ORLANDO, Fla. – Disney World’s theme parks, which reopened in mid-July with a number of new health and safety measures because of the coronavirus pandemic, are still operating at 25 percent capacity, according to Disney CEO Bob Chapek.
What You Need To Know
- Disney World park capacity remains at 25 percent
- Disney CEO Bob Chapek made the comments during CNBC interview
- Parks have had capacity limits since reopening in July
Chapek revealed the capacity limit Monday during an interview with CNBC after news broke that Disney would be shifting the priority of its media divisions to focus on streaming.
While the interview was mostly centered around Disney’s restructuring, Chapek briefly touched on theme parks, saying that the parks are still only operating at 25 percent capacity.
In recent weeks, visitors have shared photos on social media showing the Disney World parks as more crowded than they were earlier this summer after reopening. However, it’s likely that the crowd levels in July and early August were well below the 25 percent cap Disney put in place. Also, social distancing and spacing between visitors on rides, have made lines longer despite fewer people.
Since reopening Disney World has managed park attendance through its new Disney Park Pass reservation system, which requires visitors to make a park reservation in advance.
Last month, Gov. Ron DeSantis lifted the remaining coronavirus restrictions, meaning theme parks could resume normal operation. However, Disney World and other Central Florida theme parks have said that health and safety measures like face masks, capacity limits and social distancing would remain in place.