Disney World Reopens With Masks and Without Lines
July 11 2020 - 6:15PM
Dow Jones News
By R.T. Watson
Fans willing to brave what is usually one of the most heavily
trafficked public spaces on earth are descending on Walt Disney
Co.'s Orlando theme park in hopes of escaping the dreary realities
of the coronavirus pandemic.
But reality isn't so easily set aside.
Hugging Mickey Mouse and Goofy is off limits; instead they wave
from afar. Other Disney characters moseyed through Walt Disney
World mounted on horses, guided by masked escorts on foot.
Attendance was limited to what appeared to be a fraction of the
park's capacity, according to regular visitors, who said wait times
for Splash Mountain, Peter Pan's Flight and other rides were among
the shortest they could recall. Regular deep-cleaning of those
rides and other strict protocols led some visitors to guess that
their theme-park visit was safer than everyday shopping
outings.
"It still feels like Disney, but it's a little sobering...it's
kind of a new era," said Jeff Harper, a 44-year-old high-school
band director from the Atlanta area. Mr. Harper visited the Magic
Kingdom on Thursday with his husband and 6-year-old son. "Strangely
to us, going into our neighborhood grocery store, it feels safer
here."
Disney World's two main parks, Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom,
officially reopen on Saturday, at a significantly reduced capacity;
the company declined to say exactly how many people it was allowing
in. But Thursday and Friday Disney let in some annual passholders
for a sneak peek.
Theme parks provide one of Disney's most lucrative revenue
streams. The company is reopening as the number of coronavirus
cases in surges in Florida and many other states. Florida Gov. Ron
DeSantis has been supportive of the plan to reopen Disney World,
which shut down in mid-March because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The company shelved plans to reopen Disneyland, in Southern
California, around the same time as Disney World. Workers there
protested the plan, citing safety concerns, and the state
government said guidelines for reopening theme parks wouldn't be
ready in time for Disneyland to reopen as initially planned.
Some say they are experiencing a Disney World that was barely
recognizable, in ways both enjoyable and unsettling.
"It's like a Twilight Zone dream, but it's also magical because
I've always dreamed of the park being empty," said 49-year-old
Karen Fernandez, a resident of nearby Davenport, Fla., who visited
during the special preview on Thursday. She has been a regular
visit since she was preschool-age, and said she can't recall a time
when lines were so short. "I can just walk on any ride and not have
to wait an hour or hour and a half."
Some snapshots from those who visited the park:
Write to R.T. Watson at rt.watson@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
July 11, 2020 18:00 ET (22:00 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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