Disney Springs will begin phase 1 of its reopening on May 20th. During the first phase, no store or restaurant owned by Disney will open. It’s strictly third-party vendors. The first round of Disney furloughed employees will return, when 117 custodians will return to work at Disney Springs on May 20th, as well.
The Hollywood Reporter spoke to Eric Clinton, president of UNITE HERE, Local 362 on Wednesday, and he told the news outlet that cast members are experiencing a “mixed bag of emotions” about returning to work. Their top concern is a potential infection, although financially, their main concern is paying their rent or mortgage. Clinton continued to say, “Some are anxious to get back because the unemployment system in Florida is completely broken.”
According to Clinton, phase 2 of the reopening will start seven days later when Disney retail shops, such as World of Disney Store, and Disney eateries reopen, the union president said. The second phase will also see the addition of 59 custodians, who were previously furloughed by Disney.
Disney is treating the safety of both guests and employees with the utmost seriousness, explained Clinton. Here are some of the social distancing and health guidelines that will be put in place on May 20th;
- All guests and employees will be required to wear masks.
- Disney will provide employees three washable masks.
- Guests will have their temperature checked, and plexiglass dividers have been installed at registers.
- Guests will swipe their own payments cards, as they will no longer be handled by employees.
- Custodians will be retrained to pay attention to high-touch areas.
Clinton would not speculate about when the rest of the resort will reopen.
For now, there have been no announcements about any part of Disneyland in Anaheim reopening. Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Chapek on Monday said it was still unclear when the domestic parks would reopen, as the decision would rely on state and local restrictions being lifted.
Source- The Hollywood Reporter
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