Here's What You Should Know About Disney's Coronavirus Refund Policy

As businesses ramp up precautionary measures in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Disney theme parks will shut down until further notice. The decision came on Thursday, March 12, amidst growing concern for the well-being of park-goers. With a number of theme parks announcing temporary closures for the month, you might be wondering what to do if you had upcoming vacation plans at a Disney Resort. Well, Disney's coronavirus refund policy is pretty straightforward.

With the guidance to avoid large gatherings of people, it makes sense every Disney theme park around the world will close their respective doors until it's safe to reopen. It also forces a lot of people to rethink their vacation plans. The Disney Parks closures include the international Disney Resorts in Hong Kong, Paris, Shanghai, and Tokyo as well as Disneyland Resort in California, which will close as of Saturday, March 14, and Disney World Resort in Florida, which will close at the end of Sunday, March 15. Disney Cruise Lines are also suspending departures as of Saturday, March 14.

There are nuances to all the park closures, which means some parts of the resorts will remain operational for a time. In Orlando, the Disney World Resort hotels will stay open until 5 p.m. on Friday, March 20, and the Disneyland Resort hotels in Anaheim will only be open until Monday, March 16 to allow for guests to adjust their travel plans. The Disney-owned and operated locations in the Downtown Disney shopping district in Anaheim, California, and the Disney Springs complex in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, will be closed as of Tuesday, March 17, while individual tenants will decide whether to close or adjust operations.

Thankfully, the parks are making it easy for would-be patrons to get their money back or plan for a future trip. According to a statement shared on the Disney Parks News Twitter account, guests can change or cancel their upcoming visit to Disneyland Resort, and all reservations that fall during the closure period — March 14 through March 31 — will be refunded. To change or cancel your trip, you can call the Walt Disney Travel Company at 714-520-5050. Disney has yet to provide specific guidance on Disneyland theme park ticket refunds, but unused multi-day tickets purchased in 2020 are valid until Jan. 12, 2022, and single-day tickets purchased in 2020 are good until Dec. 30, 2021.

The Walt Disney World Resort provided more specific instructions for travelers who were headed to Orlando. In terms of ticket refunds, unexpired multi-day theme park tickets with unused days on them — or date-specific theme park tickets — with a start date on or before March 31, 2020 will automatically be extended to Dec. 15, 2020. Visitors unable to use the tickets before that date may apply the value of a "wholly unused" ticket to a future ticket.

Disney World will issue automatic refunds for tickets to Disney After Hours, Disney Villains After Hours, and Disney Early Morning Magic scheduled for March 16 through March 31, 2020. Walt Disney World Annual Passes will be extended for the number of days the parks are closed, and Florida Resident Discover Disney Tickets may be used through July 31, 2020.

Even though Disney World Resort hotels will remain open, guests who haven't checked in and have stays booked for between March 16 and March 31 may modify their reservation or receive a refund up to the original check-in date. All change and cancellation fees will be waived up to the date of check-in through June 30, 2020.

Finally, pre-paid Disney World dining reservations between March 16 and March 31 will be automatically refunded.

Additionally, the company is temporarily shuttering all Disney store locations in North America as of Tuesday, March 17. The shopDisney website will remain up and running.

The Disney Parks closures are in effect until further notice, and you can find continued updates on the closures on Disney's social media accounts.

If you think you’re showing symptoms of coronavirus, which include fever, shortness of breath, and cough, call your doctor before going to get tested. If you’re anxious about the virus’s spread in your community, visit the CDC for up-to-date information and resources, or seek out mental health support. You can find all Elite Daily's coverage of coronavirus here.

Editor's Note: This post was updated on April 8 to reflect Disney's latest updates on park and hotel closures.