Disney World had a soft opening today for cast members in order to prepare for the parks phased re-opening beginning on July 11th. Cast members were allowed to bring up to three people with them. The day acted as a ‘tryout’ for Disney as they have implemented new safety guidelines in light of the coronavirus pandemic. The day however, did not go on without a hitch. Twitter user @mizushitsuji captured cast member guests not following the Park’s social distancing implementations.
The image showed cast members clustered outside the queue of Seven Dwarfs Mine Train in Magic Kingdom. The ride was shut down due to a storm around 1:10pm. It seems as if the group was waiting to ride the Mine Train once its operation resumed. This raises concerns to guests who are already nervous about returning to the parks. Florida has seen an increase in positive diagnoses and currently numbers are inching closer to 250,000 confirmed cases since the pandemic started.
People are already raising concerns about the situation. @druboy on Twitter emphasized that if this is how cast members are behaving, how will other guests coming to the Parks behave?
Stay tuned for more information regarding this situation and Walt Disney World’s reopening.
*Update*
More information has come to light regarding the controversial incident outside of Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. Those who were in the Park yesterday or knew of people in Magic Kingdom came forward saying that the cast members and their guests in the photo were quickly disbanded after waiting in a large group outside of the ride. The ride was indeed temporarily closed due to storms and the people had gathered in hope of getting on the Mine Train.
Yes, this was an isolated incident that just so happened to be photographed. Many people throughout the parks were practicing social distancing and Disney Parks have implemented a well-thought out system to keep cast members and guests safe. There will no doubt be kinks in this new system for it is something that all park goers will have to get used to for the time being.
Guests should keep in mind that going back to the Parks is a decision they personally need to make. There is no right or wrong answer as to what is the ideal decision, it is all about what each person and family is comfortable with. People definitely have varying opinions and will disagree, but opening an outlet of discussion is necessary as we are all facing challenging times. Even with that, we are all still united in our shared love and passion for Disney.