At some point, the closed Disney parks are going to reopen and at least some guests will be allowed to visit them once again. We aren’t yet completely sure what that will look like or how the threat of COVID-19 will continue to affect how people travel. However, we do have the Shanghai park to look to for clues.
When trying to anticipate what changes are on the horizon it’s important to realize China owns a majority share of the Shanghai park and will, therefore, do things differently. Therefore the government dictates what happens and when. Having said that, theirs is the only model we have had to refer to until just a few days ago. Disney recently released a brief bullet point list of some of the changes coming to Disney parks. The catch? They still haven’t given us a date.
Reopening in Phases
It is now a certainty that Disney plans to reopen parks in phases. While speculators thought Disney Springs and some resorts may open ahead of the parks, Disney’s official two-phase announcement refers to the parks themselves. The plan is to open at 50 percent capacity. Based on the success of that plan, they’ll increase the capacity to $75. How that will affect prices and staffing has not been addressed, but it needs to be considered. Disney has a reputation wor world-class customer service to uphold as well as increased demand for sanitation, so expect some measures to recoup losses to directly affect guests.
Changes to Security
One thing that was addressed early on and has already been introduced within the company is temperature checks. It’s likely that temperature checks will become an institutional change at all security checks. Disney verified that cast members with a temperature over 100.4 degrees will not be allowed to work. This is an important measure, but it’s not fully effective against the spread of Coronavirus. Once inside the park, the risk of contagion is still present which is why Disney’s current plan further attempts to curtail these risks as the closed Disney parks reopen.
Changes to Sanitation
The first thing Disney did in an effort to avoid any closed Disney parks was updating their cleaning practices and educating cast members. We can expect that to continue along with increased custodial routes as they routinely wipe down high traffic areas. Disney also says there will be hands-free sanitizer dispensers located around the parks.
Social Distancing
The hardest thing to work out will be social distancing. Even at 50% capacity, any shopping, dining, or attractions will involve large clusters of guests. Even with safety procedures in place, not everybody sees eye to eye on the level of threat COVID-19 presents. Arguments are bound to break out over social distancing in the parks. Disney hasn’t explained fully how they will enforce social distance, but they indicated that there will be markers six feet apart within attraction queues. If this is the case, we can expect confusion about who can stand together and who must remain apart. It will also result in chaos surrounding areas with a high concentration of popular rides.
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