Port Orleans News

Disney's new park-entry reservation system - allowing guests to choose admission to just one theme park per day - opens online on the My Disney Experience website (not the app) at 7am EDT on 22 June. Initially this will be for guests with existing Disney Resort hotel bookings, as long as they also have valid park admission passes linked to their account. [Update: it broke, many guests had to wait a few hours or more to get in]

On 26 June, Annual Passholders without hotel reservations will be able to start booking daily park admissions - but there is a limit of three booked dates to be held at any one time.

On 28 June, all other off-site guests with any other ticket type will be able to make reservations.

All of these bookings are subject to availability and the currently limited park capacities, and sadly we can expect some sort of reservation system to remain in place for the foreseeable future — perhaps even until September 2021.

Walt Disney World has announced their forthcoming re-opening plans for more Resort Hotels, but sadly it's not good news for Port Orleans fans. It was already known that the Fort Wilderness campground and the majority of the DVC Villas were due to open on 22 June, and now Pop Century and the Contemporary have been added for 10 July which coincides with the first theme park openings.

A number of other resorts now have staggered dates from then through to 14 October, presumably based on how levels of demand are expected to gradually increase. However the two Port Orleans resorts, the All Star resorts, Animal Kingdom Lodge and Wilderness Lodge do not have any reopening dates listed as yet, indicating that at this stage Disney do not expect to reopen them before Halloween at the earliest, and potentially into next year.

Guests with existing bookings for Port Orleans and the other currently-closed locations who still wish to continue with their planned visit to Walt Disney World will be relocated to other hotels, either at the same price level or as a free upgrade depending on availability.

Opening on 22 June:
Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village
Disney’s Beach Club Villas
Disney’s BoardWalk Villas
Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground
Disney’s Old Key West Resort
Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
Disney’s Riviera Resort
Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort
The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort

July 10: Disney's Pop Century Resort and Disney's Contemporary Resort
July 29: Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort
August 12: Disney's Polynesian Village Resort and Disney's Art of Animation Resort
August 24: Disney's Yacht Club Resort and Disney’s Beach Club Resort
September 21: Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
October 1: Disney's BoardWalk Inn
October 14: Disney's Coronado Springs Resort

On 27 May 2020, Disney submitted its proposals to the Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force for a gradual re-opening of the Walt Disney World theme parks. The intention is to reopen the Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom on 11 July, and Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios on 15 July.

There will be a lot of initial restrictions though, such as requirement for pre-booked entry slots for guests with existing bookings and for annual passholders, and a temporary block on any new bookings or ticket sales. The My Disney Experience app/website is not accepting any new reservations for FastPasses, ADRs, or imminent hotel bookings. There will also be many social distancing policies introduced, including no close-crowd generating activities such as fireworks, parades and character greetings. Face coverings will be required for cast members and all guests over 3 years old.

There is less detail on the hotels, but it looks as though they will be reopening in phases. starting with Fort Wilderness on 22 June.



For more information, see the Disney Parks Blog update.

Due to the current Coronavirus pandemic, there are currently no plans to resume any of the remaining room refurbishments during 2020. Disney is expecting that once the resorts do finally reopen there will be unprecedented demand as people try to re-book cancelled vacations, and they are intending to focus on making every possible room available to support guests making up for lost time.

Currently, all of the rooms at Port Orleans French Quarter have been recently refurbished, and the Alligator Bayou and regular Magnolia Bend mansion buildings were also completed in 2019. This just leaves Riverside's Royal Rooms - located in buildings 90 and 95 - which will retain their original decor for the time being until construction work re-commences sometime in 2021. We'll post further updates as information emerges.

During this unprecedented period of closure at Walt Disney World and the Resort Hotels, some of your favourite resort musicians have let us know that they plan to stream online video gigs for their fans direct from their homes. We may all be having to isolate ourselves from unnecessary physical contact, but that needn't mean missing out on the fun!

[Update] Several of these artists have also set up virtual 'Tip Jars' via PayPal, allowing viewers to contribute in much the same way as you might in person at their live gigs. If you enjoy their shows, please consider supporting the time and effort that they are putting in to help keep us all entertained during this difficult time for everybody.

"Ye Haa" Bob Jackson (popular nighttime piano entertainer at the River Roost Lounge for the past 23 years) will be streaming his first live gig from home tonight, Sunday 22nd March starting at 6pm EST. [Update: and the following Sundays at 6pm too]

Jason and Billy (members of the popular band Off Kilter, and Scat Cat's Club entertainers from 2016 until the recent 2019 location refurb) will be live-streaming a show via the internet on Friday 27 March from 7:30pm - 9:30pm EST. Please join in and support them, see you 'there'. [Update: Further shows on Sunday afternoons, 3pm - 5pm EST]

Greg Hayworth (ex Mulch, Sweat and Shears, and also a regular guest at Scat Cat's Club over the past few years) and his wife played an online request session from beside their swimming pool last night, and they plan more 'Sunset Sessions' each Wednesday at 7pm.


For more information, and to watch the live shows, please follow their Facebook Pages and join in with the live chats to request your favourite songs:

• "Ye Haa" Bob Jackson - Sunday nights at 6pm ET - https://www.facebook.com/yehaabob - (PayPal Tip Jar)
• Jason Thomas and Billy Varnes - Sunday afternoons at 3pm ET - https://www.facebook.com/JasonandBilly - (PayPal Tip Jar)
• Greg Hayworth - Sunset Sessions, Wednesday & Saturday at 7pm ET - https://www.facebook.com/hayworthmusic7 - (PayPal Tip Jar)