Guidelines For Reopening Theme Parks in Central Florida Shared by Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force

Posted on by Mathew Corn Animal Kingdom, Disney Parks, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom

Today was a big day in Central Florida. The Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force held a meeting this morning (April 28) to discuss guidelines for reopening businesses which would include Walt Disney World. Below you will find what WDWInfo.com has pulled from the video meeting as to what the task force discussed. Details include how the day-to-day workings may look for the Disney parks, hotels, and restaurants upon reopening.

Theme Parks

  • Guidelines:
    • Tape marking of 6 feet apart in ride/attraction queues
    • Staff to regularly wipe down surfaces at random
    • Phase 1 and 2:Staff who are 65+ are encouraged to stay home
  • Mandates:
    • All employees required to wear facemasks
    • Touchless hand sanitizer at each ticketing entry and turnstiles
    • Touchless hand sanitizer at each ride/attraction entry and exit
    • Temperature checks for staff prior to shift (temp above 100.4 must not enter premises)
    • Wipe down of all railing and surfaces regularly
    • Phase 1:50% capacity
    • Phase 2:75% capacity

Hotels

  • Guidelines:
    • Phase 1: Housekeeping services to be limited and allow for minimal guest and employee exposure
    • Phase 1: Promote, if available, mobile check-in
    • Phase 1: Housekeeping services only clean upon request, or when guests depart
    • Phase 1: Allow employees to work from home if not playing a critical role in serving guests
    • Phase 1: Only deliver room service to guests’ doors
    • Phase 1: Provide self-parking
    • Promote social distancing for all guests and staff
    • Recommended touchless sanitizer at entry
    • Increase cleaning services/additional sanitation services through cleaning companies
    • Phase 1 & 2:Staff who are 65+ are encourage to stay home
  • Mandates:
    • All employees required to wear facemasks
    • Hand sanitizer at entry to be in plain visible sight
    • Temperature checks for staff prior to shift (temp above 100.4 must not enter premises)
    • All employees with flu-like symptoms advised to stay home
    • Front desk to sanitize themselves on a regular basis
    • Consistent cleaning of all guest areas
    • Front desk to utilize sneeze-guards
    • Remove all service items in guest rooms to include glassware, coffee cups etc.
    • Mini bars not to be stocked
    • Do no offer self food services
    • Space pool furniture according to distancing guidelines
    • Pool gates and pool chairs to be sanitized regularly
    • Door handles, elevator button and railing to be sanitized regularly
    • Remove all coffee makers from guest rooms
    • Remove all guest collateral items, except for those that are single use
    • Sanitize guest keys before and after each use
    • Sanitize bell carts after each use
    • Phase 1 & 2:No conferences

Shanghai Disney Setting up Social Distancing Queues For Reopening

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

Stateside, we’re looking at everything from financial projections to medical models for hints at potential reopening dates for Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland resort, but with regards to actual protocol once the parks and resorts do open, we look to Shanghai Disney Resort. Due to the outbreak of COVID-19 in China, Shanghai Disney Resort has been closed since late January. However, the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel, Disneytown, and Wishing Star Park resumed limited operations on March 9, with health protocols in place to keep guests safe and prevent the further spread of the virus.

Photos Credit: Twitter user @gourmetdyy

New photos show various ground markings and signage installed along the security checkpoints for the resort.

The signs show guests where and where not to stand in order to maintain social distancing at all times within queues.

According to recent talks from the Re-Open Florida Task Force, it’s likely that we’ll see similar social distancing measures throughout queues to enter the parks and within attractions, restaurants, and shows.

Additional reports from @gourmetdyy show that testing within indoor theaters took place this week at Shanghai Disneyland. Cast Members and their guests were seated at every other row, with each party separated by a few seats in order to maintain their distance. Testing also took place yesterday for parades and shows, however details on how guests will be distanced for parades and nighttime spectaculars have yet to be released. So far, character dining has resumed at Lumiere’s Kitchen in Shanghai Disneyland Hotel, and we’ve also seen the use of expanded Health QR Codes at all resort venues.

No official reopening date has been released for Shanghai Disneyland, but with schools set to reopen across Shanghai from April 27 through May 11, many are anticipating a full reopening soon.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Says That WDW is “Far Ahead Of The Curve” With Reopening

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

With Governor Ron DeSantis’ Re-Open Florida Task Force Executive Committee now fully assembled, it seems the governor is already in talks with Walt Disney World executives in order to spearhead a plan for reopening businesses across Florida.

Just yesterday, it was announced that the President of Walt Disney World Resort Josh D’Amaro would be joining other executives from top Florida businesses like Universal Orlando, Publix, and Florida Power & Light, along with government officials from Miami, Broward, and Palm Beach County in the Task Force. In an interview with Fox News this morning, DeSantis emphasized Disney’s readiness in face of the health crisis:

In the video clip, DeSantis states the following:

“It’s amazing the ideas that the businesses are already thinking about. They’ve been thinking deeply about this for weeks and weeks… there’s a lot of great ideas that I’ve already seen put on the table. I’m in discussions with places like Disney. They are so far ahead of the curve, and I think everyone wants to make sure we do it safely.

And yeah, if you think about it, if you own a hotel in Miami, the last thing you want is to do a false negative and have a small outbreak in your hotel… so they are very keen on safety and I think that they’re going to be leading the way on the innovation. So we’ll have some guidelines of course, but I think some of the businesses are going to go above and beyond…”

The governor seemed fairly impressed with Disney’s plans for moving forward. As it stands, Disney has already been implementing extensive health screenings and social distancing protocols within the partially-reopened Shanghai Disney Resort, so having a venue to test these new guidelines and garner feedback may prove to be useful when it comes to moving forward with reopening the other parks.

Updates Florida COVID-19 Projection Model Suggests Possible June 1st Opening

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

According to new data from the Florida Health COVID-19 projection model, Florida has since passed the peak of COVID-19 daily deaths, meaning that after June 1, relaxing social distancing may be possible with containment strategies that include testing, contact tracing, isolation, and limiting gathering sizes.

The White House issued new federal guidelines for the “Opening Up America Again” effort, listing the three phases each state will eventually go though before clearing Phase 3, which would be considered life after a COVID-19 vaccine or at the very least a full drop-off in cases.

Do note that Walt Disney World remains closed “until further notice” and that the June 2 date is not necessarily indicative of a potential reopening date.

Phased Reopening May Pave the Way For Disney Parks Return

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

The nation is slowly recovering, thankfully, in the near-wake of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic as statistics begin to taper off and government officials look to reopen the nation’s businesses, including Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort.

Today, President Trump unveiled new guidelines to help states reopen their businesses in phases through the easing of social distancing restrictions. The guidelines still put a heavy emphasis on continuing stringent hygiene practices like hand washing and using face masks in public. Employers should still enact social distancing, temperature checks, testing and sanitation practices in their workplaces. Large venues, including some restaurants, can operate under strict social distancing protocols. Bars, however, must remain shuttered for now.

The guidelines target May 1 as the day to begin the process of reopening the country. Ultimately, these guidelines aren’t mandatory and decisions on when and how to open will fall upon each individual state.

Across Walt Disney World, essential workers are already using face masks while carrying out necessary maintenance throughout the parks. It’s unknown whether guests will be encouraged to wear them as well upon reopening. With regards to temperature checks, Bob Iger recently commented in an interview with Barron’s that temperature checks were just one example of methods they might implement to help guests feel safer and more at ease. As far as social distancing goes, Walt Disney World may well be considered a “large venue” (or rather, a collection of large venues), and while certain areas of the parks may be allowed to open, other areas, such as bars or amphitheaters (such as the viewing location of Fantasmic! at Disney’s Hollywood Studios) may not reopen for some time.

The reopening plan is set up in three phases, with May 1 being the first date states can choose to move forward with Phase 1. This would require two weeks of a sustained drop in confirmed COVID-19 cases.

Under Phase One, it seems unlikely that Walt Disney World would open unless it chooses to do so in phases, with a select limited number of parks, restaurants, and attractions open in order to operate under the required strict physical distancing protocols.

Moving to Phase Two would require another two weeks of a sustained drop in confirmed COVID-19 cases.

It isn’t until the state enters Phase Two that we’d imagine the parks could truly reopen, with Non-Essential Travel now resuming at this time, as well as moderate social distancing. Under Phase Two, bars can reopen as well, albeit under diminished standing-room occupancy only. Phase Three would be considered a “return to normal”.

The current federal guidelines on social distancing are not expected to be renewed when they expire on April 30. Officials said the White House would work closely with states to ensure reopening efforts are done safely and only when local outbreaks are deemed contained.

You can read the full “Opening Up America Again” Guidelines in PDF form here.