Opinion: Will COVID-19 suck the magic out of Disney World?

The question was the same from all the non-believers: How can you go to Disney World every year? I fielded this question for years. By the time I moved to Florida the conclusion was obvious: This was my happy place. 

I became a huge Disney World fan a bit later in life than most, my mid-20s. I had ventured to the most Magical Place (remember the Happiest Place is Disneyland) as a child once, but it wasn’t until I married a kindred spirit that I started making my annual pilgrimage to Orlando.

The appeal was that this was a safe haven, a place devoid of outside influences. A bubble, where people smiled and laughed. As a journalist, I witnessesed and worked with people who reported on some of the worst aspects of humanity; I saw the lack of empathy of businesses and government had for customers and residents; and I knew the fear and resignation some people had on a daily basis. Disney World was my refuge.  

Yes, there were many heart-warming stories to report and edit. And yes, there is rudeness at Disney World (I’m talking about those who just stop in the middle of walkway for no reason or those who walk in front of you two seconds before the fireworks and put their kids on their shoulders). But in general, when you walk under the archway into the Magic Kingdom, you do indeed “Leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy,” as the plaque over the Train Station archways read.

This is a place where you and 50,000 of your closest strangers spend the day together watching shows, riding rides, eating, shopping, and being away from the real world (as long as you turn off your phone notifications). And even in the midst of these huge masses, there at times comes the feeling that there is no one else in the park except you and those you’re with. 

But the real world is never far off. After 9/11, it started to creep back in, especially with bag checks and metal detectors. Yet, these were still outside the park entrances, away from that special portal which transports you to the safe bubble. Sure, there is a massive security layer inside the park, but you never see it, it is not a noticeable reminder of what’s happening in the real world. 

Until a vaccine for COVID-19 is found and widely distributed, and even after, we will need to be more diligent in how we interact with others to remain safe. While we can all guess what changes we might expect in the park, we don’t really know. I’m not even sure Disney has a complete handle on this. 

But there will have to be more than just a temperature check near the security checkpoints, as Bob Iger recently floated to the public. It might also mean fewer people in the parks (which would be good, unless the prices increase even more); a change in queues (even if virtual queue systems are implemented); more hand sanitizing stations; fewer character meet and greets; maybe no parades or fireworks (where people tend to gather) at the start; and maybe even the wearing of masks (which I am sure Disney will be happy to sell you in myriad patterns).

Now, don’t get me wrong, changes are needed. Safety is the most important thing. We are talking about potentially hundreds of thousands of deaths nationwide due to this novel coronavirus and even more suffering by people who recover.

We all want to go back to our happy place. The measures I mentioned above would all be visible once walking under that archway and would be a constant reminder of how the real world has impacted the bubble. The most heartbreaking might also be the most obvious, the one we already should be doing: wearing a mask. You see, what makes this place truly magical are the smiles on the faces of children, teens and adults alike as they look around in wonderment and joy. 

On my next visit, I might find my magical bubble has a leak letting in the real world, but I’m sure I — and all of us — will find our own ways to safely plug the hole.