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.
Downtown Disney at Disneyland Resort will not be opening any time soon
Though parts of Disney Springs at Walt Disney World could operate under phase one of Florida’s reopening guidelines, over in California, Governor Gavin Newsom has laid out a four-stage plan for reopening California’s economy, and while there was some good news for local businesses looking to reopen, retail stores without curbside delivery and restaurants would not be able to open until at least stage three of the plan, which is “months” away, according to the Governor.
In addition, though theme parks are not technically mentioned specifically, the plan says that large gatherings will not be able to resume until there is a reliable treatment for COVID-19.
Unfortunately right now there doesn’t seem to be a hard reopening date or specific plan in place for either Disney Springs or Downtown Disney, but as we learn more about these tentative plans, we’ll let you know more!
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.
Theme Park Tourist COVID-19 Complete Coverage: Six Flags Hopes to Welcome Guests in a Few Weeks With New Reopening Plan I Universal’s Epic Universe Officially Delayed Another Year (At Least) I Initial Government Guidelines for Reopening Theme Parks Released I Every Major Theme Park Project Now Officially Cancelled, Delayed or Slimmed Down (April 28, 2020) I Here’s How Much Financial Trouble Your Favorite Theme Parks Are In I Rumor: Voyage of the Little Mermaid Never Reopening
