Just a month after reopening to park guests, Walt Disney World is re-strategizing as it launches a new path amid the global coronavirus pandemic. This week, Disney World announced that they will adjust working hours at all four theme parks at the Orlando resort. The move comes at the same time as Disney CEO Bob Chapek went on record and said some park guests canceled their trip and lost billions of dollars in the first months of park closures.
As reported via The Hollywood Reporter, Disney World will open and close Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and the Magic Kingdom within an hour or two of the previous hours. However, the hours for the first Disney World location to reopen, Disney Springs, will not change. These new hours across the various Disney World locations will take effect from September 8 and are expected to last through October. It is unclear if there are plans to go back to the previous hours or to adjust to October.
Image via Walt Disney World
News of these custom hours comes just one month after Disney World opened to guests on July 11th. Upon reopening, it became clear that new health and safety protocols were in place, such as wearing face masks, to keep guests safe from the potential spread of COVID-19. The move was monumental, with Disney eager to reopen after a four-month shutdown in the early days of the pandemic, prompting the company to work hard to reassess how to survive this unusual event.
The impact of the pandemic on Disney’s finances has been incredible. During a call for earnings last week, it was made public (via USA Today) the company lost nearly $ 5 billion in losses in April, May and June. In addition, during that same call (via CinemaBlend), Chapek noticed how the second wave of COVID-19 was sweeping through the nation as summer approached, influencing guest booking habits. He shared: ‘Alas, [COVID-19] struck again and all figures began to rise. This gave some level of sadness to travelers who were afraid of traveling remotely on a plane and flying to Walt Disney World. That what we have seen is that we have about 50% of our guest base still traveling from a distance … We have also had a higher than expected level of cancellations when making one reservation because the disease ebbs and streams they may need cancel. ”
Allie Gemmill is the Editor of the Weekend Contributions for Collider. You can follow them on Twitter @_matineeidle.
Here are the new hours announced earlier this week (all times in ET):
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom: 9 to 17 hours (earlier 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 10 am to 7 pm (earlier 10 to 20 p.m.)
- EPCOT: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. (earlier 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.)
- Magic Kingdom: 9 to 18 hours (earlier 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.)
- Disney Springs: 10 am to 10 pm daily (hours remain unchanged)
