Should Disney World Stay Closed?
With rising case numbers in Florida, many readers have been increasingly vocal that it’s too soon for the Walt Disney World theme parks to reopen. In this post, we’ll look at whether opening should be postponed, with the potential pros & cons, plus ramifications of the parks staying closed for now.
As you’re undoubtedly aware, Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom are set to reopen on July 11, followed by Epcot and Hollywood Studios on July 15. These reopening dates were set over one month ago, at a time when Florida’s new daily case numbers were at a fraction of their current levels.
This upward trend has prompted one local union and many guests to urge Walt Disney World to remain closed, worrying that the major tourist destination will only exacerbate Florida’s woes. With Disneyland delaying its planned reopening, more have suggested Walt Disney World should follow suit. So…should Walt Disney World stay closed for now?
We’ll be blunt and up-front: we truly do not know. We’re humble enough to admit that, and would likewise suggest the same is true for you. The problems facing Disney and Florida leaders are complex ones, with no easy answers.
Rather than presuming to have the requisite knowledge (we absolutely do not) to address every component of this convoluted issue, we’ll cover a few and analyze those, while clearly acknowledging that there is much more we simply do not know.
Obviously, new daily cases have risen. The Florida Department of Health reported 8,942 new cases last Friday, followed by 9,585 new cases on Saturday. These numbers shattered the previous daily high of 5,508 infections made earlier in the week. This week, numbers have been trending in the right direction, with 6,093 new cases being this week’s high.
Closer to home, Central Florida now has 25,727 cases, up 1,440 from a day earlier. Orange County’s latest heat map shows fewer cases along the tourist corridor (which includes Universal Orlando), with far more in the downtown Orlando area. Nevertheless, we won’t sugarcoat it–that’s still an alarming number of new cases. It’s also exponentially more than when Walt Disney World made the decision to reopen. This alone is sufficient basis for many to believe Walt Disney World is reopening too soon.
However, Florida’s weekly reported deaths have been under 300 for seven weeks in a row. From the week ending April 19 to the week ending May 10, reported deaths were 300 or over.
Moreover, even though over 80% of general and ICU beds are in use at hospitals in Orange and Seminole counties, local health officials say that they are not concerned, as elective surgeries and unrelated emergency procedures have increased in recent weeks. They further state that Central Florida hospitals continue to have enough capacity to handle any potential surges.
There remain a lot of unknowns about what activities are less and more likely to be conducive to spread. As we covered in our recent Best Outdoor Dining at Walt Disney World post, it’s safer to dine al fresco as being outdoors dramatically lowers the risk of transmission. That’s corroborated by this study where only two cases out of 7,000-plus could be traced to outdoor activity.
Public health authorities have identified bars as the locus of outbreaks in a number of states, including in Florida. These have been shown to be super-spreader scenarios for a variety of reasons, and we’re hopeful that Florida’s decision to close all bars after an explosion of cases and widespread non-compliance will further reduce new numbers. As that move was made only a week ago, we really won’t know its effectiveness for another week due to the incubation period.
Research also shows that contaminated surfaces and fleeting encounters are low-risk, whereas sustained person-to-person interactions, crowded events, and poorly ventilated areas are higher risk. This bodes well for constantly-moving and properly-spaced queues (even indoor ones), but not so much for indoor stage shows.
There’s also the reality that Universal Orlando and other Central Florida theme and amusement parks have been open for roughly one month, and we’ve yet to see any outbreaks traced to these parks. In fact, aside from a few isolated cases with connections to (but not causal ones) theme parks, nothing has been traced to them, period. This is despite Florida health officials documenting community spread in the state beginning last December.
This should not be construed as conclusive proof that theme parks are “safe” places to visit right now. To the contrary, the expert consensus is that there are aspects of the theme park experience that are inherently higher-risk for visitors. More importantly, the parks being operational puts thousands of Cast Members who are in regular and direct contact with guests at risk.
The hope is that the enhanced safety standards, health protocol, and operational changes are sufficient to mitigate those risks. However, there are still simply too many unknowns about the efficacy of such measures. Studies and research continue, and our collective knowledge is evolving.
We won’t rehash all of the health and safety measures here as this is already going to be a long post, aside from one: face masks. The science is clear on masks, and they have proven effective in combating spread elsewhere around the globe. (From a purely economic perspective, even Goldman Sachs supports a nationwide mask mandate, asserting that it could substitute for another lockdown and save the economy from a 5% GDP hit.)
Both Japan and Hong Kong have been incredible success stories of the pandemic, despite neither having a coherent government response (both were arguably failures on a governmental level). Even with their denser populations, ubiquitous mass transit, and relatively lax restrictions, both have seen far fewer cases and hospitalizations than other nations. The crucial difference is that both Hong Kong and Japan adopted near-universal masking without any government mandate.
This is relevant because, unlike elsewhere in Florida, Walt Disney World and Universal have face mask policies that are being actively enforced. To be sure, compliance is not 100%, but it’s much better than anywhere else in the Orlando area. We’ve been to both Disney Springs and CityWalk a few times, plus our recent resort stay, and have felt safest at those locations.
Our local Publix has been so bad that we won’t even go back there, as it’s the wild west as compared to compliance at Disney and Universal. With that said, there’s an obvious distinction: grocery stores are an essential necessity, whereas theme parks and other entertainment complexes are not.
However, one of the most compelling reasons for reopening Walt Disney World is its instrumental role in Central Florida’s tourism-dependent economy. We hesitate to even broach this, as there has been a lot of cringe-worthy sentiment about ‘sacrificing grandma for the economy.’ This has caused unnecessary polarization and partisanship, which has done a disservice to the larger conversation.
The reality is that what America faces is a multifaceted problem that is now as much about housing and food insecurity as it is about the pandemic itself. Too much of the surrounding conversation has been myopic and reductionist, completely devoid of nuance, and attempting to offer a simple solution to a complex problem. This can be acutely illustrated by what’s already happening in Central Florida.
Florida’s broken unemployment system has made national headlines, with countless stories of system crashes, denial errors, and non-payments. Officially, more than 771,000 claims have been rejected and over 175,000 claims have yet to be verified, with unemployment in the Orlando area jumping to 22.6%, which is the worst in the state and far above the national average.
Every Floridian undoubtedly knows someone impacted (if they haven’t been affected themselves), and there have been harrowing reports on the local and national news. Before continuing any further, we’d strongly recommend reading ‘We Live From the Tourists’ in the New York Times and Orlando Sentinel’s latest on Florida unemployment. These tell vivid stories of the heart-wrenching human toll. In short, for many Cast Members, Walt Disney World reopening is “essential.”
To be abundantly clear: people should not be forced to choose between their financial and bodily health. There are numerous systemic problems on local, state, and federal levels that need to be fixed. However, as a practical reality, there is no waving a magic wand at this point and solving all of those. We have to play the cards we’re dealt, not the ones we wish we had.
There is little denying that America has failed this moment on multiple levels, including individual ones. While we desperately wish many aspects of this had and would still play out differently, we are realists. Our wishes are not viable realities that can instantaneously be ‘snapped’ into existence. Given that Florida’s unemployment system has not been fixed after four months, there is no reason to believe it’s going to be fixed at this point.
The longer the closure stretches on, the worse the economic fallout. Permanent layoffs have already begun throughout the Central Florida tourism sector. Last week, Universal Orlando laid off a number of employees across various departments. One Disney Springs restaurant operator announced it’s permanently laying off 143 workers. Cirque du Soleil has filed for bankruptcy protection and laid off 95% of its workforce.
While there have been no reports that Walt Disney World has begun its own layoffs, it’s naive to think the same won’t occur there. During the Great Recession, Disney laid off around 1,900 Parks & Resorts employees in a single round. During the previous dot-com bubble burst, Walt Disney World laid off 1,200 to 1,400 employees.
Moreover, Walt Disney World’s actions or inactions reverberate through Central Florida. A wide swath of area businesses are critically dependent upon the tourism Disney drives. Restaurants, hotels, smaller attractions, and more all directly rely on spillover business from Walt Disney World. Myriad others in Mousetown are indirectly tied to Disney.
Walt Disney World is a behemoth in Florida, and many industries rise and fall with Disney. There’s a simple reason all other area business leaders on the Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force were so emphatic about Walt Disney World reopening–their futures depend upon it.
Experts widely believe that Central Florida’s tourism industry will take years to fully recover, meaning that these are the opening salvos of widespread layoffs that are inevitable throughout the region. The extent of the industry-wide layoffs depends upon how quickly theme park operators can bounce back and convince the general public it’s safe to plan trips.
Walt Disney World reopening in July isn’t an effort to salvage the summer–it’s about the fall and holiday season. Save for DVC members, Annual Passholders, and diehard fans with existing trips, what’s left of the summer is already a lost cause. No matter when the parks reopen, it’s going to take several months to ramp up operations and even start to return to a semblance of normal and attract tourists back. The greater the delay, the deeper and longer-lasting the wounds.
Ultimately, even this just paints a partial picture. There are no doubt countless other factors and variables, both for and against reopening. And to be abundantly clear, we truly don’t know where we come down on this question. It’s tempting to offer simple solutions to complicated problems, but we’d again caution against that. Frankly, I’m quite thankful to not be one of the Disney or local leaders tasked with the unenviable decisions in front of them. It’s a veritable buffet of least-bad choices. Even equipped with better knowledge, there’s no way of knowing today what unintended consequences will result from any decision.
Finally, we’ll reiterate what we said at the end of “Our Surreal Stay at Walt Disney World” post. While a lot of this likely reads as being pro-reopening, we still would err on the side of not traveling to Florida for vacation right now. (To that point, we are not traveling anywhere.) Even with risk mitigation efforts in the parks & resorts, the fact remains that cases are spiking. Flying to Florida and taking a weeklong Walt Disney World vacation right now is not no-risk or even low-risk. We’d also be incredibly apprehensive about planning a trip for the fall. If you’re an out of state tourist, you can play it safe and take a wait and see view to see how things play out. Such a tentative approach is arguably not as practical for Walt Disney World’s decision-makers when considering the long-term and holistic health of Central Florida.
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–is it too early to reopen, the appropriate time, or do you likewise not feel comfortable offering a definitive answer? Are there additional major factors we’ve failed to consider? Agree or disagree with our assessment? We anticipate this being a controversial topic, but please keep the comments civil. A variety of viewpoints are welcomed here, and comments will not be deleted for their perspective alone. However, we will not tolerate insults, arguing, conspiracy theories, or politically-charged comments. Don’t ruin a 95% fine comment with an unnecessary cheap shot—that 5% will get it deleted. Additionally, please do not incessantly harp on the same point across multiple comments. Respectfully share your opinion and move along.
So irresponsible of the governor here! Disney should not be opening! There already were pictures online during the cast member preview day this week with employees mostly entertainment performers not in face masks. Can you not get or spread the virus while singing and dancing!!!?? Stupid!
Even though Orange Cty has a mandate for face masks some businesses are not enforce it. It’s ridiculous! Face masks are essential. Should be state wide. Indoor dining should be closed. If this governor can’t be intelligent enough to do the right thing than Disney should! Stay closed!
It is open! If you want to go, follow the rules…if you don’t want to follow the rules, then Stay Home!
This subject has been beat to death…Go or Don’t Go….do what you are supposed to do….wash hands; wear a mask, social distance yourself. It’s not that hard! Do your part…be a good citizen…stop all the complaining, be thankful, and be a gtown-up.
I was there Thursday and I don’t know which cast members you are referring to unless you mean the people high up on horses riding down the streets or the princess about 100 or more up on the castle. I would really like to know what misinformation you are relaying. There was no singing or dancing so please back up your information with some facts please because in 7 hours I experienced nothing like you are saying.
What amazes me is that people who have such strong opinions can’t even spell or use the correct word. And what is with all the extra letters? Please.
Pobody’s nerfect!!!
Sorry that you are having such a bad day.
I guess it really doesn’t matter what we think at this point. Our decision is either we will go or we won’t go. I have tickets for the pass holder preview on Wednesday. Today I received a confirmation for it. I would think that if they were cancelling they would have informed us by now but who knows. I know that there are no plans as of today to scale back anything in this area of Florida. Other than the bars that serve less than 50% food everything that was open is still open. There are mask mandates in different parts of the state and as we are all aware Disney is mandating masks. I am not sure what capacity they are allowing in at this time but unless Universal closes I really don’t see Disney changing their opening date but this is only my opinion. Things are always changing.
Shocked that this is even a debate. The US has exceeded 3 million cases, 130k+ deaths. More than any other Country. Stay closed.
This article is very interesting with lots of graphs etc. Based on this data I say open up. https://jbhandleyblog.com/home/2020/6/28/secondwave
You have to accept a lot of deaths and herd immunity comes with multiple infections over multiple mutations. It would take years. Coronavirus is an RNA virus it can mutate quickly and evade any antibodies the body might produce. This isn’t chicken pox where you get it once and you’re good. The Swedish model hasn’t been successful: they have a large body count relative to Nordic countries and their economy is still in the dumps
Written by a guy who wrote a similar “chart” filled book to scare you away from vaccines. He’s a crockpot.
Agreed, the article is a crock. The graph in the article suggests Sweden reached herd immunity the week ending April 12, with 7.3% of the population having been infected. Even my blind dog knows herd immunity does not occur anywhere close to 7.3%. That is only 1/10th the necessary exposure. Herd immunity is considered reached at exposures of 70% to 90%, depending on the nature of the virus.
https://www.jhsph.edu/covid-19/articles/achieving-herd-immunity-with-covid19.html
Living here in Orlando, close to MK and having gone to Disney Springs several times I think they should reopen. I am not worried about what WDW is doing, I’m worried about people’s lack of caring for others. At DS people are, mostly, being very careful – masks, distancing, washing their hands/using sanitizer. I see Disney Cast Members wearing their masks, sanitizing everything in sight over and over again. Guests that are not wearing their masks are gently reminded by cast members that they must wear their masks. (I would totally be in favor of banning guests who are scofflaws.) Compare that to say – Publix. People don’t wear their masks, don’t distance, handle everything with their hands then put it back. To be fair, it’s not just Publix but other public places were people are acting inappropriately. People are FAR more compliant at DS than other public places. Wear your dang masks (over your mouth and nose ffs), keep 6 feet apart as much as possible, wash your hands and use sanitizer at every opportunity. If people follow the rules (on us) then WDW will be safer than many other public venues.
It seems like Disney is determined to be a national super spreader and destroy their brand. “We hope you enjoyed your magical memories meeting Mickey Mouse, sorry about your dead grandmother!”
The reason no one is hearing about cases in the theme parks is that they are NOT tracing nor telling cast members (citing privacy concerns) that is not a compliance issue as they are purporting – there is a statutory exemption under the federal privacy laws for public health purposes! They can and should be sharing! There have been outbreaks in Disney already – this is info from cast members! It’s INSANE!! They should NOT open – there is no way the healthcare system can sustain locals let alone visitors/tourists. Last week the state of Florida Dept of health advised all facilities of drug shortages!
There is no value on human life here – it’s all financial! They should NOT open! It’s a huge mistake
Just curious. Where are you getting your information? I live here and as of today there are no drug shortages. I would really love to read where you found this information and which drugs are in shortage. Also Disney has not even been opened since March so which covid cases are you referring to? I would really like to see the information you are quoting in print.
Unlike in Europe, Japan and Singapore, where the population readily obeys government orders such as staying at home, wearing masks, et, Americans are not like that- feeling anything government tells the to do is somehow an intrusion on whatever they think they’re rights are at the moment.
Florida is out of control- 200,00 cases and rising daily. To spare others from other states from bringing back contamination, FLorida should be avoided at all cost until everyone from the governor down to the local citizens, does what is necessary to get the virus under control. If its a statewide lockdown, so be it, to mandatory mask wearing in public.
Its better to have customers who are alive and spend their money for fun and happiness than dead ones who cannot spend at all.
21 million people in Florida. Given that reality the number is not that big. Making this disease sound worse than it actually is, is like the media calling every storm, ” the storm of the century”. It starts to wear thin fast. . The reality is a lot of people test positive and the GOOD news is they not only dont die, they don’t get sick. There is no telling if there will EVER be a vaccine, how soon they can produce a few billion doses if there is one, or how effective it will be.
I am curious as to how central Florida can possibly know the source over 30k new cases in 2 weeks. I am not aware of any government entity doing contact tracing, and it would have to be a large entity to trace that high a number of cases in such a short period of time.
They don’t, Florida is not really trying to curb the spread at this point, they are aiming for herd immunity without really saying it out loud. Herd immunity takes years over multiple mutations and infections, a vaccine may be available by then.
Regardless Disney isn’t even open and infections are out of control. Whether Disney opens or not seems like just a drop in the bucket, Florida seems like is about to break in a couple months when the hospitals get overrun. It’s just a matter of time until the enormous elderly population in Florida gets hit, then it’s over. If people are dying in hospital parking lots is when the governor will have to pull the plug and lock down.
With numbers escalating like they are, Florida is now #3 in the Nation. DO NOT OPEN until numbers start declining. The tourists come down for a week and go home. The citizens of the state are left to endure the spread of the virus!
It seems like Disney is determined to be a national super spreader and destroy their brand. “We hope you enjoyed your magical memories meeting Mickey Mouse, sorry about your dead grandmother!”
I agree……we are Disney fanatics and have been many times but I don’t think they should open yet. Things are too bad there and here’s immunity issue not something that happens quickly. Especially given that the immunity only last 6-12 months and then people will be reinfected at different stages. Not to mention all the people who will die in the process. I also don’t want people visiting Disney and then bringing it back to where they live. It’s not just about Fl
What “escalating” numbers are you referring to? Because the deaths have declined for 7 weeks straight. With increased testing, we’re finding increased cases. It’s been interesting to watch people freak out about an obvious outcome that we all should have expected. We knew there were asyptomatic people in our midst – now we are identifying them through testing and as a result, “cases” are rising. Not surprising or concerning to me whatsoever. Death rate matters much more.
Hi Ray,
There’s been an awful lot of distrust for Gov. DeSantis on this page by those who want to visit the parks. That’s interesting, because it’s his government is the one that reports the data. So can you trust him and not trust him simultaneously?
And very sadly, deaths are spiking there as well. I know, I know…he’s lying about those numbers too.
Anyone that says no just wants to go to Disney. That’s okay but own up to your reason. The state of Florida and the entire United States is in danger with this virus going around. You’ll live without riding Space Mountain, folks.
Ummmm. I really think that miiiiiiight be an oversimplification. There are real reasons to open up Disney besides just wanting to be in the parks. People actually worked there and supported their entire families there and I would even say some folks who worked there may even supported their entire families back in their home countries. The GOAL of shutting down the country was to minimize lives lost by overwhelming the medical system(unfortunately not to save EVERY single person from getting the infection…just not possible). There are real repercussions to staying closed. But like I’ve said, I’m for Disney doing either one at this point, but I did feel that generalization was just a little unfair.
Yes we just want to go to disney but there are other reasons to open the parks. Nothing can stay closed forever and if they really wanted to “flatten the curve” EVERYTHING in America would of shut down not just certain things. My husband and mother both work for a grocery store and no one cared about them this whole time. Whats the difference between a cast member and a grocery store worker? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!! Disney made the right choice to open just like I’m making the right choice to go and support the tourism industry in August by going to disney!
So, Stitch0922, I’ve seen you post about this before so I understand it is a real hurt for you that you feel that your husband and mother have been treated unfairly. I’m truly sorry that they got the short end of the stick during this time and understand that some have fared better than others during this trying situation that has affected everyone. But also a feeling can be different from a fact though. “No one cared”? Idk. I tend to stay away from absolutes when I can.
That being said, definitely think you maaaay want to due a little further research into what “flattening the curve” actually means though. Just fyi for everyone, in case some of you are not in the loop, America is in TRILLIONS of dollars of debt and trillions of dollars of unfunded obligations to come(Social Security, Medicare etc). So IF we wanted the federal government to literally throw TRILLIONS more into this situation(further jeopardizing the future of America as we know it) and “close EVERYTHING down” then maybe that would have been feasible, but outside of that you cannot close everything down and leave citizens with NO money. It just won’t work on a basic survival level. Yeah, “essential” was definitely controversial during this pandemic and you’re gonna get a different opinion on that from one person to the next.
Our leaders are working with a necessitated BALANCE in this situation not an all or nothing. The GOAL of the shut downs was to MAXIMIZE lives saved. The GOAL was NOT to “save” everyone. And if you shut EVERYTHING down chances are you will lose MORE lives that way(in addition to mass unrest because ummmm Constitution, freedom all that good stuff). They could not all or nothing a national shutdown. #1 being that we all can agree that we needed hospitals, and if anything those people have lives and families outside of the hospitals that require things like child care, food and other necessities.
Dear Jenna Earl,
First, what in the world do federal entitlements have to do with Walt Disney World? I mean, I appreciate when an American acknowledges the burdens placed upon the taxpayers of the 6 donor states, but that’s another matter.
The whole country wasn’t quarantined. This has played out jurisdiction by jurisdiction, with little consistency. Of the states and localities with the most comprehensive schemes, those were only as effective as they were followed. And we’re getting back with different plans and with drastically different rationales behind them. Where I live, rates are down to almost zero. We are very cautiously reopening. It’s shocking to me that other jurisdictions are completely open to a resurgence and long-term consequences that are far, far worse.
Hi Aaron in DC 🙂 Well, I tried to explain things as briefly as possibly…and clearly it was already long lol But I was addressing the fact that someone seems to think that we could have closed EVERYTHING down somehow. And wheeere would that money come from for that and the further ramifications for that. If anyone would like to further research “federal entitlements” and how they are I funded obligations and how that is connected to the budget and debts there are top notch video resources out there. Anywho! I was just taken aback at the reasoning that we somehow could have shut EVERYTHING down and was like ummmmm not so much. I sort of feel like you didn’t read Stitch’s comment above them. I was definitely just addressing and debunking things in that. Iiiiiiiiii am clearly well away that the whole country wasn’t shut down. Let me know if there’s anything further I can explain. 🙂
*unfunded *mine
It absolutely astounds me that there are people on this planet who care more about being entertained than they do about saving lives.
Us crazy “love others as you love yourself” people. What’s wrong with us?!?
Should stay closed until the number go down
Absolutely OPEN up. Another stat to consider…
According to CDC, prevalence of obesity in this country is over 40%.
Yet, McDonald’s and other fast food outlets were considered ESSENTIAL and allowed to remain open throughout the pandemic. Why is obesity relevant? Because obesity-related conditions including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer are some of the leading causes of preventable, premature death. Without these underlying conditions, COVID-19 deaths would be even lower. People need to assume some responsibility for their own health. If you are in an at-risk group for severe complications, you should evaluate your risk vs. reward and decide accordingly. Personally, I will don my mask, board my direct flight, and observe all recommendations while at WDW.
Happy Independence Day!
Yeah, that is what Eric was also saying in the comments from a first hand account as a physician.
This is an EXTREMELY interesting point to me because I personally haven’t heard an uproar about this link and it seems to have been swept under the rug. I am staaaaaarting to feel like there’s an extra effort in media control and cahoots around this part of the issue. Anything else that leads back to obesity/preventable health related diseases is trouble for the corporations who want to absolve themselves from the blame of the state of American public health and in this case the illnesses that seems to have left much of our population defenseless to this virus. Maybe I’m hyper aware of this because I have recently seen the documentary “What the Health” on Netflix. So really if you think about it the whole American population becomes the scapegoat for the corporations in this situations. “oh, you’re a horrible person for not wearing a mask…oh your 5.5 feet away, are you insane.” Not “oh, you’re putting chemicals known to cause cancer in our foods/products, are you insane…you’re sponsored by the same companies that contribute to our illnesses, that’s a questionable partnership.” I seriously wonder if things would have been this bad and if it would have even reached the heights it has in this country if the American health was better. In a sense we’re putting a lot of pressure on the WRONG corporations. Reactionary instead of proactive is the American way though, no? We are in desperate need of some serious changes. We’ve come a long way since 1776, but how free are we really when our population is enslaved to the interests of the almighty dollar.
Yea well, I can’t give you obesity Tracy
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2007/07/obesity-is-contagious/
But that’s besides the point…I think a major thing about Tracy’s point is that contagious diseases have existed since the existence of mankind and definitely the history of America. If the link about those who are predisposed is in fact true, is it truly “fair” that EVERYONE is having to amend their lives when a lot of the devastation was preventable. Yeah, no one saw this coming(questionable even, check out the aptly timed documentary “Pandemic” on Netflix), but the lessons we learn from this time around need to be focused in the right places to not have a repeat of such proportions.
8% of our country has been infected as of today July 4 (2.85 million) out of that 132,000 have died (.04% of infected). Stats obtained from google.
So out of 33 million people in the United States, 2.85 have been infected and .003% have perished. No where near the stats required to justify this response.
So yea Pete, open the damn parks
Ashley there are 330 million people in the US. 2.85m infected 132,000 perished. That is 4.6%. You forgot to move the decimal two places. As a Floridian Disney should remain closed for a bit longer. We can all wait to get our Disney fix.
And without mitigation what do you suppose the numbers would be?
I work there i start again yesterday and the employes are NOT I REPEAT NOT FOLLOWING The protocol with no mask at all some yes but not everybody they still do what they want and administration goes blind eye the security yeah from the bus to outside the parking but inside is another thing it shoud remain closed!!
Florida was slow to make testing widely available, so a bit of the current outbreaks likely due to increased testing, but the number of positives being found by testing is remarkably high. The rapid spread of the virus is a big, real phenomenon, and ways need to be found, fast, to cut it. The next week or two will be critical. I fear nothing much will happen. Other states may be forced to discourage their citizens from visiting us.
I’m not sure that any kind of entertainment can continue while an epidemic is raging. If anyone can make it work, Disney should. I’d be interested in visiting under less-crowded conditions.
The impact of a shutdown on the airline industry and Orlando International Airport (which unfortunately is building what had been a much-needed new terminal) may be serious, but the possibility that Florida might be the center of spread for a refreshed national epidemic is a serious matter. Maybe Florida’s airports should be shut down? There’s a reason why Europe is keeping the US quarantined.
For comparison purposes, there are whispers about delaying the fall college football season until spring. Governors in Georgia, South Carolina, and Arkansas are urging citizens to wear masks so football season can go ahead normally.
I am so glad you don’t live here as well. However, I do wonder why you are degrading the USA on this website? Are you not smart enough to figure out how to use other social media? Yeah, kinda what we all figured. Go back to your hovel and dream of having a toilet bowl.
Just wear the magical mask sprinkled with pixie dust and all will be well. Everyone seems to think the mask is your savior so wear it and you’ll be fine, right??
Right? I have found it fascinating how much blind faith people put it into masks. Yes, that thin, poorly fitted thing will most certainly stop all pathogens cold…ah, well.
I don’t know what people think about masks. I do however believe that social distancing and being out doors is good for you and as of today Disney is still planning on opening. I will be attending the preview tomorrow and I am not concerned about being outside in the park. Having been to Disney Springs a bunch of times since they opened I have seen first hand how Disney is handling things and I am comfortable going and looking forward to it.