With the current closure of Walt Disney World and the furlough of all non-essential Disney park employees, you might be wondering what IS going on in Disney World right now?

It might seem like the whole world is on pause, but some things ARE still happening on Disney property. There are definitely a few Cast Members and services that are business as usual in Disney World, and we’re taking a look at those today! You might be surprised…

Animals are Still Receiving Care

Have no fear, folks! The nearly 2,000 animals in Animal Kingdom and Animal Kingdom Lodge, as well as the over 4,000 sea creatures in Epcot’s Seas Pavilion, are still getting all of the care that they need!  Disney’s Animal Care Team is still tending to the animals every day and making sure they receive all the observation, feeding, and cleaning that they do when the parks are fully operational.

In fact, Disney even recognized our concern for our furry, four-legged, and fishy friends and has been releasing updates on the Disney Parks Blog!

The Animal Care Team has also recently welcomed a new baby porcupine and a new baby Hartman Zebra. AWW! We bet they’re loving life in Animal Kingdom under the care of the dedicated Cast Members — even while the parks are closed!

Click here to see how the animals are being cared for during the closure

The Horticulture Team is Still Beautifying

Much like the animals, our favorite flora is still being cared for as well. Disney’s dedicated Horticulture Team is still taking care of ALL of the plants and flowers around Disney World. This is especially important right now since the 2020 Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival kicked off a few weeks before the closures, bringing with it over 70,000 blooms to Future World and 23 topiaries to Epcot.

Not to mention, the Disney World Resorts all feature well-manicured grass and lush gardens that require constant upkeep as well.

Keeping the greenery of Disney World in tip-top shape takes a large team of dedicated Cast Members that are still working each day to keep the parks looking their best!

Want to know more about the blooms at the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival? Click here!

Security is Still Patrolling

Some other Cast Members who are still making their commute to Disney World every day are the Security Team. Yes, security is definitely deemed essential so Disney is still making sure that the whole property is getting monitored, patrolled, and surveilled.

Safety is a major priority for Disney so security is there to make sure that no one sneaks in to do damage to themselves or to the parks during the closure. Plus, they’ve continued to raise the flag on Main Street U.S.A. each day as a symbol of hope!

To learn more about the flag-raising ceremony, click here!

The Golf Courses are Still Open

Surprisingly, Disney golf courses and footgolf courses are also still open on their regular schedules. So yes, you can still grab your bag and head to one of Disney’s four golf courses — Palm Golf Course, Magnolia Golf Course, Lake Buena Vista Golf Course, and Oak Trail Golf Course — or to their Footgolf Course!

Disney Golf is keeping an eye on all of the health mandates and recommendations to make golfing a safe experience and they’re encouraging that you keep your personal space in tact while on the courses. If you think you might want to hit the green, make sure you check the Disney Golf website, as hours are subject to change at short notice.

We went footgolfing during the closure! Click here to see how it was!

Imagineers are Still Filing Permits

You’ve probably heard that there is a construction halt going on at Disney World, but that doesn’t mean that Walt Disney Imagineering has stopped filing permits. We’ve spotted quite a few and some of them have been VERY interesting.

For instance, we spotted two permits for interior demolition at the building that houses Stitch’s Great Escape! Does that mean the attraction is gone for good? Not necessarily. The demo could be for something else in the building — but our hope is that this long-closed attraction will finally be making way for something new and exciting once construction resumes!

Current in-progress projects have also had some building permits filed by the Imagineers! We noticed that they’re prepping for some theming work on Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind and some major construction on Reflections — A Disney Lakeside Lodge. Imagineers are still working their magic so they’ll be ready when the construction halt lifts!

Click here to see MORE building permits we’ve spotted!

Guest Relations is Still Hard at Work

You’re probably aware of this next one, but the Disney World Guest Relations team is still HARD at work. After all, a LOT of people had their vacations affected by the closure of the parks, so many of them need to work on cancellations or rescheduling. That’s where Guest Relations comes in!

If you need to cancel or change a resort hotel reservation, you can call Guest Relations at 407-934-7639. For dining reservations, everything will automatically cancel if the parks are closed on the date of the reservation. However, if you have any questions or concerns you can call 407-824-1391 and Guest Relations will be happy to assist you. Remember, there are some things even the Cast Members won’t know (like park reopening dates!) and they might be experiencing heavy call volume, so be patient!

Emergency Services are Still Available

And last but certainly not least, Emergency Services are still available in Disney World. This one might be a no brainer, but yes, the Reedy Creek Fire Department is definitely considered essential!

Any calls made for fire or medical assistance in the Reedy Creek Improvement District (Disney World’s own little town) will be handled by the RD Fire Department! Did you know Reedy Creek is a special taxing district that was developed in the 1960s just for Disney World?

That means that Disney and the other land-owners of Reedy Creek have to pay for municipal services like power, water, roads, and emergency services. So, the Reedy Creek Fire Department is still going strong taking care of things such as fire protection, sprinkler mitigation, and hazardous waste removal!

Click here to learn MORE about Reedy Creek in our video!

So even though the parks are closed, there’s still a lot of folks whistling while they work at Disney World! 🙂 If you’re in the area and up for a game of golf, swing by and check out the other dedicated employees on property still working their hardest during this time to keep the magic alive.

Did any of these essential services surprise you? Let us know in the comments!