BREAKING NEWS: Disney Announces Massive Changes & Cancellations to FastPass, Extra Magic Hours, Dining, Events & More

Disney World fans have been eagerly awaiting news for weeks on when Disney World would reopen and would the park experience might look like in a post COVID-19 world. This week, Disney finally unveiled their timeline and plans for a phased reopening that would see operations slowly brought back online in mid-July. While we were given a general overview of reopening plans (read everything we know right now by clicking here), there were many details left to be filled in and questions to be answered. Today, Disney revealed more details on what guests can expect when Disney World reopens including huge changes to the way guests experience the park and major cancellations through the end of the year. More details below.

Here are all the details from Disney Cast Member Thomas Smith:

We know many of you are excited to return to the magic and make new memories with your family, friends and loved ones. As we previously shared, as we take these next steps forward, we are introducing enhanced health and safety measures reflecting guidance from health authorities and appropriate government agencies.

When our theme parks reopen, we will manage attendance through a new theme park reservation system on DisneyWorld.com that will require all guests to make a reservation in advance for theme park entry. Over the coming weeks, we will be making some necessary updates to prepare for the launch of this park reservation system. Here’s some important information to help you plan ahead:

• New Ticket Sales and Hotel Reservations: At this time, we are temporarily pausing new ticket sales and Disney Resort hotel reservations so we can focus on guests with existing tickets and reservations. Existing ticket holders and Annual Passholders will be able to make a theme park reservation before new tickets are sold; we will be reaching out to these guests soon to provide additional details. We will resume new sales of tickets and Disney Resort hotel reservations after that period of time. Theme park reservations will be limited due to attendance limitations and will be subject to availability.
• Dining and Experiences: In order to foster physical distancing during this time, upon reopening, our offerings, restaurants and other experiences such as behind-the-scenes tours will be limited in capacity, and other experiences may remain closed. As a result of limited capacity, we have made the difficult decision to cancel all existing dining reservations and experience bookings, including Disney dining plans included in packages, through the end of the year. We will reopen dining and experience bookings with more limited numbers closer to when the parks reopen. We will also shift from a 180-day booking window to a 60-day booking window for dining and experience bookings going forward to allow Guests to make their plans closer to their visits.
• FastPass+ and Extra Magic Hours: As a result of the COVID-19 impact, the FastPass+ service will be suspended for the time being as we plan to use additional queue space to manage capacity at our attractions and maintain physical distancing. We will automatically cancel existing FastPass+ selections and share any future updates on the service at a later date. Also, please note that upon reopening, Extra Magic Hours will be temporarily suspended.

We are reaching out to guests affected by these updates with additional information and details on options, including refunds. We understand how much excitement, thought and time goes into planning a Disney vacation and realize some of these changes may be disappointing. Please know we will be here to help you, as we remain focused on delivering a wonderful experience for everyone who visits.

We appreciate your ongoing patience and understanding as we continue to keep the well-being of guests and cast members in mind. Stay tuned for more information over the next few weeks on how to use the theme park reservation system and other tips to be aware of prior to your visit.