I nonetheless keep in mind the place Sarah and I have been when the announcement was made that, out of an abundance of warning, the theme parks at Walt Disney World would shut on March 15, 2020 by means of the top of that month. It was a type of moments anybody paying consideration knew was coming, however nonetheless hit like a ton of bricks. (What number of of you had a sinking feeling simply from seeing the above graphic?)
We had turn out to be aware of COVID two months earlier, because the impacts on Hong Kong Disneyland and Shanghai Disneyland have been taking part in out even earlier than each closed on January 25, 2020. Nonetheless, it felt distant–as a result of it was. That modified for us when Tokyo Disney Resort closed on February 28, 2020 and COVID waves swept by means of Europe within the days and weeks thereafter. Then CEO Bob Iger abruptly stepped down, which we assumed even on the time was actually because of the ramifications of COVID and never a careful-but-secret succession plan, as instructed.
The gravity of the scenario for america got here into full concentrate on March 11, 2020. That fateful night was when Tom Hanks introduced he had COVID, and NBA participant Rudy Gobert examined constructive. Inside minutes, the dominos began falling. The NBA suspended its season, setting the stage for many different sports activities leagues, giant scale occasions, theme parks, and extra to do the identical within the hours and days after. An announcement the subsequent day that Walt Disney World and Disneyland would shut was thus inevitable, however one more gut-punch that made issues really feel extra actual. Unsure. Scary.
5 years later, I might contribute an entire oral historical past of the Walt Disney World COVID closures to the report. It’s humorous–I can watch a film on Netflix and fully neglect what occurred inside weeks. However I keep in mind so many moments and days of the COVID period in vivid element. I want I didn’t.
I keep in mind the weeks and days main as much as the closures. Our final ‘for enjoyable’ parks visits, as a part of Moonlight Magic in Magic Kingdom and the opening of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway. Our final ‘for analysis’ visits, as we monitored operational adjustments pre-closure. The huge crowds within the parks, and the sharp distinction with the mid-July and past dates that adopted.
Through the lockdown portion of the COVID closure, Sarah and I might take nightly walks in our neighborhood, speaking concerning the aftermath of COVID and the way the world would perpetually change.
Neither of us believed Walt Disney World and Disneyland could be closed solely till the top of that month. We had been watching the markets and all the pieces else, and it was fairly clear that this was one other 9/11 by way of the lengthy tail penalties–if not worse. Early summer season felt just like the best-case situation, with someday in 2021 a definite chance.
Loads of what we anticipated would occur was, fortunately, means off base. Lengthy earlier than “revenge journey” entered our collective vernacular, analysts predicted a chronic recession, with journey not recovering for five years, if ever. Because the inventory market received pummeled, a chronic recession appeared just like the baseline situation.
Whereas strolling by means of our Horizon West neighborhood, we predicted that properties beneath development wouldn’t be completed and future growth would pause for years. Work resumed a few weeks later, and already-high demand for Central Florida soared. Our previous neighborhood is sort of unrecognizable from after we moved in.
Strolling previous these then-unfinished properties, I additionally keep in mind discussing how shortly Hollywood would make films and tv reveals about COVID. “They received’t,” I mentioned in response to Sarah’s guess. That not like 9/11, this was one thing that everybody felt personally and there’d be no want to relive. There’s no uplifting through-line, and other people would need to neglect it as quickly as doable. Possibly they’d make one or two films, however they’d bomb so badly that will be it for many years.
I made quite a lot of very dangerous guesses about how issues would unfold, however that one was 100% on the cash. And even immediately as I’m typing this, I’ve a sinking feeling in my abdomen. I don’t need to relive these last days the parks have been open, the lengthy drives in April 2020 to Dealer Joe’s by means of a desolate Walt Disney World, resort stays within the early days of the phased reopening, or ghost city park visits in August.
I’m additionally guessing that, except for the handful of you who’ve requested for a ‘historical past’ of Walt Disney World throughout COVID, there’s little want to examine what occurred. You both keep in mind and don’t want it, or don’t keep in mind and don’t need to. For those who do for no matter purpose, right here’s a collection of contemporaneous COVID posts:
In that spirit, let’s simply transfer proper alongside to what was misplaced and nonetheless hasn’t returned within the 5 years since Walt Disney World closed on March 15, 2020.
Gone for Good
The COVID period was a tumultuous time that provided Disney the cloak of the phased reopening as an excuse to reset the visitor expertise–and shopper expectations. We all know from contemporaneous interviews with then-CEO Bob Chapek and Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro that Walt Disney World would use the pandemic as a chance to make selections that will in any other case be unpopular and met by fierce fan backlash.
Right here’s a listing of the everlasting adjustments, cuts, and many others. to the visitor expertise:
- Further Magic Hours
- Park Reservations
- Shorter Hours
- Disney’s Magical Specific
- Airport-to-Resort Baggage Dealing with
- Resort Merchandise Supply
- Tables in Wonderland
- Free FastPass
- Free MagicBands
- Upkeep, Repairs & Trip Downtime
- Emphasis on Cell Order, Desk Service To-Go, Stroll-Up Waitlist, and many others.
These are all massively consequential adjustments to the visitor expertise, and I don’t need to merely gloss over them. However the reality of the matter is that we’ve written numerous articles about every of those adjustments, and there’s actually no more that may–or must be–mentioned.
I might additionally add “individuals” to this checklist, encompassing each different friends and Forged Members (see Why You Ought to Depart Forged Compliments), however that is one thing that extends to the actual world and is hardly distinctive to Disney. That is additionally to say nothing of the upper costs paired that, when paired with the nickel & diming evidenced above, have fueled the most important fan frustrations.
The underside line is that should you visited in 2019 or earlier, you already know what’s lacking by way of the visitor expertise. For those who’re a relative newcomer to Walt Disney World and have solely began visiting within the post-reopening period, I can’t overstate this: ignorance is bliss.
It’s going to be powerful to unring any of those bells, however “gone for good” shouldn’t be essentially correct. Ceaselessly is a very long time horizon, and we’ve already seen some “everlasting” adjustments rolled again. As a lot as D’Amaro gushed about park reservations, these have been principally undone for all however a handful of standard friends and Annual Passholders. I might simply foresee a time when park reservations are gone for good, at the least in Florida.
One other instance of one thing massively unpopular that I by no means anticipated to be undone was resort resort parking charges. That was basically a ‘free’ income stream for Walt Disney World, and although the visitor backlash was fierce, it appeared the corporate was unlikely to ever quit that parking charge cash as soon as it received a style of it. And but, precisely that occurred, lengthy after the difficulty felt “settled.”
There are different entries on the above checklist of ‘gone for good’ issues that might make a shock return, particularly if the influence of Epic Universe is pronounced or there’s an financial downturn and Walt Disney World must scramble to drag extra “levers” to incentivize demand. In different phrases, as extremely unbelievable as something on the above checklist altering or returning at this level may appear, by no means say by no means.
Building Cancellations
Lower than one week after the parks closed got here the phrase that all development was being paused at Walt Disney World. This could lead to prolonged delays for sure tasks, together with Remy’s Ratatouille Journey, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, and TRON Lightcycle Run. All of these points of interest–and extra–have been slated to debut in time for Walt Disney World’s fiftieth Anniversary (talking of one thing upended by the COVID closure, the lackluster “World’s Most Magical Celebration” is a chief instance).
Then there are the tasks that have been cancelled or points of interest that have been shuttered and by no means reopened. Right here’s a rundown:
- Primeval Whirl
- Sew’s Nice Escape
- Reflections Lakeside Lodge
- Fundamental Avenue Theater
- Mary Poppins Cherry Tree Lane Enlargement at EPCOT
- Spaceship Earth Reimagining
- Play Pavilion
- EPCOT Multi-Stage Competition Middle
- EPCOT Central Backbone (The Good Stuff)
A few of these entries are virtually definitely not COVID cancellations. Reflections, for instance, is now taking place–simply by a distinct identify. Primeval Whirl is technically a COVID closure because it operated in March 2020 and by no means reopened, however the writing was already on the wall–and had been for years. Sew’s Nice Escape is much more tenuous, because it had not been open pre-closure for a few years–however COVID was the ultimate nail in its coffin and have become the purpose of no return for a doable seasonal standing of the present.
Of the above checklist, it’s debatable that solely the ultimate 4 entries of ‘EPCOT stuff’ have been really cancelled as a consequence of COVID and would’ve opened in any other case. Even the Mary Poppins flat trip was on skinny ice pre-closure, and may’ve by no means come to fruition. However we have been completely disadvantaged a reimagining of the central backbone of EPCOT and a brand new pageant middle that really would’ve been good.
On the subject of cancelled development, the larger impacts are the unknowns. It’s simple to forgive, however early 2020 was shaping as much as be a banner 12 months for Walt Disney World. After the opening months of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge underperformed expectations the earlier fall, attendance was by means of the roof from December 2019 by means of mid-March 2020. It could’ve virtually definitely been a record-setting 12 months for Walt Disney World.
Between that and a fiftieth Anniversary celebration that was really good and would’ve fueled attendance–to not point out billions of {dollars} not diverted to Disney+ through the COVID closures–it’s possible that the 2021 D23 Expo would’ve been big for Walt Disney World bulletins. There have been a number of on the desk that have been held again in 2019 (chief amongst them a second section of the EPCOT overhaul), and people in all probability would’ve turn out to be official in 2021. So the massive story right here is what might have been.
What’s Nonetheless Lacking
Along with issues we all know have perpetually modified and Walt Disney World has no intentions of bringing again, there’s nonetheless so much that’s “lacking” and will return at any level. It’s far-fetched for a few of the entries on this checklist, but it surely’s nonetheless doable.
Right here’s only a partial checklist of the atmospheric acts and reveals which might be nonetheless conspicuous omissions from Walt Disney World leisure lineup:
- Residents of Hollywood
- Jedi Coaching Academy
- Residents of Fundamental Avenue
- Fundamental Avenue Trolley Present
- Pandora Rangers & Drummers
It boggles the thoughts that a few of that is nonetheless lacking. Jedi Coaching Academy was completely adored by friends, and was a ‘magical second’ for thus many youngsters and their households who had the possibility to take part. It couldn’t have been that costly to provide, was loved by friends even with out collaborating kids, and had to assist promote loads of lightsabers. One other make it make sense entry to this checklist.
Then there are the larger-scale leisure choices. On the nighttime entrance, the next stay lacking:
- Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular
- As soon as Upon a Time
- The Kiss Goodnight
- Cinderella Fortress Dream Lights
- Rivers of Gentle
Of this checklist, shedding Rivers of Gentle was and is essentially the most brutal. That nighttime spectacular, and the initiative behind it to show Animal Kingdom into an ‘after darkish’ park, lasted for much less time than it was in growth. It’s nonetheless laborious to consider that Walt Disney World simply gave up on protecting friends in Animal Kingdom after 3 pm after placing years of effort and untold tens of millions of {dollars} into the push.
The Kiss Goodnight was a type of if you realize, you realize magical moments. A type of ‘huge little’ issues that left such an indelible impression on the friends who noticed it that it might assist flip them into lifelong followers. Phrases, photographs, and even video can’t do it justice. We nonetheless tried, singing its praises in “The Kiss Goodnight: The Biggest Factor Most Visitors Don’t See” and “The Kiss Goodnight, Revisited.” (Two articles about one thing that lasts solely a few minutes–that ought to say all the pieces that must be mentioned!)
Then there’s the Cinderella Fortress Dream Lights. We’ve been on one thing of a campaign to persuade followers to persuade Walt Disney World to carry it again. Once more, phrases and photographs can’t do it justice. I’ll by no means cross up the chance to sing the praises of the Cinderella Fortress Dream Lights. These icicle lights have been considered one of our favourite issues about Christmas at Walt Disney World for the decade-plus previous to them being cancelled in 2020.
I stay satisfied that bringing again the Dream Lights is among the greatest methods for Disney to entice followers to go to for Christmas 2025, particularly given Epic Universe, financial downturn, and many others. It nonetheless is unnecessary to me that the Cinderella Fortress Dream Lights are nonetheless gone. Like Disney’s Magical Specific, this seems like an accountant failing to see the forest for the bushes.
Loads has modified with WDW eating since February 2020. This looks as if such a bit and inconsequential factor, however we hear from longtime Walt Disney World followers who’re nonetheless upset by eating places or particular meal choices which might be nonetheless lacking:
- Be Our Visitor Restaurant – Breakfast & Counter Service Lunch
- Brunch at California Grill
- Eating with an Imagineer
- Grand View Tea Room
- Plaza Restaurant – Breakfast
- Trattoria al Forno – Bon Voyage Character Breakfast
- Pizzafari Household Fashion Eating
- Restaurantosaurus Burgers & Sundaes
- Restaurant Marrakesh
What’s attention-grabbing right here is that Walt Disney World had been making a push within the few years prior to extend the variety of ‘attention-grabbing’ or novel eating choices. Most of the entries on this checklist weren’t even that previous–they have been a part of that initiative.
Shedding Bon Voyage Breakfast was an enormous one. Similar goes with breakfast and lunch at Be Our Visitor Restaurant–a venue that’s pretty beloved, however not for the present prix fixe dinner. Most likely much less vital to common friends, however we actually miss Brunch on the High and Restaurantosaurus Burgers & Sundaes. It’d be good to see the latter make a return as a farewell to DinoLand USA!
Equally, menus have been scaled again and simplified through the phased reopening. Though strides have been made since then, many areas are nonetheless shadows of their former selves as in contrast with February 2020. The development up till that time had been considered one of enchancment, particularly as ‘Disney meals’ turned an attraction unto itself and purpose for repeat visits.
Simply have a look at the formidable restaurant roster at Disney’s Riviera Resort when it opened in December 2019. It’s nonetheless robust, however areas like Primo Piatto (immediately the #1 counter service at Walt Disney World upon debut) are nothing like they as soon as have been.
As Disney’s dearly-departed CFO famously put it, substitutions have been made, suppliers have been modified, and portion sizes have been decreased for the sake of friends’ waistlines (you’re welcome). In equity to Disney, a part of that is because of the externality of inflation–and related adjustments have occurred all over the place–however the proximate reason for that’s COVID.
One other huge change to the ‘consuming expertise’ at Walt Disney World got here by way of the Disney Eating Plan. That’s now again, however with solely half the tiers that existed in February 2020, and dramatically larger costs for adults. Our anecdotal impression is that between value hikes and cutbacks, the DDP is far much less common than it as soon as was.
For our half, we’ve seen a fraction of the curiosity within the Free Eating promotion in 2025 that we did in early 2020. It appears very clear to us that visitor spending has been reallocated away from different discretionary purchases at Walt Disney World with a purpose to afford Lightning Lanes.
That is evident in ADR availability, Disney Eating Plan curiosity, and even Free Eating uptake vs. room-only reductions. Demonstrating but once more that the impacts of the COVID closure have been multifaceted and far-reaching, even with adjustments which have been seeming undone or amongst choices which have been restored.
On the actual reverse finish of the spectrum, there are friends who miss the “alternative” to spend much more cash at Walt Disney World on expertise enhancements–a flowery time period for upcharges. There’s nonetheless so much within the Enchanting Extras Assortment (and related add-ons) that provides Walt Disney World an amazing quantity of repeatability for regulars.
Issues like sure behind the scenes or VIP excursions, eating or dessert events, early or late park entry, and way more. The large one for us is the EPCOT pageant seminars and experiences–with out these, Meals & Wine has misplaced quite a lot of its luster. (They’re additionally lacking from different festivals, but it surely’s most obvious at Meals & Wine.)
Though I’m not big on upcharges, I’d likewise like to see one other themed After Hours at Magic Kingdom occasion. The short-lived Villains After Hours was higher than the vanilla model, and it’s about time Walt Disney World revived the Pirates & Princess idea. I’d additionally like to see a Nostalgia Nite at Magic Kingdom with Needs, Disney Afternoon characters, and extra. At the least we’re lastly getting a brand new evening parade with the debut of Disney Starlight: Dream the Evening Away in Summer time 2025.
Finally, so much has modified at Walt Disney World since Spring 2020 and, 5 years later, there’s nonetheless a lot that’s lacking from the visitor expertise along with what’s possible gone for good. The impacts of the COVID closures can’t be overstated, because it’s not only a matter of what was instantly misplaced beginning March 15, 2020.
Certain, we are able to watch this good piece of selling and be depressed over again concerning the apparent cuts and adjustments. But it surely’s additionally the entire oblique adjustments and cascading results of the closure. It’s not simply the tasks that have been cancelled, trip closures, or leisure cutbacks–it’s additionally the unannounced additions that will have occurred, however for COVID.
The delays, feet-dragging, and glacially-slow phased reopening. The coupling of “revenge journey” with extreme losses on streaming that gave rise to and helped justify visitor unfriendly adjustments.
Since we can’t return and alter that, within the right here and now, what’s most essential is the entire little issues which might be in some way nonetheless lacking. In combination, these made an amazing constructive influence to the visitor expertise. These are the issues that might come again any day now–the harm that can be undone. That’s exactly why a disproportionate emphasis of this text is on these seemingly insignificant (however probably not!) issues–as a result of there’s nonetheless hope for them.
It’s additionally as a result of that is what Walt Disney World is all about. It’s not simply the little particulars in themed design or placemaking, it’s additionally that consideration to element within the visitor expertise. Going above and past in methods huge and small. Enhancements friends could not discover in isolation or principally wouldn’t mourn if lacking, however that collectively make Walt Disney World really feel like a well-oiled machine and a world-class trip vacation spot the place each visitor is a VIP. Giving friends issues they by no means knew they wanted.
It’s past time to revive these elements of the visitor expertise, making certain that Walt Disney World is a world-class trip vacation spot that retains forging new followers, and diehards proceed to fall in love with over again with every go to. To at the least a point, that has additionally been lacking for the final 5 years, and Walt Disney World must carry this again. We firmly consider that there’s a fantastic huge lovely tomorrow for Walt Disney World–but it surely takes management making the choices essential to get us there.
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Find out about motels on our Walt Disney World Lodges Evaluations web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Evaluations. To economize on tickets or decide which kind to purchase, learn our Ideas for Saving Cash on Walt Disney World Tickets publish. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys publish takes a singular have a look at intelligent gadgets to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Trip Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the perfect place to start out is our Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information for all the pieces it’s good to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What are the most important adjustments, cutbacks and cancellations at Walt Disney World as a consequence of COVID? How has the expertise modified for you immediately versus 5 years in the past? What would you wish to see completed to enhance the visitor expertise and satisfaction at Walt Disney World? Which of the entries on this checklist have a sensible likelihood of coming to fruition? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions we may also help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even whenever you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
