Post-Quarantine Etiquette People Will Expect in the Parks

Reopening the Disney parks is going to be a well-thought-out and careful process. While the Disney company is obviously eager to open the gates once again, they are very aware of how quickly the virus could potentially spread in crowds such as those found in theme parks.

For this reason, they have a plan in place that ensures the spread is as limited as possible. That said, much of this plan relies on the guests themselves being willing to do their part. 

Wondering what kind of etiquette might be expected of you once Disney World does reopen? Here are some of the things we can assume Disney and other guests will wish park goers to do. 

Personal Space

By now we all well know just how important social distancing can be in keeping the spread of COVID-19 at bay. This is definitely difficult to implement in an amusement park setting, but if all guests make an effort, it could be possible. 

We imagine all guests will be asked to keep a 6-foot distance between themselves and guests not in their travel party. Keeping young children in strollers will definitely help with this, as it will prevent the need to chase them down. 

Keeping distance might make shopping in smaller gift shops a bit more complicated, and it sounds like activities such as parades and nighttime shows won’t even be happening, in order to prevent guests from standing in crowds while they wait. It also looks like character interactions will need to be from a distance during the initial reopening period. 

New Way to Queue

In addition to encouraging guests to keep their distance while walking from one attraction to the next, there will also be a new way to queue.

In the past, Cast Members were very keen on keeping wait times to a minimum, leading them to encourage riders to fill in all available space between themselves and the party in front of them. When the parks reopen, we will see a complete shift. 

Guests will be expected to leave at least 6 feet between themselves and the people around them in the queue. They will also be encouraged to use digital queuing options for both attractions and food, ensuring these socially distanced lineups don’t snake too far into the parks.

No Sharing Rows

Another way we’ve seen Cast Members shorten wait times in the past is by putting more than one party into a row of seats for a ride. Single-rider lines were popular, as they allowed those who were willing to be split from their party to fill in gaps and ride sooner.

We imagine this will no longer be the case. Riders will be seated next to those in their own party only, leaving empty seats and keeping non-relatives away from one another. 

Don’t Offer Gifts

Before the coronavirus hit the US, it wasn’t uncommon for park goers to offer the children around them glow sticks or other bits of pixie dust. This always made the whole Disney experience just a bit more magical. After all, what kid (or adult, for that matter) doesn’t love to light up the night with a glow stick? 

Unfortunately, this just cannot happen after the parks reopen. Guests will need to maintain social distancing, and this means avoiding passing items from one person to the next. A person trying to offer a child a gift in a post-coronavirus Disney is likely to be frowned upon by Cast Members and other park guests alike. 

Hand Washing 

In addition to social distancing, we’ve all heard plenty about the importance of handwashing recently. Disney guests visiting the newly reopened parks will be expected to wash or sanitize their hands as often as possible.

New hand sanitizing stations will be spread throughout the parks, and as we all know, bathrooms are never too far off whenever you feel your hands need a good scrubbing with soap and water. 

Face Masks

Disney has said that masks will be a requirement for all guests and employees. However, even if this wasn’t an official rule, we would still assume some guests would appreciate masks being worn to slow the spread of the disease and keep everyone as healthy as possible for their vacation. 

Leave Illness at Home

This one should go without saying, and has actually always been the case: Guests should never visit a Disney Park when sick.

Have a fever? Stay at home or in your hotel room. These days, even a small sniffle could be cause for concern, so err on the side of caution and reschedule if you even think you might be coming down with something. Since the need to reschedule due to illness is more likely during times like these, you might consider travel insurance in order to protect your investment.

This is a lot to remember during an already overwhelming visit to Disney World. That said, if we all do our part, we can keep everyone healthy during their time in the most magical place on earth. This fact should be enough to convince us all to do our part.