6:49 p.m. ET, May 27, 2020
Walt Disney World sets reopening date with protocols in place
From CNN's Jason Kurtz
Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/AP/FILE
After nearly four months of closures caused by the Covid-19 pandemic,
Walt Disney World in Florida has set a July 11 reopening date.
"We're excited to have our major theme parks reopening here in the area," said Orange County, Florida, Mayor Jerry Demings.
But much like most of the US, the theme park, dubbed "The Happiest Place On Earth," will look vastly different.
"We have sat with the Disney executives and they walked us through really the different screenings and sanitation protocols that they have put in place," Demings told CNN's Wolf Blitzer, adding that the focus is to "guarantee that the guests who patronize the facilities will be safe."
As compared to other large American metropolitan regions, Demings said the Orlando area boasts a relatively low coronavirus positivity rate at 2.8%. "We have tested some 67,000 people in our community and 1,877 of them have tested positive," he said.
The emphasis now is on keeping those numbers down.
"Our goal is to keep it low but I want to reopen our economy to the extent we can. And so we're excited about Walt Disney World reopening and the sanitation measures will allow that to be a safe process," he said.
For specifics, the Florida attractions will minimize person-to-person contact in hopes of avoiding any large Covid-19 outbreaks.
"I believe that with the touchless, the cashless types of systems that they will be putting in place, it should preclude the virus from being easily spread between human beings," Demings added.
A gigantic global tourism attraction, Walt Disney World isn't yet ready to open wide swaths of hotels. However restaurants will open at a reduced capacity, and visitors will be encouraged to follow protocols as set in place locally.
"Throughout our community, we have tried to ensure that we have masks and the availability of hand sanitizers," he said. "So if you visit here, you will see the majority of the people who will be using the personal protective equipment... by and large, because of peer pressure. We're getting the cooperation to wear the mask and do all those things we need to keep everybody safe."