Orange County Mayor Extends Curfew, States “Considerable Amount of Time” Possibly Required for Theme Park Reopenings Due to Large-Scale Furloughs

The Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force met once again today to finalize parameters for each business sector in order to present to Mayor Demings, who then held a press conference to announce their findings. During the press conference, the Mayor announced that the existing curfew would be extended for another week. Given that Theme … Read more

PHOTOS: Walt Disney World President Josh D’Amaro Shares Recent Visit to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge During Extended Closure

While Walt Disney World’s resort hotels remain closed due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, this week, Walt Disney World President Josh D’Amaro made a visit to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge to speak with some essential Cast Members on site. D’Amaro shared some pictures of his visit on Instagram, where he also discussed the symbolism of … Read more

Walt Disney World Resort Removes Park Hours Through May 23

Many guests with Walt Disney World vacations in May are holding on to those reservations until ultimately met with a cancellation email. In line with recent cancellations through May 23, it seems Walt Disney World Resort has now removed park hours through May 23 on their website as well as on the My Disney Experience app. … Read more

PHOTOS: Character Dining Resumes at Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel Under New Social Distancing Guidelines

As evidenced by ever-increasing testing of new queues, theater seating, and more, Disney Parks in Asia are now well on their way to reopening given the drop in COVID-19 cases throughout. While character dining reopened earlier at Shanghai Disneyland Hotel’s Lumiere’s Kitchen back in March, Mickey and friends have now returned to the Enchanted Garden Restaurant … Read more

ParksCenter – Hollywood Studios Appreciation Week! – Ep. 99

This is ParksCenter. We usually cover the top news stories of the week, but join us this week on a Hollywood Studios special, as we talk about the past, present, and future of this historic park! Want to watch? The video version is embedded below, or check out our audio-only version on iTunes, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, or … Read more

Phase 1 Opening of Florida Businesses Begins May 4th; Restaurants and Retail Reopening with Limited Capacity, Unclear If Any of Walt Disney World Can or Will

After weeks of talks with smaller county-based task force groups, like the Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force, Governor Ron DeSantis held a press conference this afternoon to announce the first phase of the “Safe. Smart. Step-by-Step” Plan for Florida’s Recovery. Governor Ron DeSantis’ Re-Open Florida Task Force Executive Committee included executives like President of … Read more

Furloughed Walt Disney World Cast Members Experiencing Issues Securing Unemployment Benefits Despite Auto-Enrollment

Company-wide furloughs for all U.S. based, non-essential Cast Members and employees (including Disney Parks & Resorts, Walt Disney Imagineering, Disney Cruise Line, Disney Store, and Walt Disney Studios) went into effect earlier this month on April 19. Disney has secured full health benefits for their employees during the temporary furlough, and while Cast Members were auto-enrolled into … Read more

Orange County Recovery Task Force Proposes That Walt Disney World Can Open At Their Own Discretion

The Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force met once again early today to discuss further parameters for each business sector, including a brief conversation on how to move forward with theme parks and large public facilities with Mayor Demings. The Mayor had previously commented on how Disney’s closure was responsibly done, given that no outbreaks … Read more