SeaWorld Orlando Announces Reopening Date
Seaworld Orlando has just announced it will reopen to the public on June 11th and will hold an [...]
Seaworld Orlando has just announced it will reopen to the public on June 11th and will hold an employee appreciation night the night before on June 10th. While the park will reopen, there will be some big changes when fans get there, as Seaworld also released their full list of park enhancements to help prevent the spread of coronavirus. These include face coverings, physical distancing, cleaning and sanitation, employee and guest temperature screening, work and sick policies, and COVID-19 training. Employees will be provided with masks and face coverings, and guests two and up will be required to wear face coverings in the park.
There will also be ground markings to help physical distancing in key guest areas, and contactless payment options will be installed throughout the park. Hand sanitizer stations will also be increased, and all guests will need to undergo temperature screenings.
We also got a look at enhancements to key areas, which include public spaces, rides and attractions, parades and meet and greet areas, and employee facilities.
Sea World Orlando plans to open June 11.
— Chris E. Hayner (@ChrisHayner) May 27, 2020
The things that stand out for public spaces include single-direction guest flow in some areas and seating in venues will be configured and modified to maintain physical distancing.
Employees and visitors will also have to undergo a temperature check at SeaWorld. Other measures include physical distancing and increased cleaning and sanitation. pic.twitter.com/iB4fXRbxFY
— Ashley Carter (@AshleyLCarter1) May 27, 2020
Queue lines for rides will have markings for physical distancing, and single rider lines will be removed entirely. Open play areas will be temporarily closed, and special protocols will be implemented for water rides.
It is great that SeaWorld will still have character interactions but with distance. pic.twitter.com/YNz3wqApgM
— Denise at Mousesteps (@Mousesteps) May 27, 2020
Also, certain elements of parades and meet-and-greets will be limited or removed temporarily, and guest interaction sections of the parades will be removed entirely. There will still be photo opportunities and character interactions, though physical distancing modifications are being made in both cases.
This was all part of a proposal made to the Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force by SeaWorld interim CEO Marc Swanson, SeaWorld Orlando president Kyle Miller, and Discovery Cove vice president of operations Brad Gilmour. Disney World also presented their plans for reopening, and in both cases, while it will be a different experience than it used to be, at least fans will be able to head out to the parks once more.