Florida’s theme parks will offer a very different experience

People are wearing hazmat suits on planes, but should they?

Walt Disney Co. revealed plans to reopen its four theme parks in Florida in July with masks, temperature checks, smaller crowds and social distancing — and without the parades, fireworks spectaculars or char- acter meet-and-greets that are typical hallmarks of the experience.

The entertainment giant will be the last of the major theme park operators to reopen in the Orlando area this summer; competitors Universal Studios Florida and SeaWorld Orlando both intend to welcome visitors in June.

“In preparing to reopen during this unusual time, we have to manage our theme parks in a very different way from what we’ve known before,” the company said in a statement.

Disney said it planned to open its Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom parks to the public on July 11, followed by Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios on July 15. Sea

World intends to open June 11, and Universal Orlando Resort has approval for a June 5 public reopening of its two theme parks and water park on June 5.

All closed in March as the fast-spreading coronavirus forced global destinations to shut down, dealing a major blow to a city that attracted 75 million visitors two years ago. According to an industry report, Central Florida is home to seven of the world’s 10 busiest theme parks, which drew an esti- mated combined attendance of 82 million people in 2018.

Executives from Walt Disney World Resort and SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment revealed their reopen- ing plans, which must still be approved by Florida’s governor, at an economic recovery task force meeting in Orange County on Wednesday. Members of the task force unanimously approved the plans, and Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings endorsed both plans in letters to Gov. Ron DeSantis.

All three companies will require employees and guests to have their temperatures checked before entering and wear face coverings, a mandate that has already proved unpopular with some potential visitors when Disney and Universal opened retail and dining complexes this month.

Jim MacPhee, Walt Disney World’s senior vice president of operations, said during the presentation that the company’s “social distancing squad” had been encouraging visitors to keep their masks on, but that the company was looking at creating what he called relax- ation zones, where people could take their masks off temporarily.

“All of our cast members and our social distancing squad understand the policy and are encouraging and persuading guests to ensure that they keep their masks on at all time,” he said.

Guests at all the resorts can expect smaller crowds, more hand-washing stations, contactless payment, lines structured to keep distance between people and minimal interaction with characters.

Disney said it will tempo- rarily stop character meetand-greets and parades as well as fireworks shows, all of which draw crowds. SeaWorld, which draws far fewer guests, said interactive elements of parades will be removed, and photo opportunities and character inter- action will be modified so they happen at a distance.

Universal and SeaWorld have both said they will eliminate single-rider lines, where visitors who want a shorter wait can join other groups if there is space on the ride.

At Disney, a new theme park reservation system will be put in place to limit attendance; everyone who visits will have to lock down a reservation to enter in advance.

“We believe this thought- ful, methodical and phased ramp-up strategy for our property is the right path,” MacPhee said. “Together, we hope everyone will do their part to bring the magic of Walt Disney World back into this new environment.”

ahazmat suits beyond being ineffective for protecting wearers from coronavirus. Last year, supermodel “There are hundreds of difNaomi Campbell made head- ferent kinds of hazmat suits, lines when she shared a video and unless they’re sophistiof herself very thoroughly cated ones, they may be very sanitizing her Qatar Airlines hot as well,” said Hyzler. seat. There were disinfect- “You’re kind of touching your ing wipes involved, plastic face quite a lot with your gloves and a face mask. gloves, and it’s just uncom

And that was before the fortable.” coronavirus pandemic. Wearing a hazmat suit at

With the world battling the airport won’t necessarily a highly contagious global get you stopped at security. health threat, Campbell has “Travelers are screened taken her in-flight hygiene at checkpoints regardless habits a step fur ther by of what they are wearing. If wearing a hazmat suit on they trigger an alarm, it could board. likely result in a pat-down,”

Campbell is not alone TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbin wearing hazmat suits stein said in an email. on planes. The behavior is According to Farbstein, becoming more common whether you have to take for regular air travelers, as the suit off at airport secuwell as airline staff. rity depends on “what type

Disposable PPE suits can of hazmat suit in terms of cost less than $20 online, whether a pat-down would but health experts aren’t resolve the alarm.” advocating wearing them on Hyzler, and the CDC, displanes during the pandemic. courage wearing hazmat

“Wearing a hazmat suit suits on planes but still recon an airplane is unnecesommend face masks. sary and could cause undue “If everyone’s wearing a concern for other travel- mask, there’s reduced risk ers,” Scott Pauley, a press of (coronavirus) transmisofficer for the Centers for sion,” Hyzler said. Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) told The Washington Post by email. “CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.”

Nonetheless, multiple carriers are requiring flight attendants to wear hazmat suits on planes, including Philippine Airlines, AirAsia and, most recently, Qatar Airways, CNN reported.

On May 18, Qatar Airways announced it would require members of its cabin crew to wear disposable Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) suits over their uniforms in addition to other gear including safety goggles, gloves and a mask.

“At Qatar Airways, we have introduced these additional safety measures onboard our flights to ensure the continued health and wellbeing of our passengers and cabin crew, and to limit the spread of coronavirus,” Qatar Airways Group chief executive Akbar Al Baker said in a statement. “As an airline, we maintain the highest possible hygiene standards to ensure that we can fly people home safely during this time.”

According to Adrian Hyzler, chief medical officer for Healix International, a company specializing in security and international medical and travel-assistance services, neither the European Union Airline Safety Association (EASA) nor the International Air Transport Association (IATA) recommends hazmat suits for airline crew unless they’re dealing with sick passengers.

Hyzler said one concern with wearing hazmat suits is improperly getting out of them. If there’s any trace of the coronavirus on the suit, wearers may come into contact with it as they take off their PPE. The CDC did say recently, “coronavirus primarily spreads from person to person and not easily from a contaminated surface,” The Washington Post reported.

Another issue is they can give the wearer a false sense of security.

“This is something with all PPE that makes the wearer think that they are somehow better protected,” Hyzler said.

Hyzler warned t here are downsides to wearing

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