We knew it was coming, right? I mean if you didn’t then it’s because you have not seen how empty the parks are.
I have found, on my social media pages, that there are two camps people fit neatly into. You are either a die-hard Disney fan and were at Disney as close to opening day as you could be, or you are fearful of comingling with people that are not in your bubble and you would not touch Disney, or any other tourist destination, with a 10-foot (make that a 1000 foot pole).
People are commenting all over my social media pages about how they are either afraid to come or that they are loving the low crowds and having an amazing time.
Make no mistake, if you have never been to Disney World, I HIGHLY recommend you do not come until everything is back in place and character meet and greets are back, etc..
However, if you have been to the magic before, and crowds were your nemesis, then let me tell you, NOW IS THE TIME TO COME! Disney has done such a great job with ‘re-creating’ the magic as best they can. From cavalcade and character interactions to innovative ways to handle ‘crowding’, Disney has thought of most things and if they hadn’t already thought it, they are constantly modifying and tweaking. Case in point, the resort modifications.
Back to the intention of this post….
We just came back from a stay at POP Century and while I LOVE POP, I can’t afford to stay there every time we go to Disney. This last time we stayed, I did do my best to leave extra tips for Moueskeeping, Wait-staff and we ate more Table Service meals than normal so we could show our support. All this meant more $$ than I usually spend, but, we did this because we are all hurting financially lately and I wanted the Cast Members to feel the love and respect we have for them.
Now, my next statement is coming from me, a life-long Disney fan, so I have no scientific or economic data to prove my next statement, so, no bashing if you disagree with me… it’s just my opinion.
I am pretty sure that most of the deluxe/moderate resorts are probably usually occupied by tourists from all over the world on the once in a lifetime (or decade) vacation. Since those guests are not coming to DW because they can’t (travel bans), or they are afraid to, there just isn’t enough incentive for Disney to open those resorts.
Of course, I am sure not everyone fits in this category, but, probably quite a good bit of the Deluxe resort accommodations are filled by non-local tourists and DVC resorts (attached to the Deluxe hotels). This may be why you have some of the DVC attached Deluxe resorts open.
What I do not get is why more of the Value resort complexes are not opening, nor do I see a date for their opening at all. The only value resort currently open is POP Century. It is probably open because it is attached to the Disney Skyliner and offers $ savings in transporting guests to and from EPCOT and Hollywood Studios.
Art of Animation was slated to open August 12, but, that has now been delayed to NOVEMBER 1st!!
That would have opened up another value resort with the Little Mermaid wing and then the family suites found in Cars, Nemo and Lion King! This is an interesting twist in Disney NOT opening this hotel until November 1.
Caribbean Beach remains consistent with opening July 29, which will add another moderate resort to the resort openings, as well as a Disney Skyliner hotel offering transport between EPCOT and Hollywood Studios.
The rest of the resorts? Well… as Disney says, it’s a fluid situation and subject to change. The following is taken from a release on the Disney Travel Agent site:
DISNEY WORLD RESORT UPDATES: We are committed to reopening Disney Resort hotels, though at this time we have decided to adjust the reopening dates for Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and Disney’s Art of Animation Resort due to the current environment. With this in mind, the planned reopening dates for additional Disney Resort hotels will be as follows.
- July 29: Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
- Aug. 24: Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
- Sept. 21: Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- Oct. 4: Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
- Oct. 14: Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort
- Nov. 1: Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
While we had previously shared reopening dates for Disney’s Beach Club Resort and Disney’s BoardWalk Inn, these Disney Resort hotels will remain closed until further notice while we continue to reevaluate their reopening timeline. Due to the fluidity of the current environment, we will continue to evaluate adjustments to Disney Resort hotel opening dates as needed and when the timing is right to do so. These dates are still subject to change, and reservations for stays at Disney Resort hotels not yet open could still be impacted.
Did you note the bolded statement above? Everything is a moving target and could still be subject to change.
So…. what to do? What to do?
If you want to come to the parks, I recommend still making your reservations and just making sure you are flexible and remain flexible. If your resort is not open when you are due to arrive, Disney will work with your travel advisor, or you, to place you in an equal or better accommodation, depending on what is available. This is another reason to work with a travel advisor during this time, as it is their job to stay current on what’s happening with your reservation and help you navigate all the changes.
Got comments? Questions? Let me know! In the meantime, stay healthy and safe!
