Disney World to Reopen Gradually Starting July 11
27 Mayo 2020 - 11:54AM
Noticias Dow Jones
By Erich Schwartzel
Walt Disney Co. said it plans to begin reopening its Disney
World theme park at reduced capacity in mid-July.
The Orlando, Fla., park's Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom areas
are to reopen on July 11, according to Jim MacPhee, senior vice
president of operations at the park. The park's Epcot and Disney
Hollywood Studios areas are to follow on July 15.
In a presentation to local officials in Orange County, Fla., Mr.
MacPhee described changes that amount to a top-to-bottom
reimagining of Disney World.
Customers and staff will be required to wear masks and complete
temperature checks before entering the park. Plexiglass will
separate employees from guests in certain stores, and cashless
transactions will be encouraged. Parades and fireworks
presentations have been temporarily suspended, as well as
meet-and-greets with performers portraying Disney characters.
Disney World is among the highest-profile examples of the
central conundrum facing restaurants, stores and other consumer
businesses in the U.S.: How to resume operations while keeping
customers and employees safe from the spread of the novel
coronavirus. In much the same way that the closure of Disney parks
in mid-March was one signal of the gravity of the virus's spread,
their reopening is viewed across industries as a barometer for when
economic activity may return to some semblance of normalcy.
The issue is particularly acute for Disney. Over the past
several years, the company has struggled with too many customers
trying to visit its theme parks, often hitting capacity-busting
levels of visitors. The parks have now sat empty for longer than at
any time in Disney history, throwing the surrounding local economy
into an unpredictable future and presenting a significant economic
drain on Disney's finances.
Disney has since furloughed more than 100,000 workers since,
largely from the parks workforce.
Analysts don't expect revenue for the company's theme parks to
return to pre-pandemic levels soon. Mr. MacPhee didn't say what the
ceiling on attendance will be, though any decrease in foot traffic
will depress income in ticket sales and hotel occupancies, all
while the company has to spend more money on cleaning and
sanitation.
To control the number of people allowed into the park, customers
will need to reserve a ticket ahead of time, Mr. MacPhee said.
Once inside, a "social-distancing squad" of Disney World workers
will encourage visitors to stay 6 feet apart from others, Mr.
MacPhee said.
Disney World's proposed plan was approved by the Orange County
Economic Recovery Task Force.
Florida has had nearly 2,300 deaths associated with the
coronavirus, said Dr. Raul Pino, health officer for the Florida
Department of Health. Of the more than 66,000 people tested for the
virus in Orange County, about 2.8% have tested positive -- about
half the overall rate for the state.
"It still has not been totally controlled," said Dr. Pino,
adding that the number of new cases is trending downward in the
area.
As the spread of the virus slowed in China, Disney began
reopening its Shanghai Disneyland earlier this month, capping
capacity at 30%, or about 24,000 guests. Masks are required, and
performers who portray well-known characters keep a distance from
visitors.
It isn't clear when Disneyland, in Southern California, might
reopen. A Disney spokesman didn't immediately respond to a request
for comment on the Disneyland reopening plans.
In a separate presentation on Wednesday, executives from
SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment said they hope their Florida parks
will reopen to the public on June 11 with similar mask and
social-distancing requirements. One sign going up in SeaWorld
demonstrates the 6 feet required for social distancing by comparing
it to the length of a shark.
Write to Erich Schwartzel at erich.schwartzel@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
May 27, 2020 12:39 ET (16:39 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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