When do you guys realistically see character meets returning?

[CampbellzSoup]

Do you think their done for good? Virtually placing them in photos from now on? Or do you think eventually they will return? Just wondering what you guys think in regards to returning to the park?

 

[VandVsmama]

Next fall.

 

[Krandor]

Once we get to the point where anybody who wants the vaccine can get the vaccine with maybe a week wait at most. SO most likely fall.

 

[gatorlisa]

I don't think they are gone for good. If I had to throw a wild guess out there for when they might return, I'd say 2022.

 

[VandVsmama]

Next fall.

More specifically, not until the 50th anniversary celebrations. You probably won't see it return before that.

 

[Krandor]

More specifically, not until the 50th anniversary celebrations. You probably won't see it return before that.

That is an interesting thoughts. It is looking like late summer before a vaccine is readily available which is right around the start of the 50th. Wouldn't that be something to start off the 50th also with the return of the "normal" disney experience with fireworks, parades, and the like. The timing works as being a likely safe time to do it and would be a hell of a way to kick it off.

 

[J-Dog]

That is an interesting thoughts. It is looking like late summer before a vaccine is readily available which is right around the start of the 50th. Wouldn't that be something to start off the 50th also with the return of the "normal" disney experience with fireworks, parades, and the like. The timing works as being a likely safe time to do it and would be a hell of a way to kick it off.

Where did you hear "late summer"?

Most reports say the vaccine should be readily available by the middle of Q2, and even the pessimistic Pfizer report about the government passing on 400 millions extra doses said they should still be readily available by late June or July.

Unless there is a new report, then that's mid-summer at the very latest.

To answer the OP's question, I would agree that character meets will be back by the 50th, unless things turn out a lot worse than the current sentiment about vaccines.

 

[marcar12]

I read that Anna and Elsa are back meeting in-person at Epcot (while socially distant.) I hope that character meets like this continue to gradually return, and that character "meets" (outdoors, at a distance) will become more and more possible.... way before fall next year.

 

[storey13]

I thought I read some rumor (can't find it now) that maybe Disney was looking into some kind of health ID or proof of vaccine to be allowed entry? That would make a lot of things go back to the normal WDW experience I would think.

 

[Krandor]

Where did you hear "late summer"?

Most reports say the vaccine should be readily available by the middle of Q2, and even the pessimistic Pfizer report about the government passing on 400 millions extra doses said they should still be readily available by late June or July.

Unless there is a new report, then that's mid-summer at the very latest.

To answer the OP's question, I would agree that character meets will be back by the 50th, unless things turn out a lot worse than the current sentiment about vaccines.

That is when it will start to be available to the general population yes but you still to get enough people injected before you can go back to normal type events. The timeline I mentioned was what Fauchi said as far as a return to full football stadiums ( and he though in September we could be able to do that). And things like full attendance at WDW, fireworks, at the like are likely in a similar timetable.

Here is the quote ". By the time you get to the general public, the people who'll be going to the basketball games, who don't have any underlying conditions, that's gonna be starting the end of April, May, June. So it probably will be well into the end of the summer before you can really feel comfortable [with full sports stadiums] - if a lot of people get vaccinated. . I don't think we're going to be that normal in July. I think it probably would be by the end of the summer.""

So early summer for the start and end of summer before we get enough people vaccinated to be able to start moving back to "normal".

 

[skeeter31]

I thought I read some rumor (can't find it now) that maybe Disney was looking into some kind of health ID or proof of vaccine to be allowed entry? That would make a lot of things go back to the normal WDW experience I would think.

That rumor has been spoken about in the main COVID thread on this board for weeks now. It’s nothing official though.