State of Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis wrote an open letter to the Olympic Committee, asking them to consider relocating the Summer 2021 Olympics from Japan to Florida after media reports that leaders in Japan have “privately” concluded that they are too concerned about the pandemic for the 2021 Olympics to take place. Japan officials have denied the media reports.
In his letter to the Olympic Committee, Patronis talked about a number of sporting events that were conducted in the state of Florida during the ongoing global pandemic. Notably, Patronis cited the NBA “bubble” restart at the ESPN Wide World of Sports and various Disney Resorts. Patronis’ praise for Walt Disney World continued when he said that the Disney parks have been “open and operating safely in Florida for some time”. Patronis continued by saying that “Disney serves as an incredible model for how to run a complex organization in the midst of COVID-19.”
Walt Disney World reopened in mid-July and has yet to have a COVID-19 outbreak tied to the parks, according to local officials. The theme park has managed capacity via the Disney Park Pass reservation system and implemented numerous physical distancing and best practice protocols such as requiring that all guests and Cast Members wear masks.
During the busy holiday season, Disney managed to increase attendance capacity at the parks by 40% when compared to summer and fall capacity limits via a number of measures that included installing more plexiglass barriers in the queues and on ride vehicles. Disney was able to increase capacity while still engineering high traffic areas to allow for either physical barriers between guests or enough space to promote physical distancing.
As Disney World looks ahead to the summer months, they have already announced the return of an indoor theater-in-the-round show that will be modified to CDC guidelines for guests and performers.
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!