There was A LOT of news about Disney World last night! And with huge updates like the suspension of FastPass+, the cancellation of all Disney Dining Plans and dining reservations, and details about the new reservation system for park entry, some of the other new info has gone relatively unnoticed!

Here are the Disney World announcements you might have missed!

All Experience Bookings Have Also Been Canceled

In addition to FastPass+ and dining reservations, Disney World also announced that all experience bookings such as behind-the-scenes tours have also been canceled. 

According to Disney, these experiences were canceled in order to promote social distancing among guests. We reached out to Disney and at this time they are not providing information regarding which behind-the-scenes tours and experiences are being canceled. They did however inform us that Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party tickets are valid at this time.

Click here to read our update regarding Mickey’s Not-S0-Scary Halloween Party! 

Updates to the Dining and Experience Booking Window

Also, while all Disney dining and experience reservations are canceled, there will be changes implemented when guests are able to book again. When reservations resume, guests will be able to book dining and experience reservations up to 60 days in advance.

The shortened booking window will allow guests to make their plans closer to the date of their trip. We know that this can really put a damper on plans, especially if you already had dining reservations or like to plan ahead. As more information is shared regarding this new reservation window, we will be sure to give you all the details!

Click here to read more about the cancellation of Disney Dining Plans and dining reservations.

Park Hopper Add-Ons Will NOT Be Automatically Refunded

At this time, park-hopper add-ons will NOT be automatically refunded. According to a Cast Member we spoke with, “It will not happen automatically do to the fact that we currently do not have information on if our Guests will be able to park hop.” Keep in mind, this was what we heard this from one Guest Relations Cast Member and could possibly change. Disney has not shared specific information on if guests will have the ability to park hop or not at this time.

Guests who are interested in changing their tickets may call the Ticket Services department at (407) 566-4985.

Click here to learn more about the Disney World park reservation system.

While dining, FastPass+, and park reservations have received most of the attention since last night’s announcements, these are a few of the other changes that you may have missed! We’ll continue to be on the lookout for more information regarding the reopening of the parks and keep you informed with any updates.

Click here to learn about the updates to the Disney World mask policy.

Do you have a Disney World trip planned this year? Let us know in the comments.

The World of Disney in Disney Springs is taking you back to the Pleasure Island days with a new hat!

Whether your spot was The Adventurers Club, Mannequins, or maybe even 8TRAX, you can declare your love for the clubs that made up what was once Pleasure Island (in what was once Downtown Disney but is now Disney Springs ) with this topper.

We’re goin’ back in THE DAY with this one!

We found this item at the newly reopened (as of Wednesday) World of Disney store in Disney Springs for $27.99.

And before we sign off, please join us in that classic greeting from The Adventurers Club — even though we’re saying “See you real soon,” for now…

“KUNGALOOSH!”

Will you be donning the Pleasure Island hat? Please let us know with a comment!

Happy Friday, friends! You made it through another LONG week!

And we think you deserve a special TREAT! Let’s head to Sprinkles in Disney Springs to do a little caloric “banking!”

Sprinkles announced yesterday they would be reopening their Disney Springs location today but there’s a catch — they aren’t allowing walk-ins right now, which means you have to order your cupcakes in advance! (All of this is easy enough to do on their website, btw!)

But don’t worry if you lack cupcake foresight — there’s a delicious and easy solution: use the Sprinkles Cupcake ATM! This wonderful piece of machinery works just like a regular ATM, but instead of dispensing moola, it dishes out Sprinkles Cupcakes!

Just place your order on the touchscreen, swipe your payment, and VOILA! A perfect little brown package magically appears in the window!

See photos of what it’s like to dine at Disney Springs right now here!

And what’s inside this mystery box, you ask? Why, a Sprinkles Cupcake, of course! Delivered right to you WITHOUT ever having to ever step foot inside the store!

The cupcake flavor we picked up today is called Funfetti! Gee, we wonder why?

JK — it’s pretty obvious! Check out what this fun guy’s got goin’ on with his frosting and all those rainbow-colored sprinkles!

Wanna pig out with us? Check out The Polite Pig’s new snack HERE!

Its flavors are truly CLASSIC! While we always appreciate Sprinkles’ more off-the-wall flavors like Flamin’ Hot Cheetos or Watermelon Mojito Cupcakes, this one simply reminds us of a nice, thick slab of yellow birthday cake! Plus the sweet, rich buttercream was super YUMMY!

You can access the Cupcake ATM while the shop is open and their cupcakes cost $4.95 to $5.95 depending on which flavor you get! Not sure about you, but we’ll be making A LOT more of these transactions in the months to come!

Check out some of the other snacks we’ve been FEASTING on at Disney Springs this week here!

Have you ever used the Cupcake ATM at Sprinkles? Let us know what you got in the comments below!

Moments ago we shared with you the news that Disney World launched a new Annual Passholder webpage with new information on the reservation system.

There was another HUGE bit of information on this page that we thought we’d share. While Disney mentioned “soft openings” in their proposal, they did not specify who would have early access to the parks.

Now, on this page, Disney World has confirmed Annual Passholders will receive early admittance to the Disney World theme PARKS. The website states, “As we prepare for the reopening of the parks, we’re planning a special preview opportunity for Annual Passholders. We look forward to sharing details with you soon.“

 

Now that Universal Studios has begun to allow its Annual Passholders to preview the theme parks early, it appears Disney World has announced a similar plan for its APs.

In fact, a few of our team members with Annual Passes received an email which states, “We truly value the role our Passholders play in making the Walt Disney World Resort experience so magical. And as our re-opening progresses, we are planning a special Passholder preview opportunity to access the magic.”

Those are all the details we have so far, but we’ll be sure to let you know when and how you can reserve your spot when the time comes so you can start planning!

Are you an Annual Passholder? Let us know if you’ll be attending the preview in the comments below!

In yesterday’s column, thanks to some incredible aerial photos taken during Walt Disney World‘s temporary closure, we virtually zoomed over the Disney Skyliner station at Caribbean Beach Resort to get a peek at the gondolas in their storage area. Today, I thought it’d be fun to virtually swing by Disney’s Animal Kingdom for a look at what’s taking place on the Kilimanjaro Safaris savanna during the closure. Here we go!

I just love the fact that, even though the parks are closed and guests aren’t being shuttled around the savanna, life goes on. It’s been fun to follow along during the closure as news has broken regarding the birth of several animal babies. I mean, we’re all better for knowing that a baby porcupine is called a porcupette, aren’t we? And who knew that brand-new porcupines were so incredibly cute?

In the photo above, we can see a giraffe going about his or her daily life. This portion of the safari always makes me catch my breath. The safari vehicle rounds the corner, and, if you’re lucky, you’re staring right at a majestic giraffe.

And sometimes, that giraffe will have a few family members tagging along. It never ceases to amaze me that we get to see these creatures from such a close vantage point.

In the aerial shots, you can see the design work that went into planning the savanna. The natural-appearing rock borders and food distribution spots all look so interesting from this view. And it’s amazing how very small the giraffe appears.

In the picture above, we see an Ankole cattle grazing near the safaris’ central baobab tree. I wonder what the animals are thinking right about now without all of us bouncing along in our safari vehicles.

This wider shot shows an elephant near a watering hole, and another near an outcropping of trees. I just love how serene everything looks in these pictures. An Ankole cattle can be seen near the bottom of the photo. There’s a group of animals at the very bottom of the picture, and I’m wondering if it’s a group of Waterbuck or Greater kudu. If you know, please leave word in the comments section below. Thanks!

The safari vehicles are parked in rows in a backstage area at Animal Kingdom as they await the July 11th reopening of the park.

Is a visit to Kilimanjaro Safaris a must-do during your day at Animal Kingdom?

Aerial photos: Jonathan M. Salazar