WDW Daily News

Disney has released a statement in regards to the 2021 Walt Disney World Marathon:

By: Disney DestinationsSeptember 22, 2020

During this unusual time, race organizers around the world continue to pause on hosting in-person race events that draw large crowds. As we look at the 2021 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend and 2021 Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend, we will convert both of these races to virtual events, similar to our offering for the 2020 Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend.  

While we share our Guests’ disappointment that we will not be running together in person, we have based this decision on the unique circumstances of hosting a road race experience on this scale under the current environment.

Participants who registered through runDisney.com will have the option of receiving a full refund for the race. Those who are registered with a U.S. mailing address may convert their existing registration to the new virtual event that can be completed from home, a local running track or favorite running trail. 

Eligible runners who participate in the virtual race will receive a medal for each distance they complete and the option of a race shirt, in addition to the satisfaction of completing the race they’ve trained for. Registered participants will receive an email beginning September 23 with instructions on how to make their registration selection before October 7, 2020.

For those who would still like to register for the 2021 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend and 2021 Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend virtual events, we will open additional registration opportunities on a limited basis on Thursday, September 24 at 10 a.m.These race events may be completed from home, a local running track or favorite running trail.

Participants who’ve booked through a charity or tour operator should reach out directly to that organization. 

2021 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend and Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend Refund Option

Runners registered for the 2021 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend and Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend at Walt Disney World Resort who select the refund option will receive a refund back to their original form of payment for the following. If a Guest no longer has their original form of payment used when registering, they may contact runDisney by October 7, 2021 to receive a refund via check or a Digital Disney Gift Card for the following:

• Race registrations (Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K, 5K, Challenges and Kids Races)
• Commemorative merchandise (automatic refund – no virtual option)
• Processing fee

Additionally, any registered participant with a shipping address outside of the U.S. will automatically receive a refund back to their original form of payment. At this time, only participants with a valid U.S. shipping address are eligible for the virtual option.

Refund timing:
Refunds from runDisney can be expected to be processed by mid-November 2020. If your clients haven’t received a refund by then, please visit the “contact us” section on runDisney.com.

2021 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend and Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend Virtual Race Options

All registered participants with a valid U.S. shipping address for the 2021 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend or Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend at Walt Disney World Resort who purchased their registrations on runDisney.com will have the option to participate in a virtual race. Please note PO Boxes and APO Boxes are not considered valid shipping addresses for this purpose. Participants who select this option will receive the following based on their registration(s):

• Race distance medal(s)
• Option of event tech shirt(s)
• Digital Bib and finisher certificate
• Digital Toolkit including start/finish line and mile markers
• Digital Goody Bag
• Virtual playlist
• A Digital Disney Gift Card for select races 

Guests with a U.S. mailing address who already have received a refund for their registration may still register to participate in the virtual race option by registering at runDisney.com beginning September 24, 2020.

Digital Disney Gift Cards for select races:
Eligible athletes registered for select events during the 2021 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend or Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend at Walt Disney World Resort will receive a Digital Disney Gift Card:

• Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K, 5K, Challenge 

Digital Disney Gift Card timing:
Digital Disney Gift Cards from runDisney can be expected to be processed by mid-November 2020. If you haven’t received your Digital Disney Gift Card by then, please visit the “contact us” section on runDisney.com.

Charitable donations

Donations made to Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals will not be refunded and will be delivered to those organizations as originally planned. 

Castaway Cay Challenge

The 2021 Castaway Cay Challenge will transition to a virtual event. However, the January 11, 2021 Disney Dream cruise is currently still scheduled to sail. 

Future Races:

We’re looking at every aspect of the runDisney experience and making decisions with the safety and well-being of our athletes, volunteers, Cast Members and Guests at the forefront of our planning. At this time, we have no updates regarding future runDisney events. We thank you for your continued patience and understanding.

Disney World may have scaled back its September hours, but the company’s Florida theme parks will temporarily expand their hours for the holidays, lengthening the days at Magic Kingdom and Epcot for the first week of December.

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Whether grabbing a quick meal on the go or sitting down to celebrate with family and friends, there’s nothing like dining at Walt Disney World Resort. We’re excited to share that even more magic, including expanded mobile order service options and the ability to check-in for reservations on your personal device, are now available in the My Disney Experience app. This is all to help guests make the most of their day while keeping health and safety top of mind.

Here’s some more information on what to expect:

• Mobile Order Service is expanding to select table-service restaurants.

Disney is now offering even more ways to use our mobile order service, recently expanding it to include to go orders from Sanaa at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village. Allowing Disney Resort hotel guests to place a to go order from a selection of items on the table-service menu inside the restaurant and pick up their food to enjoy at their resort hotel, the service will soon grow to include other select Disney Resort hotel table-service restaurants. Be sure to stay tuned and check the app for the most up-to-date list of participating locations.

• Mobile Order Service is now available in even more quick-service locations. 

They’ve also brought the mobile order service to additional quick-service restaurants – The Market at Ale & Compass at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, P & J’s Southern Takeout at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and the BoardWalk Bakery and Pizza Window at Disney’s BoardWalk – and plan to expand to even more locations soon, making it even easier for the whole family to grab a quick bite on the go.

• Mobile dining check-in and walk-up list service 

Launched this summer, guests can now check-in for dining, view current availability and wait times, and add themselves to a waitlist at participating table-service restaurants through the My Disney Experience app. 

These latest enhancements are designed to help guests maximize vacation time and minimize contact between cast members and guests. 

Available for iPhone® and Android^TM smartphones.

Message, data and roaming rates may apply. Availability subject to handset limitations, and features may vary by handset, service provider or otherwise. Coverage and app stores not available everywhere. If you’re under 18, get your parents’ permission first. Some app features require separate theme park admission.

Here is the statement from Disney:

With a phased approach to reopening, we have continued to welcome Guests and Cast Members back to our theme parks, Disney Resort hotels and Disney Springs area. While Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park and Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park remain closed at this time, pending state and local government approvals, we currently plan to reopen one of the two Disney water parks on March 7, 2021. We may adjust our proposed reopening date, and if that happens, we will let you know what to expect in a future update.

Like the other areas of Walt Disney World Resort, we will welcome back Guests and Cast Members to our water parks in a responsible way, with a plan focused on health and well-being. We will provide more details on our phased reopening plan, including a decision on the specific water park that will be reopening first, at a later time. 

We realize that some Guests with existing tickets and some Annual Passholders are impacted by this update. We are offering options to Guests with an existing Premier Passport, Platinum Plus Pass, Water Parks Annual Pass, Water Parks After 2 Annual Pass or tickets that include the Park Hopper Plus Option or Water Park and Sports Option.

TICKET ADD-ONS
If you have a ticket that includes the Park Hopper Plus Option or Water Park & Sports Option, we are offering options including:

• Keep: You may use your current date-based ticket with the existing add-on options at other experiences available during their visit.
• Modify: Tickets, as well as Disney Resort hotel packages with tickets, may be modified. To discuss the options, please call the Disney Reservation Center.
• Cancel: If you do not want to use your ticket, you also have the option of cancelling the ticket or package. To discuss the options, please call the Disney Reservation Center.

At this time, Guests can purchase new tickets that include the Park Hopper Plus Option or Water Park and Sports Option for admission March 7 and later. We will resume sales of Water Park annual passes and 1-Day Water Park Tickets at a later date. 

WATER PARK TICKETS
We will automatically extend unused, unexpired 1-Day Disney Water Park tickets through Dec. 31, 2021. As an alternative, Guests may instead choose to cancel their ticket. To discuss the options, please call the Disney Reservation Center. Also, if you are unable to visit by Dec. 31, 2021, you may apply the value of a wholly unused ticket toward the purchase of a ticket for a future date.

WATER PARK ANNUAL PASSES
Water Parks and Water Parks After 2 annual passes will be automatically extended for the period in which both water parks were closed. As an alternative, water park Passholders may instead choose to cancel their pass. To choose this option, please call (407) 939-2732.

The Magic Kingdom Park skyline looks a bit different today now that the crew from Walt Disney Imagineering has reached a major milestone in the development of TRON Lightcycle / Run at Walt Disney World Resort. Here you can see this image of the first piece of canopy being installed in what will become an instant iconic attraction and portal to The Grid here in Tomorrowland.

This is the first of nearly 40 pieces that will create a dramatic “curved wave” canopy, known as the Upload Conduit. Each section is strategically preassembled before installation, including alignment of the steel, welding, grinding, some painting and electrical work. It’s an intricate process and work will continue on this over the coming weeks and months. You can take a closer look at the work that took place this week in this new video:

This canopy will be a massive, awe-inspiring structure flowing organically over guests when they race beneath it aboard a Lightcycle, serving as a digital bridge for their transition into The Grid. As the Lightcycles whiz by, dynamic stripes of lights will follow along the canopy, creating a powerful visual for riders and bystanders alike. And, it will be spectacular at night.

This attraction will be an amazing new addition to the Walt Disney World coaster family.

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and Halloween Horror Nights have been canceled this year, but this doesn’t mean that Central Florida resorts aren’t cashing in on the season.

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Dreaming about a trip to the Walt Disney World Resort, but you want to know when the parades and fireworks will return before you book?

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Disney still sees the new “Star Wars” hotel as a priority for the company in the near future, despite the coronavirus pandemic causing delays for other attractions and developments, The Orlando Sentinel reports.

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We recently told you about some of the fall fun coming September 15 – October 31 to Magic Kingdom Park, and today we’re excited to share more details about seasonal entertainment experiences headed your way!

Throughout the day, special Halloween cavalcades will pop up on the parade route and head down Main Street, U.S.A. Guests could come across Mickey Mouse and his pals, all dressed up for the occasion in Boo-tiful Halloween costumes. On select days, they may even encounter a cavalcade of Disney Villains – from Gaston and Maleficent to Queen of Hearts and Jafar – creeping down the path, or a nightmarish procession featuring the Pumpkin King himself, Jack Skellington! 

As another special treat for the Halloween season, we are thrilled (and chilled!) to welcome the iconic Dapper Dans back to Magic Kingdom Park, beginning September 20, performing as their undead alter egos The Cadaver Dans. Guests will be enchanted by a cappella performances from the Cadaver Dans when they emerge from their tombs.

The Halloween spirit is also in the air over at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, where Minnie’s Halloween Dine is set to return to Hollywood & Vine, beginning September 25. A monster feast will be served to Guests’ tables, and favorite Disney friends will make special appearances in the restaurant. Guests can wave and snap photos of Minnie Mouse dressed as a happy witch. Goofy is coming as a spooky cowboy, with Mickey Mouse as a funny vampire, and his best pal, Pluto, gets into the act wearing a cute Halloween collar.