Union officials estimate the Disney parks are
no more than a third full, but that may be more
by design to maintain social distancing. Disney
World doesn’t release attendance figures, but in
pre-pandemic times its four parks and two water
parks could host around 150,000 visitors a day.
Florida has had a surging coronavirus caseload
recently, and other Disney parks around the globe
have run into coronavirus-related roadblocks.
Hong Kong Disneyland Park was forced to close
earlier this month following the city’s decision to
ban public gatherings of more than four people,
and Disney’s California parks delayed reopening
while they awaited state guidelines.
Cowen Inc. estimated recently that Disney’s
parks and resorts won’t return to pre-pandemic
profitability until fiscal year 2025, and there is
a “meaningful” probability that Disney World
could close again because of the pandemic.
Leaders of the Disney World workers’ unions
describe the virus-related safety measures
Disney has taken as “exemplary.”
After workers complained about patrons
walking around with their masks pulled down
while eating food like turkey legs, Disney World
updated its mandatory mask policy, requiring
visitors to eat in one place while maintaining
social distancing.
In response to other worker concerns, Disney
has distributed personal hand sanitizer
containers for workers to wear on their belts,
added additional break rooms to limit the
number of workers in them and reduced the
number of riders on buses that shuttle workers
from parking lots to the parks. Performers
dressed as Disney princesses being driven in a