there will be no parades, fireworks shows, character meals (save for one) or FastPass+ service at their parks indefinitely while they operate during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Just recently we also learned that hotel or dining reservations will not guarantee entry to theme parks, which could make a visit to the resort even more challenging in the months ahead.
And interestingly now it looks like even more information has been revealed about what we can expect when it comes to purchasing tickets and moving between the theme parks.
It looks like theme park hopping at Walt Disney World will not be available at all in 2020
As was confirmed earlier, in order for a guest to enter a park, they will need both a park reservation time as well as valid admission for the same park on the same date. And now, thanks to some clarification provided to travel agents, we know that guests will only be able to request entrance reservations for one park a day, effectively ending the park hopping service until further notice.
As guests will no longer be able to hop between parks, when ticket sales resume at an unknown date in the future (rumored to be sometime this week though), park hopper tickets will not be available for purchase.
Though there has been no official guidance on how long this policy will be in effect, travel agents have been advised that park hopping will be restricted for all confirmed tickets through 2020, and guests should try and reserve their parks as early as possible to ensure they are able to plan their vacation effectively.
One big question that remains, Disney has not released how this will affect Annual Passholders and their ability to travel between theme parks. However, considering Disney has already said that several Annual Pass “features” will not be available upon park reopening, we’d guess that the one park per day limitation will apply to them as well.
Transportation between parks will likely be unavailable
Image: Disney
Because it is looking like park hopping will be unavailable for the foreseeable future at Disney Parks, we’d guess that park to park transportation will be extremely reduced, if not eliminated altogether. And unfortunately, that means that we probably won’t see the Disney Skyliner or Epcot line Monorail operating much, if at all, when Walt Disney World reopens.
Keep an eye on My Disney Experience for updates
Though Disney has not directly confirmed these developments, we suspect based on guidance that travel agents are recieving today that we are going to be getting an official announcement very soon. And because we’re expecting ticketing and park reservations to come online in the very near future, if you are planning a visit to Walt Disney World in the coming months, you’ll definitely want to make sure you have My Disney Experience downloaded and updated so you can ensure that you are able to purchase tickets and make park reservations as soon as possible so you don’t get left out!
Hopefully we will have more information about how, exactly, this new park reservation system will work in the coming days.
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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