After a year of craziness and quarantine, the world has been put on hold – including the Disney World theme parks. Worldwide, Disney’s six theme park properties closed back in March of 2020 due to the Coronavirus. Since then, Disneyland in California has remained closed, both Disneyland Paris and Hong Kong Disneyland have reopened but closed again, and Shanghai Disneyland and Tokyo Disney have reopened and remain open with limited capacity.
Like in Shanghai and in Tokyo, Disney World in Florida reopened in July of 2020 and has remained open with limited capacity since. Although Disney World has had to follow strict guidelines due to Covid, they are still making sure that they can keep the magic alive.
Disney World is taking many precautions that follow the CDC Guidelines to ensure the safety of its guests and cast members, which is what the company calls its employees. Most importantly, this includes, the mandatory use of face coverings in all public areas. Guests are only allowed to lower their face covering when stationary, away from other people, and actively eating or drinking. There is also a limited capacity in the four Disney World theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. It is also required that guests maintain social distancing while walking through the parks. There are markers around the parks that indicate six feet- this way social distancing is enforced while guests wait in lines for rides, restaurants, or checking out at gift shops.
I have not gone to the parks since the closures back in March, however, I have watched many YouTube videos about the reopened Disney World theme parks and their new operations. Disney is doing an amazing job keeping everyone safe during this unsure time, and they accomplish this without sacrificing any of its familiar charm.
Many of Disney’s signature magic making moments are not happening right now; these include traditional sit down character meals, character meet and greets, parades, fireworks, and live performances. So, is all the magic gone? Of course it’s not!
Like always, Disney World is still the enchanting place we know it to be. Although some of the fun is on a temporary hiatus, it will surely come back. For the time being, Disney is trying its hardest to continue to offer magical experiences. Some sit down restaurants that typically offer character meals have introduced modified character experiences. You cannot take pictures with the characters or hug them, and they cannot sign your autograph book, but they walk around the restaurant and interact with guests from six feet away. Instead of parades, every Disney World theme park is doing “cavalcades,” where the characters ride on floats down the typical parade routes. Some live performances are still taking place, and there are still a ton of interactive experiences for kids and adults alike.
Disney is an escape from the real world for me and many other people. Although the reality of Covid has infiltrated the magical Disney bubble, it is still as marvelous as it was before- it is still an escape. I do not know when I will be able to take my next trip to Disney because of the New York state quarantine requirements, but I know that the next time I do go it will be as wonderful as it was prior to the pandemic.