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NOT SO MAGICAL

How your Disney holiday could be different after lockdown with virtual queues, temperature checks and pricey tickets

DISNEY holidays have been put on pause for families as the theme parks have closed due to the global coronavirus pandemic.

A holiday to the Magic Kingdom is set to be a very different experience, however, when the parks open once more.

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The Disney parks have been closed since last month
The Disney parks have been closed since last monthCredit: Getty Images - Getty

Disney World and Disneyland Paris were forced to close last month, along with Disneyland California.

While there is no firm date on when they will re-open, many hope that the parks will be able to welcome guests again by June.

Yet new changes are likely to be in place with social distancing also likely to continue.

Temperature checks are common at airports around the world amid the crisis, and something Disney haven't ruled out for the park gates.

Disney boss Bob Iger said in an interview to Barrons: "In order to return to some semblance of normal, people will have to feel comfortable that they’re safe.

"Some of that could come in the form, ultimately, of a vaccine, but in the absence of that it could come from basically, more scrutiny, more restrictions."

Temperature screening at the gates could be implemented
Temperature screening at the gates could be implementedCredit: AP:Associated Press
Guest capacity could be limited when the parks first open too
Guest capacity could be limited when the parks first open tooCredit: Getty Images - Getty

"Just as we now do bag checks for everybody that goes into our parks, it could be that at some point we add a component of that that takes people’s temperatures, as a for-instance."

This could be difficult to implement at the gates due to the sheer volume of guests, but could be a short-term option when they first open.

Another change could be virtual queues - something that is already in place in certain parts of the park.

The new Rise of the Resistance ride at Star Wars: Galaxy Edge uses the Disney app to allow guests to secure a place in the queue, where they are then called to ride the attraction later in the day.

This could be rolled out to other areas with long queues, such as Frozen Ever After or Space Mountain.

According to , a new "Virtual Queues" section has been added to the Disneyland app since the park's closure.

While nothing has yet been confirmed, the park may enforce these measures to allow guests to continue social distancing.

When the theme parks do open, however, guests may find themselves paying more to enter.

Disney have upped prices for day ticket and annual passes every year, with last year's day passes increasing from $154 (£118) to $209 (£160).

Yet the parks could be forced to make steep jumps again next year, with (£16m) for every day the attractions are shut.

Not only that, but the usual capacity of guests may be lowered at first to keep guests safe, meaning less entry tickets - and less profits.

The parks across the US and Europe have not confirmed their opening dates.

Guests with tickets will be able to use them again when the park opens, as global cases of coronavirus hit 2m.

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Disney World, which closed on March 16, has only had to close a number of times since it opened in 1971.

It first closed in 1999, 28 years after opening, due to Category 4 Hurricane Floyd, and closed again in 2001 following 9/11.

Other closures took place in 2004, 2016, 2017 and 2019 due to hurricanes.

Disneyland looks like a ghost town in eery aerial views of famous theme park
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