When Walt Disney World reopens its Florida theme parks next month after shutting down during the coronavirus pandemic, they’ll be introducing a new reservation system.
The company announced Friday that the new Disney Park Pass System will operate through disneyworld.com on either a desktop or mobile device, and registration through a My Disney Experience account will be required. Visitors must have a valid park ticket or an annual pass to get reservations.
The system is not yet available, but will be rolled out before the parks reopen starting July 11. Disney, and Orlando’s other theme parks, closed in mid-March to help curb the spread the coronavirus. Universal Orlando and SeaWorld reopened earlier this month.
At first, guests won’t be able to “park hop” among Disney’s four theme parks.
The Disney Park Pass System, which is not yet available, will operate through disneyworld.com (desktop or mobile), and registration via a My Disney Experience account will be required. Visitors must have a valid park ticket or an annual pass to secure reservations.
“Guests will be able to select one park per day; visiting more than one park per day will be temporarily unavailable upon the reopening of the theme parks due to attendance limitations,” according to an official Disney Parks Blog post.
Anyone who holds a multi-day ticket must make reservations. Eventually, everything will be linked in the system, with a calendar of available dates for each Disney World park.
Officials said tickets between family members and friends will be able to be linked.
“We hope to bring back the ability to visit more than one park per day soon,” the post said
Visitors to the park will be able to view their reservations on the My Disney Experience app.
Anyone who has paid for park-hopping ability will receive reimbursement and cancellation options, Disney officials said.
Officials said sales of 2020 tickets will resume later this year, the post said.
Disney also announced it will be offering new technological offerings, which include tweaks to the MagicBands.
“In 2021, we plan to unveil an innovative new offering as part of the My Disney Experience app that will bring features of a MagicBand to your smart devices, building on the app’s existing digital key feature,” the blog post said.
On Thursday night, Disney announced that the 2020 Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party has been canceled and that the popular food and wine festival will begin when Epcot reopens on July 15.
The parks are preparing to reopen by mid-July, with Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom opening on July 11. That will be followed by Epcot and Hollywood Studios on July 15.
The blog post said Disney will contact annual passholders and other ticket holders about making reservations on the new system.
The latest message comes from Disney Parks Chief Medical Officer Dr. Pam Hymel, who has shared updates regarding how Disney is handling health and safety since the parks initially announced their temporary closure. Her most recent statement on Disney Parks Blog comes on the same day that Disney announced a new marketing campaign encouraging park Guests to abide by health and safety measures.
Today, Dr. Hymel shared more information about what Guests can expect when Disney World and Disneyland reopen. It has been announced that Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort both plan to reopen their theme parks in mid-July: Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Animal Kingdom plan to reopen on July 11, EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios plan to reopen on July 15, and Disneyland and Disney California Adventure plan to reopen on July 17.
Credit: Disney
The Chief Medical Officer’s update states that at the Disney Parks on both coasts, Disney’s enhanced health and safety measures include “reducing capacity; temperature checks for guests prior to entering our theme parks; increasing cleaning and disinfecting, especially in high-traffic areas; adjusting experiences to accommodate physical distancing; requiring face coverings for guests 2 and older; and empowering our guests with options like contactless payments and easy access to handwashing and hand sanitizer locations.”close
Dr. Hymel also stressed the importance of wearing face coverings at the theme parks.
“I wear a face covering in public spaces because it may help protect you, and in turn, you wear a face covering because it may help protect me,” she said. “When you wear a face covering during your visit, wash your hands frequently with soap and water, or even make the important decision to reschedule to another day if you’re not feeling well, you help make the experience safer for everyone.”
Read Dr. Hymel’s full update on health and safety at the Disney Parks below, courtesy of Disney Parks Blog:
Credit: Disney
An Update on Disney Parks from Chief Medical Officer Dr. Pamela Hymel
Dear Guests,
As we continue with the phased reopening of Disney locations around the world, I wanted to update you on our plans and the principles that guide us as we welcome guests back to the magic.
Josh D’Amaro, our Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, said it best when he spoke about the trust you have in the Disney brand. As we prepare for the reopening of our destinations, this is a responsibility we take very seriously. We know what a privilege it is to continue to earn your trust every day.
Our domestic theme parks were among the first to close earlier this year and they will be among the last to reopen when guests return in July in California, pending state and local government approvals, and in Florida. Disney parks have always been places for families to gather, to celebrate important moments in their lives, and to make memories that will last a lifetime. This legacy of integrity, care, and community is what guides us as we prepare for the return of our cast members and guests.
What to Expect at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort
We’re taking a multi-pronged approach to our reopening, after considering the guidance of various governmental authorities and health agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and recommendations from our team of health and safety experts. We’re also actively working with industry groups and research universities to discuss best practices.
At both parks, this includes reducingcapacity; temperature checks for guests prior to entering our theme parks; increasing cleaning and disinfecting, especially in high-traffic areas; adjusting experiences to accommodate physical distancing; requiring face coverings for guests 2 and older; and empowering our guests with options like contactless payments and easy access to handwashing and hand sanitizer locations.
Our deliberate and phased approach at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort emphasizes multiple layers of health and safety measures. And as always, our cast members are at the center of our approach. We’ve already adopted a number of important guidelines for cast members at work at the Walt Disney World Resort, such as increasing the frequency of cleaning in work areas, adjusting our work practices to promote physical distancing, requiring temperature checks and wearing face coverings. We are also working with our unions to responsibly and thoughtfully implement these health and safety guidelines at the Disneyland Resort. As reopening approaches, we’re providing our cast with additional training on both new measures and the continued importance of personal health best practices, such as handwashing, covering coughs and of course, staying home when ill.
Promote Safety Together Many of the actions we all take in our daily lives to help reduce the risk of spread of COVID-19 are designed to help protect not only ourselves, but others as well. For example, I wear a face covering in public spaces because it may help protect you, and in turn, you wear a face covering because it may help protect me.
When you wear a face covering during your visit, wash your hands frequently with soap and water, or even make the important decision to reschedule to another day if you’re not feeling well, you help make the experience safer for everyone.
This shared responsibility is an important strategy to help reduce the risk of infection. And so, when you join us for the first time after reopening, you will find not only enhanced health and safety measures, but also a special group of cast members that are trained to share information about our new policies. They will be available to explain our new procedures, answer questions guests may have, and encourage everyone to follow these measures so we can all have a safer visit to the parks.
We hope you’ll also be interested in our new Incredibles-themed health and safety campaign . This campaign spotlights healthy behaviors that can help everyone have a magical experience, featuring beloved characters from the Incredibles animated movies.
The Magic Returns We are looking forward to celebrating the return of Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort with our cast members, our guests and our communities next month.
As exciting as this moment is for all of us, we are still in the early days of our phased approach. We will continue to monitor the situation and make adjustments based on the guidance of local government and health authorities. And in the coming weeks, we will share additional details about the policies and procedures that our guests can expect when we reopen our domestic theme parks.
We will do some things differently when we return, but what has not changed is the special Disney magic that awaits you at each of our destinations around the world.
On behalf of the entire Disney family, be well and take care. We can’t wait to welcome you back very soon!
Dr. Pamela Hymel Chief Medical Officer Disney Parks, Experiences and Products
This year’s Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom has been canceled, Walt Disney World Parks announced Thursday evening.
In addition, the parks have announced a modified Food & Wine Festival, which includes extending it until the fall.
“While assessing … Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, we determined that many of its hallmarks – stage shows, parades and fireworks – are unable to take place in this new, unprecedented environment,” Disney annonced in its blog. “With that in mind, we have made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.”
Disney H2O Glow Nights at Typhoon Lagoon have also been canceled for the rest of 2020, the parks said.
Guests who have already bought tickets to the events will receive information about refunds over the few weeks.
We’re pleased to share that we’ve cooked up a modified experience for a fall favorite. “A Taste of EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival” will be our longest festival yet, debuting July 15 and continuing through the fall. Read more on the blog: https://t.co/sAax6Y9dTPpic.twitter.com/cc1TZatcgj— Disney Parks (@DisneyParks) June 19, 2020
A “modified” version of the International Food & Wine Festival at EPCOT will begin July 15 and continue until the fall, making it the longest festival yet, Disney said. It will include over 20 signature global marketplaces.
The Eat to the Beat Concert Series will also not take place this year, Disney said.
No decisions have been made regarding Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays.
When baby Grace turned one on May 1, she celebrated with a princess-themed birthday party, complete with a special three-layer cake: blocks of ice with berries and currants tucked inside.
Grace, a western lowland gorilla, lives with her mom, Kashata, at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom. All four of Disney’s Orlando theme parks shut down in mid-March due to the pandemic and will begin to reopen on July 11. But throughout the closure, employees have continued their work caring for the resident animals like Grace and Kashata—including regularly planned activities, like celebrating birthdays.
Though thousands of Disney employees have been furloughed, Animal Kingdom has mostly kept its animal care team of over 1,000 zookeepers, vets, scientists, and more intact. This diverse team cares for roughly 10,000 animals, says Mark Penning, who oversees animals and environmental issues at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.
Only 2,000 of these Disney animals—representing 300 species including lions, zebra, and giraffes—call the Animal Kingdom park home. The bulk of the animals actually live throughout Disney World, including the Living Seas at Epcot, Fort Wilderness, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.
“The well-being of our animals is absolutely our top priority,” says Penning, noting how Disney created habitats so animals could carry out as many of their natural behaviors as possible. For the most part, the animals’ behavior during the park closure hasn’t changed. Take gorillas, for instance. They still sleep all night. When they wake up in the morning, they have access to their habitat and their food—some of which is hidden in their enclosure so they can forage for it. In the middle of the day, the animals often move inside for a health check, with the animal care team making sure everything is well. Then the gorillas spend the rest of the afternoon out in their habitat before going to bed.
Disney’s director of animal and science operations, Scott Terrell, says his team made a conscious choice prior to closing to keep life as normal and positive as possible for the animals. “That’s been our guiding principle, so the animals can continue to thrive through this very difficult, challenging time,” says Terrell, a doctor of veterinary medicine.
To keep up with their usual routines, the animal care team provides regular health checks and medical care. Part of the Animal Kingdom training includes working with the animals to get them to respond to cues to participate in their own care, such as receiving food or getting medical attention. Cues might be noises (like banging a stick on a bucket) mixed with positive reinforcement (something the animal really enjoys, like a snack or special “toy”). And, depending on the animal, it could take weeks for this process to take hold.
FOR THE MOST PART, THE ANIMALS’ BEHAVIOR DURING THE PARK CLOSURE HASN’T CHANGED.
While the animals enjoy their routines, they’re also sometimes treated to surprises, says Penning. For example, to provide a surprise snack to the Animal Kingdom’s hungry hippos, an employee will stand up on a small cliff, bang a bucket to signal a special treat, and the hippos wade over to feast on heads of lettuce tossed into the water.
“That’s not a performance,” explains Terrell. “That’s a ‘come here, open your mouth so that we can either feed you, or we can get a look at those beautiful teeth, or we can deliver medications or vitamins if needed.’ The fact that we can do that and typically share that incredible moment with guests? That’s a win-win.”
As for Grace’s unusual birthday cake surprise, its presentation in an ice block does more than just stave off Florida’s summer heat. The frozen treats serve a dual purpose, explains Penning. Gorillas enjoy picking the treats out of the ice as it melts, making the cake part of regular enrichment for the animals to keep them both mentally and physically stimulated.
And what about the lack of guests at the park these last few months? Have the animals even noticed?
“Generally, they’re nonplussed with the guests and don’t pay much attention,” Penning says. But a few seem to notice fewer people are strolling by.
For example, some of the young gorillas, known for their mischievous antics, like to play, wrap banana leaves around their heads and roll down the hill, right at the viewing spot frequented by guests, who’d react with laughter and pointing. “The youngsters are now sitting at the window, almost like a person whose TV has been turned off,” says Penning, noting that his team finds creative ways to keep them busy. Similarly, the otters, who see guests through an underwater viewing area, are having fun with the staff, who have placed alien-shaped cutouts on the window glass. “The otters and the keepers found this amusing, and that’s something we wouldn’t do when our guests are around,” Penning says.
“Animal Kingdom is the park that celebrates the magic of nature,” says Terrell. “Our animals continue to show us every day that life does indeed go on.”
Disneyland unveiled Sleeping Beauty Castle before the animated movie was even released.
Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland in California.
Sleeping Beauty Castle has been Disneyland’s most iconic feature since the park opened in 1955.
However, Disney’s version of “Sleeping Beauty” was still in early production when Disneyland opened, so even though the castle is named after the princess, the movie wasn’t released until January 1959.
Inside Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World, there are detailed mosaics that tell Disney’s version of “Cinderella.”
In one of the murals, pay special attention to Cinderella’s stepsisters as they watch Cinderella try on the glass slipper. One has a red facial tint to convey that she is “red with rage,” and the other has a green facial tint to show she is “green with envy.”
All of the Disney castles face north-to-south, so there’s always good lighting for photos.
The sun doesn’t rise or set behind a Disney castle.
This helps to prevent potentially tricky-to-work-with backlighting for visitors who want to photograph the park icon from Main Street USA.
No wonder every photo of the Disney castles looks so good.
Hong Kong Disneyland’s castle is set in front of a natural mountain landscape.
Hong Kong Disneyland was built next to a mountain.
The mountain is part of a nature reserve, and it makes for a beautiful background for photos of the castle.
There is a secret suite inside Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World.
You can stay inside Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World.
The Cinderella Castle Suite was intended to be an apartment for Walt Disney and his family when they visited the Orlando theme park. However, he died before the park was completed, so the space remained mostly unused for almost 40 years.
You cannot purchase a night in the luxurious suite. The only way to stay there is to win a contest or be gifted the opportunity by the Walt Disney Company.
Tokyo Disneyland’s Cinderella Castle is almost identical to the one at Walt Disney World in Florida.
The castle at Tokyo Disney Resort is modeled after the one at Walt Disney World.
There are minor differences between the castles, but one big thing is that Tokyo’s castle has a more detailed walk-through attraction that tells the story of “Cinderella,” and Walt Disney World’s only has the mosaics.
At Disneyland Paris, there’s a dragon lurking underneath the castle walls.
The castle doesn’t just honor one princess, it has different features that celebrate all of them. Plus the castle has multiple levels for guests to explore.
Thousands of glass crystals and twinkle lights were placed on Sleeping Beauty Castle during Disneyland’s 60th anniversary.
The Disney castles get decorated for special anniversaries.
The year-long event was called Disneyland’s Diamond Celebration, and the decorations made the castle shimmer and shine all day and night.
Each Disney castle is lovingly referred to as the park’s “weenie.”
The castles are the “weenies” in many Disney parks.
Each castle draws people into the park’s central hub so they can decide what to explore from there.
It took almost 18 months to build and complete Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World.
Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World has a stage for shows.
Interestingly, there were no actual bricks used in the long building process. Instead, the castle is completely made up of fiberglass and other industrial materials.
Sleeping Beauty Castle features a walk-through attraction that tells the story of the princess it’s named after.
Guests can walk through Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland.
The attraction debuted in 1957, two years after Disneyland opened, and it was codesigned by Eyvind Earle who was the animation art director for “Sleeping Beauty.”
The stained glass windows inside Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Paris were made by a master craftsman.
According to Radio Times, Peter Chapman worked on the windows, and he also helped restore the windows in famous landmarks like Notre Dame and Westminster Abbey.
According to “The Imagineering Story,” these windows are part of the walk-through attraction that tells the story of “Sleeping Beauty.”
So far, Hong Kong Disneyland is the only park that’s completely rebuilt its castle.
Hong Kong Disneyland’s castle looks completely different now.
Originally, Hong Kong Disneyland’s castle was a replica of Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle.
It features a few iconic events, too, including adornments of Snow White’s apple, Cinderella’s coach, and Belle’s rose.
There are over 40 coats of arms in Cinderella’s Royal Table, the restaurant inside Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World.
You can dine inside Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World.
Each coat of arms represents people who have had significant roles in the Walt Disney Company, including Walt’s brother Roy Disney Sr.
Enchanted Storybook Castle at Shanghai Disneyland has an attraction underneath it.
Voyage to the Crystal Grotto is underneath the castle.
The grand finale of Voyage to the Crystal Grotto passes right underneath Enchanted Storybook Castle. The ride features fan-favorite characters like Aladdin, Mulan, and Belle.
Tokyo Disneyland actually has two full-sized castles that guests can walk through.
Cinderella Castle was built first followed by the Beast’s castle.
The first is the park’s icon, Cinderella Castle, and the other is the Beast’s Castle from “Beauty and the Beast.”
When Walt Disney World celebrated its 25th anniversary, Cinderella Castle was turned into a giant, pink birthday cake.
The whole castle was transformed for the birthday celebration.
According to the Chicago Tribune, the royal birthday makeover took 430 gallons of pink paint and 1,110 feet of heavy-duty inflatable icing to make the iconic castle look like a big birthday cake.
Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle has a functioning drawbridge.
The drawbridge on Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland actually works.
The paint on Disneyland’s castle makes it look taller than it actually is.
The castle is actually pretty short.
Kim Irvine, art director at Walt Disney Imagineering explained on the Disney Parks Blog that her team used a technique called atmospheric perspective to make the castle appear taller than it actually is.
“We warmed the pink hues on the lower towers and gradually added blue to lighten the colors toward the top,” she said.
Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World isn’t dismantled during hurricanes, though it’s designed to withstand many of them.
The castle in Florida was built to withstand a few types of hurricanes.
Despite popular rumors and theories, Cinderella Castle is not dismantled during a hurricane.
Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Paris incorporated designs from storybook castles as well as real ones.
Imagineers made the castle look like something out of a storybook.
The Imagineers thought that it would be redundant to just model the castle after real ones the guests could go see around Europe.
Instead, Disneyland Paris’s castle took extra inspiration from storybook castle drawings and the animated film “Sleeping Beauty.”
That’s also why the landscaping around the castle grounds in Paris features square trees.
Shanghai Disneyland’s Enchanted Storybook Castle was built into an amphitheater.
The castle stage is surrounded by an amphitheater.
Imagineers did this so more guests can view shows on the castle stage without being cramped together in a small space.
The theater is also a prime viewing spot for the nightly firework shows.
Each Disney castle features a special nod to Walt Disney.
Walt Disney liked the bright-blue turrets.
According to the Walt Disney Family Museum, when Walt Disney saw the original model for Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle he liked the bright-blue color of the turrets because it would blend with the sky and make the castle appear taller.
Varying shades of that same bright blue have been used on every Disney castle since as a nod to the founder.
There’s a full-service restaurant inside the castle at Shanghai Disneyland.
Shanghai Disneyland’s castle is home to a fancy eatery.
The Royal Banquet Hall is on the upper floors of the castle. As you make your way to the fine-dining restaurant, you’ll pass by stained glass windows and mosaic art.
Some Disney fans have felt inspired by recent events and calls for racial sensitivity to ask The Walt Disney Company to re-theme the popular Splash Mountain rides in Disneyland, Magic Kingdom and Tokyo Disneyland after the 2009 animated film “The Princess and the Frog.”
The log flume attraction that is more than 30 years old is currently themed after Disney’s 1946 movie “Song of the South,” which has been criticized for decades over its antebellum setting and perpetuating racial stereotypes of African Americans. However, Disney fans believe re-theming the ride after Disney’s first and only African American princess – Tiana – would be a step in the right direction for the company.
Twitter user Tia went as far as to kick off a re-theming Splash Mountain challenge on Monday evening, and some creative social users have answered the call with their own ideas and designs.
“I truly don’t understand why Splash Mountain is still modeled after this movie,” Hsoka wrote to FOX Business. “Disney is always willing to re-theme original attractions in order to include more of their intellectual property in the parks (such as Pixar Pier, Mission Breakout) but are less proactive about removing theming that is rooted in racism. I really just feel that the change is long overdue and hopefully with everything going on Disney can see that as well!”
The tweet motivated Tia’s colleague Fredrick Chambers – a Disneyland employee whose views are solely his own – to reimagine Splash Mountain as “The Princess and the Frog.” He tweeted his eight-part plan, which includes a redesigned waiting room, animatronics and other entertainment elements based on the New Orleans bayou setting of the film of the same name.
Princess and the Frog Splash Mountain retheme for Disneyland thread. Just put on the soundtrack and a splash ridethrough while reading this.
“I had the basics for the attraction laid out in my head for years. I had always kept the idea in my back pocket for when my friends and I would pitch our changes for the parks,” Chambers told FOX Business. “I went online and found location-based art from ‘Princess and the Frog’ and simply went through, with the attractions ride path in mind, imaging how each scene would play out.”
While Splash Mountain has been a hit despite occasional criticism from Disney attendees and has even been modified to remove hints of the ride’s connection to the racially insensitive past, Chambers said he was able to find out that “many people see the same issues with the attraction” as he does after he shared his twitter thread.
“This re-theme is very plausible,” Chambers said. “Disney already has experiences in changing attractions to better please audiences and create better experiences for its guests. Just look at Tower of Terror in DCA and how it became Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout. The bones of the attraction are good but I think it is time for us to take a serious look at where our stories come from and how people of color are represented.”
FOX Business reached out to The Walt Disney Company for comment but did not immediately hear back at the time of publication. Disney executives Bob Iger, Bob Chapek and Latondra Newton denounced racism and the death of George Floyd in late May in a message sent out to employees.
Chambers affirmed that Disney “works hard to promote equal opportunity and prevent racism in the workplace” and went on to say that it is a safe space for people of all colors, genders, orientations, religions and creeds.
“That doesn’t make Disney perfect, but it does mean it is doing more to help those who are hurting, giving people the reassurance that things are going to be alright,” he shared. “Disney can always do more, but they are actively trying to live up to the ideals set forth at the parks’ founding.”
Other fans have shared their desire to see Splash Mountain re-themed into a “Princess and the Frog” attraction. A current Change.org petition has asked as much along while other online communities, such as the Disney Parks Fanon Wiki and Defunctland, have had members share re-theming ideas as well.
“The Princess and the Frog” has been represented with costumed characters and merchandise in Disney parks and properties, including Disney’s Port Orleans Resort and Tiana’s Place on the Disney Wonder cruise ship.
A new themed restaurant featuring these characters is reportedly being set up in the Reflections — A Lakeside Disney Lodge resort, according to theme park blog Inside The Magic. The resort is scheduled to open in 2022.
Chances are that Disney theme parks look a lot different today than they did the year you were born.
Not only are the parks constantly refurbished so that they look new, but new rides and attractions are installed almost every year. And while you can’t go back in time to experience what the locations were once like, you can look at photos from those times.
Here’s what Disney theme parks around the world have looked like over the years.
1955: During its opening year, Disneyland was filled with knights on horses and classic characters.
A view of Disneyland’s opening day on July 17, 1955.
Characters at the theme park in Anaheim, California, looked a lot different in 1955 than they do today. Employees dressed as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, for example, simply wore giant masks and form-fitting clothes rather than head-to-toe oversized costumes.
1956 – 1959: Walt Disney was a fixture of the theme park.
Children from around the world crowd Walt Disney for autographs on November 15, 1956.
In the photo above, for example, international students from the Burbank school system gathered around the theme-park founder to get his autograph.
1960 – 1966: It was common to see Disneyland employees, or cast members, scaling the Matterhorn Bobsleds.
Two employees scale the Matterhorn Bobsleds ride at Disneyland in 1960.
Thankfully for fans of the climbers, employees still occasionally scale the iconic ride. For example, they did so for a limited time in 2012, according to the Disney Parks Blog.
1967 – 1969: For the first time, parkgoers were able to ride Pirates of the Caribbean.
The ride looks almost exactly the same today.
According to the official Disneyland website, Walt Disney created Pirates of the Caribbean in the ’50s as a walk-through wax museum. Years later, however, he redesigned it as an animatronic-filled ride, and opened the attraction in Anaheim on March 18, 1967.
1970: At the start of the decade, Disneyland visitors could purchase fruit and flowers within the park.
A view of the Main Street Flower Mart in June 1970.
According to Yesterland, a blog about retired Disney attractions, all plants sold at the Main Street Flower Mart were made of plastic. At the time, it was located in-between an ice-cream shop and a pharmacy.
1971: Julie Andrews helped open Disney World in Orlando, Florida, during a grand-opening celebration.
Julie Andrews performs at Magic Kingdom in October 1971.
On October 1, 1971, Disney World opened with fanfare — there were musical performances, ride previews, giant marching bands, and a balloon release. Today, the ceremony is free to watch on YouTube.
1972 – 1979: It’s a Small World was extremely popular.
1980 – 1984: Posing with balloons in front of Cinderella Castle was becoming a common practice.
Austrian singer Hannelore Auer poses with Mickey-shaped balloons on March 4, 1980.
At the time, many of the colorful balloons were shaped like Mickey Mouse. Similar designs are still seen in the parks today, though they’re often sold inside clear round balloons.
1985 – 1988: A Disneyland park opened in Tokyo, Japan, by the mid ’80s.
Children eat popcorn at Tokyo Disneyland in January 1985.
1989 – 1990: Famous Disney characters were helping to construct Disneyland Paris.
Chip, Dale, and Donald Duck help build Disneyland Paris on September 13, 1989.
Characters like Chip, Dale, and Donald Duck were photographed riding in a construction vehicle on the site of Disneyland Paris in the late ’80s.
1991: By the early ’90s, the theme park had started to take form.
The construction site of Disneyland Paris on March 1, 1991.
For example, buildings had been constructed, a Mickey-shaped hot-air balloon graced the sky, and the opening year 1992 was written in giant numbers across the ground.
1992 – 1995: Disneyland Paris was the place to be in the early ’90s.
Parkgoers watch a parade at Disneyland Paris on April 12, 1992.
After the park opened for business on April 12, 1992, parkgoers filled Main Street U.S.A. for a confetti-filled parade.
1996 – 1998: Cinderella Castle was covered in pink paint, giant candles, and fake candy.
A view of Cinderella Castle in 1996.
The birthday-cake overlay was placed over the Disney landmark in celebration of Magic Kingdom’s 25th anniversary. Though it was only meant to last one year, the decorations remained in place until January 31, 1998.
While some people loved the transformation, others weren’t as impressed. After all, people travel from across the world to have their photo taken in front of Cinderella’s home — not a larger-than-life cake.
1999 – 2000: Parkgoers celebrated the final year of the 20th century at Tokyo Disneyland.
A new-year celebration is held at Tokyo Disneyland on September 23, 1999.
In September 1999, Disney employees and characters celebrated with bold costumes and dance numbers in front of a special countdown clock.
2001 – 2004: You could visit Disneyland’s California Adventure for the first time in 2001.
The Ferris wheel now features an image of Mickey Mouse’s face rather than a sun.
The theme park opened for business on February 8, 2001, and was home to rides including California Screamin’ and the Sun Wheel. Today, however, the land looks a bit different with the addition of Pixar Pier.
2005 – 2007: Hong Kong opened the gates to its first Disney theme park.
“Toy Story” characters march through Hong Kong Disneyland in September 2005.
Whereas most Disney theme parks are comprised of multiple smaller parks, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort stands alone. At the time, the location was home to a replica of Sleeping Beauty’s castle, which looked similar to the one found in California’s Disneyland Park.
2008 – 2009: Disneyland Paris visitors were celebrating the park’s 15th anniversary.
People walk through Disneyland Paris on April 4, 2008.
Celebrations lasted throughout all of 2008 and into 2009. Not only was Main Street U.S.A. decorated in blue banners, but the castle was also covered in special plaques and decorations.
2010 – 2011: Hong Kong Disneyland took parades to a new level around this time.
People gather to watch the Flights of Fantasy Parade on January 21, 2011.
From the Disney On Parade spectacle that ended around 2010, to the Flights of Fantasy Parade that replaced it in 2011, there was always something exciting happening at the Hong Kong theme park.
2012 – 2013: Toy Story Land became one of the most popular areas of Hong Kong Disneyland.
People walk through Toy Story Land at Hong Kong Disneyland on November 17, 2011.
2014 – 2015: The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train became one of the most popular rides at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom.
“Snow White” characters celebrate the new ride at Disney World in May 2014.
The attraction first opened on May 28, 2014,with the help of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Crowds still gather years later for a chance to ride, with wait times sometimes exceeding two hours.
2016 – 2018: You could add Shanghai Disneyland to your bucket list for the first time.
Shanghai Disneyland visitors on June 11, 2016, five days before opening to the public.
Though the Chinese theme park opened for the first time on June 16, 2016, some people — like those seen in the photo above — were lucky enough to get early access to the park a few days before.
2019: Galaxy’s Edge changed the game at Disney World and Disneyland.
“Star Wars” fans visit the Galaxy’s Edge land in Orlando, Florida.
2020: Disney theme parks temporarily closed for months as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
People stand outside the closed Disneyland gates on March 14.
The company first shuttered Shanghai Disney Resort on January 25, and Hong Kong Disneyland followed suit the next day. Tokyo Disney Resort was next to close its doors, on February 29, with Disneyland Paris and Disneyland in California doing the same on March 14. Most recently, Disney World shut down on March 16.
Even while theme parks are closed, the pandemic has affected each Disney location dramatically, from newly-installed sanitizer stations to temperature checks at entrances. Now, Disney’s theme parks are slowly beginning to reopen with these measures still in place.
Disney Resort hotels will reopen June 22, a few weeks before the reopening of Walt Disney World on July 11. The hotels will have new guest requirements and cleaning protocols as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
It’s tied to last month’s reopening of the Disney Springs retail and dining complex. A shuttle bus with reduced capacity will be available from Disney Resort hotels to Disney Springs.
A few basics for those considering a Disney Resort hotel stay:
Masks are required – and there’s still a quarantine for some visitors
Disney Resort hotels require a confirmed reservation for overnight stays and a confirmed dining reservation for day guests.
Face coverings must be worn by all guests ages 2 and up, except while swimming or dining.
Cashless or contactless forms of payment are recommended.
Online check-in is recommended. Guests will be automatically checked out of their rooms to eliminate the need for a front-desk interaction.
People who experience symptoms of COVID-19, have been in contact with someone with a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19 within the past 14 days or are under quarantine orders will not be allowed to enter a Disney Resort hotel.
Additional cleaning of elevators, door handles and restrooms
Disney Resort hotels increased cleaning in public and high-traffic areas such as elevators and escalators, handrails, benches, tables, door handles and restrooms.
Guests will find individually wrapped glassware and double-cased pillows in their rooms. Every-other-day light cleaning service will include removal of trash and replacement of towels, replenishment of room and bathroom amenities and wiping of vanity and other counter surfaces.
Be prepared to wait for your bus, thanks to social distancing
Bus service will be available between Disney Resort hotels and the Disney Springs retail and dining complex, and the theme park when it reopens. Social distancing will be required on buses, leading to reduced capacity and longer waits for guests.Get the Travel newsletter in your inbox.
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Valet parking will not be available, except for guests with disabilities.
Complimentary airport transportation will be available to Disney Resort hotel guests arriving and departing from Orlando International Airport.
Pools are open, but there’s no in-room child care
Bell service will bring guest luggage to rooms but not escort guests.
Dry-cleaning and valet laundry service will not be available, but self-service laundry will be available.
Pools will operate with social distancing.
Fitness centers may have reduced hours and capacity. Instructor-led fitness classes will not be available.
Arcades, dog parks, playgrounds, salons and spas will remain closed.
In-room child care services and special classes and programs will not be available.
Wireless technology casts a powerful spell at Walt Disney World (Mark Ashman/Disney Parks via Getty … [+] GETTY IMAGES
Disney’s theme parks are famous for being magical places and when its colossal complex in Florida swings open its ornate iron gates again next month it will only take a few minutes for guests to feel like sorcerers.
Just days before Walt Disney World Resort unexpectedly closed due to the coronavirus there seemed to be magic in the air.
In the fairytale-themed Magic Kingdom park one guest near the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction waved his hand over a rusty-looking cannon. As if by magic, smoke billowed out of it as it appeared to fire at a bell across the path which rang loudly causing bystanders to look around in bewilderment.
Over on the park’s turn-of-the-century themed Main Street, a girl walked up to a shop window filled with ornaments, clothes and an oval-shaped dress mirror. After touching an oversized keyhole below the window, hand-drawn Disney villains appeared in the mirror and started casting spells in her direction. She wasn’t fazed and calmly raised a game card which mysteriously caused the baddies to beat a hasty retreat
A smartphone user at Disney’s Hollywood Studios park even managed to take control of a full-size version of the Millennium Falcon. The Star Wars ship’s engines started to whir and steam poured out of its under carriage as it appeared to prepare for take-off. Although it may seem like the park-goer used the force it was actually far more down to earth than that.
The magic wand which pulls off many of these tricks is actually discreetly wrapped around the guests’ wrists. Known as MagicBands, the rubber bracelets come in all sorts of colors and designs with the rarest ones being highly collectible. Their innovative design ensures that they fit wrists of every size as they have a short strap bordered by a longer one. That outer edge can be peeled off so that the band snugly fits children whilst adults wear it as it is. The real wizardry is found inside.
The iconic outline of Mickey Mouse’s ears is etched into the oval-shaped face of each MagicBand which, according to Disney, contains a small antenna and a high frequency radio device. The former enables the MagicBands to be detected at short-range touch points whilst the latter is used to communicate over longer distances. Since the bands were introduced in 2013 they have opened up a whole new world for Disney.
Gone are the days of needing key cards to get into hotel rooms and the parks. Although old-fashioned entry cards are still available, most Disney World guests now simply touch in at the gates with their MagicBands which can be bought online or in the stores at the 25,000 acre resort. They are also given to anyone staying at the 18 on-site resorts because they open room doors too.
This contactless capability will come into its own when the parks reopen as it will avoid the need for guests to handle cash.
After choosing a PIN, guests can link their credit cards to their MagicBands so that they can be used to pay in Disney World’s shops and restaurants. All guests need to do is type in their PIN and touch the band to a reader which also bears the outline of Mickey’s ears. Not needing to use cash or credit cards adds to the escapist atmosphere in the parks and even manages to make paying seem like an enchanting experience.
“The MagicBand is an example of how we use technology to create great memories through these really frictionless moments, whether it’s going to your hotel or getting on a ride,” says Kelly White, Disney World’s vice president of digital strategy. Before the parks closed, White talked us through Disney’s plans to introduce even more wireless interactivity and explained how it will have a magic touch. It is no exaggeration.
“The plan is to roll out the Play Disney Parks app globally…be it within existing sites, with new attractions and looking globally.”
Kelly White, vice president of digital strategy at Walt Disney World Resort
Disney uses every trick in its spell book to make the bands seem genuinely magical. The long-range device inside them sends out signals to beacons all over the parks so that guests can have their experience personalized.
Guests’ names flash up on screens at the end of It’s a Small World and are even more subtly integrated into Expedition Everest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom park. The roller coaster climbs up a scale model of Everest itself and the hiking theme begins in the queue which looks like a Himalayan base camp.
Maps and compasses sit on the shelves, tents are arranged on platforms and hiking gear hangs from the wooden rafters. The attention to detail even extends to the signs which appear to be backlit posters advertising local products like tea and tour guides. They are actually pin-sharp screens and as guests walk by their names flash up in testimonials on the adverts thanks to their MagicBands.
Like many of the other attractions at Disney World, Expedition Everest is home to PhotoPass on-ride cameras which capture guests as they experience the attraction. The cameras are cunningly placed so riders tend to look blissfully unaware or scared stiff in the snaps and video.
Cameras inside Expedition Everest take photos of guests as they hurtle through the attraction … [+] GETTY IMAGES
They are automatically uploaded to the app that the MagicBands are linked to so guests can giggle over the images moments after stepping off the attractions. They don’t have to pay a cell phone operator to download them as free wi-fi is available across Disney World. It spans the four theme parks, 18 resorts, a shopping and dining district as well as two water parks. Thanks to the MagicBand’s rubber coating it can even be worn on the water slides and used in the shops and restaurants around them.
It comes into its own in the theme parks though as Disney has developed two games which couldn’t be played without it. One is themed to the Pirates of the Caribbean movies and sees guests interacting with the scenery by touching the MagicBand on artefacts scattered around the landscape.
There’s the cannon that billows smoke, a treasure chest that swings open, a giant hourglass that turns and two ships in bottles that start swaying and shooting at each other when the MagicBand touches a panel below them. Eventually one of them sinks and a symbol is illuminated on the shelf below to tell the player where to go next. It makes guests feel like they are on a mystical scavenger hunt following in the footsteps of pirates.
Touching the MagicBand on oversized keyholes in the other game starts the battle with Disney villains. This is played out on screens which are seamlessly integrated into shop windows. It combines the MagicBand with collectible spell cards that can be picked up for free at the park entrance and show different Disney characters. Holding them in front of the windows triggers the characters’ powers and the object of the game is to pick ones which are best-suited to the villains on screen. Once they have been seen off, the screen tells players which window to visit next and their MagicBands keep track of their progress.
The bracelets are far from child’s play for Disney as the sensors all over the parks stream real-time data about what the guests are doing and when they are doing it. Sensors are found in the most unexpected of places at Disney World, even underneath the paper drinks cups to control the number of times they can be refilled. The MagicBands and the sensors turn each park into a giant data processor or, as it is known in the industry, an Internet of Things (IoT).
“Wearables are definitely something we are looking very closely at to make sure that we are continuing to raise that bar of what that experience can be.”
Kelly White, vice president of digital strategy at Walt Disney World Resort
Put simply, an Internet of Things is a network of interconnected devices which are embedded with sensors, software, network connectivity and electronics to enable them to collect and exchange data. Disney takes it very seriously.
“We have teams focused specifically on connectivity within our parks across all the sites at Walt Disney World and they are looking at everything from connectivity via wireless, wi-fi, bluetooth, all of it,” says White.
“There is a holistic strategy as to how we think about the connectivity, not only from digital experiences but also even some of those moments like getting a food delivery or accessing an attraction. That continues to be a huge focus for us and, again, it is partially about making it a fantastic experience for our guests but also about how we can use technology in service of the story. How we can extend these stories to create magical moments for our guests.”
The latest developments make the interaction even more natural as they don’t even require a MagicBand. Instead they cast a powerful spell using something that almost every guest carries with them already – a smartphone.
DIsney’s futuristic Epcot park is home to high-tech wireless games (Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images) GETTY IMAGES
Disney’s futuristic Epcot park will soon be home to a game which uses smartphones to trigger effects based on its classic cartoon Duck Tales. The previous version of the game launched in 2012 and was themed to Phineas and Ferb, another Disney animated series. It played like an interactive cartoon.
After logging onto a special website, animated scenes appeared on the phone screen instructing players to head to one of the park’s 11 pavilions which are themed to different countries. The buildings are based on local architectural styles, the restaurants serve traditional dishes and the shops sell imported gifts.
Guests played a detective game set in each country and had to answer questions about what they could see there. Adding to the sense of immersion, some of the answers to the questions had to be obtained inside the shops which also featured in the game. At certain points, players were even instructed to get the answers from the staff who are aptly known as Cast Members due to the role they play in a themed environment.
Answering correctly triggered elaborate effects such as sending a model speedboat into a moat, making a monkey statue rise from a lake and making models move in the shop windows.
The next logical step was to incorporate these games into the queues of rides to keep guests busy whilst they wait in line. Disney began rolling this out in 2018 with the launch of its free Play Disney Parks app.
The app initially used smartphones to play music and games which could only be accessed in the queues. Since then it has transformed into a system which can turn an average guest into a Jedi.
“When it started at launch it was really about entertaining you in a queue,” says White. “Now it is a little bit about the queue but it is actually much more about the rest of the land, the rest of the parks and giving you an immersive experience in the land that you may not have been able to access before.” This force has awakened in Disney’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge lands which are designed to look like the alien planet Batuu.
There are shady market stalls, signs written in the Star Wars language of Aurebesh, full-size spaceships in corners with dusty droids standing next to them and rocky spires soaring up to 130-feet in height. The rock-work isn’t just weathered and cracked, it is covered in artificial moss and dried plants. Rubble even appears to have rolled down to the base of it over time.
The attractions don’t have signs hanging above the doors because they are meant to be actual experiences that take place in this hyper-real land. Guests take the controls of the Millennium Falcon to smuggle cargo in one of the attractions. In Rise of the Resistance they head into the heroes’ hidden encampment before being captured by the evil First Order. A humble smartphone makes the guests a force to be reckoned with.
On walking around Batuu it is common to see guests standing in front of antennae tapping away at their smartphones or waving them in front of crates of otherworldly objects. There is good reason for this. In Batuu the Play Disney Parks app becomes the Star Wars: Datapad which allows guests to interact with the environment using bluetooth radio communication and location via GPS.
Completing on-screen puzzles allows guests to make the engines of the ships whirr and the droids bleep. It also puts them in the thick of the action as they can use the app to tap into Star Wars text conversations, translate Aurebesh and hack into artificial door locks to help the First Order or the heroic Resistance. Virtual Star Wars characters even send players invitations via the app to take jobs like scanning barcodes on the boxes scattered around the land.
The queue for Rise of the Resistance is home to in-game jobs centered on this. In one of them, players take the role of a First Order spy and scan crates which sit next to the line. Once they find what the First Order is looking for, they have to hack into devices to download Resistance data or plant tracker beacons so that the bad guys can monitor the heroes. The prizes for completing these kind of missions include maps and blueprints whilst the interactive effects elsewhere in the landscape offer instant rewards.
Wireless technology is embedded into Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge (Amy Sussman/Getty Images) GETTY IMAGES
“My favorite is hacking the droids,” says White. “Star Wars: Datapad is about leveraging the device to unlock these special surprise and delight moments within the physical space around you and giving you a role in this land. That would be very challenging to do without some screen to help guide you.” The world’s leading theme park experts concur.
Writing for TravelAge West, Samantha Davis-Friedman described the system as a “unique interactive storytelling component…to immerse clients further into the attraction’s storyline.” Another west coast writer Brady Macdonald added that the “games transform Galaxy’s Edge into an immersive real-world role-playing universe.”
Orlando-based Susan and Simon Veness went even further and said that it “transforms a theme park experience into a fully-fledged movie adventure and that, ultimately, is the great triumph of Galaxy’s Edge. You arrive as a visitor, but you leave as a player in the Star Wars story.” There could be more to come.
“Affecting things in the land only applies in Galaxy’s Edge but potentially this is going to be rolled out to other lands,” says White. “Going forward, the role of Play will be unlocking digital immersive experiences for our guests across all of our attractions. I am looking at it in terms of integration within the actual land. The end to end experience of how you get into Play, what Play is going to be delivering to you and how you get involved with these experiences.”
This even extends to the type of interface used by guests which White says may not stop with smartphones and MagicBands.
“It is really rapidly changing so we need to stay ahead of that and continue to leverage the devices but then also continue to extend that to the devices that the guests are now bringing with them.” Even some clothing can now be connected to electronic devices and White says that Disney is looking at this wearable technology.
“Wearables are definitely something we are looking at very closely to make sure that we are continuing to raise that bar of what that experience can be.” Indeed, just three weeks ago Disney filed a patent for a camera system which can identify markers on the clothing of guests who have opted-in. The Play Disney Parks app is also not standing still.
Although MagicBands can only be used at Disney World, White points out that “Star Wars: Datapad actually extends to Disneyland as well so it is a bi-coastal experience. It remembers what you did. If you have experiences on both coasts it isn’t a restart fresh experience. The plan is to roll out Play globally. I think you are going to see much more of these digital experiences, especially with the physical interactions becoming a critical component of how we think about our attractions going forward, be it within existing sites, with new attractions and looking globally.”
The experience is even set to continue beyond the park gates as White says “what I am really excited about is in the future thinking about what it means when you are at home. So after you have had your great vacation and you have this great product that you have invested your time in, how do you continue that story when you are at home and how do we continue that engagement?”
White explains that “part of it will be about playing games and continuing the stories so if you think about the world of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, we have stories that are related to jobs. Your interactions will determine your allegiance, and whether you are a member of the First Order, Resistance or a smuggler. How we unlock specific content may extend that story when you go home as well.”
Inventive guests have already made use of the Datapad at home by translating Aurebesh in the Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order video game which was released in November. “We are working closely with our games business to make sure that we have those opportunities to create that connectivity,” says White.
It doesn’t stop with games as she adds that “we think about our guests as Disney Parks guests and Disney Parks fans but they are also Disney fans so we continue to think about giving them connectivity across all of these touch points.”
The next step in this journey came to light recently with the announcement of a new feature for the Play Disney Parks app which offers guests an augmented reality greeting from Mickey Mouse following a stay of three nights or more at a Disney World resort. After their vacation, guests receive a letter containing a QR code which unlocks the message from Mickey on a hidden screen in the Play Disney Parks app. Now that really is a happy ending.
ESPN Wide World of Sports, a sprawling 220-acre complex at the mega-resort in Florida, is poised to become the center of the basketball universe.
Singing pirates and spinning teacups. Mickey Mouse-shaped waffles. Impossibly chipper employees chirping, “Have a magical day.” Stroller gridlock.
Pre-eminent sports venue?
Walt Disney World is known for many things, but few people would immediately associate it with athletics, unless you count endurance walking or Super Bowl winners gleefully exclaiming their intention to visit, a marketing gimmick that started in 1987. Tucked behind oak trees and sabal palms on the southern edge of the Florida mega-resort, however, is ESPN Wide World of Sports, a 220-acre basketball, soccer, volleyball, lacrosse, baseball and competitive cheer complex that serves as an overlooked Disney World engine — and is expected to soon become the capital of the basketball universe.
The N.B.A. has been in negotiations with Disney to restart its season by holding games and practices at the complex. Players, coaches and staff would also stay at Disney World, where Disney owns 18 hotels, ostensibly providing a protective bubble from the coronavirus. The yellow-walled sports complex, which has twice hosted the Jr. N.B.A. Global Championship, has been vacant since March 15, when Disney World closed because of the pandemic, causing Disney to furlough more than 43,000 Florida workers.
“We obviously have the capacity,” Bob Chapek, Disney’s chief executive, said by phone last week, adding that he was “very optimistic” about making a deal with the league. Chapek noted that the ESPN complex has “turnkey” broadcasting capabilities, including an ultrahigh-speed fiber-optic connection to ESPN’s headquarters in Connecticut. Disney-owned ESPN is a top broadcast partner for the N.B.A., which suspended its season on March 11.
The talks with Disney involve a late-July restart to the season. “We hope to finalize those plans soon,” Mike Bass, an N.B.A. spokesman, said in an email on Monday.
Here are some things to consider as Disney and the league complete an agreement:
What is the Wide World of Sports Complex?
Everything about Disney World is colossal — at 25,000 acres, it is nearly twice the size of Manhattan — and the sports facility is no exception. Three arenas can be configured into 20 basketball courts, according to Faron Kelley, vice president for ESPN Wide World of Sports, Water Parks and runDisney. That would allow the N.B.A. to play two games at once (no fans in the stands) and still have a practice space. The compound also offers restaurants, a nine-lane track and field complex, 17 grass playing fields and a 9,500-seat baseball stadium, which the Atlanta Braves used for spring training for more than two decades. (They decamped last year for a new park near Sarasota, Fla. Disney has not secured a new tenant.)
“Disney-style customer care, of course, has been drilled into everyone who works there,” Richard Lapchick, director of the DeVos Sport Business Management program at the University of Central Florida, said by phone on Saturday.
Just how Disney-fied is it?
Relax. There are no referees wearing Mickey Mouse ears.
“You will only see a nod and a wink to Disney characters,” Kelley said. Outside the baseball stadium, for instance, there is a statue of Mickey winding up to pitch. His feline nemesis, Peg-Leg Pete, wields a bat nearby.
The facility, which features Spanish architecture (stucco exteriors, arcades, tile roofs), is draped in ESPN red. ESPN uses the facility’s 2,500-square-foot production center, which has eight edit bays, for annual events like the Orlando Invitational, an early-season college basketball tournament.
Adam Silver, the N.B.A. commissioner, and Robert A. Iger, Disney’s executive chairman, at Disney World in August 2019.Credit…Disney
How did the N.B.A. zero in on Disney World?
The league considered a number of locations, including IMG Academy, the Endeavor-owned sports complex in Bradenton, Fla., but two spots stood out on the list: Disney World and Las Vegas. In addition to safety — creating that bubble — costs came into account. It was certainly not lost on Adam Silver, the N.B.A. commissioner, that Disney is the league’s biggest customer, paying an analyst-estimated $1.4 billion a year to broadcast games on ESPN and ABC. Disney World also has fewer opportunities for players to get into off-court trouble.
Silver and Robert A. Iger, Disney’s executive chairman, who has been leading the talks from the Disney side, have what you might call a bromance. Last summer, they posed for photos together — along with Mickey and Minnie — at the opening of the NBA Experience, a two-story interactive attraction at Disney Springs, an outdoor Disney World shopping mall. “Disney creates memorable experiences better than anyone,” Silver said at the time.
What is the benefit for Disney?
Disney World’s four major theme parks will reopen in mid-July, but attendance will be severely restricted, at least at first. A deal with the N.B.A. would give the resort a much-needed shot in the arm. It would put employees back to work, offer the invaluable marketing message that the property is safe to visit and generate facility fees and hotel spending. At a minimum, analysts said, the N.B.A. will spend tens of millions of dollars.
But the real value for Disney would come from ESPN, which has been starving for live sports to broadcast. Michael Nathanson, a media analyst, recently estimated that ESPN would lose $481 million in ad revenue if the N.B.A. did not complete its season and playoffs.
Lapchick called the pending deal “a huge win-win” for the league and Disney.
The Seven Seas Lagoon outside Disney’s Grand Floridian in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.Credit…Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press
Where will players stay at the resort?
Fans have been having fun imagining how Disney World lodging might be doled out. Should the highest-ranked players get the most luxurious digs, like $1,150-a-night lake-view villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian? One blog suggested that the Knicks pitch tents at Fort Wilderness, the resort’s $102-a-night campground. Ouch.
Disney and the N.B.A. have not commented, but there is no chance that players will be sprinkled across a dozen hotels. The league will use one or two. The 443-room Four Seasons is high on the draft board; it sits inside a gated, ultraexclusive area near the center of Disney World called Golden Oak.
What about Major League Soccer?
M.L.S. has also been talking to Disney about return-to-play scenarios, but haggling within the league over timing and pay has created speed bumps.
An initial proposal had teams sequestering at Disney World starting early this month. They would practice for a few weeks before resuming play into August. Now the league — after pushback from the M.L.S. Players Association — may have some teams regroup in their home markets before holing up at Disney World in early July for a tournament lasting several weeks. A league spokesman had no comment.
M.L.S. would bring at least 1,200 people to the resort. One possible living quarters: Coronado Springs, a 2,345-room Disney hotel that typically hosts conventions. It underwent a megawatt renovation and expansion last year. Coronado is also well contained; there are no adjoining hotels, as is the case elsewhere at Disney World.
ESPN, Fox Sports and Univision hold soccer broadcast rights. M.L.S. has been shut down since March 12.
What is the history of sports at Disney World?
Disney World, about 20 miles southwest of Orlando, opened in 1971 with one park (the Magic Kingdom) and added two more parks, Epcot and Hollywood Studios, in the 1980s. Most of the ’90s were about attracting people to fill them — especially nontraditional visitors. Disney Vacation Club, time-share condos aimed in part at empty nesters, opened in 1991. A weddings and honeymoons division opened at the resort in 1992.
And the first Disney World marathon took place in 1994, sparking a year-round runDisney business. The Wide World of Sports Complex opened in 1997 to tap into the youth sports industry, which was evolving far beyond Little League. Disney saw an opportunity to collect fees by hosting tournaments, fill hotel rooms, sell theme park tickets and merchandise and deepen teenagers’ affinity for its brand.
“You have the young man or young lady who is the athlete, and then you have the trailing siblings, and then you have mom and dad, sometimes grandparents who come,” Kelley said.
How much money does the facility generate?
Kelley wouldn’t provide any financial information or assess the pre-pandemic health of the sports tourism market. But he estimated that the complex attracted about two million people last year, up from 1.2 million in 2007. To compare, the Magic Kingdom, Disney World’s most popular theme park, attracts about 21 million visitors annually.
