Disney plans to reopen the Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom on July 11, according to a presentation the company made at a meeting with the Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force.
Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios are set to reopen on July 15. The Florida task force also approved SeaWorld Orlando’s plan to reopen in about two weeks on June 11.
Disney’s Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom parks will have been closed for 117 days when they reopen on July 11. The Epcot and Hollywood Studios parks will have been closed for 121 days — or four months — when they reopen on July 15.
Disney has taken a conservative approach to reopening its theme parks, hotels and shopping malls at its resorts around the world.
Disney will take a “thoughtful, methodical and phased approach” to reopening its 47-square-mile theme park resort in Florida, Disney World chief operations officer Jim McPhee told the task force. The company plans to implement several measures to reopen safely and prevent the spread of the COVID-19:
- Employees and guests will be required to wear face coverings and undergo temperature screenings before entering the parks.
- The resort will also enable cashless transactions by expanding contactless payments.
- Disney will also increase the number of available hand-sanitizing stations.
- Social distancing markers will be visible throughout the parks.
“High-touch experiences” such as character meet-and-greets and playgrounds will also be temporarily suspended. The parks will operate at reduced capacity and temporarily suspend parades and other events that attract crowds.
Disney’s Florida theme parks have been closed since March 15 because of COVID-19. Disney World’s Magic Kingdom is the world’s most-visited theme park, accounting for more than 20 million visitors in 2018.
Shanghai Disneyland, the company’s largest international park, reopened its gates on May 11 after being closed since January 24.
Last week, Disney World allowed third-party businesses at its Disney Springs dining and shopping complex to open with restrictions.
Disneyland in California remains closed by the COVID-19 pandemic but can reopen during Stage 3 of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s four-stage road map for reopening the state’s economy, according to state officials.