Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom plans to reopen Saturday even as Florida deals with a dramatic rise in new cases of the coronavirus, according to a report by The New York Times.
And it will be a very different world than fans are used to.
Facial coverings will be required for all employees and visitors over age 2.
Parades, fireworks and most indoor shows have been removed from the itinerary.
There will be no hugs with Mickey Mouse or other characters.
And the list goes on.
In one major change, tickets are now only available through a reservation, which allows Disney to limit the number of visitors eager to return. The initial dash for a reservation crashed the booking system when it launched June 24, the Times reported.
Disney executives said visitors should expect to see a sparsely populated park rather than the usual crowds.
The park has installed 4,000 hand-sanitizing stations.
Park employees will take temperatures, leave seats empty on rides and run loudspeaker announcements urging people to frequently wash their hands, the Times reported.
Plexiglass partitions have been installed in shops and restaurants.
“This is our new normal. Our new reality,” Josh D’Amaro, Disney’s theme park chairman, said in an interview with the Times. “Covid is here, and we have a responsibility to figure out the best approach to safely operate in this new normal.”
Disney's Animal Kingdom will also reopen Saturday under the same protocols, while Epcot and Hollywood Studios will reopen next Wednesday. Two water parks will remain closed, according to the report.
Disney’s reopening plan has also won the endorsement of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
“I’m really impressed with what Universal’s done, and I’ve looked at Disney’s plan, and it is very, very thorough,” DeSantis said at a news conference Monday. “You can have society function in a way that keeps people safe.”
The Florida Department of Health reported 7,347 new COVID-19 infections Tuesday, with 1,179 of those in central Florida, which includes Orlando.
The rise in cases is down from the previous week but remain among the highest in the country, leading many to question whether Disney should delay the reopening of its signature theme park amid a nationwide restrengthening of the pandemic, according to The New York Times.
Disney executives expressed confidence in their reopening plan, which the company has been touting in online marketing videos, and which was recently approved by county and state officials.
“The world is changing around us, but we strongly believe that we can open safely and responsibly,” D’Amaro said. “For those that might have questions or concerns, when they see how we are operating and the aggressive protocols that we have put in place, they will understand.”
Other attractions in the Orlando area are already setting the pace, including three Universal theme parks and SeaWorld Orlando, which reopened in early June. Disney Springs, an outdoor shopping mall, reopened May 20, and Legoland in Winter Haven and Busch Gardens in Tampa have also been selling tickets again, the Times reported.
Disney World, the giant among them all, has been shuttered since March 12.
The park’s roughly 48,000 union employees are expected to sign agreements that require strict safety procedures while on the job, the Times reported. The park employs 75,000.
Some of them told the Times they don’t feel safe returning to work despite the safety modifications.
Actors’ Equity, which represents about 750 Disney World performers, is refusing to allow its members to return to work until the company provides regular virus testing. The standoff is threatening to cancel popular acts such as Hollywood Studio’s “Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular.”
Meanwhile, D’Amaro told the Times that Disney’s four theme parks in Asia had reopened “without incident.” At Shanghai Disneyland, attendance was initially limited to about 20% of its capacity before the outbreak, the Times reported.
Meanwhile in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom recently delayed the reopening of state theme parks, including Disneyland’s on July 17.
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