Disney parks in Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Tokyo have already reopened, and Walt Disney World reopens on Saturday. Disney executives say they are ready.
Josh D’Amaro, President of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, told the New York Times that “we strongly believe that we can open safely and responsibly.”
It seems many agree.
Reopenings And Approvals Abound
Other parks in Central Florida have been open for several weeks. Universal Orlando, Sea World Orland, Legoland Florida, and Bush Gardens in Florida are open.
Disney Springs, Disney’s shopping and dining area in Central Florida, reopened on May 20.
Orange County, Florida, as well as the Flordia state government, approved Disney’s reopening plan. Florida Governor Desantis supports the reopening. Several of Disney’s unions and nearly 50,000 employees have agreed to return to work.
Many guests have already booked their Disney vacations, filling up the limited reservation slots needed to enter the parks.
New Normal
D’Amaro said, “Covid is here, and we have a responsibility to figure out the best approach to safely operate in this new normal. Businesses across the country are open, whether it’s a local pizza shop in Orlando or an airline taking on new guests.”
The changes at Disney World will include:
- Temperature checks
Facemasks required for all guests over 2 years of age. - No parades, although guests will see cavalcades and socially distanced characters
- Few indoor shows
- No fingerprint scanners to enter the parks
- Plexiglass partitions in stores and restaurants
- 4,000 new hand-sanitizing stations
- Safety announcements over the park public address systems
Check out this video to see how Disney Cast Members are preparing the parks:
Experts Agree
Dr. William Schaffner, who is an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University, agrees that if Disney strictly enforces its safety plan, visiting the theme parks will be a low-risk activity for visitors and Disney Cast Members.
Will you visit Disney World soon?