The Florida Bar annual convention, normally the largest gathering of attorneys in the state each year, is going virtual for the first time with a slight change in dates.

The event set for Orlando is bowing to coronavirus closures still in effect for much of the tourism industry in Central Florida as most of the state stages business reopenings.

The bar canceled its contract with the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek & Waldorf Astoria, and the hotel on Walt Disney World property agreed to cancel the bar's room block and send cancellation notices to reservation holders. The hotel website lists it as temporarily closed and "not accepting guests for a short period."

In place of the on-the-ground meetings and hobnobbing, virtual section and committee meetings, continuing legal education seminars and other events will be reset for June 15-19.

Sessions will include the annual General Assembly with the installation of President-elect Dori Foster-Morales, a family law attorney with Elser Foster-Morales in Miami.

The revised schedule will be issued later with teleconferencing, video conferencing and other virtual meeting options under review.

"A considerable amount of time was spent looking at every conceivable option for annual convention, including postponing or canceling the convention all together," President John Stewart said.  "As is the theme for this year's convention, we will be Looking Back but Moving Forward."

The move to virtual operations matches delays in place for state and South Florida federal courts, which will operate under essential-only conditions until at least July 6.

In the Orlando area, Walt Disney World expects to begin a slow resurrection by reopening a limited number of third-party restaurants and shops at Disney Springs on May 20. No other plans for resumption during the COVID-19 pandemic have been announced.

Potentially telegraphing conditions for restarting Disney's U.S. operations, Shanghai Disneyland reopened Monday with limited visitor counts, masks required and fever checks.