The Trentonian (Trenton, NJ)

Disney, SeaWorld announce plans for Florida parks to reopen

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FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. » SeaWorld and Walt Disney World will reopen in Orlando, Florida, in June and July after months of inactivity because of the coronaviru­s pandemic, according to plans a city task force approved Wednesday.

The proposals will now be sent to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for final approval.

The plan calls for SeaWorld to open to the public on June 11. Disney plans a tiered reopening, with Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom opening on July 11, followed by Epcot and Hollywood Studios on July 15. Last week, Universal Orlando presented its plan to reopen on June 5. That plan also has been approved by the Orlando task force, which sent its recommenda­tion to the governor.

“We are developing a series of ‘know before you go’ communicat­ion vehicles and our objective is to reinforce our health and safety messages to guests before they arrive on our property so they are aware and prepared for the new environmen­t,” Disney’s senior vice president of operations, Jim McPhee told the task force.

He also said the parks would open with limited capacity, but he didn’t specify the number of guests who would be allowed in initially. In a statement, the company said attendance will be managed through a new system that requires advance reservatio­ns for park entry.

Earlier this month most of Florida’s counties entered a modified Phase 1, reopening restaurant­s and retail at a limited capacity. South Florida, which has been hardest-hit by coronaviru­s cases, was added to Phase 1 earlier this week. DeSantis has said he’s eager to get businesses reopened and is expected to approve plans to reopen the theme parks, which are major pieces of Florida’s tourism industry.

Disney World also plans smaller, soft openings prior to July 11, but no specifics were provided.

SeaWorld is planning an employee appreciati­on event on June 10 before opening to the public the next day, said Interim CEO Marc Swanson.

When Disney Springs, a complex of restaurant­s and shops near Disney World, reopened, the company formed “social distancing squads,” which McPhee said have been popular with guests.

He said they are “a dedicated team of highly energetic and informativ­e cast members who are committed to engaging and inspiring our guests to follow the appropriat­e guidelines.”

Both parks said they will require guests and employees to wear face coverings and social distancing will be enforced throughout their properties. Guests and employees will also undergo temperatur­e checks before entering the parks. Disney employees will be required to do temperatur­e checks before heading to work, McPhee said. They’ll also undergo temperatur­e checks at the park, he added. Fever is one of the symptoms of the coronaviru­s.

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