While there has been much curiosity, speculation, and excitement on when and how Walt Disney World will reopen, one thing is for sure… we are all eagerly awaiting more announcements! We will be the first to say we have absolutely no idea when Walt Disney World will reopen and won’t announce a reopen date until we learn so from the Mouse himself! We have learned some interesting news however when logging into the My Disney Experience App.
Currently, in the My Disney Experience App, it looks as though guests with a valid park ticket (including Annual Passholders AND Regular Ticket Holders) can select FastPasses 30-days in advance beginning in June. For example, as of today, we can book FastPasses for June 2. This goes for guests with or without a Disney Resort room reservation.
What does this mean for a reopen date? We truly aren’t sure! All we know right now is what the My Disney Experience App is allowing us to do.
With summer quickly upon us, many eager Disneyland Resort guests and Annual Passholders are searching for answers regarding when the parks will reopen, but California Governor Gavin Newsom, in conjunction with California Department of Public Health Director Dr. Sonia Angell, seems set on adhering to strict guidelines and requirements before permitting certain businesses to reopen.
Sleeping Beauty Castle – Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland is the centerpiece of Fantasyland, and one of the most recognizable structures in the world. Surrounded by beautiful flowers and whimsical topiary, the Disneyland landmark beckons park visitors to explore the different realms of the place “Where Dreams Come True.” Walt Disney wanted this castle to be a friendly and welcoming presence in his park so it was built on a smaller scale than its European counterparts. (Joshua Sudock/Disneyland Resort)
Theme parks like Disneyland are among the final businesses that will be able to reopen, based on the governor’s new four-stage road map. The four-stage plan, announced during a livestream today, establishes phases in which each business sector can reopen, starting with Stage 1, or “where we are now”, moving to Stage 2, which includes Lower-Risk Workplaces, followed by Stage 3, which covers Higher-Risk Workplaces, and finally Stage 4, or the end of the stay-at-home order.
Stage 1 – Safety and Preparedness
Stage 2 – Lower Risk Workplaces
Stage 3 – Higher Risk Workplaces
Stage 4 – End of Stay-At-Home Order
According to the OC Register, theme parks were not explicitly mentioned in the plan outline, but all major theme parks in the state, including Disneyland, Universal Studios Hollywood, and others seem to fall under Stage 4 of the roadmap, if not Stage 3 at the very earliest with significant operational changes, such as the ones outlined earlier this morning by the Orange County Task Force.
In any case, a full Stage 4 reopening will not be possible under this plan without medicines or a vaccine readily available for COVID-19. With Stage 1 considered “where we are now”, Stage 2 is still likely weeks away, Stage 3 is likely months away, and Stage 4 can only be established with treatment.
Disneyland Resort remains closed, along with the rest of the Disney Parks, “until further notice.” In a recent interview with Barron’s, former Disney CEO Bob Iger commented on the possibility of temperature checks for guests, but no confirmation of this being implemented at the other Disney Parks (besides Shanghai Disney Resort) has been issued.
The Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force met once again early today to discuss further parameters for each business sector, including a brief conversation on how to move forward with theme parks and large public facilities with Mayor Demings.
The Mayor had previously commented on how Disney’s closure was responsibly done, given that no outbreaks have been traced back to Walt Disney World. After conversations with Thomas Mazloum, Vice President of Walt Disney World Resort & Transportation, Chuck Whittall, President of Unicorp, proposed an all-encompassing statement for theme park reopenings:
“Based on the conversation with Thomas, the best way to approach businesses which may very well include Amway, the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Disney, Universal, and Seaworld, is to put out something like this,” said Whittall in the call before providing the following statement:
“Theme parks and other venues of that magnitude shall each develop their own specific and unique set of guidelines following the CDC recommendations and using best practices that will protect the life, health, and safety of their employees and guests. They will be permitted to open at their own discretion with their internally determined level of safe capacities throughout the various phases.”
It is Whittall’s belief that ultimate reopening decisions should be put in the hands of the theme parks as opposed to the task force “trying to write specific guidelines for them.”
“Ultimately, they’re going to be judged by the marketplace. If guests feel safe, they’ll show up. If they don’t, they’re not,” said Whittall in his remarks to the Mayor. He also emphasized the effects of social media on any potential reopenings, claiming that the parks will be “judged” heavily based on what people see and talk about on social media.
Mayor Demings agreed with his statement given the large scope and impact these theme parks have on the county overall:
“When you look at those large theme parks, they’re like cities unto themselves. And so nothing should be done in the way of our recommendations should appear to be punitive towards them, because as a corporation… if they can see small business units [re]open and they have something similar, i.e. restaurants and shops that they can open… why wouldn’t they be allowed to open?”
The Mayor stressed the importance of not lumping these large entities as all one major conglomerate. However, the final statement to be issued by the county still needs to be punched up, according to the Mayor’s recommendations:
“I know they will follow those guidelines because of their corporate responsibility, and potential liability, and exposure… so the language that you’re offering I believe is good language… The bright minds on the call need to kick it around a bit to ensure there aren’t any unintended consequences.”
To that end, the Mayor also stated that these large facilities could be ready to go “with short notice” once restrictions are lifted, given their capacity to establish social distancing.
Unless you travel for business, if you’re a Disney fan, chances are most of your flights end up at MCO (or LAX), and there’s a reason why the long-standing joke of calling MCO the “Mouse’s Corporate Office” still exists: families and groups traveling to Walt Disney World comprise a huge portion of flights.
With passenger traffic at Orlando International Airport down by 97%, companies like Southwest Airlines are scrambling to fill seats inside their airplanes. In a recent article by USA Today, it was revealed that Southwest only filled 6% of its seats in April, a number that isn’t expected to surpass 10% for the month of May.
In an interview with CNBC, Southwest CEO Gary Kelly stated that traffic levels are “next to zero at this point.” He emphasized the need for attractions to reopen and new safety measures to be implemented across airports and inside aircraft.
“They need to have something to be able to do when they get there. So Disney World needs to open back up. Restaurants need to open back up.”
Travelers need to have a substantive reason to travel, plus they need to feel safe. Heightened health and safety protocol, such as wearing face masks, using hand sanitizer, preliminary testing at TSA checkpoints, plexiglass partitions at all service desks, personal protection equipment kits for passengers, and spacing out seating arrangements inside planes all need to be implemented over the next few months in order for airlines to financially recover.
Given the unprecedented rate of trip cancellations, Southwest may be seeing some downsizing if things don’t improve by July. Other airline CEOs like Ed Bastian of Delta claim that financial recovery for airlines may take as long as three years.
Move over, Indy. Aphra’s back, and this time in her own audiobook. In Doctor Aphra: An Audiobook Original, our favorite rogue archaeologist is starring in a new audio drama. The expanded adaptation will tell the tale of the chaotically corrupt archaeologist’s introduction in Marvel’s Darth Vader series. In the story, Aphra makes a deal with the Sith Lord and begins a series of memorable misadventures. You can get a first look at the cover below.
Written by Sarah Kuhn, the audio drama will feature a full cast and include new scenes with some familiar faces. (And we’re sure that murder-droids Triple Zero and Bee Tee will be just as frightening, if not more so, in audio form.) Doctor Aphra: An AudiobookOriginal will be available for download everywhere audiobooks are sold on July 21.
Watch a message from writer Sarah Khun in the video below as she describes how the audiobook will be told from Aphra’s highly-unreliable narrative and span topics like her experiences, her relationships, and more.
