The Universal Orlando and a Six Flags park in Oklahoma are both set to open June 5 after closing for more than two months during the…
The Universal Orlando and a Six Flags park in Oklahoma are both set to open June 5 after closing for more than two months during the global coronavirus pandemic. But the question remains: When will Disney and other major theme parks follow suit?
State and local officials in Florida have approved Universal’s plan to reopen on June 5, and Legoland’s plan to reopen on June 1. In Oklahoma City, Six Flags Frontier City will reopen on June 5.
That leaves a number of other theme parks across the country that will need to prepare – and potentially follow their lead on reopening plans full of restrictions and safety precautions. Disney World and SeaWorld, both also closed since mid-March, have not set target reopening dates or unveiled their plans.
Smaller theme parks elsewhere in the country could open sooner. And California theme parks, including Disneyland, may be among the last to come back, with that state’s stricter criteria for mass gatherings.
Last month, California Gov. Gavin Newsom outlined a phased reopening plan that appears to put theme parks in a higher-risk category of business that would open later.
Though Disney has offered no specifics about its reopening plans, its chief medical officer, Pamela Hymel, said this month that the company is looking at reopening in phases. Hymel said physical distancing and capacity limits will be considered, in addition to cleanliness and sanitation, screening and prevention, and employee training.
Just about any theme park visit will prove to be a different experience for those who visit. They’ll probably get a temperature check. They’ll be encouraged, if not required, to wear a face mask. They’ll see fewer people in the park and have to social distance from them. Some attractions may remain closed, and parking, dining, hotels and retail will all change in some way.
The reopening of attractions such as theme parks will prompt the resumption of nonessential travel, which has plummeted since much of the U. S. economy went into sleep mode in March. Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly told CNBC last month that theme parks would play a role in getting travelers back on commercial flights.
Travelers “need to have something to be able to do when they get there,” Kelly said.
