The Universal globe The first step towards reopening Universal Orlando Resort has been taken, and it was at CityWalk. (In case you aren’t sure, “step” and City”Walk” are an intended pun.) I was there when the shopping and dining district at Universal welcomed guests back for the first time on May 14. It was very well done. I never felt like things weren’t clean, or that they weren’t doing everything that they could to keep the virus from spreading.
Cones in the parking garage It all started with parking. Parking at Universal is in a garage. During this time they have decided to offer free parking, so there was no interaction with a parking attendant. They had us park on the third level of the garage. That’s the level that you need to be on to get to security, so we didn’t have to ride an escalator, take the stairs, or touch any railings. They had cones up so that people would park in every other space. Once a row was full and everyone was out of their cars, the team members (aka Universal employees) would remove the cones and those spots would then be used. It allowed more people to park on that level and for social distancing at the same time. Good move, Universal.
Temperature check (it was not weird at all) Everyone had their temperature checked before security. This was with a touchless thermometer, and it only took a second. It wasn’t weird or unsafe. Security at Universal is already hands-free. Your bags go through an x-ray machine, similar to an airport. I hope that Disney decides to make this change before they reopen the parks because it was nice to not have anyone touch my stuff.
The view from the upper level CityWalk is the same idea as Disney Springs, but on a much smaller scale. Even though it was the first day, it wasn’t crowded, and people followed the rules. I didn’t see anyone without a face mask, which are required at the moment.
Social distancing markers There were markers on the ground to show where to stand if going into a store or a restaurant. I saw several team members wiping things down.
Social distancing sink There were signs near the restrooms to remind people to wash their hands often.In the restrooms they blocked off some sinks so that people would keep their space.
Stilt walkers There was some live entertainment, but not all that much. A drum group played as we entered, but they were in a spot that wouldn’t gather a crowd. There were always two stilt walkers out. It was rotating pairs, and they all seemed to be having a fantastic time. When you think about it, stilt walkers make sense because you can get a picture but not get close to the performer. There was live music at Margaritaville as well.
An empty Universal Studios CityWalk is similar to Downtown Disney at Disneyland, because you can walk to the entrances of two theme parks. Universal did not have these areas totally blocked off.Of course you could not get too close (the parks were locked and gated), but you could see into both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. You could also take a picture near the Universal globe. I’m terrible at taking selfies, but I couldn’t resist.
An empty Islands of Adventure The best part of all was the happiness that everyone seemed to share. The team members were the friendliest that I’ve ever seen them. Since Orlando is such a tourist destination, this area is hurting right now. People seemed happy to be working again. The guests were all in a great mood as well. I saw a couple of people who I know, and it was nice to feel some semblance of normal. It’s normal in a parallel universe sort of way, but I’ll take it.
It wasn’t crowded While I was there CityWalk was not crowded at all. I expected more people out on the first day, but that didn’t happen. My daughter and I already have plans to go back in a couple of days. Part of the reason why we moved to the Orlando area is because we love theme parks, and this is the theme park capital of the world. The parks may still be closed, but this first step was encouraging. I left with a smile on my face. No one could see that smile because of my mask, but that’s okay. If wearing a mask will help to defeat this thing sooner, I’m all for it.
Awkward selfie I’m now even more excited for when Disney Springs reopens next week. The simple fact that people followed the rules and didn’t get too close made me think that social distancing may indeed be possible once the parks finally reopen.