Just got back home, apologies if this has already been posted, this is the letter on the HUB from Jeff Vahle
As you know, we began welcoming our Guests back to Disney Springs last week, and it’s wonderful to see them enjoying themselves as we continue to open more venues. I was glad to be there with the team for the reopening and was inspired by how excited our Guests were about being back with us.
Now we’re pleased to share that more magic is coming back. Earlier today, we submitted a proposal with the Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force on our plan for a deliberate phased reopening of our theme parks and resorts.
Our proposal included plans to start with a reopening of Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Animal Kingdom on July 11 followed by EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios on July 15. These plans of course are pending Orange County and state approval of our proposal.
We also have plans for reopenings of some of our Disney Vacation Club resort properties as well as Disney’s Ft. Wilderness Resort and Campground beginning on June 22. Resorts at Hilton Head, South Carolina, and Vero Beach, Florida, will begin their openings earlier on June 15.
The planning behind the scenes to get us to this day has been extensive. These are extraordinary times, and we are proceeding with a deliberate approach. During this phased reopening, we will institute appropriate safety protocols based upon guidance from government and health agencies that focus on the needs of our Guests and Cast Members. These include
:
- An advanced reservation system for park admission,
- Required face coverings,
- Temperature screenings prior to entry,
- Cashless transactions,
- Physical-distancing practices and much more…
We’ll share additional information on these enhanced health and safety measures and operational changes for reopening locations with you soon. These policies are under continuous review and are subject to change as we continue to monitor conditions and receive guidance from health and government authorities.
We know there will be learnings along the way as we implement these new procedures. We will make adjustments as needed as we work through this together. While the Disney experience may look a little different, we still look forward to making magic for our Guests.
I ask for your support as we create an environment based upon the first of our four keys…safety. We all own a piece of our wellbeing here, so it’s important that we all are aware of our new guidelines. It’s also a shared responsibility with our Guests.
We were glad to welcome back many Cast Members as part of the reopening of Disney Springs. We will now begin to reach out to some additional Cast Members and call them back to work. They will focus on operating our parks in a responsible way while also providing the magic our Guests have missed. We will keep you updated in the days and weeks ahead.
I want to thank you all for your dedication, creativity and passion for Walt Disney World during these trying times. I’ve seen the moments you’ve created at home and around our property showing your sense of optimism and determination to keep the magic alive.
I’m honored to have the opportunity to work with such an incredible team as we take these steps forward to bringing the Disney magic back as soon as we can.
In the meantime, please take care of yourselves.
