By Vickie Black
MIC-KEY M-O-U-S-E! Hey there, hi there, ho there, we’re as happy as can be! Are you singing yet? Well, there is a lot to be singing about as Disney moves closer and closer to the normal that we all know and love. Here are just some of the changes that have happened at Disney World and Disneyland.
First up, last week, Disney World announced that they would no longer be conducting temperature checks at the parks, Disney Springs, restaurants, or at any of the resorts. On Saturday, May 15th, Disney World guests were allowed to stop wearing masks in open outdoor areas in the parks. Disney did let guests know that queues, indoor events like dining & shows would still require masks. The downside was the Cast members found out simultaneously as the public, so Saturday was a bit of a challenge for them.
In addition to the excitement of the masks, social distancing is being reduced to 3 feet or not at all in some cases. Restaurants and relaxation stations will remain 6 feet apart for the time being. Even the parking lots have stopped socially distancing. Until Saturday, cars were being parked every other slot to allow guests plenty of room apart.
Ordinarily, The Magic Kingdom in Orlando hosts Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween from early August through October 31st. This year, they will host a condensed version of this event called the “Boo Bash” Disney will have a new celebration this fall, and it will take place on select nights, Aug. 10 – Oct. 31, from 9 p.m. to midnight. The spooky festivities will include Halloween-themed cavalcades, character sightings throughout the park, special performances by the Cadaver Dans, décor, lighting, music, treat stops with plenty of candy, and so much more! Disney After Hours BOO BASH'' tickets grant admission to Magic Kingdom Park as early as 7 p.m. without the need for a day park ticket or Disney Park Pass theme park reservation, giving you time to enjoy even more of your favorites. Everyone from birth and beyond is allowed to dress up for this event; however, we want to share an important reminder that costume masks are not permitted for adults; children 14 and younger are only allowed to wear masks for the event. In addition, all guests are required to wear approved face coverings during the event.
We have all been feeling like the capacity levels at Walt Disney World have been rising without announcements from Disney. The last we all knew, the parks were at 35% capacity; however, according to Chapek, this changed at some point to an undisclosed higher percentage.
Over on the west coast, Disneyland finally reopened on April 30th after 412 days of closure due to Covid. We were so excited to hear that Disney was calling back Cast members. In April, Cast Members could invite 3 guests to venture into the parks as a trial run. The smiles enveloped their faces as they waited to get into the parks. We don’t know who was more excited, the Cast Members, the guests, or all of us watching on YouTube to the joy on their faces.
We feel like our beloved Disney World and Disneyland are slowly returning to us with every new announcement. We have longed for all of these positive changes since the pandemic started last year. We hope that this article has brought a little bit of Disney magic your way.
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