OC Capacity & Reopening Guide for Theme Parks, Hotels & Dining
Orange County, Florida’s Economic Recovery Task Force met via conference call to discuss guidelines and mandates for a phased reopening of Universal, Walt Disney World, and other theme parks, plus hotels, restaurants, and bars. In this post, we’ll offer a rundown of the plans covered during the roughly 90-minute meeting.
Before delving into the guidelines and mandates, it’s important to underscore that these are preliminary plans from this task force. Disney and Universal both have members on the group and play an active role in the conservation, but this is not coming directly from them.
Moreover, this is being done at the county level, is subject to change, and could be superseded by state or federal mandates, so grant it appropriate weight. With that said, Orange County and Orlando leaders are working within the parameters and phases set by the federal government’s Guidelines for Opening Up America Again, and intend for this to be the county’s rubric for reopening…
During the call, the task force further stated that their hope is that once Florida’s statewide stay at home order expires at the end of the month, Governor Ron DeSantis will grant local governments the discretion to reopen communities and the businesses therein as appropriate based upon the circumstances. For instance, Miami might need or want to take a different approach than Orlando.
The Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force’s goal is to have these guidelines finalized by this Friday (May 1, 2020). The goal is to cement plans, and then allow businesses about one week to 10 days to prepare and acquire personal protective equipment as necessary, before the process of reopening is set into motion.
In his remarks towards the end of the call, Mayor Jerry Demings struck a more cautious tone and felt a longer timeline was likely necessary. He stated that while some businesses might be able to get back up and running within a couple of weeks, but felt mid-May was too ambitious. Demings indicated that June 1, 2020 was more realistic from safety, consumer comfort/confidence, and supply chain perspectives.
Thomas Mazloum, Senior Vice President of Resort & Transportation Operations is Walt Disney World’s representative on the group. Mazloum spoke briefly on the call and made a few recommendations with regard to the hospitality industry.
One was to make ensure all finalized guidelines did not contradict with national and state associations that had already created such guidelines. Another of Disney’s recommendations was to set parameters based upon heath guidelines and safety standards that companies could adapt to as appropriate, rather than rigid rules for specific business types.
With that out of the way, let’s start with the guidelines and mandates for hotels and restaurants. Note that these apply to all Orange County businesses, and are not specific to those within theme park complexes…
Hotels
- Guidelines:
- Phase 1: Housekeeping services to be limited, allowing for minimal guest and employee exposure
- Phase 1: Promote mobile check-in, if available
- Phase 1: Housekeeping services only clean upon request, or when guests depart
- Phase 1: Allow employees to work from home if not playing a critical role in serving guests
- Phase 1: Only deliver room service to the guest room doors
- Phase 1: Provide self-parking
- Promote social distancing for all guests and staff
- Touch-less sanitizer at entry recommended
- Increase cleaning services and additional sanitation services through cleaning companies
- Phases 1 & 2: Staff who are 65 years and older are encourage to stay home
- Mandates:
- All employees are required to wear face masks
- Hand sanitizer at entry to be in plain sight
- All employees with flu-like symptoms advised to stay home
- Front desk staff to sanitize themselves on a regular basis
- Consistent cleaning of all guest areas
- Front desk to utilize sneeze-guards
- Remove all service items in guest rooms, including glassware, coffee cups, etc.
- Mini bars not to be stocked
- Do no offer self service foods
- Space pool furniture according to distancing guidelines
- Pool gates and pool chairs to be sanitized regularly
- Door handles, elevator buttons, and railings to be sanitized regularly
- Remove all coffee makers from guest rooms
- Remove all guest collateral items, except those that are single use
- Sanitize guest keys before and after each use
- Sanitize bell carts after each use
- Phases 1 & 2: No conferences or conventions
Restaurants
- Guidelines:
- Paper/disposable menus
- Encourage takeout/online orders
- Touch-less sanitizer at entry
- Phases 1 & 2: Staff who are 65+ are encouraged to stay home
- Mandates:
- Hand sanitizer at every table
- Hand sanitizer at entry to be in plain visible sight
- All employees required to wear face masks
- Temperature checks for staff prior to shift (temp above 100.4 must not enter premises)
- All employees with flu-like symptoms advised to stay home
- Doors to be wiped regularly
- All staff behind counters must wear gloves (except for bartenders)
- Bartenders to sanitize hands after making each drink order
- Seated tables to be six feet apart
- Phase 1: Limit restaurant and bar capacity to 50%
- Phase 2: Limit restaurant and bar capacity to 75%
Finally, the guidelines and mandates for theme parks. The Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force opted to differentiate between small and large operators, even though the guidelines and mandates are identical at this point. Here, smaller parks consist of Top Golf, Funspot, Andretti Go Karting, Icon, and Gatorland. Large parks are Walt Disney World, Universal, and SeaWorld.
As is noted on the conference call, Walt Disney World and Universal will likely set additional guidelines above and beyond those established by the Task Force. These are not the final health protocol and safety policies for either. However, with leadership from both theme park operators serving on this group, the guidelines and mandates were undoubtedly shaped by both Disney and Universal.
Theme Parks (Small & Large)
- Guidelines:
- Tape marking of 6 feet apart in ride/attraction queues
- Staff to regularly wipe down surfaces at random
- Phases 1 and 2: Staff who are 65+ are encouraged to stay home
- Mandates:
- All employees required to wear face masks
- Touch-less hand sanitizer at each ticketing entry and turnstiles
- Touch-less hand sanitizer at each ride/attraction entry and exit
- Temperature checks for staff prior to starting shifts (above 100.4 must not enter premises)
- All employees with flu-like symptoms advised to stay home
- Wipe down all railings and surfaces regularly
- Phase 1: 50% capacity
- Phase 2: 75% capacity
Other businesses were also discussed on the call, but we’re leaving those off because they’re not particularly relevant to Walt Disney World. If you’re interested in learning about the guidelines and mandates for beauty salons, fitness centers, movie theaters, and dentists, consider watching the full conference call. (Not recommended.)
We’ve been offering a lot of commentary lately about potential protocol for reopening Walt Disney World (see here and here), so we’ll refrain from rehashing all of that here as nothing here really contradicts or supplements those past discussions. Rather, this is the point where possible scenarios are beginning to coalesce into tangible plans–albeit tentative ones. It’s worth reiterating that while illuminating, nothing here is final. Things are slowly inching forward, and should have a pretty clear idea of what to expect by the end of this week as both Orange County and the State of Florida weigh in with final plans for reopening.
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 these guidelines and mandates for the Orange County hospitality industry reopening? Do you expect Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort to go above and beyond what’s required here? Surprised by any of the mandates or guidelines? Think this is sufficient or insufficient? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
This sounds like the makings of an expensive terrible trip. I have been trying to cancel our trip for the Fall, but Shades of Green refuses to refund our ticket costs. Looks like we will be driving 11 hours for some mandatory not so much fun.
Don’t worry they will be closed again by the time Fall rolls around! Too many infections bc if I have a temp tomorrow and not today I was just as infectious today and they would have let me in!
I can not imagine a Disney park where everyone is 6 feet apart. It sounds amazing, but decidedly less profitable. Also it would not be 50% capacity – sounds more like 20% capacity. Which begs the question – can WDW operate profitably at that capacity? Or will they “open” but most of the rides and restaurants be closed? Just sounds like a twilight zone, alternate universe experience. I’d rather go camping in a secluded forest where I can pretend things are normal.
I wonder how they’ll manage 50% capacity for folks who’ve already made restaurant reservations. Will it be first come first served? Will we have to queue up well beforehand to make sure we get in? Will they just cancel half the reservations beforehand? I just made restaurant reservation for October a couple weeks ago. Were they already only allowing for 50% capacity with number of those reservations?
Wondering this as well. This past Saturday was my ADR day for a late October trip. I could not get a dinner ADR at OHana even trying within seconds of the window opening. So they are already filling.
Or are they limiting already? I’d like to think the reason the system has been so glitchy is that they have already pulled back and are only allowing half of the reservations to be made. This didn’t come out of nowhere. Surely Disney has been planning ahead for these things. Logistically it’s so much easier to only open 50% of the reservations And add more availability later should that be deemed safe rather than try to cancel half the reservations later? I’m optimistic they’ve done so.
The cleaning/sanitizing guidelines and practices should have been in place even before covid-19.
Were things not being cleaned before?
We’re people not washing their hands before covid-19?
Let’s hope that the cleaning and sanitizing doesn’t go away when the virus goes away.
Perhaps with these practices we can minimize the flu, common cold and other illnesses that are contracted due to not cleaning/sanitizing and washing your hands properly.
Hoping to visit Disney World this August 🙂
I’m sure things are cleaned on a regular basis. Perhaps the products they will now use are even better and kills more germs?
What are your thoughts on how Dis will determine who gets in? Only on property guests? How else do they control the amount of people likely wanting an escape to Disney after all this mess!?
These guidelines are way too lenient and rely too much on the common sense of guests. If these are the guidelines I won’t be going to WDW until we have a vaccine.
You may have to wait awhile – we still don’t have a vaccine for the common cold, and the flu vaccine is hit and miss. Plus – remember when they rolled out thalidomide for pregnant women without fulling testing long-term side effects?
I’m thinking if you don’t want to wait for herd immunity, you may be waiting a looooong time before you leave the house again!
No thank you. I’m canceling our Disney Annual Passes. This is no way to live or have fun. I’ve been fortunate to live near WDW for 33 years and I’ve worked and played at Disney thousands of days. I’m good with that. If and when things get back to our miserable normal of only dealing with Security check lines, then I might come back.
Sounds like a horrible Disney experience. I’ll take my $10k and take an actual vacation elsewhere. Magic totally lost with this nonsense.
My family and I will be Travelling internationally , this is a mega expensive trip! I urge Disney (if the US birders are open) to suspend uk visitors and allow us to come next year when things have settled
I don’t understand the reasoning behind mo self serve and no coffee in the rooms. Self serve (ie; me buying a container of milk for my room) is no different than me buying milk at the supermarket.
And why is coffee risky? Just make sure the room starts with a clean coffee cup.
Everything else seems reasonable
I can’t tell if there are dates attached to Phase 1 and Phase 2 and after. The 65+ thing is the problem. For example, I have two (over 65) trips booked, one in late August and one in November. Any thoughts on this?
key word “encouraged” so there will be a lot of signs and wordage but it pretty much is saying, here is your risk. up to you if you follow it.
I was wondering the same thing! We are booked for September.
The way the guideline is phrased is “staff” – I didn’t see anything referring to guests 65+
I have seen conflicting reports of the Orange County meeting as to whether the over 65 limitation until after phase applies to just employees or to guests as well. And will it be a “recommendation” or will it be a rule?
The 65+ guideline was a suggestion to employees and cast members, was my understanding.
I’ve been following this blog for years and Tom, you have never steered me wrong. I very much appreciate these updates. That being said, everything is really in limbo. I am torn between “wait and see” and cancelling my July trip. I am due to select fastpasses soon and it’s a real dilemma. It’s very expensive and there is NO WAY that it will be business as usual. We alternate between Disneyland and Disney World for our yearly family vacation. It’s probably best to take a summer off and go big next year. I will just enjoy the abundant online content for now.
With so many employees furloughed and the College Program cancelled, I can only imagine how long it may take before Disney gets back up and running. Maybe they start hiring back by mid-May to begin training staff with all these new protocols, then they open the doors to FLA residents June 1st with Phase 1 restrictions, but it takes 2-3 weeks to work out all the kinks before they move into Phase 2. I’m thinking the opening to domestic travelers wouldn’t happen until end of June, beginning of July, before they consider international travelers. We have a booked trip from June 23-30 to bring our 6 year old for the first time to Disney. My husband and I keep thinking that making memories with masks on our faces may not be the way we want to remember it. So, we also booked February 15-22 as a back-up (School vacation week) and fingers crossed there may be a vaccine provided by then? It’s just so hard when you’ve booked a year ago, got all the dining reservations we wanted, most of the Fast Passes we wanted, only to have to postpone and do it all over again!
Would every member of your party have to stand 6 feet apart? Rules seem good although I think guests should have their temperatures taken too
No – just like we in Ohio are not supposed to be nearer than 6 feet to others who are not living in our same household, the same would hold true here.
This is not going to be a good experience
This is a very expensive trip for a family
And I personally would prefer to wait For a vaccine
All you need is for one person to get the virus, and you will have
To shut down all over again
Hi there, You take the chance of getting many viruses daily if you are out and about in the public ( grocery stores, pharmacies etc. )
Disney can only do so much and as a visitor you will have to assume the risk if you choose to visit.
That’s why I won’t be visiting. Also COVID-19 isn’t like “many viruses”. It’s killed at least 50k people and probably more. You get that right?
How many deaths from drink driving or texting while driving were there last year? You run the risk of dying every time you get in a car. Or step out into the street to cross the road. There are so many ways to die that are unrelated to covid, and we take those risks every day.
We won’t have a vaccine that works 100% of the time for every person. We can’t be wrapped in bubble wrap forever.
I would REALLY hate not having a coffee maker in my DVC condo.
We fly to Disney so I am not brining my own coffee maker.
Check on the new rules but what we did in the past is send down a care package to the resort. Just pick it up on check in day.
In that we out easy breakfast items as well as a $10 Walmart coffee pot that we left in the room when we checked out. That way you can decide what your favorite coffee is and send that down in the package.
You used to be allowed one package per room but I am not sure if the current environment will change that.
Bring your own? It doesn’t make sense really.
Hey Holly! We fly too and I always take a keurig mini in my suitcase I know that sounds strange but I’ve always been a little bit of a germ freak. The mini fits easily and I just wrap some clothes around it.
This is just so interesting! I feel like my daily check-ins with how Disney is going to reopen must be similar to how people who follow sports feel. haha Got my theories and placed my bets. Now let’s see how it actually unfolds!
I’m surprised to see there isn’t any mention of an ongoing, daily program of testing air and surfaces for the virus’ RNA. It would be very useful in bathrooms and restaurants, lobbies and transportation, just as a way to determine if the virus is present in these enclosed spaces. It would help do away with a portion of the guesswork. Cruise ships and hospitals have done this. It’s not known if the RNA is able to cause disease in this state (and hopefully they’ll know that soon), but it will at least show history of its presence.
It would be sad to see CInderella and the other princesses in face masks!
Does not sound like fun or safe. Hand sanitizer won’t save you! Oh vacation where you make your bed everyday and clean the bathroom sink. Will the rooms cost the same as camping. One good point if you go in the single line they can’t put you next to the big sweaty guy. Is one person going to go on millennium falcon?
They don’t refill little containers … there are fixed dispensers on the wall In the shower.
“Remove all guest collateral items, except those that are single use.”
Does this mean they don’t fill those disgusting shampoo/conditioner/soap holders in the bathroom? If so excellent
2 cost-cuts/revenue enhancers that truly infuriate me:
1. They got rid of individual shampoos,, etc., claiming it was for “environmental reasons” while we all know it was to cut costs.
2. PARKING FEES. Eliminate parking fees NOW Disney. We are all safer driving individually than using mass transportation.
Eewwhh! Is that what they’re doing at the Disney World Resorts – filling containers with soap/shampoo/conditioner? I always choose to stay off site so I’m not familiar. Every hotel I’ve ever stayed at provides new, individual containers. The last time we were in Orlando was March 6 – 14, 2020. We’ve never washed our hands so much (or used so much hand sanitizer when we couldn’t wash our hands)! Still, we had a great time.
Have a great day, everyone!
This is why I bring my own. I NEVER use the ones provided by a hotel, even the single use ones, which on more than one occasion I’ve found to be open, half used and leftover from the previous guest (though I have never experienced that at Disney)
I’ve always had little bottles of shampoo and conditioner left in the bathrooms. My last visit was August 2019, so unless they made big changes since then? We always stay in the finding nemo suites at Art of Animation.
As of March 13, 2020, Art of Animation had the refillable dispensers
in the shower.
No individual little shampoos, etc.
Little Mermaid section.