Shannon and Pete discuss the refurbishment scheduled for the Keister Coaster (affectionately known as the Creepy Clown Slide at BoardWalk), visibility to transferred and one-time use points when booking a stay, changes to park hours on weekends, and the latest news in the DVC Community.

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Disney Waterparks Will Return in March of 2021

Disney fans finally received some long-desired clarification about the return of currently closed waterparks. When the pandemic reached Walt Disney World in mid-March, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon and Disney’s Blizzard Beach shut down along with the rest of the campus.

Since then, Disney Vacation Club members with Platinum Plus Passes have looked on in confusion as Volcano Bay has reopened at Universal Orlando Resort. That waterpark returned during the first week of June. Yet, here we are in late September, and Disney’s waterparks remain closed.

This past week, park officials revealed a plan to reopen one of the waterparks on March 7, 2021. The company didn’t indicate which of Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach will return. Also, Disney firmly stated that these plans are tenuous. The decision presumably depends on the outbreak status in Florida in the first quarter of 2021.

About Platinum Plus Passes…

Some of you with Platinum Plus Passes may feel frustration over this announcement. After all, your annual passes include waterpark and ESPN Wide World of Sports access. Both appear likely to remain closed until March of 2021.

Well, Disney has proactively announced that refunds are coming. The company will send lump-sum refunds to affected passholders. You should receive them in late-October or November. You’ll receive a lump-sum whether you pay once a year or monthly.

Also, if your Platinum Plus Pass is still active when a waterpark reopens, you’ll still receive free admission until the pass’s current expiration date.

So, Disney has treated its passholders more than fairly in addressing the extended closures. Presuming this plan holds, one Disney waterpark will remain closed for 51 weeks. The other will close for more than a year.

Big News at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge

Quick, what’s the most glaring oversight on the Mobile Ordering service? I feel it’s the lack of Table Service options on the Mobile Ordering system. Until this week, no sit-down restaurants participated in the program.

Thankfully, Disney has introduced Table Service To Go at one of its restaurants. Guests and visitors at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge – Kidani Village can order a meal to go from Sanaa.

Here’s how the new system works. You’ll pull up My Disney Experience on your phone. Then, you’ll hit the plus sign on the bottom of your phone. It’s the middle option of five buttons, to the left of the search option.

A series of four new options will display on your phone. You want the one that says Order Food. Disney populates the next page based on your location. So, if you’re at Kidani Village, your first menu choice should be Sanaa.

From that point, you’ll choose your Arrival Window. Afterward, a screen will notify you that you’re ordering Table Service To Go.

The one thing to understand is that Disney chefs cook each meal to order. You want that because it guarantees freshness and accuracy. However, this approach means that you’ll wait as long when ordering Sanaa to go as you would by dining at the restaurant.

Importantly, this option is currently available for lunch and dinner service but not breakfast. You’ll then add items and customize just like you usually would for a Quick Service Mobile Ordering meal.

Keister Coaster Waterslide Closi