Walt Disney World will be having some changes when they reopen the Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Animal Kingdom on July 11th and EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios on July 15th. They have been posting updates to specific categories on their site HERE.

Included in those updates are changes to the Shopping experience, mostly involving exclusive merchandise and changes to pin trading.

Here’s their update on merchandise Locations:

“In select merchandise locations throughout Walt Disney World Resort, Guests will continue to discover favorite Disney items, with some modifications to the shopping experience that will help us manage capacity and foster physical distancing.”

• New Product Launches: New collection product launches and limited-edition merchandise will not be available for in-person purchases at Walt Disney World Resort until further notice. Guests can find these items on shopDisney, subject to availability.

This one we’ve been hearing was coming. I know a lot of people were hoping to be able to get items from the Minnie Mouse: The Main Attraction line in store or in the parks, to avoid the giant mess that is Shop Disney. Pins, collectibles, and other “limited” items keep getting sold out within minutes of launch only to end up on reselling locations like eBay. Disney has tried using waiting rooms, but then bot sites bragged the day before launch that they had the link to by-pass. While people were stuck in waiting rooms, the merchandise sold out.

Now Disney is postponing the launch of exclusives, like the Minnie Mouse: The Main Attraction line, likely in an attempt to find a way to stop, or slow the issues.

• Pin Trading: We will continue to offer Guests the opportunity to pin trade with Cast Members through the use of pin boards in select locations. Cast pin trading with lanyards will not be available at this time to maintain physical distancing. 

Good news! There will be pin trading. Previously we heard a rumor that it was going to be temporarily stopped due to the amount of physical contact involved. Disney is using their pin boards at select locations so pin trading can continue.

• Delivery Option: Package delivery to the front of our theme parks or to Disney Resort hotels will be suspended. However, shipping merchandise to Guests’ homes in the US will continue to be available. Certain restrictions apply.

Keep this in mind, for the time being, you can no longer buy merchandise and have it sent to your room or to the front of the park. I know a lot of us use this so we don’t have to carry around purchases, especially fragile or heavy purchases, while we visit the parks. You will now need to carry your purchases with you, so you might want to hold off until you are heading back to your resort hotel to purchase certain items.

• Dressing Rooms: For the time being, dressing rooms will not be available. 

We are seeing this in all the stores around here too. Due to the possible spread of COVID-19, dressing rooms are being shut down.

• Returns: In-person returns of merchandise will be permitted upon the reopening of our merchandise locations.

This is good news for those of you who have returns. Some retailers aren’t allowing returns due to the pandemic, but it’s good that Disney is.

There’s a look at some of the new rules that will temporarily be in place when the parks reopen.

What do you think? Comment and let us know!

Source: Walt Disney World