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Walt Disney World sets summer reopening after coronavirus lockdown
Disney fans, rejoice! Orlando’s Walt Disney World will reopen its family-friendly gates in July after being shuttered since March 15 over coronavirus concerns. The move follows in the footsteps of rival Universal Studios Orlando, which will welcome visitors once again beginning on June 5. Disney World executives were given the green light after presenting proposals …
Disney fans, rejoice!
Orlando’s Walt Disney World will reopen its family-friendly gates in July after being shuttered since March 15 over coronavirus concerns. The move follows in the footsteps of rival Universal Studios Orlando, which will welcome visitors once again beginning on June 5.
Disney World executives were given the green light after presenting proposals for their Florida parks’ phased reopenings to the Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force on Wednesday, reports the AP.
As a result, the Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom are slated to reopen July 11, while Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios will follow suit on July 15, according to Walt Disney World’s senior vice president of operations, Jim MacPhee.
However, a trip to the House of Mouse will look a bit different than it did prepandemic. According to MacPhee, the theme park will enforce social distancing via special markers, temperature checks for both guests and staffers, and “limited-contact enhancements” such as mobile payments at restaurants, reports Variety.
Numerous hand-sanitizer stations will be peppered about the park, while cast members will be required to wear face masks while working.
To further help reduce the spread of disease, Disney World will be operating at a reduced capacity and nixing its famous parades and other crowd-attracting activities.
The Orlando resort will be the first Disney park in the US to welcome visitors in the time of corona. Worldwide, Shanghai Disneyland reopened May 11, the first of its parks to do so during the pandemic.
