Disney World Announces Reopening Date

By Marilyn Nelson on May 27, 2020

(Photo by Mark Ashman/Disney Parks via Getty Images)

Walt Disney World in Orlando Florida is taking a step-by-step approaching to reopening its gates. 

After a multi-month closure Disney will reopen the Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom parks on July 11. EPCOT and Hollywood Studios will open a few days later on July 15. 

You will be expected to wear a mask. Even on a hot, humid Florida day. Disney is also taking several safety measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus among visitors to the parks, according to CNN.

• Employees and guests will be required to wear face coverings and undergo temperature screenings before entering the parks.
• Disney will reduce capacity at the parks and the resort will temporarily suspend parades, fireworks and other events that create crowds
• The resort will also enable cashless transactions by expanding contactless payments.
• Disney will also increase the number of available hand-sanitizing stations.

Reopening plans still need approval from Florida’s Governor, Ron DeSantis.

“The risk is that coronavirus cases pop up again after opening. What do you do then?” Miller said to CNN. “Additionally, managing cast members health and keeping adequate staffing is a big challenge. If a Disney cast member contracts the virus, do you shut down the entire park? An area they were in? Do you refund tickets? You just don’t want the happiest place on earth to be seen as a dangerous place.”

“We will see Downtown Disney open at its own pace. It’s not a matter of flipping a switch,” Anaheim spokesman Mike Lyster told OCRegister. However, Lyster did say he expects it will be a few weeks before Downtown Disney businesses reopen.