Disneyland has stood vacant for almost a year, but this week, it will open up as a vaccine distribution site, where thousands of Californians will line up beneath Cinderella’s castle to get the coronavirus vaccine. It will be another stunning image from a year in which the way we live has looked so different than ever before.
The latest chapter in our bizarre time is, in certain states, long vaccine lines — some of them in more interesting places than others.
The park will be just one of several supervaccination sites California plans to open as it attempts to vaccinate large swaths of its population. The hope is that Disneyland’s appeal and central location will expedite the vaccination process and reduce confusion about where Californians should go to receive the vaccine. If this approach succeeds, several other states could adopt a similar strategy.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has already suggested using Walt Disney World, which reopened late last year to guests, as a distribution center.
“You literally could drop a bunch of vaccines at Disney, Orange County Schools, wherever,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said last week. “And they can knock that out pretty quickly. And it’s one dose and done. So, I think that makes more sense with essential workers.”
The parks are ideal vaccination sites for several reasons: They’re designed to absorb massive crowds, and they have the capacity to store the vaccine with ultracold freezers. Disney World has already made changes to help Florida officials navigate the pandemic, turning its Maingate Complex into a walk-up testing facility for residents ages 2 and up.
However, demand could complicate Disney World’s endeavor. Florida’s decision to buck federal guidance and throw open the door of the vaccine program has worked well compared to other hesitant states such as New York. But this first-come-first-served basis comes with its own set of problems: Videos of people camping out overnight, reports of health departments resorting to using Eventbrite to schedule vaccination appointments, and hourslong lines sprawled out at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens are not minor issues. Add to that the fact that Florida has used only about 30% of the vaccine doses that it has received, which is less than 29 other states.
But at least Florida is vaccinating its citizens who want it the most. It might take hours of waiting in line, but give them the option, and I’m sure many people would choose to stand and wait if doing so brings them closer to normalcy. The view of the Magic Kingdom might even make the experience enjoyable.
