food IS a theme park
While previously Orlando residents were told a curfew was being instated, now a stay at home order has just been issued.
Magic Kingdom Today Photo c/o News 6 WKMG
The Orlando Sentinel has just confirmed a stay at home order will go into effect starting at 11 PM on Thursday, March 26th and will tentatively last for two weeks.
Oh Mickey, how we miss you! We’re now in our second week of Disney World and Disneyland being closed, and we’re having some serious Disney withdrawals.
Mickey Mouse
Currently, people have trips to Disney booked for early April. Our number one and two questions from our readers, viewers, and followers is “When will Disney World reopen?” and “Should I cancel my Disney World trip?”
But Disney has been particularly quiet regarding the status of the park closures and any potential extensions.
Cinderella Castle
Based on the Disney Parks worldwide timeline and the current local government mandates in California and Florida, it seems unlikely that the domestic Disney parks will open anytime soon. But when can we expect Disney World and Disneyland to give us the word on a reopening date…or at least a closure extension?
Let’s look at recent events to see if we can break it down.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, Marriott will be temporarily closing.
Disney World During Its Closure
Based in Orlando, Florida, Marriott Vacations CEO Stephen Weisz spoke on behalf of the company, stating, “Without a doubt, these shutdown decisions have been some of the most difficult and heartbreaking of my career.”
We could all benefit from hearing a little bit of Judi Dench’s calm, reassuring monologue that begins to softly play after boarding our Spaceship Earth “time machine”…
Epcot’s Spaceship Earth
…“Like a grand and miraculous spaceship, our planet has sailed through the universe of time; and for a brief moment, we have been among its passengers…”
With a halt on all construction in Disney World during the closure, we didn’t expect to find anything too exciting when we went looking for new building permits this week. So, we were surprised to find two of the most interesting permits we’ve found in a while!
Stitch’s Great Escape
It looks like even though construction is halted, Imagineers are still getting a head start on the paperwork for some big projects for the future. We spotted TWO permits for demolition at the address registered to Stitch’s Great Escape in Magic Kingdom!
It’s Flower and Garden Festival season, which means that there are TONS of fresh, seasonal items to try as you make your way around EPCOT’s World Showcase!
Minnie is ready for the spring!
But, even if you can’t make the trip to Disney World right now, you don’t have to miss out — you can bring the Flower & Garden Festival HOME! Whether you need a new spring recipe to show off to your friends, or you want to make it a whole experience and sample all the dishes at once, we’ve got 12 (!!) exclusive Disney recipes from the festival!
Disney World isn’t just a bunch of resorts and thrill rides. If you’ve ever visited Disney’s Animal Kingdom or Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, you’ve probably made friends with some of their furry and feather inhabitants!
View from Sanaa at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
Of course, we’re talkin’ about the animals that roam the savannahs as well as the birds, fish, and reptiles! But with the parks being temporarily closed right now and all the people being gone, you might be wondering who’s looking after these guys?
Greetings from the Hundred Acre Woods, friends!
Winnie the Pooh Topiaries
And no, we don’t mean the United Kingdom pavilion in Epcot — though how cute are the Winnie the Pooh and Rabbit Flower and Garden topiaries!? (Psst – you can go on a Virtual Tour of the Flower and Garden Festival with us here!)
What we DO mean is the Crystal Palace! If you’re unfamiliar, the Crystal Palace is a character dining restaurant in Magic Kingdom where you can dine with Winnie the Pooh and his friends during breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It’s a classic character dining experience, and one that Winnie the Pooh fans will love! But is the high price of the meal ($55/ adult at lunch or dinner) worth it? Read on to find out — plus what you can expect on the buffet!
[Read more…]
There’s lots of uncertainty over exactly when Disney World will reopen following its historic closure last week.
Mickey and Minnie in Disney World
As of this writing, both Disney World and Disneyland announced that their parks would be closed through the end of the month, implying that the parks could reopen on April 1, 2020.
©Disney
However, due to the continuing headlines about government-mandated closures of public institutions like restaurants and bars, bans on gatherings, and strong recommendations of social distancing, questions are being raised over whether the parks really will open on April 1st.
©Disney
While we don’t have the definitive answer, we can look to the closure timeline of Disney’s parks both domestic and worldwide. There may be some clues!
As we head into spring, we are getting excited for strolls down Main Street, U.S.A. with an ice cream in hand, the smell of popcorn in the air, and of course Dapper Day!
©DapperDay.com
That’s right, every spring and fall, guests at Disneyland Resort show up looking as classy as ever to celebrate “fun and refined style from yesterday and today.” But due to the recent park closures, this year’s Dapper Day is switching things up a bit!
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
