I took a picture of my TV to prove that I watched… A few days ago Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said that the theme parks could submit their reopening plans. Today (Monday, May 18), some of the local smaller parks did just that. They submitted plans to the Bringing Back Tourism Working Group, which is part of the Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force.
ICON Park, Fun Spot, and Gatorland were all allowed to present their plans. All stressed social distancing, increased cleaning, and hand sanitizing stations. One thing that the task force requested was that temperatures be checked as well. A Friday, May 22 reopening date for these smaller parks was proposed for consideration. That needs to be submitted to Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, who reportedly will not make a decision until Thursday, May 21. The representatives of these parks stated that they are ready to reopen, all that they need is the figurative green light. Walt Disney World and the other larger area parks were not mentioned.
Parts of ICON Park are already open. The Wheel at ICON Park (the Orlando Eye) and the Orlando StarFlyer remain closed, waiting for approval. It was mentioned during the meeting that the museums at ICON Park that are open are allowed to operate at 25 percent capacity, but they have been experiencing about ten percent. People are being cautious.
We should know more about the opening of the smaller parks in a few days. Vacation rentals might be allowed to reopen soon as well. It’s one small step at a time.