Disney CEO explains why Disney World is opening in July, capacity

When Disney World reopens it needs to be done in a responsible way that also keeps the magic. Those are the main reasons why Disney is waiting to reopen until July, Walt Disney Co. Bob Chapek said.

In a brief interview with CNBC, Chapek discussed the reason behind the proposed July 11 opening, which is a month after Universal Orlando opens to the public on June 5.

“We want to make sure what we present to our guests when we open up is a quintessential Disney experience, and while we will have substantial lower numbers of guests we want to make sure we” do it in a responsible way so they can make their lifelong memories, Chapek said.

The head of Disney, who was previously in charge of the parks division, would not give specific numbers on what the capacity will be because there is no governmental guidance on numbers.

However, he said “capacity will be a function of the 6-foot social distancing guidance we have from the CDC.”

The calculation of how many people will be allowed in a park will be based on striving to maintain the 6-foot social distancing, he said.

“The Walt Disney Co. has a long history of being responsible. We were the first attraction based group in Florida to close initially when COVID first hit, and there is a certain amount of trust in the brand and trust in the way we operate that we will do it (reopen) responsibly and do it on behalf of not only or guests but our cast.”