I’m sure many people can attest to the fact that summers and spring breaks are not complete without the magic of Walt Disney World theme parks and Disney Springs. From the Mickey Mouse-shaped waffles to Space Mountain, these theme parks have been where so many amazing memories have been made. Unfortunately, with the current pandemic and social distancing orders in place, the parks have had to be adapted so that visitors can still enjoy the experience. Staff members are now taking precautions to keep people safe and distanced from each other.
To manage visitor attendance, Disney employees have put a new Disney Park Pass reservation system in place. To begin, visitors can use an existing Disney account or create a new one so that they can register for admission. After choosing their party by selecting a group of friends and family, they can select a date and theme park. Finally, visitors confirm the date of their reservation and visit the park of their choice! With this system, the staff members can manage how many people are entering the park and not filling up the resort to full capacity. To prevent people from catching the virus, masks are required for all members age 2 and above. Except from when they are eating/drinking and swimming, visitors are required to wear their masks. With these regulations in place, visitors can still enjoy their favorite rides and foods at the theme parks.
Additionally, Disney staff members also perform temperature checks on all guests entering the theme park. With no-touch thermometers, staff members see if visitors have temperatures over 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit. Once they enter the park, to reduce contact, visitors can still enjoy the delicious food Disney World has to offer with the mobile app. By selecting the restaurant they want to order from and choosing specific foods, users will be able to dine at all their favorite places. All restaurants at the parks have scannable codes so visitors can access menus and decide which foods they want to purchase. Outdoor seating is available and guests can sit in limited capacity near their favorite spots around the park!
Furthermore, the theme park workers have taken many of their own precautions to make sure that visitors remain socially distanced and safe. From more regular cleanings to signs and ground markings, staff members are trying to eliminate the risk of disease transmission and working to make sure that all guests can enjoy themselves. Around cash registers and guest relations, physical barriers have been put in place to keep visitors 6 feet apart in areas where distancing may be difficult. In the parking lot, cars are only allowed to be parked in every other space, to prevent people from forming crowds around their vehicles. Disney World employees have been trained to reduce contact with customers and promote social distancing guidelines around the park, as well. Only credit cards, debit cards, and Disney Gift Cards are accepted at this time so that employees do not need to handle money and pass change back and forth between visitors.
While this year is far from what we expected, there are many ways we can take advantage of the remaining weeks of summer. The precautions Disney World theme parks are taking to ensure that visitors can still enjoy themselves is commendable. They are still trying to give people something to look forward to during the pandemic. It is exciting to see that visitors are still able to go to their favorite places, while still social distancing and staying safe.
