Is Disney Going Back To Normal Soon?
It’s been a very interesting week as far as Disney news is concerned. With yesterday’s earnings call and all of the updates that have been released from the CDC, there’s been a lot of talk about what this could mean for the way Disney Parks operate moving forward into the summer. We already know that temperature checks are being eliminated at Walt Disney World as is physical disancing requirements in most cases, but there’s still a long way to go. . . . so what’s next.
Though there is still quite a bit up in the air, we got a few hints from Disney CEO Bob Chapek during the second quarter earnings call yesterday. Among the many topics that were discussed, Chapek touched on 2 key points of interest that people have been eager to know more about since the parks reopened last year; capacity and mask mandates.
In terms of capacity, Walt Disney World has been operating with a limited capacity since the parks reopened last year following their extended closure. Though exact numbers as far as how many guests are allowed in the parks each day has not been released, we know that it’s somewhere in the ballpark of 35% of what the park can handle under normal circumstances. However, this is not only likely to change in the near future. . . . it already has. Chapek explained that following guidance from the CDC and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the number of guests being allowed into the park will be increased starting immediately. [That immediate change having come Thursday at the time of the earnings call.]
Of course, what exactly that means is still yet to be determined. Though the announcement says more guests will be allowed through the gates, we don’t know an exact number or what percentage of the park’s capacity that will be. That said, we speculate that this will likely be a slow increase of capacity over time rather than a one-and-done increase to the park’s 100% capacity levels. It’s reasonable to assume that the park will likely increase to 50% capacity and then incrementally increase from there. This will undoubtedly be accompanied by the reopening of dining, shopping and entertainment options to accommodate the increase attendance at the parks.
The second point of interest that was touched upon by Chapek during the earnings call was mask requirements. This comes in response to new guidance by the CDC which now says that fully vaccinated people no longer have to wear a face covering in most settings. Walt Disney World has been requiring guests to wear approved face coverings at all times when at Walt Disney World with the exception of when actively eating or drinking while stationary. They recently also relaxed the guidance allowing guests to temporarily remove face coverings when taking photographs while stationary. Could the complete elimination of the mask requirement be next?
During the call, Chapek made a comment that has many feeling he was hinting towards the possibility that masks would no longer be required at Walt Disney World by the time summer rolls around. The comment, which was vague and non-specific, mentioned that eliminating the masks would make an “even more pleasant experience” for guests, especially during the hot summer months in Florida. However, unlike park capacity, the issue centered around masks is a bit more complicated; mainly because the CDC guidance refers to those who have been fully vaccinated.
With under 40% of the United States population currently fully vaccinated and 1 in 4 Americans unwilling to take the vaccine, the question becomes how will you enforce mask compliance for guests who aren’t fully vaccinated in order to adhere to the CDC guidelines? The simple solution might be to require proof of vaccination, but that too comes with a set of unique challenges thanks to a decision from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Early this month, DeSantis signed a bill into law that prohibits businesses and government agencies in the state of Florida from asking people for proof of a Covid-19 vaccination. The bill, which goes into effect July 1st, has already been a stumbling block for some industries who have been struggling since the start of the pandemic. This includes the cruise ship industry who, under guidance from the CDC, can only begin sailing again if they can show most passengers and crew are vaccinated against Covid-19. Of course, there are some people who are challenging this bill and how things will play out is something we’ll need to wait and see about.
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With all of this news and information coming down the pipe, there’s no denying that there most certainly is a light at the end of this tunnel. That said, it’s important to remember that there’s still quite a ways to go before we get there. Even without some of the health and safety protocols, there are still quite a few things that have been put in place since the parks reopened that have yet to be addressed. This includes, but is not limited to, the Park Pass Reservation system and modified park hopping. Currently, there are still no Walt Disney World Annual Passes being sold and many things [shops and entertainment] remain closed. Though the changes we’ve learned about in the past weeks have been great news, I think it’s somewhat fair to say that we’ve still got a long road ahead until parks are “back to normal”.