When Walt Disney World reopened after their COVID-19 lock down, many fans had to make hard decisions about when they would once again enter the parks.
Recently, The New Yorker has released a short documentary that takes a look at this predicament entitled “Small World.” The film is directed by Jonathan Napolitano and has WDWNT’s own Nathan Hartman as a producer.
“Disney fans have complex relationships with the parks,” said Hartman. “Right now, many are deciding if a trip will give them a respite from the real world or just further remind them of it.”
In the film, Disney fans, including Parks Center’s own Alison Shih, discuss those tensions amidst footage of a nearly empty Magic Kingdom.
“I made this film for Disney fans,” said Napolitano. “The pandemic is the film’s backdrop which makes everything feel uneasy and unsettling, but beyond that, it’s a story about loving something that truly means something to you. Even though some of these people featured in the film can’t agree on attending Disney’s parks (right now), there’s still no doubt that Disney has always been there for them throughout their entire lives”
Well done! What I took away from this is that every person’s situation is different with COVID and how they “do” Disney, and that attending WDW during this time is a very individual and personal choice.
For me, personally, I will NOT visit until outdoor mask mandates are dropped and FP/EHM/fireworks/character dining are brought back. We are not APs nor Florida residents, so a trip for our family is every 2-4 years on average. But that is MY situation and MY choice.
The number of cases, whether Disney is being responsible or not for opening, etc. does not matter. What matters is how each Guest approaches their experience of the magic. Some will wait until next year (like me) and some will go tomorrow.