What Disney World will look like when it reopens after lockdown

Walt Disney World Resort will welcome guests through its doors for the first time in four months this weekend with a host of coronavirus safety precautions in place.  

The Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom will reopen Saturday with new measures including being able to unlock hotel rooms with an app, sanitizer and hand-washing stations everywhere and partitions between guests on rides.  

Guests can expect to be faced with a new experience from the moment they arrive at the ‘Most Magical Place on Earth’, according to Good Morning America which went on a behind-the-scenes tour this week. 

Walt Disney World Resort will welcome guests through its doors for the first time in four months this weekend with a host of coronavirus safety precautions in place

Disney hotels have switched to mobile check-in, meaning visitors are given their room number via a smartphone app, limiting all contact with hotel staff. 

To lock and unlock the door to their rooms, it’s as easy as simply pushing a button on the app. 

Inside the theme parks, visitors will then be greeted with temperature checks at the entrances, there will be reduced capacity throughout and it is mandatory for all guests and staff to wear face masks.

Sanitizer and hand-washing stations have been installed throughout the parks, social distancing signs are set up to remind people to keep their distance, and, when guests fancy a bite to eat, they can place mobile orders at the park restaurants.

The rides themselves have also been adapted to enable guests to enjoy the popular attractions safely.   

Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom will reopen Saturday with new measures including being able to unlock hotel rooms with an app, sanitizer and hand-washing stations everywhere and partitions between guests on rides

Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom will reopen Saturday with new measures including being able to unlock hotel rooms with an app, sanitizer and hand-washing stations everywhere and partitions between guests on rides

Disney hotels have switched to mobile check-in, meaning visitors are given their room number via a smartphone app (pictured)

Then to lock and unlock the door to their rooms, it's as easy as simply pushing a button on the app (pictured)

Disney hotels have switched to mobile check-in, meaning visitors are given their room number via a smartphone app, limiting all contact with hotel staff. Then to lock and unlock the door to their rooms, it’s as easy as simply pushing a button on the app (pictured)

Characters are pictured in a behind the scenes look this week. Character meet and greets will also not be available but Disney said characters will still be present to 'delight guests' in new ways including at character breakfasts

Characters are pictured in a behind the scenes look this week. Character meet and greets will also not be available but Disney said characters will still be present to ‘delight guests’ in new ways including at character breakfasts

At Kilimanjaro Safari, the popular safari attraction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, guests will enter the ride through partitions and there are barriers between each row on the ride vehicle in order to reduce contact with other guests, GMA reported. 

The Avatar Flight of Passage, which is one of the park’s most popular attractions, can also be seen to be adapted with social distancing measures and sanitizer stations throughout. 

Parades and nighttime spectaculars, which usually draw in large crowds making social distancing a challenge, will not be returning. 

Character meet and greets will also not be available but Disney said characters will still be present to ‘delight guests’ in new ways including at character breakfasts.  

Jim MacPhee, SVP operations at Walt Disney World Resort told GMA that the phased reopening plan was ‘methodical’ and could be adjusted if necessary to ensure visitors and workers are protected as best as possible. 

Guests can expect to be faced with a new experience from the moment they arrive at the 'Most Magical Place on Earth' including hand-washing stations throughout

Guests can expect to be faced with a new experience from the moment they arrive at the ‘Most Magical Place on Earth’ including hand-washing stations throughout 

The rides themselves have also been adapted to enable guests to enjoy the popular attractions. At Kilimanjaro Safari (pictured), the popular safari attraction at Disney's Animal Kingdom, guests will enter the ride through partitions and there are barriers between each row on the ride vehicle in order to reduce contact with other guests safely

The rides themselves have also been adapted to enable guests to enjoy the popular attractions. At Kilimanjaro Safari (pictured), the popular safari attraction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, guests will enter the ride through partitions and there are barriers between each row on the ride vehicle in order to reduce contact with other guests safely

Walt Disney World’s coronavirus safety measures 

  • Mobile check-in at Disney hotels and ability to lock and unlock the door to rooms by pushing a button on the app
  • Temperature checks at the entrances to parks
  • Required reservations using the Disney Park Pass 
  • Reduced capacity of guests
  • Mandatory face coverings required for guests ages 2 and up  
  • Hand-washing and sanitation stations throughout the parks 
  • Social distancing signs throughout
  • Incredi-Crew to help enforce social distancing 
  • Mobile orders at the park restaurants
  • Rides adapted including partitions and barriers to reduce contact with other guests
  • Parades and nighttime spectaculars will not be returning
  • Character meet and greets not available but characters will ‘delight guests’ in new ways including at character breakfast
  • Mask-free relaxation zones

 

‘We’ve really focused on ensuring that we have a very thoughtful and methodical reopening strategy that is phased on various attendance levels that allows us to launch, learn and adjust,’ he said.

Walt Disney World’s phased reopening will start with the Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom on July 11, followed by the reopening of Disney’s Hollywood studios and Epcot on July 15. 

This week Disney cast members have been playing the role of guests to test out the new safety features before the first guests arrive.  

On Thursday and Friday annual passholders will then get the chance to visit the parks before the two Kingdoms officially open Saturday. 

However, concerns have been mounting that the parks are opening too soon, as coronavirus cases surge across Florida. 

As of Wednesday there are 213,794 cases of COVID-19 in the state, after another 7,361 infections were recorded in the last day.

Another 63 Floridians have been killed by the virus, taking the state death toll to 3,841.  

MacPhee defended the move to reopen in the midst of a spike in cases and said it was up to guests to decide whether or not to return. 

‘We believe very much we should be reopening,’ he told GMA.

‘We’ve been focused on this. We’ve got the right protocols in place and it’s a guest choice.’   

However, the Actors Equality Association, a union that represents hundreds of actors at the park, is arguing that it’s too early to open up as cases surge and is demanding regular testing for actors, according to Click Orlando

They shared a petition, which has over 18,000 signatures, calling for the resort to postpone the reopening until further notice.  

Disney World is hosting cast preview days on Tuesday and Wednesday for staff to test out the Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom's new coronavirus safety measures ahead of reopening Saturday. A view of Magic Kingdom above

Disney World is hosting cast preview days on Tuesday and Wednesday for staff to test out the Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom’s new coronavirus safety measures ahead of reopening Saturday. A view of Magic Kingdom above 

The Animal Kingdom and Magical Kingdom, which have been closed since March, will officially reopen to the public on Saturday

The Animal Kingdom and Magical Kingdom, which have been closed since March, will officially reopen to the public on Saturday

‘Because of the increase in cases suddenly, it is clear that theme parks – a non-essential business – should not be planning to operate until the cases have gone down again. The recent spike of COVID-19 cases is concerning due to our proposed opening in July,’ the petition says. 

‘Re-opening the theme parks is only putting our guests, employees, and families at higher risk for contracting COVID-19…People are more important than making a profit,’ the petition adds. 

According to latest park statistics, Disney World employs nearly 70,000 cast members. 

Disney parks published a video on July 3 showing employees in masks heading back to work, with staffers beaming excitedly about returning to the park.

Disney released a video on July 3 welcoming cast members back to the park and filming their enthusiastic reactions. This employee named Michael said in the clip: 'I'm really happy to be wearing this again!'

Disney released a video on July 3 welcoming cast members back to the park and filming their enthusiastic reactions. This employee named Michael said in the clip: ‘I’m really happy to be wearing this again!’

This cast member gushed: 'I love being here and it's so nice to finally come home'

This cast member gushed: ‘I love being here and it’s so nice to finally come home’

The park has initiated new safety measures including limited capacity, required reservation, masks for employees and guests and temperature checks

The park has initiated new safety measures including limited capacity, required reservation, masks for employees and guests and temperature checks

The Actors Equality Association, a union that represents hundreds actors at the park, is calling for the reopning to be delayed as coronavirus cases surge in the state. 'People are more important than making a profit,' the petition, which has over 18,000 signatures, says

The Actors Equality Association, a union that represents hundreds actors at the park, is calling for the reopning to be delayed as coronavirus cases surge in the state. ‘People are more important than making a profit,’ the petition, which has over 18,000 signatures, says

‘I’m really happy to be wearing this again,’ one employee says in the video. 

In late May, Disney submitted its reopening plan to the Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force outlining its new precautions for reopening.  

On Monday Gov. Ron DeSantis supported the reopening saying he’s not concerned that the theme park will contribute to an increase in COVID-19 cases.   

‘Disney, I have no doubt, it’s going to be a safe environment,’ DeSantis said. 

‘The folks who put a premium on safety, that’s showing you that, you know, we’re able to handle this, have society function still when people go into work, but do it in a way that you take some basic precautions and so we’re really impressed with what Universal has done, and I’ve looked at Disney’s plan … it’s very, very thorough,’ he added. 

Throughout June and into July the number of new coronavirus cases has steadily increased after the state initially reopened and saw thousands of people flock to beaches and bars.

Over the weekend Florida set a record for the most new coronavirus cases in the US in a single day with 11,458 new infections, according to data by Johns Hopkins University.  

Shanghai Disneyland is already back up and running, since it opened its doors in May. 

All sites for the entertainment giant shuttered back in March as coronavirus cases and infections spread across the US and the world.