Iger: Temperature screenings a possibility when Disney parks reopen

At some point guests going into Disney parks could have their temperature taken prior to entering, Walt Disney Executive Chairman Bob Iger told Barron’s.

In a wide-ranging interview touching on topics including parks, film production, retail and streaming, Iger discusses the future of difficulties Disney faces in light of the COVID-19 crises. (You can read the entire interview here.)

When it comes to the future of the parks, Iger said one of the things being discussed is adding a component of taking peoples temperatures, similar to the bag checks and metal detectors people now go through.

“We’re studying very carefully what China has been trying to do in terms of their return to normalcy,” he told Barron’s.

In China to enter any area where there is a large group of people, such as mass transportation and high-rise buildings, one gets their temperature taken.

Guests safety is the utmost importance, he said. People need to feel comfortable that they are safe and with the absence of a vaccine there could be more restrictions and scrutiny placed on those wanting to enter the parks, he said.

“So we’ve asked ourselves the question, let’s prepare for a world where our customers demand that we scrutinize everybody,” he told Barron’s.

Just as the bag checks and metal detectors became staples to entering the parks after 9/11, taking a person’s temperature might be another step one will need to take.