Earlier this month, amid reports that higher guest levels were being seen at Walt Disney World following the January 1 return of park hopping, a rumor surfaced that resort had quietly increased theme park capacity up to 40% without releasing a statement about the change. However, Disney has pushed back on these claims in a recent article in the Orlando Sentinel where a spokesperson confirmed that even though social distancing measures had ended on several rides, the park is still firmly capping attendance at 35% of full capacity.
Of course, such attendance caps may not be 100% necessary at the moment, as holiday crowds have all but disappeared from the resort, with lines for popular attractions like Avatar: Flight of Passage, Slinky Dog Dash, Peter Pan’s Flight and more topping out at 35 minutes most days this past week.
Though COVID-19 cases are surging in Florida with over 10,000 cases reported per day over the past week, health officials in the state said they have not seen any major outbreaks tied to the theme parks or the Orlando International Airport stemming from the holiday season, and Disney is encouraging guests to visit the resort with several lucrative deals and discounts that are now available for spring visitors to take advantage of.
Visitors should know that Walt Disney World is still taking major precautions with regards to the COVID-19 Pandemic, with masks required at all times when not actively eating or drinking, distancing encouraged in queue lines, and limited capacity in restaurants. In addition, almost all live performances in the theme parks have been suspended until further notice and face to face character interactions are not expected to return until much later this year.
