With the news earlier today from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis that the state would be moving to a “full” phase 1 reopening on Monday, May 18th, there was also new information as it pertained to area theme parks, including Walt Disney World.
As part of the Governor’s “full” phase 1 reopening plan, theme parks will be able to submit plans on how they will execute their reopening to the state. Those plans would need to be endorsed by the County Mayor, which would be Orange County in the case of Walt Disney World and Universal.
In a press conference this afternoon, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings was asked about those plans and if he has received anything from the major area theme parks. Demings said that while the county remains in constant conversation with the area theme parks, he has not received a final, written plan. Demings went on to say that he expects to see hotels and resort areas to reopen before the theme parks. Demings also said that he believes that theme parks would be better suited for a phase 2 reopening as previously defined.
Of course, with DeSantis’ announcement coming just hours ago, it would be unlikely that theme parks would have a plan ready to submit on such short notice, but Walt Disney World representatives are on both the Orange County and state of Florida task forces that will provide recommendations to elected officials.
Here at BlogMickey.com, we’ve already covered some of the safety measures that Disney has stated directly as well as some safety measures that are part of union contracts with Walt Disney World.
In short, we can expect strict social distancing measures to greet guests when the parks reopen, including the use of face masks, temperature screenings, reduced capacity to theme parks, and more.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com for the latest Disney Parks news and photos. We’ll continue to bring you news and photos, where possible, through the Disney Parks closure due to Coronavirus (COVID-19) and will resume our normal coverage once the parks reopen to guests on July 11th!