Walt Disney World's water parks have remained closed even as the other parks at the world's most popular theme park resort have reopened. Today, Disney announced a return date for its water parks. But it won't come until next spring... and it will be for only one of the resort's two water parks.
Disney World posted to its website today that it plans to open either Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon on March 7, 2021. The resort did not specify which water park would return and noted that the reopening is subject to government approval.
"We may adjust our proposed reopening date, and if that happens, we will let Guests know what to expect in a future update," the Disney World website said.
Disney's Florida theme parks continue to operate at reduce capacity due to the need for safe physical distancing during the pandemic. The theme parks reopened in mid-July after closing in March. Disney's water parks typically operate on reduced schedules during the fall and winter months, and with sharply reduced travel to Florida due to domestic and international travel restrictions, it's not surprising that Disney would choose to wait until spring before bringing back its water parks, which are much more weather dependent that the theme parks.
However, Disney's competitors in Central Florida have reopened their water parks, with Volcano Bay at Universal Orlando and Aquatica at SeaWorld Orlando both welcoming back guests this summer. However, both parks have announced that they will be closed on select days during the upcoming months.
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Chlorine doesn't kill anything in the air. And even the Dells shut down their water parks earlier than usual.
CDC stated that pools were a place for potential widespread infections. It would seem like being doused in chlorinated water would halt infections, but I suppose being in a crowded wave pool would not stop it. But I suspect Disney, as well as the Dells and many other water parks are making these decisions based on profits first and public safety second.
Interesting that in Illinois, Six Flags Great America stays closed but Hurricane Harbor open since June and Illinois much stricter on all this than Florida.
JMB - One one of the parks in the Dells closed, Noah's Ark, and that had as much to do with the backlash from some comments posted on line by their former GM as it did the "OUTBREAK" of two employees infected. They contract traced, and the were not infected at the park!!
I’m getting River Country flashbacks now
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This has to be a monetary decision because it cannot be related to COVID safety. I've visited numerous water parks this summer in the Wisconsin Dells (the Water Park Capitol of the World) and Splashin' Safari, and they are all safe. Water, especially chlorinated water, is not a vector for spread of the virus. Further, with the amount of chlorine that some of these parks use...you'd be hard pressed to find a safer place on the planet than a chlorinated pool at a water park!