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Posted: 2020-05-22 16:26:25
  • Disney Springs reopened Wednesday at a modified capacity with fever checks and required masks.
  • A reduced number of restaurants and shops were open and more are expected to return to operations May 27.
  • Read on to see how Disney Springs is reopening during the coronavirus pandemic.
  • Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

While Disney’s full-blown theme park experience isn’t up and running in Orlando, some customers are getting a taste of the resort experience at Disney Springs as restaurants, shops, and entertainment start to reopen.

The complex, essentially a Disney-themed mall, opened with reduced capacity Wednesday with mandatory fever screenings and face mask requirements.

While states and businesses ease into reopening, experts warn about the potential risk of a second wave of COVID-19 cases if local hospital capacity is not managed and if widespread testing and contact tracing is not in place.

Even so, businesses and states are easing up on restrictions and aiming to get back on track as summer arrives.

“While our theme parks and resort hotels remain temporarily closed, the phased reopening of Disney Springs is a welcome milestone as we navigate through this unprecedented time together as responsibly as we can,” Disney Springs Vice President Matt Simon wrote in a blog post Saturday.

Disney Springs’ reopening comes on the heels of another Disney resort opening, Shanghai Disney, which included a wider array of offerings like theme park rides.

Read on to see what visiting Disney Springs looks like.


People visited Disney Springs at Walt Disney World on Wednesday, as the retail, dining, and entertainment complex began a phased reopening following the closure of the theme park on March 16, 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.


Disney Springs is running at a reduced capacity with some stores and restaurants still closed. The complex is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. although some shops and dining areas may have shortened hours.


The reopening is not without major adjustments at the resort, including a host of health and safety precautions. Signs reminding guests of health tips are posted across the complex.


As a part of the amped-up safety precautions, face masks are required at the park for any visitor over the age of 3.


Social distancing is also expected of guests and employees at the park. Limiting the number of people in any given area is one of the ways Disney Springs is trying to promote social distancing.


Fever screenings are another addition to Disney Springs’ choreographed reopening during the coronavirus pandemic. Guests must be checked before entering the facility with a temperature no higher than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit.


The park is working to keep the facility clean with frequent disinfection of high-traffic areas such as handrails, benches, elevators, escalators, and restrooms. Hand sanitizer and handwashing stations are also available.


Other signs around the park warn visitors about the possibility of catching COVID-19 and that Disney Spring is not responsible for any infection customers contract.


But the risk of catching COVID-19 hasn’t stopped some guests from visiting the park. Two seniors from Freedom High School in Orlando who were scheduled to have a graduation ceremony Wednesday came to the park.


Starting May 27, the park will begin to reopen more Disney-owned shops and restaurants, including World of Disney, D-Luxe Burger (mobile order only), and the Marketplace Co-Op.


Disney has also reopened its Disneyland location in China, Shanghai Disneyland, which introduced social-distancing boxes taped to the ground to remind guests to space out.

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