The coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) will change the way a lot of businesses operate and run. Walt Disney World will be one of those affected businesses as there are multiple factors at play for Walt Disney World Resort which has been closed since March 15.
I think the biggest will be what Disney Executive Chairman Bob Iger learns from China. Will Walt Disney World do guest temperature checks before entering every park? Will virtual queues and “boarding groups” become the new normal? I’m here to examine all that and more.
Guest Temperature Checks, QR App, and New Security
We reported a while back that Disney may do temperature checks when the parks reopen. Disney Executive Chairman Bob Iger is studying China specifically Shanghai Disney Resort. Doing temperature checks for every guest will be difficult unless Disney figures out an easier way to do it. Yet when the parks reopen far fewer parkgoers will be showing up and Disney will likely run parks at lower capacities.
If Disney incorporates temperature checks or the possibility of a QR app similar to China. They will have to rework their security. The days of having a Disney security guard rummage through your bags is probably over. Disney will have to reinvent its security protocol, how they will do temperature checks, and how guests will even enter the park. MagicBand and tickets may be key, and taking your fingerprint may be on the back burner for a few years.
New Health Areas (Potential Mask Requirement)
The last time I visited a Disney Park they had handwashing stations available in multiple areas. Hand sanitizer is now their go-to. I believe this will be the new normal when the parks reopen plus more dedicated health areas within the parks.
I think putting handwashing stations near every quick service and counter service restaurant would be an excellent start. Also having a touchless hand sanitizer stations at attractions and at the park entrance would be smart.
There is also the real possibility wearing masks will be required at least in the early phases. During an Orange County Task Force meeting, there is a guideline that showcases employees will have to wear masks during the opening phases. Although in the end, all these decisions will be up to Disney.
Virtual Queues
The future of theme park going will run through virtual queues. The COVID-19 pandemic has just accelerated the pace.
Disney utilized virtual queues for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and for its star attraction Star Wars: The Rise of the Resistance. There was even heavy speculation that Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway was going to utilize the boarding group system.
Both the Disneyland and Walt Disney World apps have a dedicated My Queues area. This new section will probably go beyond Star Wars. As the parks return to a somewhat normal. More attractions will utilize that boarding group system to avoid clogging of guests.
Also, the days of Disney saying “please fill in all the available space” and “move all the way down to the end of the row” are most likely over. Packing in as many people as possible will no longer be the operational goal, and virtual queues will help relieve some of that operational stress.
Plus if the Orange County Task Force is going to suggest a 6ft rule for all queues than the virtual queue route is the way to go. Disney will probably follow that recommendation.
Phases
Walt Disney World’s reopening will be similar to the rest of the world’s reopening as we will be doing this in phases. Phase one should have the parks running at half capacity, phase two should have that increased to 75% capacity. Phase one will be stricter than phase two in terms of social distancing guidelines. The Orange County Task Force provided a guideline but it seems like Disney will be able to create its own guidelines too.
I expect each phase to get better as long as the disease starts to flatten. The operation that Disney runs will be difficult to do in phases but hopefully, they find a way for their guests to have a seamless transition back into the magic because the world is going to need it after all this.
Entertainment & Attraction Changes
Probably the most interesting portion of the post-COVID-19 Walt Disney World. Let’s break this down.
Single Riders
Uh, I guess you won’t be putting single riders next to strangers for the time being.
Let’s take a look at attractions and shows that may need tweaking in a new normal world for Walt Disney World:
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spins
Multiple guests using toy guns? Will Disney have to clean the attractions every time? That seems impossible. Will Buzz Lightyear just see a delay in reopening? It very well could if people are worried about germs.
Toy Story Midway Mania
See above.
Soarin’ Around the World
Just using Soarin’ Around the World as the general example for many attractions. Will Disney actually place guests by other guests? Will this just create more operational issues? Yet, if you’re showing up to a Disney Park post-COVID-19 it is most likely you aren’t the paranoid type anyways. Still, it will be interesting to see because on some of these attractions you’re near-strangers, and it’s too early to tell how people will react to that.
Shows
Hall of Presidents, Mickey’s Philharmagic, Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress, The American Adventure, Awesome Planet, Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along/Impressions de France, Canada Far and Wide, Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival, Reflections of China, Turtle Talk with Crush, The Epcot Experience, MuppetVision 3D, Vacation Fun, and It’s Tough to be a Bug.
Those are just 17 indoor shows at Walt Disney World. There is a good chance they will operate differently than before. Whether it’s having guests spread out or the possibility less of these shows will operate. Also shows like the Festival of the Lion King and the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular may be put on hold due to the number of performers. It’s going to be fascinating to see what Disney decides to do. Obviously being at capacity will not be a problem for a while.
Fireworks
They are an iconic part of Walt Disney World. The classic fireworks that light up the dark sky. Yet fireworks tend to cause massive crowds. I have some classic stories from both Disneyland and Walt Disney World of trying to get out of the parks post firework show. It’s difficult.
When the parks come back I wouldn’t be as sure that the nighttime fireworks will also return. Due to the massive crowd gathering, and it causes traffic jams while exiting the park.
Parades
Parades are another iconic part of Walt Disney World. They create massive crowds that gather. This aspect of the Disney experience may be put on the shelf until further notice due to social distancing.
Entertainment and attraction changes will happen. It will just be a matter of how guests react to these changes, and how Disney decides to incorporate them. Disney will release their strategies once they get closer to reopening Walt Disney World.
Future of Themed Entertainment Design
I won’t speculate on the future of Walt Disney Imagineering’s projects that have currently been announced. Clearly once more information becomes available we could start making educated guesses on what projects may get delayed or possibly canned.
On the other hand. The COVID-19 crisis is going to make businesses think harder. How can their businesses be “crisis-proof.” Needless to say, theme parks can’t be “crisis-proof” but the future of how designers go about Themed Entertainment Design could be.
We could see a wild growth of hand sanitizer stations. Even with the possibility of theming to them. Constant hand washing/sanitizing will be a part of the new normal.
The other angle for the future will be less over the top preshow and queue areas. It may be a return for Disney to go back to the old days of waiting in line then just hopping on your adventure. Older attractions like it’s a small world, Peter Pan’s Flight, Space Mountain, and countless others don’t have over-the-top queues and multiple pre-show areas.
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, one of WDI’s crowning achievements relies on multiple pre-shows and queues. Having areas where people are constantly huddled or waiting by each other may become defunct in terms of design. Which could also make way for virtual queues to take over.
Conclusion
Quite frankly a lot of this is in Disney’s hands. Even Robert Niles of Theme Park Insider speculated that Walt Disney World could run a beta test before reopening.
We could also see the possibility of when Disney reopens that it’s just for annual passholders until they start to figure things out. There are many factors that Disney will have to examine and assess in a post-COVID-19 world. I just only examined a few. Walt Disney World will eventually reopen just like the rest of the world.
Be sure to continue to follow Boardwalk Times for all the latest on The Walt Disney Company.
Zach Perilstein is the Editor-in-Chief of the Boardwalk Times
