Disney World to reopen in July with ‘high-energy squads’ roaming park to make sure people wear masks
DISNEY World officials hope to reopen the theme park on July 11 — after it was closed for months amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Officials from the theme park, located in , announced their proposed phased reopening on Wednesday during a meeting with a local economic recovery task force.
Jim McPhee, senior vice president of operations at , said that as part of the plan, Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom would reopen on July 11.
Epcot and Hollywood Studios would reopen on July 15.
Disney's plan must be approved by the mayor of Orange County, and then Florida Gov Ron DeSantis.
Officials said that as they reopen, the parks will not host parades or have firework shows.
Character meet-and-greets will be paused as the park reopens, and all play areas will be temporarily closed.
All guests' will need to reserve entry into the park in advance, and their temperatures, along with cast members', will be checked, and face masks will be mandatory for everyone.
The company said they plan to enact "high-energy squads" of employees who will roam the parks checking to make sure people are .
Disney officials said they might make "relaxation zones" where people will be allowed to remove their face masks.
Disney Springs, the outdoor shopping area in Orlando, on May 20.
Universal Orlando has also reopened shopping complexes and restaurants — with restrictions.
Disney World closed down on Sunday, March 15, because of the coronavirus outbreak.
The company said the decision was made "in an abundance of caution" to protect guests and employees, and came hours after the closure of Disneyland in California was announced.
Orlando is the most visited tourist destination, bringing huge numbers of people from around the globe to its major theme parks, which also include Universal Orlando and SeaWorld Orlando.
Universal announced they planned to begin their phased reopening on June 5 after Mayor Jerry Demings and DeSantis approved their plan, which includes the reopening of Universal Studios Florida, Universal’s Islands of Adventure, and Universal’s Volcano Bay.
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Attendance will be carefully managed and controlled, and Universal said it will soon schedule team members for training on its new procedures, with limited previews in the days leading up to the public opening, when Universal will continue to manage daily attendance.
SeaWorld proposed a plan to open to the public on June 11, and is planning an employee appreciation event on June 10 before opening to the public the next day.
Additionally, Legoland Florida announced that it would reopen June 1.