Disney World reopens
Fans enjoy reopening despite safety measures
Mandatory masks, social distancing and other safety measures don’t deter visitors from Magic Kingdom.
Forty-four years after they honeymooned at the Magic Kingdom, Carol and Steve Show donned mouse ears with “44” emblazoned on the iconic headgear and posed for photos in front of Cinderella Castle.
The two were among the estimated 16,000 people who descended on Walt Disney World on Saturday as the Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom welcomed guests for the first time since COVID-19 forced the parks’ closure March 15.
The parks opened even as the Sunshine State recorded a sharp increase in new infections. On Saturday, the Florida Department of Health reported 10,360 new cases, the 18th consecutive day that at least 5,000 new cases of the novel coronavirus have been announced and pushing total cases to 254,511. On Sunday, the state set a national record with a one-day count of 15,300 new cases.
And those making their way back to the “Place Where Dreams Come True” found a smaller, more sanitized and COVID-19-conscious world.
The coronavirus-forced changes were myriad, from touch-free forehead temperature checks to handsanitizing stations and 6-foot separations between guests in lines.
Social distancing was emphasized by signage on the ground, walls and trash cans, and reinforced by the addition of plexiglass-topped partitions in lines for rides and partitions at registers in shops. Visitors who ordered food had to order it online before they could enter the restaurant, remove their masks and eat. Masks were mandatory, except when eating.
None of that stopped the Disney faithful from snagging reservations as soon they opened in late June, first for those with resort reservations and then for annual passholders.
The Shows, both 64, “absolutely” had concerns about the spread of COVID-19 in Florida.
And the Port St. Lucie, Florida, residents have “heard all the questions,” especially, “Why would you be going there now?”
But their answer, said Carol Show, is, “Why wouldn’t we?”
“We discussed this a lot,” she said. “We think Disney is taking so many precautions, we feel safer here than at stores. We’re not very fearful people. We figure, let’s live.”
Disney did not specify how many visitors it planned to admit Saturday or what that count will be in for the foreseeable future. But Len Testa, co-author of “The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World,” estimated that there were just 10,000 guests in the Magic Kingdom and another 6,000 at Animal Kingdom on opening day.
“To put that number in perspective, the Magic Kingdom averages just under 60,000 per day,” he said.
Visitors who opted to ride the iconic monorail from the Transportation and Ticket Center to the Magic Kingdom entrance stood in a well-marked socially distanced queue. The train’s cabins were divided using vinyl barriers, and only one or two families were allowed in each.
On a normal, pre-COVID-19 day, the trains would have been filled to standing room only capacity, but Jess and Brandon Bullock of Sarasota, Florida, didn’t find much of a line. They did find freshly sanitized seats – one party per bench and no one standing, hanging onto handrails – and a much less frenetic crowd than usual.
“The feeling through security and monorail lines was pretty sterile,” said Jess Bullock, 31. “Definitely not the usual bubbly atmosphere, but that’s understandable.”
Inside the park, they found shorter waits for favorite attractions and rides, though at times, Bullock said, waits were much longer than displayed on the Disney app or signs.
Overall, the Bullocks were pleased with what Disney’s done to welcome guests back, but “to be quite honest, I think Universal has done a better job,” Bullock said.
“I think the biggest thing is, Disney doesn’t have as many places to rest and you don’t see as many people out cleaning as you do at Universal.”
One other thing stood out to sisters Mary Griffin and Leslie Shinault of Rockledge, Florida: “We saw four strollers by the carousel, instead of hundreds,” said Griffin, 56. “And there was no one stepping on your heels.”
A major but strictly-enforced downside: Those mandatory masks, which the sisters agree are “absolutely necessary” given COVID-19, but “a nightmare” to wear for hours in 90-plus-degree heat, Shinault said.
Despite any glitches, waits and the rain, Carol and Steve Show say they were just happy to return to a place they’ve loved all their adult lives and have visited often since moving to St. Lucie County a few years ago.
“It’s our happy place,” Carol Show said said. “And we’re so glad to be back.”
Bottom line: Is the park safe now?
“Safe” is a subjective term but due to all the COVID-19 precautions, you may actually feel more protected at Walt Disney World than you might at your local grocery store.
There was near total-total compliance with the face-covering requirement and on the occasion that folks slid their mask below their noses, they fixed them quickly when asked.
The additional safety precautions did come at a price, though. The plexiglass shields and constant health safety reminders are reassuring, but they also pull you out of the “fantasy” a little. However, the ability to experience the park’s headliners with little-to-no waiting mostly makes up for the eerie atmosphere.