Coronavirus roundup: Pandemic changes annual pass policies / Legoland extends closure

The unprecedented closure of theme parks in Orlando and across the U.S. has led some operators to get creative with how they treat their most dedicated visitors: annual passholders.

Universal Orlando was among the first to postpone monthly payments for annual passes, a policy which went into effect March 25, but Disney World has now followed suit with options for its own passholders.

If you have already paid for your Disney World annual pass in full, it will be automatically extended by the same length of time the parks remain closed. A partial refund can also be requested, though Disney hasn’t explained when that option will become available.

If you’re paying for the pass month-to-month, those payments will halt on April 5 and any payments made since March 14 will be refunded. If you want you passes extended by the amount of time the parks were closed, you’ll have to go through a process Disney has yet to explain. If you choose to do nothing, you pass will not be extended past its original expiration date, though no passholder will be charged while the resort is closed.

One of Disney’s regional rivals on the West Coast has taken a different approach. Knott’s Berry Farm, run by theme park company Cedar Fair, is extending its 2020 season pass for another year, meaning they won’t expire until the end of 2021. Monthly payments have already been suspended and will not resume until the park reopens.

Legoland Florida now closed ‘until further notice’

With Florida now under a stay-at-home order through April 30 to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus, Legoland Florida has extended its closure to be “until further notice.”

The Winter Haven park had originally said it would be closed through the end of March, later extending the closure through April 14. Neither park would be allowed to reopen under the terms of the order issued by Gov. Ron DeSantis, as theme parks do not fall under the definition of essential businesses that will remain open, such as grocery stores.

Legoland now joins Disney World, SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in extending its coronavirus closure without offering a specific date for reopening. Like Disney, Legoland is taking reservations for June 1 and beyond, including for the new Pirate Island Hotel, which was supposed to open later this month.

Universal Orlando now stands alone in putting an end date on its temporary closure. As of Sunday, the website still says the resort is closed through April 19 — even though reopening anytime in April is not possible under the state order.

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