Disney has released a new batch of information for guests ahead of their parks beginning to reopen on July 11, 2020. Their latest Disney Parks Blog post covers where guests can see characters, what attractions will be open (Spaceship Earth!) and info on available entertainment. Meanwhile, cast members have been told that Disney won’t use any virtual queues, single rider lines or FastPass+ when the parks initially reopen.
The temporary elimination of the FastPass+ program was something we discussed at the end of May, but the virtual queue information is both new and a bit surprising. It was widely assumed that Disney would expand on the system that has been used heavily for the Rise of the Resistance attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. That system allows guests to claim a “boarding pass” and then go about their day until their group is called. This system was used at Rise of the Resistance all the way up to Hollywood Studios closing, but it won’t immediately return when the park reopens.
Instead of the virtual system, Disney will use the physical lines that are normally dedicated for single riders and FastPass+ to increase the available space for its standby lines. Their focus will be on keeping the volume of guests in the parks manageable through a ticket reservation system in order to avoid having to create a virtual queue system for attractions. Disney aims to head the problem off at the front entrance and not allow things to spin out of control in the parks themselves.
Unfortunately, we have to keep an eye on the rising number of cases of COVID-19 in Florida and wonder if Disney may postpone their July 11 opening date should things continue to head in the wrong direction. Stay tuned.
