Both Walt Disney World and Disneyland will be reopening within days of each other next month. While both resorts will be adding a host of new precautionary measures, like social distancing and requiring the wearing of masks, there is certainly still going to be a lot of concern that it's too soon to be reopening theme parks, even with the new safety measures in place. However, Disney's CEO Bob Chapek says guests can be confident that the parks are doing everything that is possible to open up in a way that keeps guest safety in mind.
While Walt Disney World's reopening plan has been approved by Florida, there is still some obvious apprehension at the idea. Even with safety procedures in place, the risk is still not zero, something even Walt Disney World admits. Recently, CNN asked Disney CEO Bob Chapek why it was safe, and Chapek stated that the park has taken a lot of guidance in making sure that everything has been done to give guests the necessary confidence. According to the CEO...
Well, I think what we can say is that we've done everything we can to open up responsibly. Taking the guidance of local health officials, state health officials, national health officials, plus our own well qualified doctors on staff to create an environment to create new operating procedures, to create new policies, to do new training, new standards of hygiene. So that when a guest comes in we can continue the trust that guests have always had with the Walt Disney company and enjoy the parks so they can make those magical memories that last a lifetime.
Anybody who has been to Disneyland or Walt Disney World knows that the complete theme park experience extends far beyond a collection of rides and attractions. Disney wants guests to feel taken care of, and Bob Chapek feels that, under the current situation, that means health and safety as much as anything else.
And it's not just the guests but the cast members working in the parks who need to be taken care of. Bob Chapek understands that the Walt Disney Company as a whole has built up a lot of trust with their customers, but now Disney needs to come through and show that the trust has been well placed.
To some extent, there's a trust that's built up in the Walt Disney Company that we'll operate responsibly when we do decide to open up. But we've got a myriad, layers upon layers upon layers of defenses against this virus.
There's a lot of evidence that wearing face coverings and social distancing really does help reduce the spread of virus, and so it's certainly possible that these factors will make places like Disneyland and Walt Disney World much more safe. Of course, considering the sheer size of the resorts that we're talking about, keeping everybody following all the rules all the time is a potentially herculean task.
It's hard to say at this point just how willing guests will be to visit places like Disney World in July. Certainly, the fewer that do, the better it actually is for all those who go. We'll be watching closely to see just how well it all works.
