In an interview with CNBC this evening, Disney CEO Bob Chapek said that Disney has kept the capacity at their theme parks, specifically Walt Disney World, capped at 25% of total capacity. Chapek notes that the theme parks are operating on the premise of a 6′ physical distancing restriction, which amounts to a 25% capacity.
Of course, our experience on the ground has been that there are certainly more people in the Walt Disney World theme parks since they reopened in July, but that’s not necessarily the argument here. If capacity is 100,000 guests at Magic Kingdom, that means Chapek is saying that there are less than 25,000 guests in the theme park on any given day. This can be true.
In July, we may have seen less than 10,000 guests in Magic Kingdom on any given day, and while it would be fair to say that there were more than double the guests in the theme parks in October as there were in July, saying that the parks are not welcoming more than 25,000 guests can also be true.
Chapek says that capacity will not be increased until CDC guidelines allow. Disney is managing capacity via the Disney Park Pass reservation system.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!
Capacity can be misleading. !00% capacity(which is a rarity, they close before they hit that number) with 100% of the physical space open, at regular hours is much more spread out that 25% capacity with 25% of the physical space/offerings open at majorly reduced hours. This is the biggest problem.
I was at Epcot on Oct 10 and I have never seen it that packed. 1 hour line to get into Mexico. I have been going to Epcot 5 years in a row. Definitely didn’t feel like social distancing was achievable in such a packed park. Extremely disappointed.