Disney CEO Bob Chapek has confirmed that the Walt Disney World theme parks are currently operating at 35% capacity, increased from 25%. This was made possible due to innovations in attraction operations while maintaining health and safety guidelines. Examples of this include the installation of plexiglass dividers at most attractions, including Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Earlier in October, Chapek had stated that the Walt Disney World theme parks were still capped at 25% capacity. Florida entered a full “Phase 3” reopening in late September, however face mask guidelines and social distancing protocols remain in place across Walt Disney World parks and resorts, with Disney Park Pass reservations required to enter each park.
It’s currently unknown when exactly the parks transitioned to 35%, although we have noticed a definite uptick in crowding and wait times in the past few weeks. Disney recently stated that table-service restaurants had not increased capacity, despite an accidental rollout of additional reservations.
You can read the full Q4 2020 financial results here.
Of course it is…because why would you not, now that the conditions causing you to operate at lower capacity in the first place have WORSENED! Smh. I can’t with Disney anymore.
I know they are just trying to pay the bills here, but I think this is very irresponsible. The amount of people in the parks for the first couple weeks of reopening was perfect. I felt really safe there and had the best times I ever had at Disney. But more recently it’s felt like they had more than 25% because the crowds felt like a regular weekday crowd. Similar wait times for attractions and lots of people walking around making it difficult to social distance. The way they have been handling this recently is making me start to rethink renewing my annual pass. It’s really unfortunate because I love Disney, I literally moved to Orlando to be closer to the parks, but I don’t like feeling like my only safe option is Epcot on a weekday (even though that’s my favorite park, I like to feel like I can change it up without worry).
Long story short, I love Disney and I know they put lots of protections in place but it’s already been hard enough to social distance at parks at 25% capacity and the pandemic isn’t better so to increase capacity and make social distancing even harder is just a bad move.
It’s super nice that you can go to Disney so often that you know what a regular weekday crowd looks like. I get to save and plan for years so I can can take my family there maybe a couple times a decade. I find it super irresponsible of anyone who would complain about or criticize Disney, or any other operations or business trying to follow guidelines and stay afloat, in this bizarre reality, if it is so scary and horrific and terribly dangerous to go there that you would feel unsafe at Disney world, don’t go. Don’t go. Do not go there or anywhere you feel unsafe. Stay home and hunker down and stay safe. Don’t whine about it. That is super gross.
My experience is that ride vehicles are still limited in capacity. Putting more people in the parks with limited ride capacity is going to be problematic.
Disney Accountants: Mr Chapek, if we increase wdw park capacity from 25% to 35%, you will finally be able to close on that private island from your dreams !
I work for Disney. He actually gave himself and many other execs. a large pay cut in order to be able to pay for Cast Members to continue to receive paid health insurance while on furlough. It also helped those who are laid off to receive severance pay. You need to know what you are talking about before you make ignorant comments.
Yeah, he then restored that salary as soon as he could and fired 28,000 people. Don’t come on my site and spread misinformation, leave that to your PR department.
We’ll never know exactly when they increased from 25 to 35%, but they really need to address the wait times and crowding issues. Ahem… Fast Pass+????
Also, it seems that Chapek is being rather shady in disclosing their capacity targets. He seemed to have nonchalantly indicated this rather significant piece of info. What else is Disney Exec Management hiding?