Chief Medical Officer Announces Considerations to Reopen Disney World & Disneyland
Disney Parks Chief Medical Officer Pam Hymel has released plans and considerations for reopening resorts, retail, restaurants, and theme parks at Walt Disney World and Disneyland. In this post, we’ll share the full details of her announcement, plus the latest from the Orange County Florida Economic Recovery Task Force meeting yesterday.
The good news here is that we finally have some tentative details about what things will look like at Walt Disney World and Disneyland in terms of capacity, logistics, health safety protocol, safety screening, and more. This should put an end to at least some of the speculation about what will happen operationally in the U.S. parks once they reopen. (Eh, who are we kidding?!)
As suggested by Bob Chapek in the Walt Disney Company’s second-quarter financial results call, the US parks will be looking at using the same measures as Shanghai Disneyland, which is on the precipice of reopening. That’s almost certainly why this announcement is coming right now, and should not be construed as a sign that a reopening of Walt Disney World and/or Disneyland is imminent. With that preface out of the way, below are details from Dr. Hymel’s announcement…
As noted above, new CEO Bob Chapek announced earlier this evening that Shanghai Disneyland Reopens Next Week With Limited Capacity & Health Measures. This is an encouraging sign for Disney parks and retail locations all over the world, including the U.S. parks. Disney has an extraordinarily talented team of health and safety experts who are some of the most experienced in the industry.
Together with colleagues in operations and local health and government authorities, Disney’s teams are evaluating several new and enhanced safety measures to helping guests and Cast Members stay well while working, staying, and playing at Disney. Dr. Hymel is also working closely with the US Travel Association on a set of guidelines the travel industry may tailor to their individual businesses to help demonstrate that safety of travelers is a top focus.
To that end, Dr. Hymel has shared an update about Disney’s plans and considerations as the company prepares for the reopening of its parks, resorts and stores. Disney is exploring:
Phased reopening: Disney is looking at all locations and how best to begin the reopening process, including a gradual reopening and/or partial reopening of certain locations. For example, the opening of retail and dining locations prior to the opening of theme parks.
Physical distancing and capacity measures: As you can imagine, managing guest density in queues, restaurants, hotels, ride vehicles and other facilities throughout the park and across the resort is a major focus, as Disney implements physical distancing guidelines based on guidance from health authorities, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and appropriate government agencies.
This will likely include implementation of guest capacity measures to comply with state and federal guidelines. Disney is also exploring ways to use technology to aid us in these efforts, like with the Play Disney Parks App and through virtual queues at Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
Cleanliness and sanitization: Disney is planning increased cleaning and disinfection, determining where that should take place (for example, in high-traffic areas), and the cleaning products and processes that will be used at Walt Disney World and Disneyland.
Screening and prevention support: Disney will follow guidance from the government and the medical community regarding enhanced screening procedures and prevention measures, including those related to personal protective equipment (PPE), such as face coverings. Some measures, like adding hand sanitizers and hand washing stations across the resorts, have already been implemented.
Cast Member training: Disney will further emphasizing its strong culture of health and safety amongst Cast Members, and will continue to provide new training and reinforcement as reopening draws nearer.
These are just a few examples of the many areas Disney Parks is developing plans for, so please keep an eye online channels, where more details will be provided as Disney cements and begins to implement these plans. Given the constantly changing global health environment, these practices may evolve as Disney considers the latest guidance, but the company will share more information closer to reopening.
In the meantime, Disney’s focus remains on the health and safety of the entire Disney community — including the wellbeing of the Cast Members who are caring for and securing the parks and resorts during the closure. Disney has already implemented a number of enhanced health and safety measures, such as increasing the frequency of cleaning and disinfection in work areas, adjusting practices to promote physical distancing, and providing Cast Members with access to necessary PPE, including face coverings. Disney continues to learn from these experiences and will carry these lessons into reopening and beyond.
For more minor details, read Dr. Hymel’s full statement: “A Message about Disney Parks from Chief Medical Officer Dr. Pamela Hymel.”
Again, this should not be viewed as a sign that Walt Disney World or Disneyland are preparing to open in the near future. The announcement doesn’t even give a vague timeline for that. The statement was released now due to the news that Shanghai Disneyland is reopening on May 11, 2020.
Moreover, literally all of this is subject to change. It’s likely that Disney will learn from and iterate upon its experiences reopening Shanghai Disneyland, seeing what works and what doesn’t. Beyond that, to some degree the procedures used there will need to be “localized” for the predominantly American audiences at Walt Disney World and Disneyland. Regardless, it’s good to see concrete details, even if they can/will change as the reopening date approaches.
If you want a preview of at least some of what’s likely in store for Walt Disney World and Disneyland, we’d highly recommend checking out our Shanghai Disneyland Reopening Announcement article. That offers specifics on health screening protocol, as well as reductions in entertainment, nighttime spectaculars, and more. Once again, there will undoubtedly be changes from what’s done there to what happens at Walt Disney World and Disneyland, but it should give you at least a vague idea of what’s to come.
As for timing, we don’t have any significant updates for you aside from recent statements by leaders in both California and Florida that indicate where each of those states (and the Orange Counties home to Disneyland and Walt Disney World) are in terms of reopening their economies. By way of quick recap, the approaches being taken by the two states are at opposite ends of the spectrum.
Our headline Disneyland May Not Open for Months Under Plan pretty much says it all about California Governor Gavin Newsom’s four-stage proposal. And that’s the best case scenario. At the other end of the spectrum, our latest Walt Disney World Reopening Update discusses how Orange County Florida is essentially deferring to Disney as the state is eager to restart its tourism-centric economy.
A couple of things are worth underscoring with regard to both Walt Disney World and Disneyland.
First, as with Disney’s health protocol, these plans are subject to change based upon constantly evolving knowledge and circumstances. This is to say California’s plan could be accelerated or Florida’s could stall. Second, just because Disney has a certain path to reopening doesn’t mean they’ll take it–the parks on both coasts could remain closed even after state and local governments give the okay.
During an Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force meeting yesterday, Senior Vice President of Walt Disney World Resorts and Transportation Operations Thomas Mazloum flat-out stated, “we do not have any opening date yet…we’re taking bookings in June but that does not mean that we’re opening in June. At this time, I want to make it clear that we don’t have any plans to share for Walt Disney World, or any of our other parks for that matter.”
In a follow-up question, another member of the task force asked whether the January 1, 2021 reopening date that had been rumored had any basis in reality, noting that Disney waiting that long would be harmful for a lot of other Central Florida businesses. To that, Mazloum said: “I don’t want to comment on any speculation. I simply don’t have more information to share as of this point. At this point, we’ve simply closed until further notice and I’m not in a position to share anything regarding Walt Disney World.”
Immediately after, leadership from Universal and SeaWorld more or less reiterated the same, indicating that it would be inappropriate and premature to offer further guidance or speculation on a reopening date. Universal likewise is “in limbo right now” and can’t make a decision on when to reopen until health experts offer guidance and government officials set clearer date timeframes for subsequent phases of reopening. You can see the full video here (theme parks talk begins at around the 31 minute mark).
Ultimately, it’s good to know where Walt Disney World and Disneyland stand in terms of plans and considerations for capacity, logistics, health safety protocol, safety screening, etc., and it’s also nice to know that regular meetings and collaboration is occurring behind the scenes for the eventual reopening. This should put some speculation to rest, but the biggest piece of the puzzle–when Walt Disney World and Disneyland will reopen–will has yet to fall into place. None of this rules out (or confirms) June 1, 2020, but we’re starting to think it could be well past that date.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think of Disney’s plans and considerations for reopening of resorts, retail, restaurants, and theme parks, including Walt Disney World and Disneyland? Does this signal to you that Disney wants to reopen the parks sooner rather than later? Or do you think the timing here is due solely to Shanghai Disneyland coming back online next week? Think Walt Disney World will reopen by Summer 2020? If not, what’s your predicted date/month? Keep comments respectful, apolitical, and on topic. Anything not following these requirements will be removed.
I honestly think that the Florida parks (California ones are a whole different package) won’t open until there’s a national COVID legal immunity passed in the next stimulus / congressional action. I’m confident that with the wipe down sanitization, and some of the innovation I’ve seen coming out of some of the engineering firms (adapting UV based sanitization light devices to theme park rides) will make the park infrastructure safe enough. Now its a question of safeguarding the parks from class action lawsuits and building public confidence again.
I believe in magic, Disney and dreams come true. So nothing will stop me once Disney World reopens…
Perfectly put, here here!
It’s looking like our June trip is likely not going to happen. That means we don’t get to go at all since we have no ability to reschedule for a later date. Guess we are going to remodel our master bathroom.
NO DONT SAY THAT:( We Are. booked to Go June 1-8th, I have a friend employed by Disney and as she says you will be amazed at how fast they can get things done
I hope that to be true. But it’s looking more and more unlikely. More info and “read between the lines” rumor also points to the fact that possibly only Hollywood and the Magic Kingdom would be open. Epcot, Animal, and the water parks would be shut down. Not worth the amount of money we are paying if that is true and a lot of info is pointing to it being true. However, if everything is open with limited capacity (50% crowds) we are going, but this news needs to come out sooner rather than later.
Masks & other draconian measures? Hard pass.
I can understand finding masks uncomfortable, but what’s draconian about them? How is it any different than a private business having a “no shirt, no shoes, no service” policy?
US cultural norms are certainly different than those of Asia, but wearing a face mask when sick has been common courtesy/social etiquette there (and not just China–same goes for Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, etc.) for decades. It takes time for things to be normalized, but it nonetheless baffles me that this has become a huge sticking point and an emerging point of contention in the culture war.
The reason it’s such a point of contention is because the sick ones aren’t the only ones ‘encouraged’/required to wear them – everyone is. Few things in life allow for a one-size-fits-all solution and healthcare is certainly not one of them. It’s insanity!
Tom,
Wearing a mask in China is not a “cultural” norm. They were them there because their air is so polluted and the spawn a new virus every other year.
I just keep hearing people say it’s a cultural norm and it’s not. They weren’t wearing them 20 years ago or any time in their long history.
Oops spelled WEAR* incorrectly. Darn auto-correct.
And again, I’m not picking on China or any Asian, I think their history and culture is extremely interesting.
I totally agree with you on the masks, Tom.
Tom, I’m with you on this! I think face masks should be compared to food service workers wearing rubber gloves as they assemble our food. They may not appear to be sick, but if used correctly, they are preventing transmission of germs to the food and thereby to the people eating.
I also liken it to how September 11th changed many protocols. Security was boosted tremendously, and even made us feel a bit uncomfortable at times, but once things calmed down a bit, they were able to loosen some restrictions and still keep people safe.
This is what is needed right now. It doesn’t have to be forever! Stay safe, everyone!
I agree regarding the mask negativity, Tom. Many states already require everyone to wear masks whenever social distancing isn’t possible – meaning you don’t need a mask to walk in the woods if you are SURE you won’t encounter anyone, except maybe a bear or two. Masks are required to go to grocery stores. Grocery stores have MAYBE a few hundred people in them at a time. Of course Disney World needs masks! It is impossible to practice social distancing when there are thousands upon thousands of vacationers – excited, often unruly DW guests – in multiple and various small/enclosed/confined spaces. Like many have said, if you don’t want to wear a mask, don’t go. It’s that simple. I know other people have said this, but did we ever imagine that the invasive security measures TSA takes would be accepted by the USA? If you want to fly badly enough, you go through TSA. Simple.
Masks seem like a wildcard and too unpredictable to expect people to wear them. Here are a few reasons it seems unreasonable and not effective.
#1 the heat.
#2 How are parents going to kee kids or even infants wearing masks when they rip them off because they’ve had enough? Are Disney staff going to enforce the wearing during these instances?
#3 Masks in order to be safe would need to be washed every day. If people brought paper masks or N95’s they would need at the very least a supply to last their stay. Considering people can’t get them now due to supply issues how do people get enough to last that long for a vacation?
#4 People have to take off their masks to eat. Which raises the concern of if they can do that to eat around other people, why do they have to wear one at all? Second, once the mask is removed it has been touched by their hands and thus is contaminated and has to be thrown away. If it’s cloth fine, but vacationers would have to carry a supply of masks to the parks for this reason. If people are wearing cloth homemade ones they would need to be washed after removal for eating and doing that at the park isn’t feasible.
#5 The point of wearing a mask is to help aid in the spread to others around you. If people are touching their masks all day, removing them to eat 2-3 times a day and not changing them out, all this is defeating the purpose of wearing a mask in the first place and now we just have a bunch of contaminated people walking around the park.
#5 If even most of this is accurate, then it points to wearing masks as being pointless and merely a frustration at best and promoting bad sanitation at worst.
I wholeheartedly agree Tom. The part that baffles me, as a Canadian, is how mask wearing and protective measures have become politicized. Why is public health a right wing vs left wing issue? Here, even the Conservative provincial governments recognize the need for the protection of the public.
The part that really irks me is the number of people saying it “doesn’t protect me, it only protects others”. And what is so bad about that? Wearing masks will help protect the Cast Members; WDW and Disneyland are only going to stay open for so long if individuals come into the parks infecting the staff. In an outbreak, you will need to quarantine all close contacts of those infected – this is a responsible business risk mitigation measure to protect their workforce from going down. I commend Disney for taking measures to protect their staff. People need to realize it’s not all about themselves. Perhaps guesrs here should be asking if the Cast Members want them to wear a mask, which I am sure they do.
Stephanie #2, you should read Bob Iger’s book called ‘The Ride of A Lifetime’. Really interesting! I don’t know how much CEOs should make, but I absolutely think they deserve to be paid significantly more than their ‘average’ employees. In the case of Disney, I’d be willing to bet that the CEO has a greater workload & more responsibility than, say, a guest relations cast member…
There is NO excuse for not wearing a mask. Over a million Americans have gotten sick so far THAT WE KNOW ABOUT because ANYBODY could be spreading the virus without realizing they have it, and it doesn’t matter which state you live in.
I like that Disney is already making themed masks. I expect that whenever the parks open, masks will still be required, and you’ll probably get a themed mask along with your Magic Band. It will be really weird, and some people won’t like it, but if EVERYBODY is wearing one, then maybe the Halloween-like atmosphere and a sense of “we’re all in this together” will help make the experience FUN. Or at least less stressful.
Nothing reminds you that what you are about to do is DANGEROUS like having to wear protective gear. So I don’t think I’ll go back to WDW as long as people are still wearing masks to buy groceries.
But, yeah, if you’re planning to go in the next year and a half…you should probably accept that it won’t be ANYTHING like a normal trip. It might still be FUN, but it won’t be NORMAL. And get used to the idea of wearing a mask, because it may not be optional.
If you’re healthy there is NO reason to wear a mask, none. Almost every doctor you speak to will tell you this. Our immune systems are designed around actually taking in pathogens and learning how to fight them. Hiding only weakens our immune systems.
This disease is like the Chicken Pox was 30 years ago. We WANT the young and healthy to catch it so their immune system build natural defenses against it. Then when those kids get older and have kids they will be immune and their kids can be exposed to it. If you look at the CDC’s statistics for the number of people that have died from this under the age of 30 it’s tiny and they most likely had underlying issues. Yes it stinks but there is no known vaccine for any RNA virus (SARS, MERS, COVID19, etc). Herd immunity is the ONLY way to fight this and live a normal life without being required to wear a mask or hide in your house.
The bad part about the Chicken Pox analogy is what do you do with the older people with compromised immune systems. At this point THOSE are the people that should be staying indoors and wearing masks. Humans have survived LOTS of pandemics before and NEVER reacted like this. In our recorded history humans have NEVER quarantined the healthy! In 1968 we had a FLU pandemic that killed over 100,000 people in the US and between 1-2 MILLION people world wide. We didn’t end the Vietnam war, hide in our houses, or cripple our economy then why are we doing it now? These things come and go but the way we are dealing with them now is ridiculous. Sweden choose to build herd immunity and their death and case tolls are NO different than ours based on percentage of population.
Yes! All you said. Exactly! If you are at risk or worried. Please, stay home. But do not judge those who choose to go on with their lives. Do what you need to do to feel safe and stay healthy. Going out is not selfish. If you are worried about catching something from someone not wearing a mask, maybe YOU shouldn’t be out.
You’re wrong. Sweden’s per capita death toll (291 per 1M) is 6th highest in the world with only 10 million people and a low population density. And it is 33% higher than the U.S. (source: worldometer.info). It’s neighbor, Norway HAS taken drastic measures and has a per capita death toll of 40 per 1M…that’s over 7 times lower than Sweden’s death rate. Sweden’s approach is NOT working!
What doctors are you speaking to? I live in MA which has been hit pretty hard by COVID-19. There are a lot of medical professionals in my family. All of them suggest wearing masks. It’s been weeks since it was suggested otherwise; they’re mandatory here now and for good reason. Also, the Department of Epidemiology at Johns Hopkins published a good piece on why Herd Immunity won’t work for COVID-19. We would be well into 2021 before herd immunity was reached and half a million Americans would be dead. I’ve listened to plenty of interviews and read articles with Economists stating that there are economic benefits to social distancing that currently outweigh the risks of opening back up. If you have lost your job because of coronavirus, I feel for you. These times aren’t easy right now, and I know a lot of people are struggling. I’m an essential employee and my husband is able to work from home, our main difficulty right now is that we don’t have childcare – I understand we are some of the lucky ones. Since we still have an income, I try to do my part to keep my favorite small businesses afloat – I stopped shopping at the big box grocers & am paying a little more for curbside pickup at my local butcher, I asked my hairstylist what I could do to help her out & she suggested a gift card or buying products using her links, I started buying coffee beans from a local roaster & making it at home, I still order takeout & ask that they put it in an open bin outside my house so that we don’t have to come into contact, and finally I acknowledge the work delivery drivers are doing by tipping generously. There’s a lot more we can do that’s far more helpful than stating numbers and facts around diseases unrelated to this one & stomping our feet about the precautions we have to take that might not necessarily be beneficial to us since we are “healthy.” If I have to wear a mask at Disney because I, a healthy individual, could have COVID-19 and unknowingly give it to someone immunocompromised, that is such a small price to pay in my eyes. I think it would be selfish to expect companies like Disney to go back to normal, business as usual, just because I have the fortune of being young and healthy.
It’s fine to have an opinion, but this statement is categorically false:
“Humans have survived LOTS of pandemics before and NEVER reacted like this. In our recorded history humans have NEVER quarantined the healthy!”
As one example to demonstrate that this statement is false, reference the laws the passed to mitigate the Spanish Flu in Arizona:
“That is shall be unlawful for two or more persons to congregate in the United States post office, any bank, store, meat market, or business house, shooting gallery, pool hall, theater, motion picture show, skating rink, lodge, church, school, social gathering, card party, or other place of amusement or entertainment in the city of Globe or vicinity…”
When residents protested the orders, the Arizona Supreme court was unsympathetic ruled in favor of the state. The Court opined:
“Necessity is the law of time and place, and the emergency calls into life the necessity … to exercise the power to protect the public health.”
Please note: I am not commenting on whether these orders are effective, or correct. However, just because none of us have lived through this before…the healthy have certainly been quarantined before.
Your analogy with Chicken Pox as an example fails to consider that the virus that causes Chicken Pox lays dormant in the body for years and can re-emerge as Shingles later in life. Other viruses e. g. Polio, can also re-emerge in deadly fashion. It will be a while before we know the long term effects will be.
@Ithaca NY Guy – you are right. Humans have survived ALL pandemics up to now (if we hadn’t, we would not be here talking about this). This virus, while “novel” still follows the laws of our world.
If no one is immune, vaccines will not work and we will continue to get this over and over until we are all dead. But that is not happening, and scientists do feel that a vaccine would work, therefore immunity will work, therefore anyone who has had the virus also has immunity (or else every health care worker who has had it would be getting it again, and again, and again, and they are not)
We have a 100% chance of dying. We don’t know when or how or why – who knew that the young teen down the street would die of cancer, or the young father would die from a car accident? We can’t prevent death, but we are preventing living right now.
If someone tries to tell me that I may die before my time from this virus, i would love to see their crystal ball that shows when i was supposed to die without the virus. And this virus is showing as more contagious and less lethal than thought – we can’t stop it, so let’s get through it and have immunity, and then we don’t have to wait for a vaccine!
Steve:
“Sweden’s per capita death toll (291 per 1M) is 6th highest in the world with only 10 million people and a low population density. And it is 33% higher than the U.S. (source: worldometer.info). It’s neighbor, Norway HAS taken drastic measures and has a per capita death toll of 40 per 1M…that’s over 7 times lower than Sweden’s death rate. Sweden’s approach is NOT working!”
Yes, it is working, but in a much different way.
Remember back in March when the motto of the shut down was “Flatten the curve!” and all that? The point of shutting everything down and locking us away from each other was to *SLOW* the spread of the virus. Not stop it, not to prevent people from getting it, but to keep people from getting it all at once and overwhelming the hospitals.
In the US, we may or may not have actually achieved that – the data suggests otherwise – but fortunately, it was not needed, as the hospitals are far from even being strained for the most part. (Yes, yes … NYC, I know. That’s a whole different ball of wax in that area, for many different reasons) Two main reasons for that – one, we were terrified by the initial models that said to expect millions of people needing hospitalization, and two, it was found that most patients could recover at home. (Italy hospitalized almost all Covid patients, regardless of severity, which is what cause their hospital issues in the hardest hit cities)
Meanwhile, we’re in our third month now with our economy at a standstill. Millions out of work. Millions of businesses destroyed. We’re facing a severe food shortage, and a very real healthcare crisis when the backlog of surgeries, procedures and treatments start to roll in. And in the end, we are still going to have about the same number of people fall ill with this virus, and almost as many die from it, it will just take a much longer period of time for it to work its way through the population.
Sweden, on the other hand, by not shutting down, is seeing more people infected and more people die sooner, rather than later. At the same time, their economy is buzzing along, more or less the same. People are still working, and most importantly, people are getting their medical care. They are not suffering the rather severe side effects of a mass shut down, like mental health issues, unemployment, fear, hysteria, and despair. Their people are also building a herd immunity much faster.
Perhaps a year from now, we will be able to look at the data and see more similarity in the rate of infection and death per capita in the US and Sweden. One clear advantage of getting infected later – a greater chance of viable treatments being available.
But we cannot ignore the trade off we have made – tanking a $4 trillion economy, putting tens of millions out of work, plunging millions into poverty, causing food shortages and a healthcare crisis, and creating a massive debt that will be placed on the shoulders of generations to come … at some point, there is point where the lives potentially saved vs the lives damaged and lost where the latter is far greater than the former. We passed that point long ago.
People have always reacted with quarantines to pandemics, sometimes heroically. Even during the Black Death, there was the English village of Eyam, whose residents refused to flee or to allow anyone in to help for fear they would be infected. Even in the US in the 20th century, there were quarantines in response to polio outbreaks. And herd immunity without immunization has NEVER worked to eliminate a disease previously. It won’t work this time, unless you’re using “herd immunity” to mean “let the old and weak die,” which is more accurately called “eugenics.”
James, I do believe the push back on masks is that the experts warned us NOT to wear masks telling us they aren’t efficient and we shouldn’t wear them. Then a month or so later they are telling us it’s important to wear a mask. Additionally, there are plenty of reputable doctors and experts who tell us that mask-wearing not only isn’t good but could create more of a problem for us. So to put off people who don’t feel mask-wearing as essential is merely an opinion because there is enough evidence to support their view as well.
We were originally told not to wear masks because there weren’t enough for health care workers.
@Kinsey
Thank you, this was my original point. Yes Sweden has higher numbers now but when this comes around for the second wave they will not and their lives won’t be interrupted again. I’m in my 50’s and healthy so I’m not just saying this as a young 20 something that doesn’t care about older people.
So much complaining about “what I will and won’t do”. Grow up! It sounds like the so-called adults are the problem…not the children! We need to do what Disney requires to go or STAY AT HOME. I am ready to get back to Disney. I will have to patiently wait until we know what Disney’s decisions are and then, make my decision.
Relax, I think everyone realizes that closed theme parks are a first world problem. But this is a site dedicated to a theme park, one that typically involves planning a year in advance and spending thousands and thousands of dollars. So it’s ok for people, especially those with trips booked, to share their opinions on what’s going on.
Corey, I get that. We have our trip planned for the end of September. This is to make up for the one cancelled in March. We are committed to a $10,000+ trip. This one is higher than the one for March. I don’t want to spend a ton of money for a limited experience either, but there are no guarantees for postponing it again. At any time someone could get sick…someone could die, weather may be prohibitive of going. There is never a proof-positive no-problem time to go. Anyone could get sick while we are at Disney, fall down a flight of stairs or whatever. I don’t want to just be planning for living in the future…I also want to live now…there are NO guarantees for the future. I am ready to responsibly take my chances and enjoy Disney with my grandchildren to whatever extent is possible in September.
I hope you have an amazing trip. Maybe you’ll get lucky and enjoy low crowds during your stay.
YES
We have a trip planned for Christmas through New Year and right now we are still planning to go. BUT if we have to wear a mask or the shows, fireworks, and parades are canceled, FORGET IT. This trip is way to expensive and our favorite things about Disney are the non-ride activities. Plus like many others have said I feel like I am suffocating in those mask. For now I will keep my fingers crossed and hope we have some answers before the window closes on canceling with no penalties.
At some point we (humans) are going to have to realize that unless a vaccine is developed (we still have none for SARS or MERS) that herd immunity to the young and healthy is the ONLY solution. We simply cannot hide in our houses forever. I’m not down playing this virus, it stinks, but at some point we are going to have to face it. By hiding and not going outside we are actually WEAKENING our immune systems.
How is Disney going to realistically going to “social distance” people in their parks? Anyone who has ever been to any of the Disney World parks knows this is physically impossible. Try walking through Fantasyland at 7pm on a Saturday night … Are people going to have to wear masks on roller coasters and other rides? Swim with them?
If you are older, have underlying medical conditions, are obese (there goes 1/2 of their clients) then Disney isn’t going to be for you at this particular time.
SARS and MERS didn’t have vaccines because SARS was eradicated and MERS is not very transmissible, affecting very few people so the funding dried up. This is much more contagious and there is lots more interest in funding for a vaccine. Also, the groundwork that was done for SARS/MERS vaccine is helping us start in a more advanced position. It is possible that there will be social distancing or masks until the vaccine arrives. It’s not even known if getting this virus gives you immunity and the newest study says getting the virus makes you more susceptible to getting it again, so herd immunity may not even be possible without a vaccine. Also, while many older and immunocompromised folks have died, there have also been many young (over 20 but under 60) gravely ill as well as die, including many without any pre-existing conditions, so it’s not just those at higher risk that need to avoid it. Furthermore, if you are young and you catch this at Disney, even with a mild case, it can take you 4 weeks or more to recover. Would you have to stay in your hotel at Disney? Could you afford that? I understand we won’t stay under stay at home orders until there’s a vaccine, but we absolutely do not need to open anywhere that has crowds until there is a vaccine or we can establish immunity levels and admit those with adequate antibody levels.
I will be 75 next week and I have COPD.I don’t want to get sick but I have waited for thid trip (November) for a long time. If they are open I am going jst because I want to be to be there one more time and I never know how much time I have.
“Also, while many older and immunocompromised folks have died, there have also been many young (over 20 but under 60) gravely ill as well as die, including many without any pre-existing conditions, so it’s not just those at higher risk that need to avoid it. ”
This is false. There are of course young, healthy people that have died from this, just like there are young, healthy people that die from everything. But “many” is a falsity. Of all the data I have seen released, it is always in the 98-99% range of deaths have been those over 60 or immuno-compromised. Italy has one of the highest mortality rates in the world, and from the data i have seen about 0.5% of them have been people under 40. That is not even factoring in how many of those 0.5% were immuno-compromised. That would equate to roughly 150 out of their 30k deaths being people under 40.
These Corona viruses are RNA (not DNA) viruses so don’t expect a vaccine anytime soon. And catching this will definitely give you immunity. It’s how viruses and your immune system work.
Unless a vaccine is introduced then this will become the new Chicken Pox. We will need to encourage the young to catch it so they can build immunity early in life.
The only people that should be wearing masks and sheltering in place are the sick or older people that have underlying conditions.
I have a current reservation with a June 27 arrival. At this point, we a) don’t anticipate the parks being ready for us and b) don’t think we’d actually want to go at that point. I haven’t cancelled yet bc we booked with free dining and given the bounce back offer those with cancelled reservations received, I don’t want to “lose” that option and I’m not at the 30 day deadline for cancellation. Still, I could use the closure from just having the trip formally cancelled. Should I stay the course and hold on to it for a few more weeks or am I gaining nothing but heartache by doing this?
MaryJo, My family has reservations starting the same day as you with the original free dining deal. We are holding out to see what happens until the last possible final payment date. I think my wife does not want to go regardless but does not want to disappoint me. She knows how much I like doing all the planning for a Disney World vacation.
Maryjo, I spoke with my TA yesterday because I had the same question about cancelling and such. She said that Disney is giving you 7 days before check in to pay in full and you now have 24 hours before check in to cancel and receive a full refund. We arrive the same day as you and stay til July 4th. I feel you as well with the free dining. My parents got the free dining for our trip but we didn’t because it wasn’t available for our room category. I’m hoping they offer a new offer for the ones that have to cancel in June for the fall. We have Halloween booked as a back-up!
Thanks! It feels like a game of chicken to see who backs out first, me or Disney ;). I even booked the fast passes then cried because it made it so real but not
I was just reading this and thought of the skyliner with all the people getting off and on can you imagine having to clean it after each use and what would that look like and would they even use it. Then I thought about the buses and the monorail its a huge undertaken so many things to think about.
And what about Disney Express transportation from Orlando to WDW? I haven’t heard anything about this.
Would son & his family are planning to come July 4, 2020. This trip is 100% payed for and has been planned for the last year and this is there first visit, so all of this is a huge bummer.
We’re hoping that they’ll still be able to come, but with each passing day my optimism fades.
I hope everyone is safe & healthy, but I also believe it’s time for things to start opening up and our country begins to recover…its time to let our FAITH be BIGGER than our fear!
I do believe where there’s a will, there’s a way & Disney can and will make this happen!!!
This is a non-story, Tom. Disney will not open anytime soon. To write a story on this now is fake news! You are smarter than that.
Not trying to get political, but it looks like GOP governors are willing to open up their states sooner than their Democrat counterparts, and with Florida under Republican leadership, maybe that will mean good things for Disney opening back up. If the government doesnt give Disney and other theme parks like Universal a little bit of slack, it will be very hard for them to do business in the near future. Again, not trying to stir the pot or get political, just food for thought. Having said all that, I’m sure Disney will exercise great precaution regardless of what the local governing guidelines are.
Hopefully, some of you who go through with your trips will enjoy discounts and the possibility of a huge upside with low crowds. I foresee more locals and less tourists when Disney first opens, and I expect DisneyTouristBlog to post plenty of insightful articles on what WDW is like when it re-opens and whether or not it’s worth booking expensive trips and when it will be ideal to do so again.
Did you read Tom’s article? Direct quote: “should not be construed as a sign that a reopening of Walt Disney World and/or Disneyland is imminent.”
So, we still know nothing at all yet, other than they are making preparations.
My June 23 trip chances are fading away very quickly …
At first with all this hoopla I thought Disneyworld must not be too far behind, but after reading everything it didn’t seem that way at all. Just knowing it was going to open made my heart skip a beat. Even when they first open and I’m not ready to go yet, I will be happier just knowing.
Yikes. This is a nightmare. Disney World may re-open soon, but the question is… when will it be back to normal? We were planning a trip in November, but pandemic related financial issues aside, I may just put this trip off a year. Who knows how many phases there will be and how dramatically the social distancing measures and other restrictions will impact the guest experience. It’s one thing to be a local with a season pass making a daytrip, but something else entirely for someone looking to spend $5,000+ on a week-long vacation. Good luck to those who are trip planning and everybody stay safe!
This is my concern as well. We were planning on bringing our oldest son, whose last trip to Disney was when he was 3. He’s now 22. I’m concerned how all of this social distancing measures are going to affect the actual experience. Are shows going to be cancelled? Why not just trust people to come and accept the risk, possibly sign a waiver? If people want to stay at home out of fear LET THEM. Let the rest of us get back to life.
Let them live in fear? We’re just trying to be socially responsible here and not entitled or selfish!
It’s not about living in fear, it’s about making educated, well thought, medically advised decisions that benefit the entire community, town, state and country.
We’re all in this together. It’s a lot bigger than freedom to go to a theme park.
Settle down, Jenny. All of us “selfish” folks have been prisoners of our own homes for close to 2 months now for “the benefit of the entire community, town, state, & country”. We’ve tried things the experts’ way. We’ve put in our time. Feel free to contribute as much as you’d like for the greater good, but I’m ready to live life “selfishly” again.
It’s not living in fear. It’s living the golden rule–treating the lives of others as equally important to your own.
We have a late Sept first of Oct trip planned with our family and will wait and see what happens but we will just cancel and go next year if it is.not open entirely. I have planned this trip for.over a year and it’s my 3 young kids first time. After spending upwards of 10 grand for a week I am not going unless we can be part of the entire experience/magic that is Disney. Nor can I imagine why anyone would want to go with a bunch of restrictions, cancelled shows , etc.
We had a September trip planned. We haven’t cancelled yet, I’m holding out to see if Disney offers a deal to rebook.
I would not anticipate that it will go back to normal for 18 months at the earliest so now we’ll plan for Spring 2022 I guess!
It’s a shame because we had free dining + my 2 yr old was free. We went from a $4k vacation to probably taking a $10k one in 2 years (and at that rate, Paris it is!)
I have a trip planned 2nd week of October and same issue – both kids are under 3, so aging them out to reschedule will cost me a pretty penny. I’m holding out hope the Oxford Vaccine stays on its timeline for September, and then we can go worry-free in October.
Saw on another post the picture of “Do not stand here” squares painted in the queue lines at Shanghai Disney. Anyone who thinks that will work in America is delusional. Too many Americans think the rules do not apply to them and/or cannot or will not control their children…even at Disney.
Agree. People do not follow rules at Disney. Offer sanitation stands, better cleaning practices, and have people sign waivers. Let us get back to it. No one HAS to go.
It will be dangerous for everyone because of people like you. If you don’t follow rules they could throw you out for good.
The whole point of all the social distancing and shut downs was to ease the burden on the hospitals, to keep everyone from getting sick in a short period of time. If you’re vulnerable to infection, you are going to get it, sooner or later. The hope is for later, as that is when there is a greater likelihood of effective treatments available. As for the hospitals, they are fine, they are nowhere close to being overwhelmed.
Mouse lover I complete agree with you. Our country could not control our beaches after reopen last week. We don’t seem to follow rules very well in our entitled country. It’s a shame & embarrassing.
I’ve been to Shanghai Disney. They stand even closer together there than we do here. I had to stand with my hands on the bars and create some space for my kids. I had people pushing against me trying to get me to stand on top of my family. So if it will work there, it can work here. I think many people have adjusted how they act because of all this. Not all of course but many. If it means I get to go do Disney I will do whatever disney says I have to do to be safe!
Right??? Poor parenting is evident on a normal day at Disney. People who complain over clear, every day rules and think they don’t pertain to them will not be likely to think brand new rules pertain to them, either.
What do you think of mandatory tracking apps implanted in your cell phone as a requirement for Park entrance? For me, I will not vacation under any kind of surveillance. And people should be adult enough to understand that at some point we simply have to live with this thing in the background always. They haven’t yet come up with a vaccine to prevent aids and who knows if they will ever be an effective vaccine for this virus? Or the next SARS virus that emerges? Or the one after that?
I will not be going this year
I feel it is very expensive and not to have a good experience
And to worry about getting sick
I also heard they are considering no parades no crowds
No finger prints
I will wait
I’m considered an essential worker (not a frontline worker of any kind though), and the changes that have been coming weekly and daily to various protocols have been such a whirlwind. I can’t imagine blowing that up to the size of a Disney Park. I’m sure there will be a lot of on the ground adjustments, but they have to have so much set in place before they can start letting the public in. I don’t envy those having to make those calls and setting those guidelines!
I really hope masks are not required for guests. We have a July trip booked & I don’t think I can do the Florida heat with a mask on. If they are required, may have to look to rebook at a later date.
That requirement will be a hard no from me.
Loss of major attractions and experiences will be as well.
Same. Should be discounted heavily if only able to experience half of the attractions and experiences.
I think they should require them indoors (such as for dark rides) and on the rides, but I agree that it would be hard on people to wear a mask all day, outside, in the heat of the day of a Florida summer.
Most of the risk comes from being indoors, where you can breathe in someone’s respiratory droplets. I think requiring them indoors makes sense. Then again, what about restaurants? People would need masks off to eat!
People would need to dispose of each mask, or set it aside for cleaning, each time it is taken off, then use a new one for mask wearing to be at all effective.
I think it would be extremely difficult to require guests to wear a mask at all times. I expect Disney to require cast members to wear masks and to encourage guests to wear them. Obviously guests can’t be required to wear masks while eating and drinking…
I will not wear a mask in Florida heat.
Must be getting cabin fever….I can’t help but notice that we were not allowed to wear a mask with a Halloween costume for safety reasons and now we may all have to wear one for safety reasons…
I can barely stand a mask for a 20 minute grocery run! I’ve always been slightly claustrophobic, but masks make me feel like I’m suffocating. I am so ready to get back to Disney, but I will absolutely not return as long as masks are required!
I’m a big Disney fan, however, before I return I’d really like to see Disney pay their people more- especially the folks who have to clean the parks and hotels. They were already underpaid and now they’ll be required to do so much more to keep us safe. It disgusts me that the CEO’s pay is 900x’s the average Disney employee salary. They can and should do better when they reopen.
No way they require masks for guests. This is America…not China. They will probably recommend them I’m sure. Ohio required them and then backtracked the next day and said they were no longer required but instead recommended because some felt they were offensive to wear. People wont return if required to wear them. Sure their are people that will but I think their are way more that wouldn’t. That isnt most people’s idea of fun when spending that amount of money on a vacation.
No way I will wear one at WDW in the heat. That is insane and who in their right mind would vacation that way. Not my idea of fun or magical. I have a July trip planned but will probably cancel. I dont know what they will or won’t do when they reopen but my family won’t return if guests are required to wear masks. Nor would we return if character meet greets as well as character dinings arent the same. My kids are still young and they want to interact with them. If Disney goes too over the top with what they require and the parks arent the same I think they will lose a lot of customers like myself for good. We are DVC and I cant wait for our trip every year but not if the changes affect how we do Disney.
I’m banking on many of the new requirements being temporary because Disney knows if they want crowds back at some point some then some type of normalcy has to return, whenever that may be. If some changes are temporary people will just wait. But, if any of the changes are permanent and are around next summer, I think some will never return. Just my thoughts.
Yeah I’m of the same mindset. Not really the heat issue although that is problematic. The issue I have is if someone comes with paper masks the issue of having to have a new one each day at the minimum and supplies are nowhere to be seen. Secondly, cloth masks would need to be washed daily with all the breathing and sweat and that is unlikely to happen so it creates an even more unsanitary condition. Third, How do we eat with a mask on. We have to remove the mask making it useless once that happens, and requires a new one. Guests are going to be carrying around a supply of masks while there? Plus, if it’s safe to eat without a mask why isn’t it safe to do anything else without a mask? That point right there seems to be a contradiction. Masks for guests just seems to be a logistical nightmare all around.