There has been a lot of speculation about when and under what circumstances Disney parks in both the Unites States and around the world could reopen. And with social distancing being relaxed this week across the United States in many locations, many have wondered if we could start seeing parts of Disney Parks, especially Disney Springs, begin to reopen in the very near future. But unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be happening, at least in the very near future, even though technically, it could have... 

Florida allows shops and restaurants to reopen with limited capacity, But Disney Springs declines the offer

Last week, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ordered the first easing of social distancing guidelines across the state, allowing restaurants to resume dine-in operation with reduced capacity of 25% of their indoor seating occupied and outdoor dining allowed as long as tables are spaced six-feet apart. In addition, retail stores can reopen if they operate at no more than 25% of their building occupancy and abide by the safety guidelines issued by the CDC, which include keeping play areas will be closed, drinking fountains turned off, and spacing seating areas apart. 

And while these relaxed guidelines could pave the way for most Disney Springs retailers to reopen under these conditions (many other Central Florida malls and shopping centers will be welcoming guests beginning Monday) it looks like Walt Disney World is turning down the opportunity to reopen any Disney Springs locations this week, pushing an update through My Disney Experience earlier this week that read:

Walt Disney World Resort will remain closed until further notice which still includes Disney Springs being closed for all guests at this time.

Though Walt Disney World is declining to open Disney Springs right now, we'd guess that this shopping area will still probably open before the theme parks and resorts because it is all open air and mostly consists of third party retailers and restaurants. Opening just Disney Springs is also a good way to softly reopen part of the resort without drawing too many out-of-towners, which has been of particular concern when it comes to stopping the spread of this virus. And though AMC theaters probably won't reopen for quite a long time, if restaurants and retail shops can operate under the new conditions, there's hope that this small corner of Walt Disney World could return to some kind of operation very soon.