COVID Procedures that Should Stay!

Pic from from our trip in Dec. 2019

Since the reopening of the parks after closing during the start of the pandemic Disney has made many interesting changes to get the park where they can function and keep social distance in effect. Some of these new things I actually hope will stick around after this has passed.

The first thing I think should stay are the no-touch bag scan at the front of the parks. For those who haven't gone to Disney Parks before, to get into the parks, you have to go through the bag check. Before the pandemic, the process was getting in a line of people and have all forms purses and diaper bags open so that a security officer could physically go through it. After the bags were checked you walk through a metal detector. For people without bags, there was a separate path you would take around to the bag check that would send you straight to the metal detectors.

Since reopening the parks have added new scanners for checking bags at the bag check area to create a less hands-on approach without giving up any safety. This scanner acts much like a metal detector and is a much faster process as far as I have heard from videos I have seen and articles I have read. Hopefully, this is something that will stick around after all of this.

The next thing would be the cavalcades and distanced characters. Now I do not think this should replace the meet and greet options but the way Disney has done the distanced character interactions like at Epcot with Winnie the Pooh and Joy from inside out, and the country bears at magic kingdom, seem to be a great new way to show off characters without having to make a giant line of people waiting to get a picture with the character. The cavalcades, while no means a replacement for parades are also a great little something to have throughout the day. It reminds me of the double-decker bus from Epcot back in the 90s. The only difference is the bus would let characters out to take pictures with guests at certain stops. Continuing the cavalcades and having the traditional meet and greet situations would likely ramp up people who want to get pictures with the characters.

The last thing I would like to stay would be the extra cleaning. While it may be a less practical thing, later on, cost-wise. I think the extra cleaning would stop the spread of other viral problems we've had for ages and I can't help but think that's a good thing. For a little extra work and cleaning supplies, we could decrease more possibility of getting others sick is a win-win.