Disney World Reducing Physical Distancing
Walt Disney World will be reducing physical distancing in its theme parks and resorts, but not in all locations. In this post, we’ll offer a rundown of the changes, what else has recently happened with Florida theme parks, and when more changes might be on the horizon.
This change is somewhat unsurprising. Two weeks ago, Orange County, Florida relaxed physical distancing to 3 feet as part of a phased plan with vaccination and positivity metrics that would allow the gradual lifting of all mandates. Many businesses followed suit immediately, including Orlando International Airport and other spots guests would encounter on their voyage to Walt Disney World.
Following that, both Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando announced they’d be ending temperature checks, with the latter also dropping distancing: “We’re excited to enhance your Universal experience with the latest safety updates from local health and government officials. There are no more temperature checks upon entry. And Social Distancing between travel parties is now reduced to three feet (1 meter). Still, most of our original safety protocols remain unchanged–from wearing face coverings across our Resort to our ongoing dedication to cleanliness and sanitization.”
Universal Orlando made its changes effective immediately, with temperature checks already gone and new distancing markers in queues and elsewhere the very next day. We’re a bit surprised they bothered at all with the new markers since 3′ is a “natural” distance and most guests were/are disregarding them anyway. It would be nice if the unpleasant reminders of the last year started to disappear, especially those that aren’t accomplishing anything.
The more noteworthy change went unannounced, which is that Single Rider lines returned and Universal began seating every row on rides. This is significant because it increases operational efficiency of attractions, which helps to offset the higher attendance cap that reduced physical distancing facilitates. Since last year, we’ve been in favor of decreased distancing on attractions, especially those that are moving and outdoors, where risk of transmission is virtually nonexistent.
Today, Walt Disney World is following Universal’s lead and making changes to its “Reopening & Update Experiences” regarding physical distancing (including the above icon, which previously said “6 ft – 2m” inside the two-way arrows. Here’s the full text of the new policy from DisneyWorld.com:
Temporary adjustments are still in place to promote physical distancing. While we will reduce physical distancing measures for Guests across many areas with a gradual, phased approach, six-feet distancing measures will continue in all dining locations, merchandise stores and in areas where Guests can temporarily remove their masks.
Physical distancing measures may include:
- Signage and Ground Markings: Please follow directional signage and ground markings, which have been installed throughout Walt Disney World Resort to help Guests better navigate common areas while practicing physical distancing.
- Physical Barriers: Physical barriers have been added in select places to help promote proper separation between people, including in queues and on transportation and attractions. Barriers may also be visible, for example, in areas around cash registers or at Guest Relations.
- Party Size: Guests traveling in parties of more than 10 are asked to split into smaller groups in queues, dining locations and other areas around our parks and resorts to better allow for physical distancing.
- Parking: Cashless payment is recommended at the auto plazas.
- Training: Cast Members are trained to engage with Guests and promote physical distancing guidelines in common areas and queues.
Walt Disney World prefaces this change by stating that “as guidance has continued to evolve, we–with the support of health and government officials–will be making more gradual adjustments. You may begin to see these changes across many of our areas. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we make this transition.”
Disney also once again encourages people to get vaccinated. It’s great to see this continual messaging. Personally, I wish they’d take it a step further and include that in the first part–that their “gradual adjustments” will also be driven by U.S. case and vaccination rates. Still, better than nothing and hopefully encourages those who are on the fence.
More straightforward language involving metrics and benchmarks might be better reserved for something less public-facing. Perhaps on an earnings call for the Walt Disney Company? Not so coincidentally, Disney has its fiscal second quarter 2021 financial results webcast tomorrow (May 13, 2021).
A portion of this is usually devoted to forward-looking expectations, with positive changes emphasized to create optimism among investors. That earnings call would offer the perfect opportunity for Disney to present a clear plan to relax physical distancing and other health safety measures.
Personally, I’d love Disney to articulate concise metrics that would be utilized for gradually relaxing these rules–percentage of the eligible population vaccinated, rolling 7-day case averages, positivity numbers, etc.
Everyone could use a little more transparency in these matters–no matter whether you’re for or against changes–to make informed decisions with plenty of advance notice. Something like Orange County’s three-phased plan would be great, and infinitely better than waiting around on the whims of the CDC.
As was the case when Universal made this change, what’s good for the theme park operators is not always what’s good for the guests. It’s a given that Walt Disney World will distribute more Park Pass reservations as a result of this move. (So keep an eye out if your dates have been fully booked!)
Per the company’s previous earnings call, Disney was limiting attendance to 35% of normal levels because of physical distancing. Based upon Disney’s own industrial engineering estimates, that was the maximum attendance level possible while adhering to 6′ physical distancing. It should go without saying, but the math changes if 3′ physical distancing in most places throughout Walt Disney World. (Note: Disney has not said it’ll drop distancing to three feet, but that’s the safe assumption.)
Also as with Universal, what’s not clear is how this will impact physical distancing on attractions, and whether the two increases will be proportionate to one another. Our guess is that they will not.
While most rides are not operating at or close to 100% efficiency, distancing on many attractions already has dropped significantly since last summer. It’s unlikely ride efficiency can be increased right now to a sufficient degree to offset the attendance uptick.
Our expectation is that the length of lines will decrease, posted wait times will remain more or less unchanged, and actual wait times will go up moderately. It’s also possible that many weekdays demand will be more of a limiting factor on attendance going forward than the park capacity caps.
Although we’re predicting a busy summer season and Park Pass reservations are already fully booked for some dates, there are still many unknowns. For one, will Disney gradually increase attendance caps, going first to 40%, then 45%, and so on? For another, what is the level of organic demand–50%, 60%, 70%, or higher? We don’t yet know the answers to these questions, and those things plus attraction efficiency will dictate both the “feels like” crowd levels and wait times. In other words, there are a lot of unknowns.
One interesting thing here is that Walt Disney World is not dropping physical distancing levels in stores, restaurants, or anywhere guests can temporarily remove face masks. This could be interpreted as Walt Disney World erring on the side of caution, and that certainly may be true. It might also be good for appearances, but dictated by practical operational realities.
As we explained in the latest update to When Will the Disney Dining Plan Return?, staffing is the biggest obstacle right now for restaurants. We’ve done several meals recently where numerous tables were unfilled (beyond those deliberately left open) and many third party restaurants are offering huge signing bonuses in a desperate attempt to attract employees. Just today, San Angel Inn announced it would pay $1,000 to new hires. It’ll be interesting to see whether physical distancing at restaurants sticks around once all of the new College Program participants have been trained and can help ease the burden on those restaurants. Beyond that, we expect a lot of changes in the coming weeks–expect more to be revealed on tomorrow’s earnings call. We’ll keep you posted with all the details!
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
Thoughts on Walt Disney World dropping physical distancing? Do you view that move as a net positive or negative in returning to normal? Pleased that Disney is keeping 6′ in restaurants, or wish they’d relax that to make ADRs easier to score? (Or do you agree with our assessment that that ‘non-change’ is probably more a practical reality than anything else?) Please keep the comments civil. This is not the place for arguing about efficacy, politics, and so forth—all such comments will be deleted, irrespective of perspective. You are not going to change anyone’s mind via the comments section on this blog, nor are you going to change Disney’s rules or public policy. If you wish to contest this, rather than yelling into the internet abyss, have your voice heard in a meaningful way by contacting Disney or your local elected officials.
Great article, thanks Tom! Do you know of anyone who has gotten a reservation at Cinderella’s Royal Table lately? I’ve been trying for weeks for Friday June 25th with no luck. It says on the website that Character Dining is Not Available. Just curious if you have heard anything regarding that experience.
Thanks!
@Tom Most definitely. Disneyland on May 14, 28, and June 7. Just need to take a trip out to the woods first and find myself a 6 foot long tree branch. I’ll enforce this rule even if they don’t.
What effect, if any, will this have on the eventual reopening of the Epcot monorail? I understand distancing was the primary reason why it was closed. I’m staying at the Grand Floridian in a little over a month and that opening would be a huge convenience and time saver.
No impact. Distancing was not the reason it closed, the lack of Park Hopping plus monorail resort occupancy was the reason. At this point, it’s just a cost-savings.
Any word on fast pass returning?
@Maureen For Tom personally, he has said that he is fully vaccinated and so he feels safe doing anything he felt safe doing prior to the pandemic.
For my family, my husband and I are fully vaccinated but our 3-year-olds are not. The downward trend in cases is what we were looking for before committing to a trip, and we’re comfortable taking them for Memorial Day based on current case rates. We’re even going to eat indoors at quick service restaurants, because of the lower rates combined with the lower risk of negative outcomes should a healthy 3 year old contract Covid (and this is from someone who refused to see their family indoors over the holidays based on the case rates at the time)
If everyone in your group is vaccinated, I’d say 99.9% it is safe. If not, I’d say a big factor to consider would be the overall Covid rates (which I think should continue falling especially by August), versus the specific mitigations occurring at Disney World. Good luck with your decision!
@Laura D – Thanks for sharing your perspective as someone with kids. I think your assessment is very fair and measured!
With the 7 Day moving average for Covid infections for the US going from 68,000 to 38,000 in the last 30 days.
If this pace of decline continues I think in the next 30 days there will be no need to keep a lot of these rules in place (specifically wearing a mask outdoors) which I really don’t understand at all. Apparently if you’re at a water park you can’t catch it outside but you will if you’re walking anywhere else on Disney Property.
Agreed. Many respected health experts have said that May will be effectively the last month of the pandemic in the United States. I’d expect some guidance will be slower to change, but if cases, hospitalizations, and deaths have dropped off a cliff, a lot of rules and restrictions will disappear in June and July.
I still think WDW will be slower than most other businesses, but there’s no way they’ll keep rules in place several months after everywhere else has totally abandoned them.
Here now. Physical distancing has been less and less enforced over the course of the past 7 days. Very different than our Fall visit. The day Universal announced 3 ft distancing we noticed busses started filling every or almost every seat. On our last bus ride of this trip – all but two seats filled (we are a party of two in a section of 4). From where I’m sitting, I can see 4 adults and 2 kids maskless. If you are nervous, now is not the time to come.
Thanks for sharing your experience!
I suspect it will increasingly be the case that even where rules technically still exist, enforcement will drop off considerably.
Tom I just have a simple question. Are you comfortable in DW as far as feeling safe from catching covid? I have a trip planned in August, flying from NJ and still on the fence.
I think that question is probably a bit more loaded than you, as everyone’s risk tolerances and personal circumstances vary. 🙂
With that said, we are fully vaccinated and now comfortable doing anything we would’ve done in January of last year. This is predicated upon credible studies about real world efficacy, likelihood of infection and transmission (or rather, lack thereof), comparative risk analyses, and commentary from respected epidemiologists. Life is largely back to normal for us as two fully vaccinated adults without kids. Your circumstances might differ from ours, though.
I think WDW has a LONG way to go………..We were there for 10 days in April (16th-25th) and even if the rides could handle greater than 35% capacity, the restaurants and parks couldn’t………They desperately need shows, fireworks, restaurants, etc. to reopen before they could even think of adding to park capacity……..None of that can happen until they hire/re-hire all the people they let go previously. The entire country is facing a hiring problem (see last weeks MASSIVE underperformance employment report) due to the unemployment benefits (people dont want to go back to work for similar or less money than they are getting)
@jenn I think transportation is a place you will see big change. You can keep your mask on, on buses and skyliner. Therefore, I wouldn’t be surprised if they start loading multiple parties onto each skyliner.
Meanwhile, skyliner usage shouldn’t increase significantly: All the full Skyliner resorts are already open. While a few Boardwalk and Beach Club guests might use the Skyliner, I expect most of those guests to continue to walk or use the boat.
So the skyliner situation should actually improve with the change to social distancing.
“So the skyliner situation should actually improve with the change to social distancing”
Agreed. As much as I like having a private cabin, this needs to change. Air flow is great in those things and there’s no reason not to put 2 parties of 2-3 on far opposite sides at this point. That alone would help tremendously. Disney could even still accommodate requests for private cabins if people are overly concerned.
@ Darren – me too! That was the one positive to come out of this pandemic! I hope never to hear “ fill in every available space” again
I’m at Disney now & I haven’t seen any physical distancing anywhere. I’ve seen the signs, but no one’s following them & no one’s enforcing them. When we were at Disney Springs over the weekend (at night) I saw more signs saying guests would be asked to leave if not properly wearing a mask than I saw people actually wearing them.
No restaurant we’ve dined at has had people keep their masks on unless actively eating or drinking. The buses are still packed, except standing is no longer allowed. But there’s no physical distancing on the buses.
The only COVID-related changes I’ve seen are the ones that mostly benefit Disney financially like resort activities no longer being offered. And some just flat out don’t make any sense. The arcades are all closed, but the gyms are all open. It’s an unenjoyable nightmare trying to figure out where you can enter a shop from & where you need to exit it from. And you can tell from both the cast members and the majority of guests that nobody even cares about the precautions anymore & view them as more of an inconvenience than viable safety measures.
Thanks for sharing your experience–and I’m sorry to hear that things have been so frustrating!
“And some just flat out don’t make any sense. The arcades are all closed, but the gyms are all open.”
I totally agree with this. It would be one thing if Disney were consistently over-cautious, but that’s not the case. Many of the rules are, and have been, haphazard and at odds with one another–and the basics of transmission.
I don’t understand the store aspect. You can’t remove your mask in a store, so why wouldn’t 3 feet be sufficient? Dining, sure makes sense but since when can you remove your mask when shopping?
Just really wish they would not require masks outside with the proven extremely low transmission rate outdoors.
My guess is that Disney has found that per guest spending is higher when capacity is limited in stores. There’s no other good explanation for that one.
one thing the pandemic brought that i have loved honestly is physical distancing when out in public. sorrynotsorry i hate when my personal space bubble is invaded, pandemic or no pandemic. it was my dream that these never went away.
@Adam…I was thinking the same exact thing. AJ on DFB keeps saying the looping queues are terribly confusing. And with increasing capacities it would be an even bigger nightmare. Just saw yesterday a skyliner vlog where lines are crazy long at varying times of day. Though I suppose single family loading won’t change any time soon. Interested to see how the fall (late November) will play out when I’m there
When will this change be implemented?
If Universal is doing a single rider line again that means not just every row is filled but every seat is filled. That means you may sit next to someone who is not part of your party. That is a huge change. Not sure Disney is willing to do that yet. I know they fill on most rides every row now, but do not mix parties sitting next to each other yet. Doubt they will until masks are gone.
Universal still isn’t filling every seat on some indoor attractions (mostly shows, I believe) but otherwise, you are correct. I also would not expect Disney to mix parties or bring back single rider anytime soon.
Great news. It will allow for increased park and ride capacity. It will make the queues feel shorter (even if they actually get longer).
It will go a long way to normalizing operations.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t help in the one area where demand has already been far exceeding capacity: Dining.
Could be headed towards low summer guest satisfaction if they increase capacity everywhere except restaurants. Leaving guests at Magic Kingdom having to take a bus to Olivia’s at OKW because it was the only available dining reservation.
Tom, no word on Plexiglas in ride vehicles ie Frozen!
I don’t think they’ll announce the removal of that since they didn’t announce its installation. One day we’ll just wake up and it’ll be gone.
Here’s hoping that day comes soon.
Aw man. Just when it was legally mandated that people stay as far away from me as possible, this has to go and happen. This was supposed to be my time. THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MY TIME.
You still have until June 15 at Disneyland. Hurry up!