The buses are being stored in the Transportation & Ticket Center parking lot If you’re reading this, chances are that you know that Walt Disney World is closed until further notice. That said, a friend of a friend posted on Facebook a couple of days ago that flights are so cheap right now that she was thinking about flying down for a short vacation. This woman had no idea that Walt Disney World is a ghost town at the moment. I thought that it wouldn’t be a bad idea to write up what’s going on, especially in the Orlando area.
Florida has been hit hard by COVID-19. Part of that is probably because we have a large elderly population, and also because Spring Break was starting in many places when the virus started to spread. There is not a county in the state without any reported cases. They said on the news this morning that it is expected to peak in the state around April 21. That date has been moved up considerably, a few days ago it was May 3.
The entire state of Florida is under a stay-at-home order through the month of April. There is a lot of leeway in the order, and some counties have cracked down more than others. Many beaches are closed, but some remain open. The open beaches are enforcing social distancing, and some are open only for exercise.
All of the theme parks are closed. Most are until further notice. The exception to that is Universal Orlando Resort, which still lists “through April 19th” on its website. That will change any day now. With the stay-at-home order in place they will not be able to reopen that early.
There are a lot of rumors about when Walt Disney World will reopen. FastPass+ reservations are available starting on May 3, but that does not mean anything. They’ve moved the ability to make reservations back several times already. Dining and hotel reservations are available starting on June 1. Again, that does not mean that things will be up and running by that date. It’s just a date to shoot for.
If you’re still traveling to Florida during this, you could face restrictions. People traveling from some other states are being told to self-quarantine for 14 days. Vacation home rentals have been suspended, to keep people from traveling. Many hotels are closed, and others are operating at a limited capacity. Bars are closed, and you cannot sit down inside a restaurant. Many restaurants are struggling to stay open, and people are being encouraged to order takeout, curbside pickup, or delivery.
Most churches have gone online. Churches have been declared essential by Governor DeSantis, so it is not illegal to hold services. That said, they are supposed to follow social distancing guidelines, and some counties are not allowing gatherings of more than ten people, even if it is a church service. I’m a Christian, but I believe that the church is the people, not the building. My family and I follow the guidelines, and we’ve been watching our church’s live service each week. I’m not trying to start a debate on what churches should or shouldn’t do, I’m just trying to state what is going on.
Remember, I have a list of the latest information as a sticky at the top of Disney Over 50. I also have the link at the top of the Disney Over 50 Facebook page. I’m trying my best to keep them updated, and I put at the top the date and time that I’ve made changes when something is new. I run this site by myself, and I’m doing my best to keep things up to date. Thanks for your support, and stay safe. Let’s work together to flatten the curve.