Phased reopening announced today.
Today, Jim McPhee, Senior Vice President of Operations, Walt Disney World, presented a phased reopening plan to the Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force.
Here are the dates:
Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom will reopen on Saturday, July 11th.
Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios will reopen on Wednesday, July 15th.
Some highlights of the plan included:
Limited attendance in the parks - Guests will need a reservation to enter the park in advance. McPhee said they will share details about this in the near future and that it will be a digital reservation system, similar to My Disney Experience.
Face coverings will be required while on property.
It was mentioned in passing that there will be designated areas for "mask relief".
Temperature checks will be done before Guests enter the parks.
All transactions (park entry, shops, restaurants, etc.) will be no contact or limited contact. The existing MagicBand system fulfills this already.
Character interactions will be done from a distance.
Hand washing/sanitizer stations will be located throughout the park, especially at attractions.
Fireworks, parades, and shows will be suspended for now to discourage crowd gatherings.
Ride queues and rides will be using a social distancing model. (No specific details were given today.)
There will be a large amount of signage in the parks to help remind guests of these protocols, as well as a Social Distance Squad. The Squad members are specially trained and designated cast members to assist guests with all of these new guidelines.
No mention of water parks.
DISNEY resort hotels will open July 11th.
DVC hotels and Fort Wilderness Campground will open June 22nd.
There were more details shared in terms of protective measures for guests and cast members, including plexiglass barriers and cast member training. Also, cast members will be screened in the same way when they report to work.
We will provide further updates as we receive them. The plan was passed unanimously by the Task Force and will be presented to the governor for final approval. We anticipate Disney will send out a formal announcement shortly.
We can't stress enough the importance of using a travel agent - in general and ESPECIALLY now. We expect that things will evolve and change as time goes by. Having a trusted professional by your side will be essential to help you navigate and plan the best experience for you and your family.
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