Disney Springs will begin a phased reopening later this month, the company announced Wednesday.
A limited number of shopping and dining options will open. Only areas owned by third-party operating participants will be allowed to reopen during the opening phase, according to Disney Springs.
Disney Springs will incorporate the following into its reopening:
- Increased cleaning procedures
- Use of face coverings for cast members
- Limited contact with guest services
- Increased training for cast members
“We will apply learnings and ideas from leaders in the health and travel industries, and we’re also talking to our unions as we prepare for some Cast Members to return to work,” according to Disney Springs.
Other areas of Walt Disney World Resort will remain closed. Theme parks and Disney Resort hotels will not reopen yet, either.
When they do reopen, Disney Resort hotels, restaurants, attractions and experiences will modified and have limited capacity, according to the company.
This is the first time a U.S. Disney property has announced a reopening of any sort. Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resort have remained closed since March because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The announcement comes days after Disney announced the Shanghai park would reopen on May 11 with limited openings, as I wrote about for the Deseret News. The phase reopening process would begin with “the opening of some retail, dining, and entertainment experiences at Disneytown, Wishing Star Park and the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel,” according to Joe Schott, the president and general manager of Shanghai Disney Resort.
The parks will “implement new and enhanced health and safety measures reflecting the guidance of our local health and government authorities,” Schott wrote.
Dr. Pamela Hymel, the Disney Parks chief medical officer, wrote a blog post for Disney Parks that explained how Disney would reopen its U.S. parks. The parks would also have a phased reopening process, including “a gradual reopening and/or partial reopening of certain locations.”
The parks would follow all distancing guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to Hymel, “these practices may evolve as we consider the latest guidance, but we will share more information with you as we look towards reopening.”
Analysts remain unsure when Disney will reopen all of its U.S. parks. Some reports suggest the full reopening won’t happen until 2021. The parks might include temperature checks, social distancing and face coverings.
Disney said in an earnings call Tuesday that it lost $1 billion in revenue because of park closures. Experts predict Disney could lose $21 billion through 2022 because of the coronavirus pandemic and its theme park closures.