Theme Park Closures How soon will the Orlando theme parks open again?

Theme Park Closures: How soon will the Orlando theme parks open again?

Like other popular destinations across the country and around the world, Orlando, FL has been adversely affected by the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak. Instead of the usual crowds of spring break enthusiasts and exciting families arriving from near and far, the central Florida area is instead filled with empty theme parks, closed storefronts and restaurants only offering take out orders.

Despite the temporary gloom, Orlando is still bursting with beautiful sunshine and seasonally warm temperatures. And from Walt Disney World Resort and all the other attractions to shops, restaurants, hotels and resorts, Orlando is eagerly awaiting its opportunity to re-open the doors to the usual fun and excitement.

When the time comes and it’s safe to head back to the parks, your Official Ticket Center will be ready and waiting to help you kickstart the family fun and memories. In the meantime, here is a brief update from Orlando’s major theme parks.

Disney World Epcot Train

WALT DISNEY WORLD RESORT

All theme parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios), water parks (Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon), resorts and hotels, plus Disney Springs and other Disney venues are currently closed until at least April 19, 2020.

In fact, all of Disney’s worldwide parks are now closed at the same time for the first time in history – including Disney World, Disneyland, and Disney Hong Kong, Paris, Shanghai and Tokyo.

  • Disney is now taking reservations for June 1, 2020 or later.
  • Unused tickets from March 12, 2020 and throughout the closed period may be used anytime thru December 15, 2020.
  • If you can’t use tickets by Dec. 15, you can apply the value of any wholly unused ticket toward the price of a ticket on a future date.
  • All change and cancellation fees are being waived for any reservations through June 1, 2020.

Universal Orlando Hogwarts

UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESORT

Universal Orlando Resort also closed its operations in mid-March, shutting the doors to Universal Studios Florida, Universal’s Islands of Adventure and Volcano Bay water theme park, as well as Universal’s exclusive resort hotels. Those venues are all currently slated to stay closed until at least April 19, 2020.

  • Universal Orlando tickets for all dates during the closure period will still be valid for 365 days from the original purchase date.
  • Guests can also apply the value of any wholly unused tickets toward tickets purchased for a later date.
  • Universal’s Mardi Gras celebration will not be restarted upon the park’s opening. Any remaining Mardi Gras 2020 dates/concerts have been cancelled.
  • All Blue Man Group shows at Universal Orlando CityWalk are cancelled through at least April 19, 2020.

SeaWorld Orlando Shamu

SEAWORLD ORLANDO

SeaWorld Orlando and its sister parks, including Busch Gardens Tampa, Discovery Cove and Aquatica water park are also closed indefinitely until further notice, with no projected reopening date yet scheduled.

  • SeaWorld park tickets good for any dates during the closure will be extended through December 31, 2020.
  • Discovery Cove reservations prior to April 30 can be re-booked for any date prior to December 31, 2020 at the same rate, with no change fee.

OTHER NEARBY  ATTRACTIONS

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex – NASA’s fun-filled space park is closed until further notice.

  • Daily admission tickets dated from March 16 until the Visitors Complex reopens will be refunded.
  • Any unexpired daily admission tickets are still valid.
  • Special private programs (Dine with an Astronaut, ATX, Overnight Adventures, Special Interest Bus Tours, etc.) will be cancelled and refunded.
  • All refunds will be automatically issued in calendar date order.>

Building Batuu: New Details Released about 

 

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will be the largest single-themed land expansion at both Disneyland park and Disney’s Hollywood Studios when they open this summer and fall, respectively. While the land is epic in size, every detail in the land has been designed to have an authentic Star Wars feel. We have previously shared teasers of our two anchor attractions – Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, where your Guests will find themselves in the middle of an epic battle between the Resistance and the First Order, and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, which allows your Guests and their flight crew to take the controls of the fastest ship in the galaxy on a special mission. We’ve also previously announced that Oga’s Cantina will be a great place for your Guests to grab a beverage, catch up on the latest gossip while R-3X, formerly the Starspeeder pilot on the original Star Tours, DJ’s a collection of new music.

Today we’d like to introduce a new series called “Building Batuu.” Batuu is the home of Black Spire Outpost, the location your Guests will visit when they arrive at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, which has become a haven for the galaxy’s most colorful — and notorious — characters. Over the next several months, we will be sharing more details about this entire new land, the offerings and attractions and how your Guests can live their own Star Wars adventure in a galaxy far, far away.

Your Guests can dive deeper into Star Wars storytelling by engaging with the land through the Play Disney Parks app, if they desire a deeper level of immersion. But there is also plenty to see and do (and taste!) throughout Black Spire Outpost that we haven’t previously shared.

While we’re on the subject of taste, there will be several locations in the land to satisfy the appetites of most rogue adventurers:

Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo – Chef Strono “Cookie” Tuggs has traveled throughout the galaxy following his longtime gig as the chef at Maz Kanata’s castle on Takodana and brings exotic flavors and unusual dishes to his traveling diner “Tuggs’ Grub.”

Ronto Roasters – A recycled podracing engine fires up a spit of exotic meats, meticulously turned by a former smelter droid, 8D-J8. Guests can even sample some of the tasty Ronto fare.

Milk Stand – The place to go to get your farm-fresh blue milk or green milk, direct from Bubo Wamba Family Farms.

Kat Saka’s Kettle – One of the many street market stalls, this grain vendor sells the ever-popular Outpost Mix (blend of sweet, savory and spicy popcorn).

For those looking to purchase in-story Star Wars merchandise and rare finds from across the galaxy, look no further than our many different Outpost stores and market stalls.

Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities – For those in the know, Dok-Ondar is the Ithorian you seek for selling and buying rare and uniquely-valued items from across the galaxy and spanning all eras.

Savi’s Workshop – Handbuilt Lightsabers – Guests come to the workshop to meet with the Gatherers – a secretive group of people who have dedicated their lives to restoring balance in the galaxy by passing on their knowledge of Jedi lore and the Force. The workshop Master guides guests to customize and build their own unique lightsabers, and instructs them on the ways of the Jedi.

Droid Depot – Visitors to Mubo’s workshop can choose parts and construct their own individual astromech droids to accompany them on their journey, and then take them home with them.

First Order Cargo – A spaceport hangar bay serves as the temporary base and landing spot for the First Order. First Order officers have brought in crates of gear, uniforms and other supplies to win the hearts and minds of locals and visitors to Black Spire Outpost. 

Resistance Supply – Resistance members and local sympathizers oversee a makeshift stall that supplies Resistance uniforms, pins, badges, hats, helmets, jackets, maps, tools, training supplies, food rations and other items.

There are also several market stalls which sell a variety of merchandise such as:

  • Toydarian Toymaker (toys)
  • Creature Stall (interesting critters that you can take home with you)
  • Black Spire Outfitters (clothing)
  • The Jewels of Bith (accessories and other trinkets to treasure)

We look forward to sharing additional details about these and much more through our “Building Batuu” series, with some additional news coming later on some of the food and beverage offerings that will be served in Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo and how the Disney Cast Members’ costumes will play a big part in bringing the inhabitants of this outpost to life.

If you are planning a vacation and need Disney World tickets, please visit our website at www.officialticketcenter.com to book your adventure today.

Ron Jon Surf Shop to Open New Location at Disney Springs

 

 

 

COCOA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 12, 2019) – Ron Jon Surf Shop is proud to announce plans for a new store that will open late 2019 at Disney Springs.  The 10,000-square-foot Ron Jon location will be situated in Town Center at Disney Springs, the shopping, dining and entertainment district at Walt Disney World Resort.

Ron Jon Surf Shop currently operates stores throughout Florida and in other locations along the eastern seaboard including Ocean City, Md., Orange Beach, Ala., two locations in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and its original location in Ship Bottom, N.J.  Ron Jon Surf Shop carries all of the beach essentials needed to have fun in the sun and features a wide assortment of surfwear, swimwear, sunglasses, hats, footwear and many other items perfectly suited for the casual beach lifestyle.

According to Debbie Harvey, president and COO of Ron Jon Surf Shop, the company selected Disney Springs as a location for its new store because of the shopping destination’s immense popularity with visitors as well as locals in the Orlando market, many of whom are familiar with the Ron Jon brand.

“We are thrilled to be planning a new Ron Jon store located at Disney Springs,” Harvey said.  “This is an extremely popular shopping destination for local residents and the millions of visitors coming to the Orlando area, and we feel it’s the perfect location for a new Ron Jon Surf Shop.”

About Ron Jon Surf Shop

Ron Jon Surf Shop was founded in 1959 on the New Jersey shore out of an appreciation for the sport of surfing.  Two years later, “The Original” Ron Jon Surf Shop opened in Long Beach Island, N.J.  The lifestyle-apparel and board-sports-equipment retailer has since opened stores in Cocoa Beach, Orlando, Fort Myers, Key West, Panama City Beach, Clearwater Beach, Fla., as well as in Ocean City, Md., Orange Beach, Ala. and Myrtle Beach, S.C.  The flagship store in Cocoa Beach is the world’s largest surf shop.  It operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

About Disney Springs

Disney Springs is a one-of-a-kind retail, dining and entertainment district located in the heart of the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. With its namesake springs, beautiful open-air promenades and lakefront setting, Disney Springs evokes the charm of Florida waterfront towns at the turn of the 20th century. It’s also home to a collection of more than 150 shops and restaurants, including top-name retail brands, specialty boutiques and dining experiences created by celebrity and award-winning chefs.  Located in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., Disney Springs is open daily.

Initial Testing Underway for Disney Skyliner Gondolas – More Details Revealed!

Sharp-eyed visitors to Walt Disney World Resort this week may have spotted something new up in the sky while Disney Skyliner began its initial testing.

Scheduled to open this fall, Disney Skyliner will be a new, state-of-the-art gondola system that will conveniently connect Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot to four resort hotels – Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort and the proposed Disney’s Riviera Resort, which is now accepting guest reservations for stays beginning December 2019. The official Resort opening date will be announced at a later time.

The Skyliner’s towers have been under construction for about a year, so to have a gondola up on its cables is an exciting milestone! Check out this video to hear more about the project from Jordan Matthews at Walt Disney Imagineering:

Several gondolas will be adorned with graphics based on Disney films, attractions and characters. So for example, you may jump into a gondola where from the ground it will look like Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Pluto or Chip & Dale are riding along with you. Several Disney animated films will be represented, including “Beauty & the Beast,” “Frozen,” “Lilo & Stitch,” “Moana,” “Peter Pan,” “The Princess and the Frog,” “Ralph Breaks the Internet,” “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” and “Zootopia.”

Here’s a sneak peek at what a few of these special gondolas will look like:

Disney Skyliner Gondolas rendering

The other themed gondolas that will be part of the system include:

  • “Coco”
  • Goofy, Pete, Horace Horsecollar and Clarabelle Cow
  • “Finding Dory”
  • The Haunted Mansion
  • “Monsters, Inc.”
  • Pirates of the Caribbean
  • “Ratatouille”

These gorgeous gondolas will be gliding across Walt Disney World before we know it. If you are looking for discount Disney World tickets, make sure to check out The Official Ticket Center for the best prices and specials.

 

Article written by by Jeremy Schoolfield, Managing Editor, Walt Disney World Resort Public Relations

Epcot International Food & Wine Festival 2018 Set To Go

 

Are you a fan of delicious foods and tasty wines? Are you a fan of the Walt Disney World Resort? Well if you answered yes to both questions then Epcot is a must for you! Every year towards the end of August, Epcot puts on one heck of a festival that includes wines, gourmet tapas dishes and art from around the world. It’s called the International Food & Wine Festival and has been going on for years.

This is a festival for the connoisseurs and foodies who enjoy taking a tour of the world right in the comfort of Disney. For a few months out of the year Epcot puts on a party of parties all day long. For the price of a daily admission ticket you can enjoy the sights, sounds and flavours as you explore the different cuisines from around the world. Vineyards and breweries from around the globe are center stage during this once a year event.

Executive chefs from the Walt Disney World Resorts prepare regional dishes while pairing up wines and beers that make your experience one to savour! As you wander through the theme park you will encounter different cuisines at different locations. As an example if you are in France or Germany, you will be a guest of that country and served local dishes that represent their country all the while being able to sample their regional wines and beer.

The downside is that this isn’t free and can get quite costly. The best way to approach this is to stop at the very first food kiosk and get yourself a prepaid wristband and preload it with as much money as you see fit. I normally will put $50 on mine and that will get me to at least the America pavilion which is the halfway point on the World Showcase at the back of the park. By this time you are feeling pretty good and might want to just put another $50 onto your wristband again to finish strong!

This event is a event worth Uber-ing, staying on property like at the Boardwalk, Swan or Dolphin which are staggering distances from the back entrance of Epcot. If your partake in the fermented beverages you will not want to be driving believe me. This is a great event to share with friends and families and probably should not be a festival that you would want to bring your kids to as people at this event can get pretty happy to say the least but in a good way. Here is a link to their current 2018 menu so have a look and see what you think ~ Epcot Food & Wine Menu 2018 

If you plan on attending this event and need Epcot tickets or Disney World tickets please visit our website at www.officialticketcenter.com or by calling us toll free at 1-877-406-4836.