STATEWIDE – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday said Disney World will be a “safe environment” when its theme parks reopen this weekend. 

During a news conference in The Villages, DeSantis was asked whether Disney reopening it parks amid rising coronavirus cases was still a good idea.

​​DeSantis said the theme parks have done a great job, citing Universal Orlando, which reopened its parks last month, as an example.

“Theme parks have been doing great, I mean, Universal, look at what they’re doing,” DeSantis said. “And I think that’s the lesson. We have to have society function. You can have society function in a way that keeps people safe, and when you have all the different procedures they have in place … it’s a safe environment.”

Disney World is set to reopen its theme parks on Saturday, starting with Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios are scheduled to reopen a few days later on July 15. Employee previews begin Tuesday, followed by passholder previews on July 9.

DeSantis said he had “no doubt” Disney would be a safe and called the resort’s plan to reopen “very, very thorough.”

Disney World’s plan includes mandatory face masks for employees and visitors, mandatory temperature checks, capacity limits at the parks, increased sanitation and social distancing protocols.

But even with the safety measures, Actors’ Equity Association, the union that represents performers at Disney World, has pushed for Disney to postpone the reopening of its parks.

Florida has seen a rise on coronavirus cases in the past few weeks. The state reported over 21,000 new cases over the weekend.