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.
Travel agent takes research trip to Disney World amid coronavirus pandemic
Disney World has made major changes to make sure guests have a safe and enjoyable experience when they visit the parks. Nina Fabinksi, a travel agent with TMC Travel, books a lot of Disney vacations. I did not want to send someone in a situation that I didn’t 100% support and experience myself,” Fabinski said. Fabinski’s family traveled to Disney World in August and checked out all the parks during their stay: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom as well as Disney Springs. There is no parade, no fireworks and limited character breakfasts but Fabinski says Disney World is still delivering on the magic families expect.
Disney to lay off 28,000 at its parks in California, Florida
ORLANDO, Fla. – Squeezed by limits on attendance at its theme parks and other restrictions due to the pandemic, The Walt Disney Co. said Tuesday it planned to lay off 28,000 workers in its parks division in California and Florida. Two-thirds of the planned layoffs involve part-time workers but they ranged from salaried employees to hourly workers, Disney officials said. The Florida parks reopened this summer, but the California parks have yet to reopen as the company awaits guidance from the state of California. Disney officials didn't offer a breakdown of the layoffs between the Florida and California operations. Walt Disney World in Florida has around 77,000 employees, while the Disneyland Resort in California has more than 30,000 workers.
NBA: Day 2 recap of pre-season scrimmages
Day 2 of NBA pre-season scrimmages were packed with some competitive match ups and looked as though players were taking the scrimmages as serious as a game. Lonnie Walker led the way for the Spurs with 14 points and Dejounte Murray added 13 points and four rebounds for the squad. Anthony Davis added 12 points and Quinn Cook notched 13 points. Dario Saric added 12 points and six rebounds, while rising star Devin Booker added 13 points. For the Jazz, Donovan Mitchell had 17 points and four assists while Mike Conley added 12 points.
NBA: Clippers, Nuggets, Pelicans and Heat headline pre-season scrimmages
The NBA is set to begin pre-season scrimmages in the bubble at Disney World in Orlando. Los Angeles Clippers vs. Orlando Magic -- 3 p.m. ESTThe Los Angeles Clippers bring back superstars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George while the Orlando Magic bring back high flyer Aaron Gordon. Sacramento Kings vs. Miami Heat -- 8 p.m. ESTThe Sacramento Kings have to rally back after losing star forward Marvin Bagley III to a foot injury for the season. With Jimmy Butler and rookie Tyler Herro, the Heat bring some fire players. The NBA will be using 10-minute quarters instead of the usual 12 minutes for the scrimmages.
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.
Here’s everything you should know before heading to Walt Disney World’s phased reopening
According to Disney, buses and monorails will implement a combination of physical distancing and physical barriers to provide separation between guest parties. Ground markings will help promote proper physical distancing in attraction queues at Walt Disney World Resort theme parks in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (Matt Stroshane, photographer)In order to provide appropriate social distancing, Walt Disney World is only allowing a limited number of guests to visit each theme park per day. “Ground markings will help promote proper physical distancing throughout the parks, including attraction queues,” Disney said. Guests at Walt Disney World Resort theme parks in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., are encouraged to use cashless payment options whenever possible when making purchases as the parks begin their phased reopening July 11, 2020.
In case you missed it: Disney’s Splash Mountain to be re-themed to ‘Princess and the Frog’
It’s transformation central at Disney Parks in the U.S., as Disney officially announced that it has big plans for Splash Mountain at Walt Disney World and Disneyland. MORE: Petition calls for Disney Parks to change theme of Splash MountainIf you haven’t heard of the film, you’re not alone. If you’re unfamiliar with Splash Mountain, here’s a little background. Splash Mountain follows happy-go-lucky Br’er Rabbit as he looks for his “laughing place.” All the while, Br’er Bear and Br’er Fox are in hot pursuit of Br’er Rabbit. “Many adults and children ride this attraction because it brings back childhood memories,” the “Keep Splash Mountain” petition said.
Universal Orlando seeks to reopen theme parks in early June
ORLANDO, Fla. Universal Orlando is aiming to reopen its theme parks in early June, a resort official said Thursday, more than two months after the company joined crosstown rivals Disney World and SeaWorld in closing their gates to stop the spread of the new coronavirus. Universal Orlando executive John Sprouls asked Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings for approval to open the companys theme parks as early as June 5, the Orlando Sentinel reported. Universal, Disney World and SeaWorld have been closed since mid-March in an effort to stop the virus's spread. Officials with Disney World havent said when they plan to reopen. Many of those same protocols will be implemented at the theme parks.
Should adults still be able to do these 4 “kid” things?
Kids get to have a lot of fun, like have all their friends over for a big birthday party, or go trick or treating, but adults want to have fun too! Today on “What’s the Buzz” we talked about things kids get to do when they are young, and if adults should be able to do the same thing when they are older. So, should adults be able to participate in nap time? Is it weird for adults to have a big birthday party every year? We asked them: Should adults have a big birthday party every year?