Weighing options
Even if the parks could open sooner rather than later, many wonder about how the guest experience could be affected, and whether or not it would be "worth" it for the theme parks to open. If Disney's Hollywood Studios opened tomorrow, but had no table service dining, had no fireworks or stage shows, and required guests to wear masks all day, would you still enjoy the experience? What about if you had to wait double the time for experiences like Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and Toy Story Mania so that the interactive elements of these rides could be sanitized after each guest?This type of situation is a very real one that parks operators are considering, as even if there is a way to open sooner rather than later, the alterations to the guest experience that will be necessary might make them hesitant to pull the trigger and open as soon as possible.
Of course, many are thinking of the theme park workers who have been affected by these closures, who are almost all going without a paycheck right now, which adds another layer of nuance for this team to consider.
While theme park reopenings will certainly be tricky to figure out in the months ahead, hopefully these experts will all be able to craft a strategy that allows business to resume, keeps guests and theme park employees safe, and delivers a positive and memorable experience for visitors.
As always, while this situation is evolving, all theme park fans should check out the CDC's official site here, which has information on the virus and how to prevent its spread.
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Comments
Check your numbers, more like covid kills 5 xs more than influenza...
that is exactly what I'm saying. I don't want to go wearing a mask and no parades and meer and greets my child would be so disappointed and has been wanting to go forever. I saved my money for a long time to go this summer why she still believes in all of it but taking photos with her in a face mask and her not being able to hug rapunzel not worth it
I have mentioned it before on my Facebook page in a more elaborate written form.
The average person has 52 facial touches per day or 2.1 per hour or just over 3 per WAKING hour.
2015 saw an observational study in which facial touches went from 3 per hour without a mask to 23 per hour with a mask. Add in the hot Florida or California sun over the summer (incidentally when coronaviridae are at a lower incidence BY DEFAULT; all viruses are without virtual exception to the rule and there are a lot of reasons for this) and you could see this rise exponentially. I think masks are a disaster.
On to temperature checks; if a predominance of COVID-19 patients are asymptomatic; it has been mind boggling that we are still doing things like this (and the face masks above) to give a FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY.
Oh well, I suppose I digress - in times like these, it is the blind leading the blind.
Regards,
Dana Houser, MD