Walt Disney World Hotels and Disney Springs Locations to Close Due to COVID-19 Precautions

UPDATE 5/07/2020 On May 20, Disney Springs will begin a phased reopening. Following the guidance of government and health officials, some Disney Springs venues will open during this initial phase with a limited number of shopping and dining experiences. More info

UPDATE 3/27/2020 5:40 PM: Walt Disney World Resort, including all theme parks, hotels, and Disney Springs will remain closed until further notice.


The Walt Disney Company has announced plans to close all of their Florida-based resorts and hotels by Friday, March 20th at 5:00 PM. They will also be closing any Disney-operated Disney Springs locations beginning Tuesday, March 17th.

This comes on the heals of all Walt Disney World theme parks, water parks, and the ESPN sports complex closing today for the remainder of the month. While Disney is closing these locations out of an abundance of caution, and has only only scheduled the closures through the end of March, they also make mention that they are following state and federal guidelines, therefore this closure period could change going forward. Learn more about these closures and procedures below.

For more information on theme park closures, please see our previous article here. The following contains officially released details and frequently asked questions related to Walt Disney World resort and experience closures, transportation changes, and Disney Springs closures.

Disney Resorts in Florida

Disney owned-and-operated hotels at Walt Disney World Resort and Disney’s Vero Beach Resort will close beginning at 5:00 PM on Friday, March 20 through the end of the month. This will give Guests the ability to make other arrangements.

Disney’s Magical Express will continue transfers to and from Orlando International Airport through Friday, March 20.

Character dining and dinner shows at Disney Resort hotel locations may have modified experiences and Characters present from March 16 through the morning of March 20.

The Electrical Water Pageant around Magic Kingdom area Disney Resort hotels is temporarily cancelled.

The following Disney Resort hotel offerings have temporarily suspended services:
• Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
• All Spa and Salon locations
• Character Couture services at Salon locations

Resort Cancellations, Refunds and Modifications

Guests who have not checked in for stays between March 16, 2020 through March 31, 2020 may modify or cancel their Disney Resort room reservation or Walt Disney Travel Company package up to their original check-in date. If no action is taken and Guests have not checked in, Disney will automatically process a refund to the original form of payment within 7 days of the original check-in date. If you did not book through Disney directly, please contact your travel professional. Disney will waive all Disney-imposed change and cancellation fees up to the date of check-in through June 30, 2020. More details can be found here.



Disney Springs Closures

At Disney Springs, all Disney owned-and-operated locations will be closing beginning Tuesday, March 17 through the end of the month. Select restaurants and retail locations at Disney Springs may remain open and Guests should call the location they wish to visit for operating hours.

Please be aware of the following exceptions for Monday, March 16:
• Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at Disney Springs is temporarily closed.
• Specific locations and operating hours are subject to change.
• Character appearances, interactions and entertainment at Disney Springs are also subject to change.


Disney Transportation

All Disney transportation will be suspended beginning the morning of Wednesday, March 18, 2020 through the end of the month.

Disney’s Magical Express will continue transfers to and from Orlando International Airport through Friday, March 20.



Other Experiences

ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex and miniature golf locations at Walt Disney World Resort are closed from March 16 through March 31.

Any experiences occurring near or adjacent to the theme parks will automatically be cancelled and refunded, including fireworks cruises and special dining events, that will not take place during the parks closure. Most Guests with impacted reservations will be notified directly.

The following experiences are temporarily cancelled:
All fireworks cruises
Highway in the Sky Dine Around
Pirates & Pals Fireworks Dessert Voyage
Ferrytale Fireworks: A Sparkling Dessert Cruise
Celebration at the Top – Savor, Sip, and Sparkle
Day Cruise Around the World
Disney Vacation Club Seven Seas Tasting Cruise
Grand 1 Yacht Rentals

Golf and FootGolf operations remain available on their regular schedule.


Further Information

For more information on theme park closures, please see our previous article here.

These efforts are being made to help protect guests and employees from the spread of Coronavirus. As this is an evolving situation, this post may be updated as closure dates or details may change. Look for updates at the top of the post. The CDC recommends that you avoid close contact with others, wash your hands often, and avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands to help prevent the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). Learn more information here.


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