Disney says it wants a July return
DeSantis’ approval needed; SeaWorld aims for June 11
Walt Disney World plans to reopen its four theme parks in two phases in July, while SeaWorld is moving ahead with plans to open its doors in just three weeks, theme park officials said on Wednesday.
If approved by Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom would open on July 11, followed by Epcot and Hollywood Studios on July 15. SeaWorld proposed reopening its three Orlando parks, including Discovery Cove and Aquatica, to the public on June 11.
The two tourism giants presented plans to Orange
County’s Economic Recovery Task Force, a panel of business and community leaders appointed by Mayor Jerry Demings. Less than two hours after the meeting ended, Demings sent letters endorsing the plans to DeSantis, who said earlier this month that theme parks need approval from the county before he signs off
SeaWorld and Universal will reopen one month ahead of Walt Disney World, the theme park juggernaut of the world.
“My jaw dropped,” said freelance travel writer and Disney passholder Dani Meyering when she heard the news Wednesday.
So why is Disney the last to reopen?
Some industry followers say it makes sense Disney is opening behind the other two, smaller parks. It highlights the different corporate philosophies and challenges facing Orlando’s biggest attractions.
“They’re also the mostvisited attraction, so they absolutely have to set the gold standard,” Meyering said.
If Gov. Ron DeSantis signs off, Disney will open the Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom on July 11 followed by Epcot and Hollywood Studios on July 15.
Meanwhile, Disney’s main competitor Universal plans to open its two theme parks and water park on June 5. SeaWorld aims to open June 11.
“We got a different situation frankly than Universal does because we’re much bigger,” Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Chapek told Bloomberg in an interview Wednesday. “We have a much more complex business. We’ve got a different labor situation.”
Disney also is developing a new reservation system that will help control crowds. Few details were released Wednesday on how the system will work.
“It’s going to take some time to take the millions of
It’s unclear how fast DeSantis will act on approving the plans. Last week DeSantis approved Universal’s proposal to reopen to the public on June 5 within hours after Demings gave it a thumbs-up.
The government sign-off on activities by the big theme parks, particularly Disney, is highly unusual for Florida, which typically takes a more hands-off approach in regulating the tourism giants.
Disney is the region’s largest employer and the company’s self-initiated shutdown on March 16 left tens of thousands out of work. Unemployment in Osceola County is the highest in the state at 20.3%, while 16.5% of workers in Orange County are without jobs.
The decision to close, which was followed by Universal, SeaWorld and smaller attractions, is credited with helping to slow the transmission of the virus.
Disney’s planned phased reopening would be the most significant step to revving up a dormant travel market.
But the virus still has local officials on guard. New cases are found in Orange County every day, a tally now at 1,849 confirmed cases. Orange’s death toll stands at 39 people.
Advent Health, the region’s largest hospital system went from a high of 100 COVID-19 hospitalizations in mid-April to a current low of 19 or 20, said Dr. Vincent Hsu. Most of those are at the Orlando campus just north of downtown.
“The trends are looking very positive,” he said. “It’s just a matter of what’s going to happen in the next few weeks moving ahead as we reopen.”
Dr. George Ralls of Orlando Health said that hospital system saw a jump from five cases over the weekend up to 19. He said officials are closely monitoring to see if the cases pick up as more people are returning to work and resuming other social activities such as dining out.
An Orange County inspection team visited Disney and SeaWorld on Tuesday to determine if the parks’ proposed plans would be in compliance with guidelines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and mandates outlined reservations that we already got on the books and then switch that to a new reservation system, so we think July is the right time for us,” Chapek said.
The different reopening dates also show the different corporate philosophies between Universal and Disney, said Robert Niles, who runs Theme Park Insider and pens a regular column for the Orange County Register in California.
It’s hard for Disney to do
in Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ executive order for reopening amusement parks. The county inspection team included EMS director Dr. Christian Zuver; Chief Building Official Shane Gerwig; and Jon Weiss, director of the county’s Planning, Environmental and Development Services. The trio also was part of an entourage who visited Universal last week to check out plans for Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida.
They were accompanied Tuesday by two representatives from the Florida Department of Health Office in Orange County.
“How can we engage safely,” said Dr. Raul Pino, the state’s chief health officer in Orange County. “That has been the message from the mayor from the beginning.”
He cited the need for precautionary measures like wearing face coverings, frequent hand-washing and limiting the direction of pedestrian traffic in the park.
“All the attractions have been very good about listening to suggestions we have offered,” Pino said.
It’s unclear how the new policies will affect travel to Orlando. Some tourists bristled at the idea that they may pay as much as $159 for a single-day visit to a Disney park, but miss out on a photo of their child hugging Mickey Mouse — touching won’t be allowed to comply with social distancing — or seeing the fireworks cascade something small because “they’re the behemoth,” Niles said.
“When they reopen, they’re going to draw a lot of people into Central Florida,” Niles said. He said he believes “Disney feels that responsibility.”
Orlando’s tourism reopening is truly a phased-in, gradual approach by Disney World holding back until July, Niles said, as health experts warn a second wave of the highly contagious coronavirus
over Cinderella Castle, which will be suspended to cut down on crowds.
Losing those memories isn’t worth a trip, said Tim Cumings, who lives outside Grand Rapids, Mich., and had paid more than $6,000 for his family’s upcoming one-week summer trip to Orlando.
“You go to Disney for those experiences,” Cumings is likely.
Disney’s take might be that it’s best to let the other parks open first, Niles said.
Another variable into Disney’s decision-making could be the discussions with the NBA for the league to finish its season in Orlando, he said.
Or Disney just might need more time to get up and running.
Disney World, which operates four theme parks versus Universal Orlando’s
said. “They’re going to expect us to pay the full rate? It doesn’t jive. I would cancel my vacation.”
But veteran theme parks reporter Robert Niles doubts the new health policies will significantly alter the feel inside the parks. Some Disney-goers skip the parade and the fireworks, anyway. That’s when the lines for the rides tend to be two, and employs about 77,000, more than three times as many people as Universal. Its property also has more hotels.
“They are all big machines, but Disney is the big one,” said attractions analyst Dennis Speigel of International Theme Park Services. “They have a bigger engine to start.”
Disney has furloughed 100,000 employees companywide, including most of its largest Disney World Resort union coalition of 43,000 people.
Universal, on the other hand, has kept many fulltime employees working, Niles said.
“Universal has more people to get a head start,” Niles said.
Having people back to work is key as the theme parks must reinvent their fantasy lands for the realism of a post-coronavirus world.
Plexiglass. Signs. Markers on the ground. Hand sanitizer stations. Plus, training for employees on the new protocols.
“When you got four theme parks — and they’re huge — that’s a lot more work you’ve got to do,” Niles said. the shortest.
“It’s not going to change the experience,” said Niles, who runs Theme Park Insider.