This is the part Disney fans all over the world have been waiting to hear. I am sure you all know that Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida will be back in business July 11th. With that being said, only Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom will be reopening on July 11th. Hollywood Studios and EPCOT will soon be following on July 15th. A few weeks ago, Disney Springs reopened to third party shops, while the Disney portions of the area were still closed. Recently World of Disney opened it’s doors to the public and will begin a phase of reopening other stores throughout the United States.
With all this being said, Disney will have to take extra precautions to make sure it’s employees and guests are safe. It looks as of right now that parades and nighttime spectaculars will return at a later date. Makeover opportunities, characters meetups, and any playground sets will also be unavailable. It is possible that characters could still be walking around the parks, but personal photos might not be a good idea.
Because of COVID-19 restrictions, the parks capacity will have to be limited. The magic Kingdom can support over 90,000 guests per day. Not sure what the limit will be, but I imagine around 30,000 guests per park. This will let those who already have reservations to stay on property have access to the parks. To maintain the park limits, Disney will be monitoring guest attendance through a new theme park reservation system. This will require all guests to make a reservation before hand. Disney is putting a halt on new ticket sales and letting annual pass holders and DVC members go first into making these reservations. If you already have a reservation, like I do, your trip should be safe. After a certain time period, those who live in the Orlando area who usually go out for day trips, will be able to buy tickets. I will warn you, I expect these tickets to be sold out by that time. When Disney has been closed for 3 months, you get a little crazy.
If you happen to make it into the parks the first few days of opening, there will be many health and safety regulations. cast members and guests above the age of three will be required to wear a mask in common areas of the parks and hotels. Upon entering the parks, all guests must undergo a temperature check. This also includes employees. Cashless transactions are recommended and are much easier when you have a magic band. In addition, cleaning and disinfection procedures will be increased throughout the parks.
This is just the start of the health and safety precautions Disney is making to ensure all guests are safe and can enjoy the parks. These policies are subject to change and I will update you once I have the information. I know we are all very eager to once again be welcomed home and to see that glowing castle at the end of Main Street USA. Don’t worry, we will be there soon enough.
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