Florida Lifts Capacity Limits on Theme Parks, Restaurants, Stores & More
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued a new executive order removing capacity restrictions on bars, restaurants, stores, and theme parks. In this post, we’ll cover details plus what this means for Walt Disney World.
DeSantis held a press conference today (September 25, 2020) and unveiled plans for what he called Phase 3 of Florida’s reopening. In so doing, he also reiterated that Florida “is not closing anything going forward.”
Even while further reopening Florida, DeSantis acknowledged that the state could see a second wave of cases. “People shouldn’t think it’s over. They shouldn’t think it’s done…we could easily see a resurgence. I don’t think anybody knows,” said DeSantis.
Under the Guidelines for Opening Up Florida that were created back at the end of April, Phase 3 is the final stage of Florida’s recovery plan, and can begin after the successful conclusion of Phase 2, upon “a downward trajectory of the syndromic and epidemiology criteria while maintaining adequate health care capacity.”
Per Florida’s guidelines, the state can enter Phase 3 when there is no evidence of a rebound or resurgence once benchmarks have been satisfied. Since Florida’s numbers peaked in mid-July, new cases, deaths, hospitalizations, positivity rates, and cases per 100,000 people are all down.
In the last couple of weeks, these numbers have plateaued, but that has also occurred as schools began reopening and following the Labor Day weekend holiday. Some feared either or both of those would result in another wave of cases, which has not yet happened.
Of course, just because something has not yet happened does not mean it will not happen. Time and time again over the last several months, we’ve seen premature victory laps–including in Florida at the beginning of summer. (We’re hoping that the better weather in Florida means more people will opt outdoors, resulting in lower case numbers despite the continued reopening.)
You can refer to the full reopening guidelines document for what that means across all of Florida’s business sectors, but we’re going to focus solely on those relevant to Walt Disney World:
- Theme parks may return to normal operations with limited physical distancing protocols.
- Restaurants and food service establishments may operate at full capacity with limited social distancing protocols. Businesses should maintain adequate sanitation practices among employees and patrons during all hours of operation. Menus, if laminated, should continue to be cleaned after each usage. Paper menus shall be designed for single use and then disposed of immediately after use.
- Bars, pubs, and nightclubs that derive more than 50 percent of sales from alcohol should operate at full capacity with limited social distancing protocols.
- Vacation Rentals should resume normal operating procedures but should continue to thoroughly clean and disinfect the property between rentals.
- Retail businesses should operate at full capacity but should continue to maintain adequate sanitation practices for employees and patrons.
In addition to the above, the new executive order signed by Governor DeSantis provides a general right to work and to operate a business in Florida. Local governments can limit and issue certain restrictions, but will not be able to close businesses entirely. Additionally, cities and counties won’t be able to impose any restrictions without consideration of economic ramifications and offering a public health justification.
Most notably, local governments won’t be able to prevent restaurants from operating at below 50% capacity. Previously, counties and cities could go further than state-level restrictions; for example, Orange County ordered all bars that do not offer dine-in services to shut down again back in July, even after the state allowed them to reopen.
Finally, there will also be a suspension of collecting fines or fees for restrictions; the most notable of these would be for not wearing a mask in public spaces. This effectively renders local mask ordinances, like the one in Orange County, toothless and voluntary.
With that said, private businesses can still operate with any self-imposed restrictions under Florida’s new executive order. That means Publix, Walt Disney World, or any other business in the state can still deny entry to those not wearing masks, or following any other rules. This really isn’t anything new or novel. Those same businesses could deny entry to potential patrons not wearing shirts or shoes, despite there being no state-wide law requiring either of those articles of clothing, either.
Additionally, just because businesses change their policies doesn’t mean customers will follow suit. Data has shown that individuals have self-regulated their behavior throughout this. People will “vote with their wallets” and consumers will not patronize establishments where they do not feel safe.
This isn’t just idle speculation; as an example, restaurant spending has decreased in places where cases have increased. There have also been countless surveys that have shown people adjusting their own behavior voluntarily regardless of rules and law. This is why we all continue to get a daily barrage of emails from every business we’ve ever frequented reminding us of their commitment to health and safety, with many going “above and beyond” what’s required by law. They’re trying to court your dollars by not relaxing their rules even when allowed to do so.
Our expectation is that the impact of Florida entering Phase 3 on Walt Disney World will be minimal–we wouldn’t read too much into all of this as it relates to Disney. Throughout the reopening process, Walt Disney World has been more cautious and conservative with health safety protocol than Florida has mandated on a statewide level.
Disney has held capacity levels below those required by the state, even after DeSantis previously indicated that he’d be comfortable with theme parks increasing attendance and reducing physical distancing. Disney has previously seemed more aligned with Orange County’s approach than that of the state, in particular that of Dr. Raul Pino from the Florida Department of Health. (Who has consistently maintained that face masks will likely be necessary through Spring 2021.)
Beyond that, Disney Parks Chief Medical Officer Dr. Pamela Hymel has repeatedly stated that the company is taking a multi-pronged approach to reopening, considering the guidance of various governmental authorities, health agencies, its panel of health experts, industry groups, and research universities to determine best practices. In so doing, Disney has created across-the-board health safety protocol for Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland, etc.
It’s unlikely that the company will deviate from that approach at Walt Disney World just because Florida’s governor will allow them to do so. (The reality is that DeSantis always would’ve allowed Disney to do whatever they wanted.) Disney has other considerations: its reputation for safety, continuity among its parks, the potential for bad PR, and more.
With that said, it is likely that Walt Disney World will continue to gradually raise the attendance caps for the parks. This is something that we’ve already seen play out over the last couple of weeks, as crowd levels and wait times have increased pretty significantly as compared to the stretch before Labor Day. This attendance bump will likely be partially offset with a return of more dining and entertainment, plus increasing the hourly throughput of attractions by reducing guest spacing and/or installing more physical barriers.
Ultimately, we do not anticipate Walt Disney World changing any of its official policies in the near-term. Our expectation is that the bulk of those will remain in place through the rest of 2020, and more likely through at least Spring 2021. A potential ‘soft relaxation’ of policies is possible, especially if Florida’s numbers further improve. Conversely, Walt Disney World could tighten things up and reduce capacity if there’s a second wave of cases.
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
Do you anticipate Florida entering Phase 3 of its reopening having any impact on Walt Disney World? Think Disney will change its health safety protocol or attendance caps as a result? Does this change concern you, or do you think it’s a non-factor for now? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions we can help you answer? Please keep the comments civil. This is not the place for arguing about politics—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 policies.
I really think it’s a good idea for different states to try different things and see what works and what doesn’t work. I’m interested in seeing how opening every thing up works in Fl. I think the governor is silly not to mandate masks statewide.
I do think WDW should and will keep safety measures (like masks) in place until the vaccine is up and running and this virus is solidly under control. And I wholeheartedly support that plan.
So people feel safe coming to the parks and many of us hate the masks, why doesn’t Disney invest in the covid rapid test. The test cost $5. Disney could charge $5, $10, $15, or even $20. You can have the option of paying and taking the test at the temperature check tent. It you opt for the test and are negative, you get a wrist band and don’t have to wear a mask, if you don’t want to take the test, you must wear the mask. Some airlines will be doing this starting next month.
It’s not very accurate. If you test positive on the antigen test you have to take another test. That would really derail people’s vacations. Plus you’d have to take it everyday because you could still be incubating the virus and just not have a high enough viral load.
Maria, I’m assuming that if someone tests Positive with the rapid (antigen) test, then he/she will not be allowed to enter the Park. Hence the issue of the second test is irrelevant with respect to park entry at the time the first test comes out positive. Am I missing something?
I think we can all imagine what will happen when the whole family is there – grandma, grandpa, kids , grandkids…. and one of the toddlers tests positive. Just tumble that around for a while in your thoughts.
Marlon,
Right you wouldn’t be allowed in but there is a high probability it’s a false positive. So you go get a better test wait 3-5 days (presumably in your hotel room because you can’t travel) find out you do not actually have Covid…um and then what. What a waste of a vacation over a faulty test. Who is responsible for the faulty test? Does Disney owe you your vacation back? Probably not.
With the airport presumably if you test positive you are not going on your trip. You go home, get tested and rebook.
This really scares me. Fl numbers are not that low yet that they can start phase 3. My fear is people will start coming from all over the US and go back home and infect planes, coworkers, church members etc. If Fl government feels DW can open like this keep it to Fl residents only for the next 3 months and see how it goes.
Agreed. This is supposed to help tourism but it’s going to hurt it. I expect to see quarantines come back for people traveling from Florida.
You can’t go on a no mask vacation and then head somewhere densely populated like New York. Florida isn’t a bubble.
I’m thrilled and now planning to go to Florida as soon as I can! I had no plans to go until this morning. Now planning a weeklong trip in South Florida for November. Looks like Florida is the only state watching DEATH rates, rather than cases. Death rate has continually trended down and is now equivalent to a bad flu year, as we’ve gotten better at treating the disease. Scientists are also pleasantly surprised to find the virus mutating to be less deadly. It’s headed in a good direction and great to see Florida’s governor bravely acknowledge that. I’ll be spending as much time there as possible until my state (NC) does the same! Unfortunately, not Disney until they loosen mask requirements.
Hi Tom. Do you think Disney will bring back free dining? I’m from Scotland and it’s massive saving for us when we come to Disney World. Thanks
Maria, thanks for the clarification. I guess that we shouldn’t be using any COVID test to deny people entry to the Parks unless the test has a very low probability of giving false positives. Let me throw this out to any medical statisticians in this group: suppose that the antigen test came up positive and the person was re-tested, say, 5 minutes later; as I understand statistics, if the test has a 30 percent false positive rate, then the probability of having two independent tests being false positive is (.3) times (.3), that is .09 ( 9 percent); then with a third test, the probability is 2.7 percent. [ As an analogy, the probability of getting three heads in a row when you toss a good coin is (.5) times (.5) times (.5), that is, 12.5 percent.] Of course, I am assuming that the false positive is a purely random result, not the result of a specific physical attribute of the person that would produce a false positive result almost every time the person is tested.
Tom, any insight to when annual passes might be available for purchase again? Disney has been very tight lipped but wasn’t sure if your connections has intel. Thanks!
Ditto! Same question!
Florida has lost its mind!
In light of the recent CDC survivability numbers, perhaps not. Bearing in mind that the numbers don’t reflect the number who catch it or those who might have long term effects from the disease, the survivability numbers are good news:
Ages 0-19: 99.997% Survivability Rate
Ages 20-49: 99.98% Survivability Rate
Ages 50-69: 99.5% Survivability Rate
Ages 70+: 94.6% Survivability Rate
Further, these are numbers for the entire course of the illness. They don’t reflect that the survivability rate is much higher now that it was in March. Or that those with underlying health conditions are much more likely to not survive than those without underlying health conditions. For example, much is being made out of college campuses being hotspots, yet a college age person is more likely to die from meningitis than this disease. And as I said, these numbers are for the whole course of the disease; they don’t reflect the present survivability rate (which is higher), or the survivability rate of those without underlying health issues.
Florida can point to these figures and reason that the disease has become more of a management issue than a survival issue. For those wondering (and I’m one of them), watch FL for about a month: It usually takes 2 weeks to see a bump, and another 2 weeks to see what the trend is for any bump.
We canceled our December trip and I was on the fence but this announcement has made me feel really good about our decision. To each their own but it will take 6 weeks or more to see any impact just like loosening in May resulted in a mid/late summer spike. So I’m glad not to be risking Florida’s policies in December. I hope self regulating behaviors keep people safe.
We also recently canceled our holiday trip to Florida/Disney. Glad we did. Would not want to be in Florida anytime soon with these new Phase 3 changes.
Hi! Long time listener, first time commenter. (Thanks for all the amazing insight on all this madness).
Question about ADRs: 6am EDT is when the 60 day (formally 180) reservations opens to visitors. Yet we’ve tried finding openings for Oga’s for any amount (parties of 1, 2, 4, 6…) at ANY time and right at 6am there’s ZERO availability. How can this be? I can understand seeing some openings and them all be gobbled up within minutes…but nothing available at all right at 6am? (we’ve tried every day for the week of 11/22). It’s like Springsteen tickets go on sale at 10am…but they’re already filled the entire arena with comp ticket holders!
Is there a secret we don’t know of? How are guests getting reservations without going through the ADR system? We’re staying off site, so we don’t get any concierge perks, but we did have reservations booked in March that were auto cancelled by the COVID shutdown. How can regular ticket holders get reservations without just hoping someone else cancels?
Thanks!
I was totally unaware of this issue. To be honest, with all of the other changes/issues at DHS, Oga’s hasn’t been something on my radar recently.
I’ll see if I can figure out what’s up and report back in our next DHS update. In the meantime, if anyone else has insight, I’m all ears…
I managed to get an ADR for Oga’s on our Hollywood Studios day of 11/16, but only just. I checked for available times for a party of 3 first thing in the morning at our 60 day window and the only options were at 10 a.m. at 7:20 p.m. I snatched up the 7:20, which is actually after the current park closing time, hoping that they will still let us keep the slot (I’ve heard this is the case in a few other places). I’m thinking that the capacity limits and demand have made Oga’s harder to get than some other reservations. I’ve checked back a couple of times to see if modifying to an earlier evening tome was and option, but Oga’s does seem completely booked up.
Yeah, I realize they’ve always been hard to get on a regular basis. But I guess it’s just weird to me that I looked again this morning at 6am right at the release for 11/26…and there were ZERO availability for Oga’s and Sci-fi, regardless of party size or time. So does that mean Disney just isn’t making those spots available to book yet…or are they already completely booked up & how in the world did ticket holders get reservations before the “release date” for that day?
Steve, I too couldn’t get a ADR for sci-fi dine in for our trip in September, used “mouse dining” website and they found me an open time that someone canceled the week before our trip, it’s a free website that watches for you. Just FYI sci-fi dine in is only using every other car and only one family/reservation per car so they are VERY LOW CAPASITY
Thanks S.Luke, mouse dining is a great resource to snag a recently cancelled slot if you’re quick on the draw after getting an alert 😉 But still, that’s only trying to snag someone’s cancelation.
I’m just still perplexed on how folks are getting ADR reservations before the date’s 60 days “release”. Are they calling Disney Dining & getting customer service to book them before the general public? And how do I get in this special club?!
I looked at Oga’s again at the 6am drop on each day and saw this:
11/28: 1 availability for 10:10am (party of 2)
11/29: handful availability for parties of 2
Steve, people staying onsite at 60 days can book ALL of the days of their stay up to 10 extra beyond the 60 day date, that’s how when you hit 60 days most ADRs are gone. I’m a travel agent for Disney and that’s the only “trick/club”, even we don’t have special website/phone number, I’m on the west coast so have to be on the ball at 4am for my clients to snag their ADRs for them.
S. Luke- ah, yes, I forgot about the onsite guests getting early access. That makes sense now…and with low capacity caps everything is booking up before it gets released to the general public. Thanks for the reminder, mystery solved! Now us normal folks just have to hope for cancelations.
And 4am?! ouch, there’s got to be a better way! Seems like everyone hurts with this system, ha!
Steve, ha ha! That’s why my customers use me, while they are asleep I’m up making all their reservations for them! Even before covid it was 4am on the west coast at 180 days for ADRs and 60 days for fastpasses, luckily I’m pretty quick at it and am back to sleep!!
I am hopeful that the mask mandate becomes voluntary at Disney by the end of the year. While I do agree that they have full right to their own controls in place, I think more people would come back once masks are voluntary. We canceled our October trip because so much is still closed and we aren’t going to wear masks all day. Park hopping has to comeback as well before we come. We are AP and DVC so hopefully things will continue to improve now that CDC is relaxing and has stated the IFR is extremely low.
“I am hopeful that the mask mandate becomes voluntary at Disney by the end of the year.”
A lot of people are holding out this hope, which is totally understandable.
I just wouldn’t. Unless there’s some dramatic change or a new & definitive study, the best case scenario on masks going away at Walt Disney World is Spring 2021. Not trying to be a wet blanket, just want people to have realistic expectations.
Similar situation here! We had the Florida resident tickets, went one day in March then they shut down the next week. I just had the remaining cost refunded due to the fact that I’m not messing with masks all day. I have five kids, ages 2-9, and messing with masks all day would be a nightmare. No thank you. I really think they are underestimating how many people are not going BECAUSE of the mask mandate as opposed to because they are scared of the threat of COVID.
Your mask protects other people so it can’t be voluntary. You can’t voluntarily make the choice for other people.
Not wearing a mask is putting other people at risk. If you don’t want to wear a mask or don’t feel that the virus is a substantial enough threat to warrant mask wearing, you are 100% entitled to that opinion. But the problem is, obviously, that especially at places like Disney where there are a lot of people going through rides and public spaces, other people, who don’t agree with you, are forced to deal with the consequences of your decision. That’s just not right. It’s not the same as with regular business establishments, like a regular restaurant, where people who don’t feel safe can just go somewhere else or not go at all. There’s only one (well, sort of) Disney. We have to all cooperate to keep each other safe. Wearing a mask isn’t really that big of a deal. I don’t get what the fuss is about really.
Laura the exact same argument can be made regarding having to wear one. It is a big deal to most folks regarding places like Disney. Should be able to enjoy the vacation. The argument about affecting other people has been debunked over and over but besides that, more people would go if mask is voluntary. They can keep the capacity level low and keep some of the distancing which may help, but with a virus that has a 99% survival rate per CDC and vulnerable people likely staying away anyway, it’s foolish to keep such strict standards in place.
An N95 is only 95% effective against some small particles. A “mask” like most people talk about doesn’t keep most small particles out, just the big stuff. If you don’t have covid or are asymptomatic, you have nothing to spread to others. All these masks are nothing but feel good placebos. So, no, wearing a mask if you don’t have the disease isn’t providing protection to anyone.
Well put Laura..
Mask wearing can absolutely become voluntary. If Disney or any other private business says it’s voluntary, then I will have no obligation to wear one because someone else isn’t comfortable with that rule. Honestly I think mask wearing will become voluntary or go away far sooner than some might like, but that’s just my opinion and I could be wrong. Regardless of where you stand on masks it’s exactly the same answer. If you don’t want to wear a mask but they are mandated don’t go. If you want everyone to wear a mask but now they AREN’T mandated don’t go. Disney is a private company and you need to follow the rules they set, whatever they are, or don’t go.
Maria & Laura, perhaps you can help me out. You both stated that wearing masks protects others. I assume you believe this because the phrase “your mask protects me, my mask protects you” has been blasted everywhere imaginable. But where is the logic behind this phrase? If my mask protects you by keeping my germs from (mostly) getting to you, then how does it NOT protect me by keeping your germs away from me? Does the barrier only work on the side that’s touching my face? If so, how is a fabric mask made of 2-3 layers (most likely with all 3 layers being the same fabric) only work one one side? That’s like saying a shirt will only keep you warm if you wear it right side out.
Or maybe the idea is just about having as many layers between people’s mouths as possible? Like 3 layers on my mask, 3 on yours, giving us both 6 layers of protection? If that’s the case, why can’t the people who are at risk, afraid, whatever just wear 6 layer masks & let everyone else accept the risk as they choose??? With that many layers, the wearer would have the same protection as 2 people wearing 3 layers each, except the one person isn’t being forced to be miserable for the other person’s comfort.
Both of you ladies seem to feel that not wearing a mask makes one selfish or inconsiderate of other people. Did you feel that way before COVID? Viruses have always been around & people have always been high risk, afraid of diseases, vulnerable. Did you always wear a mask to protect everyone from whatever you may have carried? Sure, maybe you got a flu shot, but those are only about 50% effective on a good day. Shouldn’t you have masked up for the 50% chance you could’ve been a carrier & spreader?
I’m not trying to make light of this pandemic. But I have real suspicions over the logic behind the mask mandates. I also don’t understand how people who are so pro-mask can get upset or accusatory towards those who aren’t convinced. Pre-COVID, most of the world didn’t see the need for constant mask wearing. No one thought anyone was selfish for not wearing a mask. Are the mask proponents prepared to wear masks for the rest of your lives? Because after all, even if we get a COVID vaccine, what if another bigger, deadlier virus emerges & we find ourselves back in this predicament? If masks work, then why shouldn’t we just keep wearing them forever…just in case? Where do we draw the line? Let’s see, we’ve been at this COVID craziness for 6+ months now. You seem cool with that. What if it goes on for a year? 2 years? At what point will you then feel like enough is enough?
Well said, Laura!
Stephanie, I wish I could like this post 100 times!
Right on, Laura! I wish I could like YOUR post 100 times.
Well said, Stephanie.
I’m a mask libertarian. I respect the right of other people to wear a mask if they see fit, but I want my right to not wear a mask to also be respected.
I’ll never understand the selfish, tyrannical urge that some people have to make everyone else wear a mask just so that they can feel more comfortable.
Viruses always have and always will be a part of life.
Risk is inherent in a free society. A free people assume that risk as they go about their daily lives. No more restricting our liberty under the guise of additional security. It’s time to remove the covid-19 restrictions, lockdowns, and mask mandates.
Has Walt Disney World been operating at 50% capacity? We go next week and I’ve been loving the low crowds so I don’t want it to jump back up.
Walt Disney World has not officially disclosed capacity caps beyond stating they’d start out at 20-30% of normal levels.
My guess is that attendance caps are pushing 30% of normal levels, up from about 15-20% in July. Keep in mind that the capacity of the parks has also been reduced by virtue of increased spacing on rides, less entertainment, restaurants, etc. (Conversely, the elimination of FastPass+ has helped increase the capacity of the parks.)
Maria and Laura, I agree 100%. Australia just finished it’s winter-flu season and the number of lab-confirmed flu cases went from 60,000 in 2019 to ….drum roll … 105 in 2020! An extremely strong causal case for the efficacy of masks and social distancing. It’s a logical fallacy to argue “I’ve not been wearing a mask; I haven’t got COVID; so there’s nothing to fear.” In this case we know whether “the chicken or the egg came first”; you didn’t get COVID almost certainly BECAUSE other people wore masks ( see Australia results above, and Southern Hemisphere results generally.)
My husband mentioned he saw that our mayor was also thinking of lifting the mandatory facemask order we are under. I can’t help but think what a disaster that would be coupled with this news.
Wouldn’t do anything differently to the numbers. Look at states and counties with and without mask mandates. Virtually all the same within ballpark
I would truly hope the WDW would keep their safety protocols in place for still awhile; especially when it comes to park attendance. We are arriving in WDW in a couple months. However, if the attendance numbers are increased, I definitely would cancel. Thank you Disney for making safety a priority.
Gov DeSantis doesn’t make these decisions absent advice from many individuals. That would be foolish and he’s not a foolish person. Like Tom said “Local governments can limit and issue certain restrictions, but will not be able to close businesses entirely. Additionally, cities and counties won’t be able to impose any restrictions without consideration of economic ramifications and offering a public health justification.”
I sent an email to guest services yesterday. They called me back within an hour. They said that my email was the first the team had even heard of Governor DeSantis’s announcement. At this point no changes were planned but gave me a name, phone number, and case file number. Made it clear any money I paid was 100% refundable even up to the day of departure. Said to check back regularly to the DisneyWorld website for any announcements. Said ‘as of Today’ twice. So things as always are subject to change. I had bought refundable airfare, so if I cancel I will not lose any money. I follow at least 4 different blogs and will have to depend on feedback I get from other guests to make a final decision on whether to go.
Is that refund available for your Disney ticket or hotel stay? I’ve been confused on the ticket situation. Thank you!
“I sent an email to guest services yesterday. They called me back within an hour. They said that my email was the first the team had even heard of Governor DeSantis’s announcement. ”
Boy, isn’t that typical?! Guest Services rarely knows what is going on. So much misinformation is given by WDW CM because they aren’t informed. Companies like to play “need to know”, and most CM don’t qualify, or no one remembers to tell them. I have talked to CM on the phone, been given wrong info, read them contrary info from the WDW website, and told them where it is on the website, because they didn’t even know it existed. Pitiful.
This announcement comes right after the CDC announced the survivability rates which are, thankfully, very high for everyone under 70, especially those under 20. It doesn’t mean that you can’t get very sick, or have long-term problems, of course. The survival stats are also misleading: Due to greater knowledge and medical advances for treatments, you’re more likely to survive now than in March. It also doesn’t separate out those at enhanced risk.
Every time we’ve to WDW in the past few decades, there have always been people with obvious underlying health conditions: Those in wheelchairs that serve as life support units, those on oxygen, morbidly obese people who really do need those scooters to get around (and are more likely to suffer from a wide array of underlying health issues).
Question: Are you seeing a reduction of those guests you’d consider to likely be at a higher risk if they caught it?
When my family last went, my late father went with a respirator he used at night because of COPD. There is zero way we’d take a family member at risk to WDW. Most of those I know who are at heightened risks have eliminated all forms of major travel, with many remaining largely or completely home-bound (some with car excursions to get out, or go outside AWAY from strangers). I’m curious to know if this is holding true with WDW.
It’ll probably take a month to know the impact of this decision, with any bump needing about 2 weeks, and then another 2 weeks to see what the trend is….and always the possibility of an outbreak at any point down the road.
The problem is if only ‘healthy people ‘ go and they unfortunately get Covid 19 they will all bring it home to others who are not so lucky to be so healthy or young. People go back to work usually right after vacation and might not even know they are sick yet, so they pass it on to their 50 year old co workers who has heart issues etc.
My friend and I just got back from a 2 week trip to Disney and universal. I have one lung and kidney (lost both over 30 years ago), battled aggressive cancer last year and am still on daily chemo. We flew from Seattle and had a great time. But I’ve been traveling and flying since May so am comfortable doing so. Everyone has to make their own choice what is right for them, I’ve kept myself safe from all the viruses the public passes around for the last 30 years so am more comfortable being out in this virus.
@S.Luke: Good for you and stay healthy! There are always going to be those who choose to live how they want. There are also going to be exceptions to the “rule”. What I’m trying to find out is if there is a “rule”, whether the number of guests with obvious health issues has gone down. Hope you had a great trip!
@Marie: No, I wasn’t saying only healthy people were going, just wondering if those with obviously higher risk factors were going in reduced numbers, and if so, how reduced. Due to the new survivability numbers, I was curious to see how that was playing out for such guests going to WDW.
We’ve all gone to WDW and seen plenty of children (and adults) who have a serious health issue. Per the CDC, those under 20 have a 99.997% survival rate, with virtually all of that age group who’ve passed away having pre-existing conditions. This age group has many other diseases with a higher mortality rate, ranging from the flu to meningitis. So, just curious to see whether those with obvious higher risk potential are going in the same percentages as before COVID. Naturally, there are those who you can’t tell, whether they’ve an enhanced risk or not, so I’m asking about what can be visually determined. I’ve seen enough to know that some are still going, even before S.Luke’s reply, but again, I’m trying to find out if there is a reduction.
I hope WDW will stay safe for a while.
You’re safe!!! Open, open open!!! Honestly we’ve all been had! Nobody will remember this January 2021.
I’m really glad you enjoy living in Tampa Cathy but the comment went right over your head
While I often pray for things to go back to normal as soon as possible, I was rather enjoying the slimmed down crowds at parks. I got on Seven Dwarfs Mine Train in 20 minutes, and on Flight of Passage in less than a half hour.
I went to disney world over labor day weekend albeit with hesitation with my brother who talked me into but actually enjoyed it because i was able to ride all the major attractions due to the crowd limits even with mask mandate my brother who when year before with his family stated it was a better experience because the limits resulted in shorter wait riding more attractions including the popular ones walking able to see more of the park with less people he said it was wall to wall when he went before and the wait was still longer using the fast pass didn’t need it this time.
I love living in Florida. Living in Tampa the past 10 years coming from NY I can say I would never never go back there. I am having fun. Every single day and hopefully more to come.
I’m giving Florida three months, the entire fall season, to see how this works out. I honestly hope it does, for everyone’s sake.
I’m happy we cancelled our November trip though. Tom’s right. Just because Florida opens up doesn’t mean the state is virus free. We’re taking a wait and see attitude and hoping we’ll be able to make our April trip.
We won’t be using Magical Express. Instead we’ll rent a car. We have a couple of rooms booked, so we’ll load the fridge with food, drinks and snacks. May not do a lot of in-restaurant dining. Depends on how things are going by that time. We can do take-out from hotel restaurants and eat in our room or by the pool. We’re okay with that. Change is difficult, but sometimes necessary.
We were considering a trip out there sometime end of October or early November. While we feel that Disney itself may be OK, the rest of Florida was our concern. This latest decision by the governor just totally swayed us NOT to consider a vacation there until sometime well into 2021.
We have a trip planned early December. My husband just said today that we will have to wait and see how the lifting of the restrictions affect what is happening in Florida. I always thought that fall attendance numbers may be higher because I think more people had rescheduled for the fall rather than over the summer. Attendance numbers are something else we will be watching over the next month before we make a determination to go. Masks will be a thing for awhile no matter wear you live (and no one likes them). It’s just a health and safety issue. I think if we do make the trip, we, like you Tom and Sarah, will opt for eating outside. That may mean more quick service or off property meals.