Disney Springs Is Poised For a Reopening Tomorrow But How Are Potential Guests Feeling?
There was an interesting piece that appeared in the Washington Post yesterday regarding how Disney fans and potential visitors are perceiving tomorrow’s reopening of Disney Springs.
As we reported yesterday here at MickeyBlog, Disney released a liability statement yesterday essentially advising guests that they visit Disney Springs and the Disney theme parks at their own risk. As you can imagine, reception over this was varied. While some fans are willing to go with the flow other visitors are vowing not to return until the new COVID-19 policy and procedures are lifted.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAQXEO4DoWJ/?igshid=wb0pcgu15hyr
To see the myriad of responses from guests, one needs to simply look at the comments under posts Disney has recently made like the one above on Instagram.
As the Post points out one user said, “Not going till they remove these restrictions that don’t keep anyone safe.” They added, “All the magic is gone while these demands are in place.”
As of going to print, Disney has yet to make an official announcement regarding the reopening of the parks. Disney Springs, Walt Disney World’s downtown shopping district is opening tomorrow (May 20th) providing Disney with an opportunity to try out new safety measures as a trial run of sorts.
These new rules include:
- Temperature screenings
- Physical distancing
- Required face coverings (for anyone 3 and older)
- Limited points of entry
- Limited parking
- Reduced hours
- Hand sanitation stations
- No scheduled entertainment
- Cash-free payments when possible.
For a complete look at all of the policies and procedures, Disney Springs has a new FAQ page which you can check out here. A statement on the page says, “We understand that these times are challenging, and we appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding as we navigate as responsibly as we can. Together, we can find new ways to have fun while being diligent to maintain proper physical distancing.”
Disney advises that there will be risks for guests. The website goes on to say, “An inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present. COVID-19 is an extremely contagious disease that can lead to severe illness and death.” The statement adds, “By visiting Disney Springs you voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19.”
The company adds: “Let’s keep each other healthy and safe.”
Last week, Vice President Matt Simon posted a “Welcome Back” message on Disney Parks Blog laying out the new requirements. The post received over 180 comments and as the Washington Post points out, the feedback was divided regarding the new opening requirements. While half of the posts were positive ones regarding the reopening, others vowed that they will stay away until restrictions are lifted.
You can see some of the comments in the tweet posted below:
The amount of carnage that went down in Disney parks blog: I am literally at a lost for words. pic.twitter.com/bfacQqVUP1
— sincerely, ivy marie. 💫 (@sincerelyivy) May 17, 2020
Some of the feedback includes:
“I will not be back to any part of Disney until the hype and mask-wearing has been discontinued,” one person wrote. “It has nothing to do with being upset about the inconvenience and everything to do with my being treated as a free responsible adult.”
Another urged the company to “stop the fear-mongering.”
And a third user commented, “Masks and temperature checks are not very magical no matter how you try to paint it.”
However, there are many that seemed to support the reopening as well! One guest in the comments above wanted to know if Disney-themed face coverings would be available when the Disney Springs reopens tomorrow while others are just happy to be back at Disney no matter the requirements.
It remains to be seen how things will go once Disney Springs reopens tomorrow. But one thing is for certain, how things go at Disney Springs WILL inform any plans Disney makes to reopen the parks.
Hu Chengwei/Getty Images
As we previously reported here at MickeyBlog Shanghai Disneyland opened last week with policies put in place including limited attendance (30% of normal capacity), temperature checks, face mask rules, social distancing in the queues and more. Whether the same changes will be embraced stateside remains to be seen.
As we reported yesterday, Chapek has already said in an interview with CNBC that one area of concern is guests willingness to wear masks. He said in the interview that in China people are already used to mask-wearing, However in the US its a very different story.
We’ll be keeping a close eye on the opening of Disney Springs all week so keep following along with MickeyBlog for the latest news and updates!
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Source: Washington Post
