Disney World workers criticize DeSantis appointees' decision to eliminate free passes
Employees of Walt Disney World’s governing district are criticizing new board members appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis for a decision to eliminate free passes and discounts to the theme park resort for 400 of its district workers.
Judge refuses to dismiss lawsuit against Disney’s efforts to neutralize governing district takeover
A judge in Florida has refused to dismiss a lawsuit brought by Gov. Ron DeSantis appointees against Disney’s efforts to neutralize a takeover of Disney World’s governing district by the Florida governor.
DeSantis proposes Disney trial schedule that puts start date in 2025, after elections
Attorneys for Gov. Ron DeSantis have asked that a trial involving Disney be postponed until the middle of 2025, well after the GOP presidential nomination race wraps up and voters have picked a winner in the November 2024 general election.
4 springtime activities we love at Walt Disney World
The resort is currently celebrating its 50th anniversary celebration, and now is the perfect time to celebrate the season and upcoming Easter holiday. If you plan on visiting, we have uncovered a number of fun activities for families to experience while out exploring the theme parks and nearby resort hotels.
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Orlando launches first tourism ad campaign since pandemic
The $2.2 million advertising campaign launched this month is targeted for spring and summer travel to potential visitors living in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. The campaign, called “The Wonder Remains," includes TV ads, YouTube videos, digital ads, social media ads, e-newsletters and website content. Along with highlighting Orlando's theme parks and restaurants, the campaign emphasizes the safety measures that have been taken at its tourist attractions to protect tourists from the new coronavirus. “I believe this campaign will reach individuals who are prepared to travel to a well-prepared destination for much needed recreation." Before the start of the pandemic almost a year ago, Orlando was the most visited tourist destination in the U.S., attracting 75 million visitors in 2018.
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Disney 1Q profit falls but beats expectations due to Disney+
FILE - In this Jan. 9, 2019, file photo, guests watch a show near a statue of Walt Disney and Micky Mouse in front of the Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. But the results Thursday surpassed Wall Street's expectations thanks to subscribers flocking to Disney+ and other of the entertainment giant's streaming services. Disney+ subscribers totaled 94.9 million at the end of the quarter, more than double the subscriber base a year ago, when the service had been operating for only about two months. For Disney's fiscal first quarter, net income totaled $17 million, or 1 cent per share, compared with $2.1 billion or $1.16 cents per share a year earlier. Excluding one-time items, net income totaled 32 cents per share, compared with $1.53 per share in the prior-year quarter.
Disney requires all parkgoers to wear masks, even if they’re vaccinated for COVID-19
Guests wear masks as required to attend the official reopening day of the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., on July 11, 2020. ORLANDO, Fla. – More and more people are getting vaccinated in the fight against the coronavirus but that doesn’t mean Disney World is rolling back any of its COVID-19 safety requirements, WKMG-TV in Orlando reported. “Face coverings are required for all Guests (ages 2 and up) and Cast Members, including those who have received a COVID-19 vaccine. Please bring your own face coverings and wear them at all times, except when dining or swimming. However, face coverings will not be permitted while experiencing water slides or in the water.
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Disneyland ending annual pass program with parks closed
Disney officials said in a statement that extra hand sanitizers were being placed throughout its four parks and more than two dozen hotels. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File)ORLANDO, Fla. – Looking to buy an annual pass at Disneyland Resort? The California theme park resort said last week that it's ending its passholder program. Disney officials would not say how many people hold these passes or how much the move will cost the company, adding it would begin issuing pro-rated refunds to eligible passholders. The Florida resort implemented a moratorium on new annual passes last summer, though it will honor those from existing passholders.
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Disney to lay off 28,000 at its parks in California, Florida
FILE - In this March 16, 2020, file photo, the entrance to the parking lot at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World is closed in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Squeezed by limits on attendance at its theme parks and other restrictions due to the pandemic, The Walt Disney Co. said Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020, it planned to lay off 28,000 workers in its parks division in California and Florida. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File)
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Disney to cut back hours starting in September
All rights reserved)JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The most magical place on Earth will scale back hours starting Sept. 8. Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios are closing an hour earlier. Epcot is closing two hours earlier. Animal Kingdom will open an hour later and close an hour earlier. The Walt Disney Co. has lost nearly $9 billion since April.
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Report: Attendance flat at Disney parks, grows at Universal
Attendance at the parks could be anywhere from a third to half of normal business volume, according to the report. Attendance at Disney theme parks around the world fell less than 1% in 2019 from the previous year. It was followed by Disneyland in California with 18.6 million visits, Tokyo Disneyland with 17.9 million visits and Tokyo DisneySea. Competing in many of the same markets as Disney, Universal Parks and Resorts had an attendance jump of 2.3%, with 51.2 million visits. Rides based on Harry Potter intellectual property continued to drive growth at the Universal parks, the report said.
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What could Disney crowds look like when the park reopens? We take a guess at the numbers
ORLANDO, Fla. – Walt Disney World is set to once again open its gates to the Magic Kingdom following a lengthy closure due to the coronavirus pandemic. But with most families staying inside and not traveling, how crowded will the theme parks really be when they reopen? Park Capacity Capacity at 25% Magic Kingdom 57,000 people 14,250 people Epcot 34,093 people 8,523 people Hollywood Studios 30,843 people 7,710 people Animal Kingdom 37,671 people 9,417 peopleA park at 25% capacity would mean very minimal wait times. As we can all imagine, visiting a Disney theme park when it reopens will be a new experience for all -- no matter how many times you’ve visited. The Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Animal Kingdom parks will open first July 11, with Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios reopening July 15.
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NBA teams at Disney had tough travel-party decisions to make
Walt Disney Worlds Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom are reopening Saturday, while Epcot and Disneys Hollywood Studios will follow four days later. (Gabrielle Russon/Orlando Sentinel via AP)The 22 teams participating in the NBA restart were all at the Disney campus together for the first time Friday. Some teams left player development coaches behind, some even left assistant coaches, and all teams traveled with only one media relations staffer and one equipment manager. In normal circumstances, some teams travel with as many as three people to handle media requirements and two for equipment. That left 20 spots for coaches, assistant coaches, player development, video, security, strength and conditioning, athletic training, media relations and content creators.
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Disney suspends college internship program amid pandemic
ORLANDO, Fla. Walt Disney World has suspended the Disney College Program indefinitely amid the continuing coronavirus pandemic. Disney said in a blog post on Thursday that the internship's participants won't be among those returning to work when it reopens its Florida theme parks later this month. The company also said it doesn't know when the Disney-owned apartments where the students lived will be reopened. The company said it would refund students their fees and allow participants, including recent college graduates, to re-apply. The program was initially suspended in mid-March when the theme parks and hotels closed down due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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Disney proposes mid-July reopening of theme parks
(Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)ORLANDO, Fla. Disney World is reopening its gates, ending a multi-month closure of the park which left the Walt Disney Company reeling. The Disney theme park, which employs some 70,000 people, plans to begin a phased reopening on July 11 for its Magic Kingdom parks and July 15 for EPCOT and Hollywood Studios, the company said on Wednesday. Walt Disney World as well as Disneys Disneyland resort in Anaheim, California, closed in mid-March because of the coronavirus pandemic.
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Disney, SeaWorld announce plans for Florida parks to reopen
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. SeaWorld and Walt Disney World will reopen in Orlando, Florida, in June and July after months of inactivity because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to plans a city task force approved Wednesday. Disney plans a tiered reopening, with Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom opening on July 11, followed by Epcot and Hollywood Studios on July 15. Disney World also plans smaller, soft openings prior to July 11, but no specifics were provided. When Disney Springs, a complex of restaurants and shops near Disney World, reopened, the company formed social distancing squads," which McPhee said have been popular with guests. Disney employees will be required to do temperature checks before heading to work, McPhee said.
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NBA says it is talking with Disney about resuming season
The National Basketball Players Association is also part of the talks with Disney. Games would be held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, a massive campus on the Disney property near Orlando. Space wont be an issue, even if Major League Soccer which is also in talks to resume its season at Disney is there at the same time as the NBA. The entire Disney complex is roughly 40 square miles, with nearly 24,000 hotel rooms owned or operated by Disney within the campus. The list of NBA players who were known to test positive eventually grew to 10 not all were identified and Commissioner Adam Silver said last month that the actual total was even higher.
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‘See you real soon’: Walt Disney World is a ghost town
ORLANDO, Fla. – Magic Kingdom is said to be the “The Most Magical Place On Earth,” but right now, that’s not how it appears. WKMG, a New4Jax sister station, flew SKY 6 over the parks in Orlando on Monday. It looked like a ghost town. Disney World, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld Orlando and Legoland announced last week that all of its respective parks will be closed, starting Monday, through the end of the month. The decision marks the longest closures ever for the theme parks, which have previously shut down for hurricanes and the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
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Dreaming of a theme park Christmas? This advice will help you plan your whole trip
Eat Christmas cookies until you feel like you’re going to burst, see a special Christmas parade roll down Main Street U.S.A. -- and did we mention there will be tons of cookies? Visit Disney’s website for more info. Insider tip: Want to catch the Christmas parade but avoid paying for a special ticket? Some resorts also will have special holiday presentations, such as a walk-through gingerbread house at Disney’s Grand Floridian. Other festivities include the Sea of Trees, which is a show filled with synchronized Christmas trees shimmering and twinkling set to holiday music.

6 free things to do on your next Disney World vacation -- yes, really
Well show you how to have fun on Disney property without ever scanning a MagicBand or swiping your credit card. Rooftop fireworks Walt Disney World ResortIf the "Happily Ever After" fireworks are on your bucket list, consider watching them from high above Cinderella Castle. Nothing can top a view of the Magic Kingdom at night. We recommend having breakfast at Trails End then climbing aboard one of its boats for a ride to the Magic Kingdom. Head to the docks and beaches of the Magic Kingdom resort hotels to watch.