ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Walt Disney World and SeaWorld Orlando will present their reopening plans to the Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force on Wednesday, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings revealed during a news briefing on Tuesday.


What You Need To Know

  • Disney World, SeaWorld to present reopening plans

  • Presentations will be made May 27 at Orange County Task Force meeting

  • Plans will reveal reopening timeline and safety measures

The presentations will be made at 10 a.m. ET and provide a better idea of when both theme park operators plan to reopen and what safety measures they plan to implement.

An Orange County enforcement team visited the parks Tuesday to see if they were in compliance with CDC recommended guidelines, Demings said.

Demings said he previewed the plans ahead of Wednesday’s presentation and looked forward to sharing “good news.”

Last week, Universal Orlando presented its reopening plans to the task force. The plans, which include mask requirements, temperatures checks, and social distancing measures, were endorsed by Demings and approved by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Universal plans to reopen its parks to the public on June 5. As part of a phased reopening, the parks will first reopen to employees June 1-2, followed by invited guests and some passholders June 3-4. 

The theme parks, which have been closed since mid-March because of the coronavirus pandemic, have already taken some steps toward reopening.

Universal first reopened its CityWalk district on May 14 with a limited number of shops and restaurants. Visitors are required to wear masks and undergo temperature checks. 

Disney followed a week later with the phased reopening of Disney Springs, its shopping and dining district. Masks and temperature checks are also required for visitors at Disney Springs.

Meanwhile, SeaWorld has been testing its roller coasters with riders wearing masks.

If Disney and SeaWorld’s reopening plans are approved by the task force, Demings said he will write letters of endorsement for both and send them to DeSantis for final approval.

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