Disney has officially sent out emails changing thousands of vacations this winter.
If COVID-19 has taught us anything, it’s that no Disney vacation is truly set in stone until your feet touch down on Mickey Mouse’s domain. Whether it’s a pandemic or a hurricane, there are plenty of reasons why trips can (and do) go awry from time to time.
We most recently saw this with Hurricane Milton, which saw Walt Disney World Resort shutter Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom for an entire day in October. While the storm damage was ultimately more minor than expected, Disney was forced to continue altering some vacations for weeks due to ongoing issues at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort.
Now, even more Disney vacations are being altered – although this time, they’re a little further afield than Orlando.
The Disney Cruise Line has reportedly sent out emails this week warning guests booked for select December and January sailings that their route will be changed due to ongoing civil unrest in New Caledonia.
Disney has rerouted at least two trips that were supposed to visit Nouméa, New Caledonia. Passengers booked to leave Sydney on December 28 received the following email (via Cruise Passenger).
We are reaching out with important information about your upcoming December 28, 2024, Disney Magic at Sea cruise from Sydney, Australia aboard the Disney Wonder.
Due to ongoing unrest in Nouméa, New Caledonia, we have the decision to visit Eden and Hobart, Australia instead.
Another voyage for January 16 has been rerouted to New Plymouth in New Zealand. Disney previously amended a voyage for the Disney Wonder in October that was supposed to sail from Honolulu, Hawai’i, to Sydney via Nouméa.
Riots first started in New Caledonia in May in response to President Emmanuel Macron’s voting reform ahead of the anniversary of France’s takeover of the islands. As per AP News, conflict is still ongoing between the archipelago’s pro-independence Indigenous Kanak people and the “white settler communities loyal to Paris.”
As of November 5, Smart Traveller has implemented warnings for visiting the islands of New Caledonia, advising that tourists “reconsider your need to travel” due to “political demonstrations and protests may turn violent at short notice.” It currently boasts the same warning level as Israel, the Occupied Palestinian Territories, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Turkmenistan, and Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of State has issued the archipelago with a Travel Advisory Level 3 “due to civil unrest and crime.” Its full warning claims that “protests, demonstrations, tire burning, and roadblocks are frequent, unpredictable, and have turned violent.”
However, unlike the Disney Cruise Line, both Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruises are pushing ahead with their planned stops in New Caledonia.
According to Cruise Passenger, customers are split on the decision. Some have praised Disney for prioritizing the safety of its guests, stating that they’d rather stay aboard the ship – where guests can enjoy immersive dining at restaurants inspired by the likes of Marvel, Ratatouille (2007), Beauty and the Beast (1991), and Tangled (2010), as well as Broadway-style shows and attractions like the AquaMouse – others have questioned why it’s backing off from visiting Nouméa when other cruise lines have deemed it safe enough.
Do you think Disney’s made the right decision?
The post Disney Changes Thousands of Vacations Due To Ongoing Civil Unrest appeared first on Inside the Magic.
