June 2020 Archives - On the Go in MCO

On the Go in the Parks: June 26-28

On the Go in the Parks June 26 to 28 2020

Don’t forget to tune in to News 96.5 at 6:38pm ET tonight to hear me take about all this and more on Orlando’s Evening News with Tony Marino!

If you are looking to get out of the house for some fresh air there are plenty of options for you this weekend!

Just make sure to grab your mask before you head out!

What’s New this Weekend On the Go in the Parks

How to Prepare for the Park Pass System at Walt Disney World

Walt Disney World Park Pass Reservations

The Walt Disney World Park Pass system is now open for Annual Passholders to make reservations, and on June 28th the system will open for all theme park ticket holders.

Fun to Experience as You’re On the Go in the Parks

The park has several guest requirements in place, and the biggest one is that you must have a reservation to visit the park.

Each park has its own reservation page:

SeaWorld Orlando

10am – 6pm

The park is open 5 days a week, and closed on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the month of June.

Aquatica

10am – 5pm

The park is open 5 days a week, and closed on Mondays and Wednesdays in the month of June.

Discovery Cove

7:30am – 5:30pm

The park is open 4 days a week, and closed on Tuesday to Thursday in the month of June.

Disney Springs

10am – 10pm

The Disney owned locations are now open!!! This includes Goofy’s Candy Company, Disney’s Days of Christmas, and the small kiddie rides…which ironically are the only Disney attractions operating in North America…crazy!!!!

Universal Orlando Resort Globe Wizarding World of Harry Potter Diagon Alley Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts Universal Orlando Resort

Universal Studios Florida

9am – 7pm

Universal’s Islands of Adventure

9am – 7pm

Volcano Bay

10am – 6pm

Universal Orlando Resort CityWalk Reopening

Universal Orlando’s CityWalk

8am – 11pm

LEGO Movie World News — Photo: LEGOLAND Florida Resort

LEGOLAND Florida

Let’s take a look at the other attractions open around Orlando!

10am – 5pm

Madame Tussaud’s Orlando

ICON Park Orlando

Wednesday – Thursday: 11am – 5pm

Friday – Sunday: 11am – 6pm

Closed Monday – Tuesday

ICON Wheel

Wednesday, Thursday, & Sunday: 1pm – 9pm

Friday & Saturday: 1pm-10

SEALIFE Orlando

Wednesday – Thursday: 11am – 5pm

Friday – Sunday: 11am – 6pm

Closed Monday – Tuesday

Gatorland Orlando

14501 S Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, FL 32837

10am – 5pm Daily

Fun Spot America reopening On the GO in the Parks

Fun Spot Orlando

5700 Fun Spot Way, Orlando FL 32819

Noon – 10pm

Masks are now required at this Fun Spot Orlando location

Fun Spot Kissimmee

2850 Florida Plaza Blvd, Kissimmee, FL 34746

Noon – 10pm

Please note that local ordinance requires face masks be worn at our Kissimmee location. We recommend you bring your own.

Island H2O

Sunset Walk

Saturday thru Monday: 10am – 5pm

You can find more information about theme park news and tips by subscribing to our YouTube Channel and following @onthegoinmco on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Join the Nationwide Virtual Solarbration Saturday

Seminole State College of Florida Planetarium — Seminole State College: Emil Buehler Perpetual Trust Planetarium

One trip around the cosmos is never enough, that’s why the Emil Buehler Perpetual Trust Planetarium at Seminole State College of Florida is teaming up with astronomers and planetariums from all over the country to host a Solarbration.

Telescopes from the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, the Central Florida Astronomical Society, the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association and the Feynman Observatory will all point to the sky on Saturday, June 20, 2020, at 10:30 a.m. EDT. From YouTube Live, everyone will focus on the brightest star in the sky: the sun.

The nationwide live-streaming party is in honor of International SUNday, an annual event held on the Sunday nearest to the summer solstice with the goal of bringing together a wide array of experts and equipment from different locations.

Emil Buehler Perpetual Trust Planetarium at Seminole State College of Florida Solarbration — Derek Demeter, Director Emil Buehler Planetarium

Planetarium Manager Derek Demeter tells us, “the sun is our most important star in the sky. It gives us life on Earth and what better way to celebrate it than showing our guests an amazing view through the telescope. We will be able to look at large plumes of gas shooting off the sun, the boiling of its surface, sunspots and so much more! Our star is like a living breathing organism, constantly changing.”

Whoever attends this amazing event will not only learn a lot but see a lot as well.

“Solarbration guests will have the opportunity to see the sun through different telescopes and filters, and to also see the sun in the way that heliophysicists study it,” said Amy Oliver, head of public affairs for the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. “We’ll be talking about sun science too, so our guests can expect to learn about sunspots, magnetic fields, space weather including aurorae and other cool things about the sun.”

She applauds the hard work of our team at the Emil Buehler Planetarium at Seminole State College for their commitment to launching and maintaining programming virtually throughout the pandemic. She knew that our team would be a great co-host for their nationwide events.

To participate in the Nationwide Livestream Solarbration Party, tune in on YouTube Live from any device on June 20 at 10:30 a.m. EDT and enjoy your guided tour of the sun.

Know Before You Go: SeaWorld Orlando’s Reopening

Today is the day that SeaWorld Orlando is welcoming guests back to the park, and before you go here are a few things that you should know!

Reservations

To help manage the capacity to maintain physical distancing within the park, SeaWorld Orlando is requiring advance online reservations.

The process is SUPER easy! Just visit the SeaWorld Orlando reservation page and fill in the required information.

Pro-Tip: If you wake up and decide that you want to venture out to SeaWorld Orlando, but don’t have a reservation…don’t worry! They are allowing same day reservations to be made as long as there are spots available.

Face Coverings

Employees and guests 2 years of age and older must wear face coverings while in the park. Guests are not required to wear them while eating and drinking, or in one of the two designated relaxation areas of the park.

Pro-Tip: Did you forget your face covering or want to get into the SeaWorld Spirit? They are selling themed face covers at the entrance to the park for $9.99 plus tax! I super love the sloth design!!!

Stores

Inside the retail shops, you will see markings for physical distancing and signage directing guests to defined entrances and exits.

Also, you will notice that displays and fixtures have been spaced out to give guests more room to move around.

To minimize contact of items at checkout, bagging and wrapping materials will be given to customers.

Pro-Tip: Set up your mobile wallet before coming to the park so it’s one less thing to do during your day that takes time away from the fun!

Restaurants

Restaurants across the park have new seating layouts to accommodate physical distancing.

Tables and chairs will be sanitized with increased frequency, condiment and topping stations will be closed, utensils will be pre-packaged, and guests with refillable products will be provided single-use alternatives.

In lieu of traditional menus, single-use paper menus will be used, and additional grab-and-go and pre-packaged food offerings will be added.

Buffet-style service areas will be adjusted or closed until further notice.

Pro-Tip: To avoid lines, try grabbing a bite to eat at times that might not be ‘normal’ dining times. I like to grab an early lunch and dinner so I have room for snacks! Did you see the rainbow cake in the case??? YUM!!!!

Attractions & Play Areas

The queue lines for all rides have markings for physical distancing and modified seating has been implemented to maintain physical distancing. Currently, most attractions are only loading every other row.

Guests will also find that hand sanitizer is available at the entrance and exit of all rides, and the frequency of cleaning and sanitizing of these areas has been increased.

There are specific protocols that have been implemented for water rides for employees and guests.

In addition, unless play areas meet distancing protocols, they will be temporarily closed.

Pro-Tip: Since attraction loading and unloading is different, be prepared for slightly longer waits than usual. I anticipate that as time goes on and Ambassadors become more accustomed to the new procedures the wait times will drop accordingly.

Shows

Much like the attractions, the walkways of venues have markings for physical distancing and modified seating has been implemented to maintain physical distancing.

Since seating has been limited in their venues, SeaWorld Orlando has added extra shows so make sure to keep an eye on your schedule.

Pro-Tip: SeaWorld has gone paperless for their maps and showtimes, so make sure to download the official app, SeaWorld Discovery Guide, or use the QR code that is displayed in the park.

Animal Interactions

In all open animal viewing spaces, SeaWorld Orlando has added markings to queues to indicate required distancing.

Certain animal interactions will be modified and only tours allowing for physical distancing will operate.

Some tours and interactions will be restricted to one-party at a time.

Pro-Tip: While some tours and animal interactions are not currently open, SeaWorld Orlando did say that they are actively working to reopen them as they are able to safely do so.

I hope that this information and tips will help you have a great day exploring SeaWorld Orlando.

You can find more information about theme park news and tips by subscribing to our YouTube Channel and following @onthegoinmco on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Want to find out more information on the other parks?

Check out our other posts on the other theme park reopening announcements!

City Works Announces Reopening

City Works Disney Springs West Side Walt Disney World — Photo: City Works

City Works Eatery & Pour House at Disney Springs announced it will reopen Wednesday, June 10.

City Works is located next door to the NBA Experience and is Disney Springs’ premier sports restaurant and bar with its high-definition TVs; 90 local, regional, and global craft beers on tap; and a menu offering brilliant twists on American classics.

With a video wall that features a 168-inch, high-definition video screen complemented by four 110-inch and 12 65-inch screens, City Works is the perfect place to watch sports as professional leagues begin to announce their returns.

City Works Queso Dip - Reopening June 10 — Queso Dip

To celebrate its reopening, City Works is “gettin’ cheesy” with new menu items as part of its limited menu featuring:

Queso Dip that offers hot chorizo and pepper jack cheese to give it a subtle kick.
Rigatoni with goat cheese to make it creamy and delicious. Gluten-free pasta is also available.
Smoked Cheddar Mac is an adult version of classic mac and cheese, enhanced with bacon lardons and smoked cheddar cheese.
Their Tex Mex Mac is topped with crispy tortilla strips, providing a crunch to balance the creaminess of the dish.

City Works Rigatoni - Reopening June 2020 — City Works Rigatoni

In addition to the new menu items, City Works is constructing a new canopy over its outdoor dining area that will soon be available for guests who prefer dining outside.

City Works offers 30-40% of its draft beer taps dedicated to local breweries and eight wines on draft. Guests can enjoy Happy Hour specials, including $2 off well drinks, local craft beers, glasses of wine, and $7 bar bites Monday through Thursday 3-6 p.m.

The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner Monday-Sunday from 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. Rock and Roll Brunch will return on weekends soon.

City Works will implement a number of safety measures upon reopening. This includes Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for all team members and increased cleaning protocols and precautions, including scheduled sanitizing of all shared surfaces evey 30 minutes, required hand washing every 20-30 minutes and seating following social distancing guidelines. City Works has created a Shift Safety Manager position to ensure these protocols are being followed. Hand sanitizer stations also will be located throughout the restaurant for guests.

If you are looking to make reservations to visit, make sure to visit their OpenTable page!

SeaWorld Orlando Parks Reservation 411

SeaWorld announced today a phased reopening (with capacity limitations) of SeaWorld Orlando, Aquatica Orlando, and Discovery Cove on June 11, 2020.

The reopening of the parks will include enhanced health and safety protocols for cleaning and sanitizing, physical distancing, face-covering requirements, and temperature screening.

A new online reservation system will also help manage capacity so that guests can enjoy a safe and fun experience while maintaining physical distancing. The phased reopening plan was approved by the State of Florida.

“We thank Governor DeSantis, Orange County Mayor Demings, Orlando Mayor Dyer, and the members of the Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force for their support of tourism in Central Florida as we prepare to reopen our Orlando parks to the public on June 11,” said Marc Swanson, interim CEO of SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. “Over the past two months, we have worked with state and local health officials, third party medical and epidemiology experts, and attraction industry leaders to enhance our strict health, safety, and cleanliness standards. We are committed to the health and safety of our guests, employees, and animals in our care, and will continue to follow the guidance of health officials as conditions evolve.”

SeaWorld Orlando, Aquatica Orlando, and Discovery Cove have launched new safety websites with detailed information about the measures that guests can expect when the parks reopen, including key operational changes.

Specific information by park can be found by visiting the following websites:

“We couldn’t be more excited to reopen our three Orlando parks – SeaWorld, Aquatica, and Discovery Cove,” said Kyle Miller, president of SeaWorld Orlando, Aquatica, Discovery Cove. “We know our guests are anxious to return, and we’re working hard to provide a safe environment so they can enjoy many more memorable experiences with us and their friends and family.”

To help manage the capacity to maintain physical distancing within the parks, all parks will require advance online reservations.

Guests will be asked to visit the reservation pages of park websites where reservations will be required to guarantee entry given anticipated demand.

Reservations for SeaWorld, Aquatica, and Discovery Cove will be available starting at 10:00AM ET on June 8, 2020.

For more information on the online reservation process, please visit:

SeaWorld Orlando Welcome Harbour Vertical

We are really excited for SeaWorld, Aquatica, and Discovery Cove to once again welcome guests!!!

You can find more information about theme park news and tips by subscribing to our YouTube Channel and following @onthegoinmco on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Want to find out more information on the other parks?

Check out our other posts on the other theme park reopening announcements!

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