Here at BlogMickey.com, we’ve been paying attention to a number of metrics that indicate “pent-up demand”. One such metric is the consumer comfort tracking poll from Morning Consult. This poll has been conducted since April 2020, and tracks consumer comfort returning to a number of different activities, including amusement parks.

With the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines and lower case numbers when compared to the winter surge we saw at the end of last year, consumer comfort in returning to theme parks is continuing an impressive climb. At the start of this year, consumer comfort in returning to theme parks sat at 16%. Now, for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic started, consumer comfort has passed the 40% mark.

The uptick in consumer comfort, combined with a Disney-forecasted busy summer seems to indicate that we’ll soon see the majority of Americans say that they are comfortable visiting theme parks again. We’ve come a long way since last summer when we noted that there was a “lack of demand” for a Walt Disney World vacation. Now, there is a squeeze happening where Disney World is still sitting at 35% capacity, but seeing Disney Park Pass reservations dry up.

There is some hope on the horizon though. Just today, Orange County Florida announced that they will be reducing the physical distancing guidance from 6ft to 3ft – a move that could effectively double theme park capacity once it is adopted by Disney World and others. Also, Orange County outlined a path for removing the mask mandate in the coming weeks and months.

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!