Flowers are blooming as the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival will be returning to Walt Disney World. Join Shannon, Peter, & Jake as they discuss this guest-favorite event coming back for 2021, the updated Disney Resort Hotel reopening schedule, 2021 DVC Member Annual Dues statements, share details on the new boarding group distribution times for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, and more.

DVC Newscast by My DVC Points Podcast was made possible through financial support from the DVC dream team:

DVC Resale Market - Industry Leader in DVC ResalesDVC Rental Store - DVC Point Rental and Swap PartnerMonera Financial - Exclusively Financing DVC ContractsPatreon supporters in the My DVC Points VIP Producer Club.

2021 DVC Member Annual Dues Statements Now Available

Mid-Friday afternoon, DVC Members began receiving their statements for the 2021 Annual Dues. During the Condo Association meeting, Members learned that the refunds to 2020’s dues would be reflected in the form of a credit to next year’s dues. Members have a few options for how they can pay for their dues: You can make a one-time Annual Dues payment using a credit card, a Disney Gift Card, or a Disney Rewards Redemption Card. Contracts enrolled in Auto-Pay can only receive partial payments by Disney Gift Card or Disney Rewards Redemption Card; or,  you can request Auto-Pay for your Annual Dues through automatic monthly debits from a US checking or savings account on either the 1st or 15th of each month.

Update on Walt Disney World Resort Hotel Reopenings

Disney has released an updated Resort Hotel reopening schedule. Previously with a February 9th reopening date, Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort has been pushed back to March 22nd, Disney’s Beach Club Resort will be reopening on May 30th, & Disney Wilderness Lodge is set to reopen on June 6th. While the DVC properties have been open since June 22nd, this indicates that the hotel portions of these two Deluxe Resorts will be reopening their rooms. As for the Value resorts, there are still options currently available as Disney’s Pop Century Resort & Disney’s Art of Animation are open and accepting reservations. 

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/experience-updates/resorts/

Epcot Flower & Garden Festival Returning in 2021

Back for 2021 is the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. This springtime event showcases several topiary displays featuring favorite Disney characters, exhibits, gardens, outdoor kitchens, and overall fun for all ages. The festival will take place from March 3rd through July 5th, following the Festival of the Arts, and a valid park ticket and Disney Park Pass reservation is required for admission. 

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/events-tours/epcot/epcot-international-flower-and-garden-festival/

Discounted Ticket Special for DVC Members

Beginning January 5th, 2021, DVC Members with a valid 4-night reservation can take advantage of two free days when purchasing a non-discounted 4-day ticket. This special offer is valid for arrivals through September 25th, 2021. Please note. This is a blue-card membership extras benefit. If they consider this a six-day ticket, you would have 9 days to use the tickets. However, if they consider this a four-day ticket with 2 bonus days, you would need to use the days before the 50th anniversary of WDW on October 1st.

Source: Disney Vacation Club https://disneyvacationclub.disney.go.com/discounts-perks-offers/special-offers/member-ticket-offer/ (Sign to DVCMember.com before clicking the link).

Adjustment to Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance's Boarding Group Distribution Times

Beginning December 20th, 2020, a slight adjustment to the virtual queue process for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios will take place. The 7:00 AM distribution will remain the same; however, the 2:00 PM time has now been changed to 1:00 PM. Boarding groups for

Buckle-up, because this was a big week for DVC News! Shannon, Peter, & Jake discuss the highlights from the annual Condo Association Meeting, 2022 Point Charts, and the Star Wars Rival Run Weekend transition to a virtual race.

DVC Newscast by My DVC Points Podcast was made possible through financial support from the DVC dream team:

DVC Resale Market - Industry Leader in DVC ResalesDVC Rental Store - DVC Point Rental and Swap PartnerMonera Financial - Exclusively Financing DVC ContractsPatreon supporters in the My DVC Points VIP Producer Club.

DVC Condo Association Meeting Recap

Members to Receive Credit for 2020 Annual Dues

Due to the extended closures of the DVC Resorts when the pandemic initially began, DVC has announced that Members will be receiving a credit towards their 2021 Annual Dues statements since the resorts collected more money than needed for operations. It is important to note that if you bought on the resale market or sold a contract in 2020, the Member who is the current owner at the time of the 2021 statement release will receive 100% of the credit. For those who bought directly through Disney, the credit will be prorated based on membership length. The following are the exact credit amounts, per point, as it varies from home resort: Aulani - $1.67​, Animal Kingdom Villas - $0.91​, Bay Lake Tower - $0.81​, Beach Club - $0.81​, BoardWalk -​ $0.70​, Boulder Ridge - $0.82​, Copper Creek - $0.87​, Grand Californian - $1.54​, Grand Floridian - $0.81,​ Hilton Head Island - $0.75​, Old Key West - $0.82,​ Polynesian - $0.68​, Riviera - $1.70​, Saratoga Springs - $0.86​, and Vero Beach - $0.25​.

Source: Disney Vacation Club Condo Association Meeting

Updated Resort Refurbishment Schedule

Also, during the meeting, an updated resort refurbishment schedule was released. In 2021, the Polynesian, Grand Floridian, & Aulani will all receive a minor refurbishment. In 2022, expect to see both Boulder Ridge & Hilton Head receive full refurbishments, as well as a minor one over at the Beach Club.

Source: Disney Vacation Club Condo Association Meeting

2022 Point Charts Released

Before the association meeting, DVC released their 2022 point charts for all resorts. Keeping up with the 2021 point charts theme, we saw increases in the fall months at Walt Disney World properties as the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival & Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party have been very popular for DVC Members during the last couple of years. On the contrary, summer months decreased and will require fewer vacation points per night than in years past to encourage travel throughout the year. To view the full point charts for each resort, visit https://disneyvacationclub.disney.go.com/vacation-planning/points-charts/ as well as the My DVC Points Resort Wiki, which has now been updated with the new point charts.

runDisney Star Wars Rival Run Weekend Virtual Transition

The 2021 Star Wars Rival Run Weekend has been transitioned to a virtual race. Registered runners will have the option of either keeping their registration and running the race virtual or receiving a full refund, similar to the Walt Disney World Marathon & Princess Half Marathon transitions. Those who decide to keep their registration will receive a partial refund as the price has been reduced. Those who did not sign-up initially will have the opportunity to register for the races and challenges on December 15th at 10 AM EST. runDisney has also announced that this will be the last year of the Rival Run, and the race weekend will be "reimagined” for 2022. More details on the re-theming and future runDisney race weekends will be announced at a later date.

Source: runDisney

https://www.rundisney.com/advisory/

Turf Club Lounge Reopens at Saratoga Springs

The Turf Club Lounge has now reopened at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa. While the main dining room for Turf Club remains closed, the loun

Peter & Jake discuss the plans for a Brightline Station coming to Disney Springs, Imagineer Joe Rohde's retirement from the Walt Disney Company, and small firework bursts are added to the holiday projection show on Cinderella Castle.

DVC Newscast by My DVC Points Podcast was made possible through financial support from the DVC dream team:

DVC Resale Market - Industry Leader in DVC ResalesDVC Rental Store - DVC Point Rental and Swap PartnerMonera Financial - Exclusively Financing DVC ContractsPatreon supporters in the My DVC Points VIP Producer Club.

Brightline Station Coming to Walt Disney World

Brightline and Walt Disney World Resort announced that they have entered into an agreement to build a train station at Disney Springs. The Brightline station will add a new travel option between Walt Disney World and Orlando International Airport. It will also connect guests from Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach and planned stations in Aventura, Boca Raton and PortMiami. Brightline’s expansion from West Palm Beach to the Orlando International Airport is slated to be completed in 2022. However, no date has been announced for when the Walt Disney World station will begin construction.

https://www.gobrightline.com/press-room/walt-disney-world-and-brightline-enter-agreement-regarding-brightline-station-disney

Walt Disney Imagineer Joe Rohde Announces Retirement

After 40 years with Walt Disney Imagineering, Joe Rohde has announced that he will be retiring on January 4th, 2021. Rohde had a very impressive resume as some of his highlights include working on the team who opened Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park, Pandora - The World of Avatar, Aulani, Adventurers Club, and Downtown Disney’s Pleasure Island. While the Disney community will definitely miss him as an Imagineer, he will be recognized as a legend who’s projects will bring enjoyment for years to come.

Small Fireworks Return to Magic Kingdom

During Thanksgiving week, Disney fans were surprised to see small firework bursts behind Cinderella Castle during the holiday projections. While it is nowhere near our normal Happily Ever After, it was nice to see a fan-favorite return, even if it is an abbreviated version. The bursts appear to be every 15 minutes when the Castle changes holiday sweaters and is expected to continue through December 31st.

Park Hours Extended for Select Dates in December 2020

Disney has recently released a new set of park hours for select dates during the month of December. Beginning December 20th, park hours hours have been extended at all four Walt Disney World theme parks and notably New Year's Eve at Magic Kingdom has been extended to 11:00 PM. As these hours are constantly changing, be sure to check https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/calendars/five-day/ regularly to stay up-to-date on the latest times.

My DVC Points is an awesome community of DVC members. Our positive, respectful, and authentic conversations about Disney Vacation Club are designed to help people make informed and educated decisions about what's best for their families. Please join us to continue our Facebook Group and YouTube channel conversations.

It takes an incredible community of DVC members to produce our content. We're always recruiting people to help research, produce, edit, or join our shows to share their stories. Thus far, we've had over 400 DVC members on our shows.

If our content has been a blessing to your family, please consider supporting our show through our VIP Producer's Club at Patreon.com and join us for the Patreon After-Party from our live shows.

Facebook admins and moderators of the My DVC Points Community Group: Sandy Symianick, Gina Grotsky, Shannon Ford, Caleb Allison, and Mary Anne Tracy. "Take Flight" music by Martinrowberry1 on Pond5.

Shannon, Pete, & Jake discuss the return of park hopping at Walt Disney World, the opening of the Grand Floridian walkway, Remy's Ratatouille Adventure, and new dining options becoming available. They also dive into the DVC's newest Cyber Sale for prospective and current Members looking to purchase or add-on.

DVC Newscast by My DVC Points Podcast was made possible through financial support from the DVC dream team:

DVC Resale Market - Industry Leader in DVC ResalesDVC Rental Store - DVC Point Rental and Swap PartnerMonera Financial - Exclusively Financing DVC ContractsPatreon supporters in the My DVC Points VIP Producer Club.

Park Hopping Set to Return on January 1st

Starting Jan. 1, 2021, guests purchased a ticket or annual pass to enter that first park before visiting another. Park Hopper hours will start at 2:00 PM each day and end at the park’s scheduled close time. At this time, a park reservation is not required after the first park; however, reservation requirements are subject to change. Guests will soon be able to check DisneyWorld.com/ParkHours and the My Disney Experience app for the most up-to-date Park Hopper hours, as they could start earlier at a later date, depending on the day and park.

Source: Disney Parks Blog

https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2020/11/park-hopper-option-returns-to-walt-disney-world-resort-starting-january-2021/

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa’s Walkway to Magic Kingdom Is Now Open

The walkway between Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and the Magic Kingdom is now open and available for use. The path is set up with fences and barriers along the edges and leads to the park entrance, where guests will pass through security before reaching the turnstiles. With this addition, the Grand Floridian now offers 3 different ways of getting to Magic Kingdom. 

Disney Vacation Club Holiday Offer & Cyber Savings

Disney Vacation Club has announced their Cyber Savings special where prospective Members can save up to $5,000.00 when they purchase by December 4th, 2020. For current Members looking to add-on direct, DVC is offering an additional $450.00 on top of the regular holiday savings from now through December 11th, 2020. For the full savings chart, refer to the following link: https://disneyvacationclub.disney.go.com/savings/

Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure Will Open in 2021

On Tuesday, November 17th, Josh D’Amaro confirmed that the brand-new trackless attraction in EPCOT’S France Pavilion, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, will be opening sometime 2021. At the time of this recording, no set date has been announced when the ride will open to the general public.

Source: Disney Parks Blog

https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2020/11/d23-fantastic-worlds-celebration-epcot-and-the-magic-of-possibility/

Additional Dining Options Coming Soon to Walt Disney World

Woody’s Lunch Box in Toy Story Land, The Crystal Palace on Main Street, USA, and the Tomorrowland Terrace in Tomorrowland have recently announced their reopening. Woody’s Lunch Box will be opening on November 25th and, while Winnie the Pooh and friends will not be initially present, The Crystal Palace will be opening on December 13th for a family-style dining experience with a variety of specialty entrees, and lastly the Tomorrowland Terrace will be opening on December 17th for quick-service dining. 

My DVC Points is an awesome community of DVC members. Our positive, respectful, and authentic conversations about Disney Vacation Club are designed to help people make informed and educated decisions about what's best for their families. Please join us to continue our Facebook Group and YouTube channel conversations.

It takes an incredible community of DVC members to produce our content. We're always recruiting people to help research, produce, edit, or join our shows to share their stories. Thus far, we've had over 400 DVC members on our shows.

DVC Newscast Episode 15 - DVC posted proposed dues for DVC members to see. Join the conversation lead by Peter and Jake as they cover the 2021 proposed dues and discuss the opening date for the Grand Californian resort.

DVC Newscast by My DVC Points Podcast was made possible through financial support from the DVC dream team:

DVC Resale Market - Industry Leader in DVC ResalesDVC Rental Store - DVC Point Rental and Swap PartnerMonera Financial - Exclusively Financing DVC ContractsPatreon supporters in the My DVC Points VIP Producer Club.

Proposed 2021 Annual Dues Have Been Released

On Monday, November 9th, Disney Vacation Club released their 2021 proposed annual dues for Members. In this release, we saw increases from 2020’s dues as low as 0.27% and as high as 11.24% with the median; however, staying around 4-5%. The following are the exact proposed dues, per point, for all of the DVC properties: Animal Kingdom Villas - $8.08, Aulani - $6.28 (subsidized) & $8.36, Bay Lake Tower - $6.90, Beach Club Villas - $7.44, Boardwalk Villas – $7.82, Boulder Ridge Villas - $8.11, Copper Creek Villas & Cabins - $7.60, The Villas at Grand Californian - $7.00, The Villas at Grand Floridian - $6.82, Hilton Head Island Resort - $9.98, Old Key West - $8.36, Polynesian Villas & Bungalows - $7.06, Riviera Resort - $8.39, Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa - $7.12, Vero Beach Resort - $8.39 (prior to 1/1/96) & $11.24 (on or post-1/1/96).1 The Disney Vacation Club Condominium Association Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, December 10th at Walt Disney World, where more details will be released and finalized.

1Source for Projected Annual Dues: Joe Wolfers Personal Research

The Villas at Disney’s Grand Californian Resort & Spa Set to Reopen on December 6th, 2020

Disney Vacation Club has announced that The Villas at Disney’s Grand Californian, currently DVC’s only Disneyland property, will be reopening on Sunday, December 6th, despite the theme park gates remaining closed. However, with the Downtown Disney District and Buena Vista Street expansion being open, this will likely be similar to how Walt Disney World opened its DVC properties before the theme parks. As for the annual dues, it has still not been revealed as to whether Grand Californian owners will be credited a portion of their 2020 annual dues or if no adjustments will be made at all.https://disneyvacationclub.disney.go.com/destinations/list/california/grand-californian-villas/

My DVC Points is an awesome community of DVC members. Our positive, respectful, and authentic conversations about Disney Vacation Club are designed to help people make informed and educated decisions about what's best for their families. Please join us to continue our Facebook Group and YouTube channel conversations.

It takes an incredible community of DVC members to produce our content. We're always recruiting people to help research, produce, edit, or join our shows to share their stories. Thus far, we've had over 400 DVC members on our shows.

If our content has been a blessing to your family, please consider supporting our show through our VIP Producer's Club at Patreon.com and join us for the Patreon After-Party from our live shows.

Facebook admins and moderators of the My DVC Points Community Group: Sandy Symianick, Gina Grotsky, Shannon Ford, Caleb Allison, and Mary Anne Tracy. "Take Flight" music by Martinrowberry1 on Pond5.

Shannon, Peter, and Jake cover new DVC incentives for the holiday season, recent glitches in the dining reservations, CDC updates on cruising again in 2021 and discuss the boat service back at the Polynesian resort.

DVC Newscast by My DVC Points Podcast was made possible through financial support from the DVC dream team:

DVC Resale Market - Industry Leader in DVC ResalesDVC Rental Store - DVC Point Rental and Swap PartnerMonera Financial - Exclusively Financing DVC ContractsPatreon supporters in the My DVC Points VIP Producer Club.

New DVC Member Holiday Incentives

Disney Vacation Club has announced its winter incentives for the holiday season.  You can find the full incentives chart here: https://disneyvacationclub.disney.go.com/savings/

Disney Cruise Line Cancels Remaining 2020 Sailings

Disney Cruise Line has canceled the remaining 2020 sailings. There was some hope that the holiday and New Year’s cruises would sail. Still, with the CDC recently lifting the order and many restrictions, including the requirement of mock cruises with health officials and volunteers, it could be a few months before paying guests will be on cruise ships. As of this recording, the next Disney Cruise scheduled and available for booking is for January 2nd, 2021, on the Disney Fantasy out of Port Canaveral, FL. 

Disney Dining Reservations Glitch

Recently, Disney Dining showed full availability at most restaurants, including popular ones like California Grill and Chef Mickey’s, leading to speculation that Disney has decided to increase capacity in these dining locations. Later in the day, we discovered it was a glitch. Due to capacity limits, Disney has canceled these new reservations made - including those originally booked and then modified to secure a different time. Disney has offered a $25 Disney gift card per reservation canceled as a gesture of goodwill. 

Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort to Resume Boat Launch Service

Due to construction in The Great Ceremonial House, which has led to no monorail service for the foreseeable future, the resort boats have now resumed service between Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Polynesian Resort only. They will operate 30 minutes before the park’s opening and 45 minutes after closing. They have also added the option of bus transportation from the resort to the Magic Kingdom as well, and as always, you can still walk over to the Transportation & Ticket Center to catch the monorail or ferry boat.  

My DVC Points is an awesome community of DVC members. Our positive, respectful, and authentic conversations about Disney Vacation Club are designed to help people make informed and educated decisions about what's best for their families. Please join us to continue our Facebook Group and YouTube channel conversations.

It takes an incredible community of DVC members to produce our content. We're always recruiting people to help research, produce, edit, or join our shows to share their stories. Thus far, we've had over 225 DVC members on our shows.

If our content has been a blessing to your family, please consider supporting our show through our VIP Producer's Club at Patreon.com and join us for the Patreon After-Party from our live shows.

Facebook admins and moderators of the My DVC Points Community Group: Sandy Symianick, Gina Grotsky, Shannon Ford, Caleb Allison, and Mary Anne Tracy. "Take Flight" music by Martinrowberry1 on Pond5.

Shannon and Pete welcome a new co-host Jake to the show, and Chad pops in for this episode. We discuss the minimum number of points new members must accumulate is 125 to unlock the membership extra's programs from DVC. We have some news from California that essentially states Disneyland won't reopen as a theme park for many months; however, Disney is opening DCA for shopping and restaurants as a trial. And finally, the team shares their thoughts on the friendship boats returning.

DVC Newscast by My DVC Points Podcast was made possible through financial support from the DVC dream team:

DVC Resale Market - Industry Leader in DVC ResalesDVC Rental Store - DVC Point Rental and Swap PartnerMonera Financial - Exclusively Financing DVC ContractsPatreon supporters in the My DVC Points VIP Producer Club.

DVC New Purchaser Minimum Raised to 125 Points

According to Disney Vacation Club’s website, 

“Effective October 19, 2020, to obtain a Disney Vacation Club Membership Card, Members must accumulate a total of at least 125 Vacation Points purchased directly from Disney Vacation Development, Inc.” DVC Member Website

If you’re a first-time buyer, you will now need 125 vacation points to qualify for Membership Extras, which includes access to the Epcot Member Lounge, Member-exclusive events, and the ability to trade your points for Disney Cruise Line and Adventures by Disney vacations.  

https://disneyvacationclub.disney.go.com/membership/costs/

DVC Shifts from Selling Active Inventory Properties to Sold Out Resorts.  We saw some $5 and $10 per point incentives on sold out  

Disneyland Reopening Update

After going back and forth with the State of California, the State released reopening guidelines for theme parks on Tuesday morning.  

According to California Health and Human Services, they must wait until their counties enter tier 4 ("minimum risk") with less than 1 case per 100,000 residents and a positivity rate under 2%. Currently, Orange County, where Disneyland is located, falls in the "substantial" risk tier (the second-worst of the four levels).

“We have proven that we can responsibly reopen, with science-based health and safety protocols strictly enforced at our theme park properties around the world. Nevertheless, the State of California continues to ignore this fact, instead of mandating arbitrary guidelines that it knows are unworkable and that hold us to a standard vastly different from other reopened businesses and state-operated facilities. Together with our labor unions, we want to get people back to work, but these State guidelines will keep us shuttered for the foreseeable future, forcing thousands more people out of work, leading to the inevitable closure of small family-owned businesses, and irreparably devastating the Anaheim/Southern California community.”Statement form Ken Potrock, VP of Disneyland Resort

Disney California Adventure’s Buena Vista Street Opening for Shopping & Dining Only

Disneyland’s California Adventure will be opening up Buena Vista Street as an expansion of the Downtown Disney District for shopping and dining purposes only in November - according to Disneyland officials. The following are the shopping and dining options in Buena Vista Street:

Dining

Carthay Circle LoungeFiddler, Fifer & Practical CafeSmokejumpers GrillTrolley Treats

Shopping

Elias & Co.Julius Katz & SonsKingswell Camera Shop

It has still not been confirmed whether Disneyland Park will be opening up Main Street, USA as part of the expansion.

Friendship Boats Resuming Crescent Lake Operations November 1st 

After nearly 8 months, the Friendship Boats on Crescent Lake will be resuming operations on November 1st. Friendship Boats offer service between the Epcot Resorts, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and International Gateway. 

The operating hours will be:

Hollywood Studios - 1 hour before open

Shannon and Pete cover the latest news for DVC members. Annual credit card payments can now be automated via credit card. Members booking Aulani during a closure have had their points extended until Feb 28, 2021. The creepy clown has been officially removed and dismantled at Boardwalk. Minivan service has been discontinued, and they cover an update on the reopening of Disneyland.

DVC Newscast by My DVC Points Podcast was made possible through financial support from the DVC dream team:

DVC Resale Market - Industry Leader in DVC ResalesDVC Rental Store - DVC Point Rental and Swap PartnerMonera Financial - Exclusively Financing DVC ContractsPatreon supporters in the My DVC Points VIP Producer Club.

Credit Card Auto Pay Option For Annual Dues Coming Soon

Next month, Disney Vacation Club will give owners a new option for pre-scheduling their Annual Dues payments.  DVC owners will soon be able to pay set up their annual dues to auto pay from a credit card.  While multiple options have always existed for paying the yearly obligation, pre-scheduling credit card payments is one alternative not previously offered. Owners will be able to enter their credit card information on the members-only website, and the fees will be charged in one lump sum on the due date.  Monthly payment options are also available. However, the payment must be debited from a US-based checking or savings account. The monthly bank debit option spreads the total year's dues over 12 equal installments with no additional fees. Disney Gift Cards and Chase Disney Visa Reward Points can also be used to pay member dues.  The new payment setup is expected to launch in November.

Aulani Points Extension

As Aulani, Disney Vacation Club Villas approaches its November 1, 2020 reopening, Disney Vacation Club has announced some flexibility for owners whose points were impacted by COVID-19.  Under the new guidelines revealed this week, previously banked Aulani points which are still available for use will be automatically extended through February 28, 2021. This provides owners with a 4-month window to use their points, during which rooms are likely to be available due to the continuing health crisis. 

Other points remain subject to normal usage guidelines, although DVC will reportely allow points to be banked beyond the normal deadline. Under standard rules, members must bank their points within the first 8 months of the Use Year. 

California Health Secretary States Disneyland Reopening Guidelines Will Be Released “When We’re Ready”, Orange County Still in Red Tier

Today, the California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly issued another COVID-19 update, reiterating that Orange County, which includes Anaheim and the Disneyland Resort, is still under a Red “Substantial” tier code. While not present at the update, Governor Gavin Newsom works directly with Dr. Ghaly in establishing reopening procedures for businesses across the state. Counties are assigned a color code based on case rates and positivity rates.

Dr. Ghaly reiterated that reopening dates and guidelines for theme parks “will come out when we’re ready.” “We will continue to lead with public health and look at our data …slow and stringent, moving forward,” the health secretary stated.

Creepy Clown Removed as Refurbishment Continues on Keister Coaster Waterslide at Disney’s BoardWalk Villas

As we discussed in the last episode, the Keister Coaster waterslide at Luna Park Pool in Disney’s BoardWalk Villas would be closing for refurbishment. The waterslide is notorious for its giant clown face, but it seems the clown face is no more. Luna Park Pool still remains accessible to Boardwalk Villas guests while the waterslide is closed. The waterslide is expected to reopen at the end of this month, though refurbishment will continue around Luna Park Pool in November.

Minnie Van S

Our new member education series continues in Episode 118. Brad and Chad discuss what makes DVC different from other timeshares. The flexibility of the point system and incredible strong demand to stay on property at Disney. This demand creates a huge resale and rental market.

Shannon and Pete cover an emotionally difficult episode. We're saying good-bye to many beloved cast members and yet some of them are coming back to work. Frozen Ever After and Aulani re-opens. Recreation cast members are brought back to work.

DVC Newscast by My DVC Points Podcast was made possible through financial support from the DVC dream team:

DVC Resale Market - Industry Leader in DVC ResalesDVC Rental Store - DVC Point Rental and Swap PartnerMonera Financial - Exclusively Financing DVC ContractsPatreon supporters in the My DVC Points VIP Producer Club.

Disney to lay off 28,000 theme park workers 

Statement from Disney Parks Chairman, Josh D’Amaro.

In light of the prolonged impact of COVID-19 on our business, including limited capacity due to physical distancing requirements and the continued uncertainty regarding the duration of the pandemic – exacerbated in California by the State’s unwillingness to lift restrictions that would allow Disneyland to reopen – we have made the very difficult decision to begin the process of reducing our workforce at our Parks, Experiences and Products segment at all levels, having kept non-working Cast Members on furlough since April, while paying healthcare benefits. Approximately 28,000 domestic employees will be affected, of which about 67% are part-time. We are talking with impacted employees as well as to the unions on next steps for union-represented Cast Members.

Over the past several months, we’ve been forced to make a number of necessary adjustments to our business, and as difficult as this decision is today, we believe that the steps we are taking will enable us to emerge a more effective and efficient operation when we return to normal. Our Cast Members have always been key to our success, playing a valued and important role in delivering a world-class experience, and we look forward to providing opportunities where we can for them to return.

An email was sent to all cast members shortly before the statement was released to the press.

Who has been affected so far?

• The Grand Floridian Society Orchestra • Yehaa Bob Jackson• Spirit of Aloha Cast• According to Gabrielle Russon of the Orlando Sentinel, in a notice to the state, Disney has specified that 6,700 Walt Disney World non-union employees will be laid off in December. Layoffs will begin starting December 4. Breakdown• According to the WARN notice that was filed with the state of California, 2,691 non-union Cast Members will be let go beginning December 4th.• Local 11 claim 950 Cast Members will be laid off in November (Disneyland)• Workers United Local 50 claim 2,500 members are expected to be laid off by November 1 (Disneyland)• 279 jobs at Disney Vacation Club • 411 Imagineers in Glendale, CA

Walt Disney World Recreation Cast Members Getting Recalled on October 3

With many Cast Members still on furlough, yet another wave is thankfully returning to work. Recreation Cast Members have been recalled and will be returning to their posts starting October 3.

Select recreation has returned to Walt Disney World already, but this will reopen a host of other activities, like boat rentals at resorts. Many of these will likely be reinstated with new health and safety protocols. We also know that fishing is one of the activities that will be returning to the resort.

Guests can choose from 2-hour and 4-hour excursions and may possibly be able to add an extra hour in-person depending on availability. Guests can call 407-WDW-BASS (939-2277) to book an excursion.

“For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration” Returning to Disney’s Hollywood Studios on October 5

From the Disney Parks Blog:

Beginning Monday, October 5, you can once again join Erik and Aria, the Royal Historians of Arendelle, for their comedic retelling of the unique story of their kingdom, filled with delightful, sing-along moments from Disney’s