As cases of the coronavirus continue to spike throughout Florida, employees at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom in Orlando are preparing for their first day back since the park closed in March.
Annual passholders will get a sneak peek of the two parks starting Thursday, and normal visitors can tour the site beginning this Saturday. Disney World, which is home to more than 75,000 employees, is seen as the crown jewel of the Disney empire.
“When you think about Disney, I think for a lot of people, Disney World immediately comes to mind,” analyst Michael Nathanson told CNN. “It’s 3 times the size of Disneyland in terms of revenue. It’s probably their most important single asset.”
Disney’s parks, experiences, and products have financially suffered because of the coronavirus pandemic, with revenues from the park system down more than 58% compared to the previous year.
Employees and parkgoers will be required to wear masks, and social distancing guidelines will be enforced throughout the theme park.
“I feel safer here than going to the grocery store,” 27-year-old first-grade teacher Brittany Reinsel said after seeing the new safety measures.
The park’s reopening comes after the Florida Department of Health reported more than 10,000 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday.
