COVID surges and large crowds: Reasons to reconsider your Florida theme park visit

Having visited on reopening day and several times thereafter, I've praised the excellent health measures implemented at theme parks like Disney World for nearly a year.

Regrettably, it's time to reconsider that upcoming family trip to Florida's theme parks if you're worried about COVID-19, especially if you have young children who aren't vaccinated yet.

Surprisingly, throughout much of the pandemic, theme parks actually set the standard for COVID-19 safety protocols.

Even in Florida, where government restrictions were minimal, visiting major theme parks like Disney World and Universal Orlando felt like stepping into a protective bubble, distinct from the surrounding areas. Guests and staff were required to wear masks covering their noses and mouths, there were clear social distancing signs in lines and stores, capacity limits were enforced, and plenty of staff were present to remind guests of the rules if needed.

While that was the operational standard during the parks' reopening in summer 2020 until June 2021, the situation today is quite different.

At locations like Disney World and Universal Orlando, the health measures haven't just been reduced; they've been nearly eliminated. If the lower case numbers from June had persisted, this might have been seen as a positive change.

Unfortunately, the lower COVID-19 numbers from June have not persisted in Central Florida.

In Orange County, Florida, home to many major theme parks, COVID-19 cases have recently surged dramatically. As of July 26, the positivity rate is at 13.96%, up from just 4.28% on June 28. This marks over a threefold increase in cases since June, prompting Mayor Jerry Demings to declare the situation as being "in crisis mode."

Mayor Demings reported 1,052 new COVID-19 cases in Orange County on Friday, July 23. At the press conference on July 26, he noted that these numbers match the highest peak experienced during last year's pandemic. He also indicated that AdventHealth's ICU is currently at full capacity and may revert to Red Level, which could lead to rescheduling non-urgent care to increase availability.

The CDC has now recommended that even fully vaccinated individuals wear masks indoors in 'COVID hot spots', including regions like Florida with high case numbers.

Despite Central Florida facing COVID-19 case levels reminiscent of previous peaks, local theme parks have not updated their safety protocols to reflect the measures that were in place during those more intense phases of the pandemic.

These factors have resulted in a reality on the ground that might not align with the expectations families had when they booked their highly anticipated theme park vacations.

Most pandemic safety measures have been lifted at the theme parks

Recently, my family visited both Disney World and Universal Studios Orlando.

Although I was aware that many precautions had been reduced, we planned our trip when case numbers were significantly lower than what we encountered in July. We postponed this multigenerational family trip until it seemed "safer" with all adults vaccinated. In hindsight, we might have waited too long.

Despite my concerns over the rising COVID-19 cases, we mostly kept our masks on indoors and carried on with our trip, as it's tough to forgo vacations that demand so much money, planning, and emotional investment like those at Disney and Universal.

What we encountered was quite consistent at both theme parks: large crowds, minimal safety measures, and lengthy waits for everything from chicken fingers to roller coaster rides.

While a few guests opted to wear face masks voluntarily, my non-scientific estimate suggests that only about 5 - 10% of visitors chose to wear them.

Although the guidelines at both Disney World and Universal Orlando technically mandate face masks indoors (except while eating or drinking) for unvaccinated individuals, there are no requirements for proof of vaccination or enforcement measures in place.

In reality, this means there’s no obligation to wear face masks. For instance, although children under 12 are not yet eligible for vaccination and therefore remain unvaccinated, most of the children I saw who were clearly under 12 were also not wearing masks.

It's crowded

One contributing factor to the current scenario is that the theme parks are no longer lightly populated with guests as they were last summer.

From my observations and the wait times, the crowds in the park seemed to be comparable to a typical summer day prior to the pandemic.

At both parks, many rides had wait times of an hour or more, and even getting quick-service food could easily take an hour. If you aimed to have lunch indoors to escape the heat or typical summer thunderstorms, you were likely to be very close to the tables around you, and finding a table during peak times was anything but guaranteed.

At Disney World, mobile food orders can take around 45 minutes, there are still no trams to transport you from the parking lot to the park entrances, and notably, FastPass options to bypass long attraction wait times are no longer available.

At Universal Orlando, reports indicate that guests can wait over an hour just to get through security, and mobile food options are even more restricted than at Disney (sometimes still requiring a physical line). In certain areas of the park, particularly around newer attractions like Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure in the Hogsmeade section of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, it’s literally packed with people.

While some of this is typical for summer at major theme parks, if you haven't been following the recent changes in the park experience, you might be surprised at how "normal" things seem in a world that is still far from it.

Tips if you choose to visit

Only you can evaluate your own risk, safety, and comfort levels when deciding whether to proceed with a trip to Florida's theme parks at this time.

On top of everything else, walking away from a major trip to Disney or Universal after having delayed it for so long can be both emotionally taxing and logistically tricky.

If, after weighing the pros and cons, you decide to pack your bags and head to the Florida theme parks, here are some tips to consider.

• Visit the parks early in the morning and late in the evening to avoid the mid-day crowds and heat, allowing for some downtime at your hotel or by the pool.
• Avoid leaving immediately after the evening fireworks at Disney. Instead, enjoy a snack, ride more attractions, or relax, as transportation lines can extend for over an hour during that time.
• At Universal, consider booking a Premier hotel that includes Express Passes to help reduce your wait times. Also, try to avoid bringing a backpack to skip the tightly packed lockers at many attractions.
• Plan your lunch in advance. This could mean packing your own food, returning to your hotel, placing mobile orders well ahead of time, or making reservations for indoor dining.
• If you valet park at Universal Orlando, you can access a much shorter security line. It costs $75 per car (or is included with VIP tours), but it may be worthwhile if the regular line is long.
• If you've thought about a private VIP tour at Disney World, it's currently the only way to access the FastPass line. While it might not be feasible for everyone due to the cost, it's an option to consider.
• Think about staying within walking distance of the parks. This might be pricier, but it offers flexibility and reduces transportation hassles for mid-day breaks or post-park evenings.
• Bring your own face masks and hand sanitizer. While masks aren't mandatory, you can wear them if you wish. Given Florida's heat and humidity, consider using an N95 or KN95 mask for better protection in crowded indoor spaces. While some sanitizer stations exist, they can often be empty, so having your own travel-sized bottle is advisable.
• To minimize the risk of COVID-19, get vaccinated at least two weeks before your trip and consider taking at-home rapid tests after your visit. While these tests aren't as reliable as PCR tests, they can still be helpful.

If you're unsure about whether it's the right time for that big theme park trip, remember that even if you take all possible precautions, your enjoyment may still be affected. Your stress levels and the associated risks should heavily influence your decision to stay or go.

Bottom line

The delta variant of COVID-19 has spread widely across many regions in the country and around the globe, making this an issue that extends beyond just theme parks. However, the major parks have demonstrated that they possess a set of strategies to minimize risks for visitors who choose to come.

That pandemic playbook was mostly set aside in June when case numbers were significantly lower. But that was then.

Currently, the virus is surging to new heights in the vicinity of these major Florida theme parks. Many attendees are children aged 11 and under, who are not yet eligible for vaccination. While a straightforward solution might be for those considering a visit to think twice if they have concerns, there are also measures the parks could reintroduce to ensure the safety of guests who do come.

Thus far, the easing of pandemic restrictions in Florida theme parks has only trended in one direction: away from masks and social distancing, and back towards a pre-pandemic approach of crowding the parks and hoping for the best. Until some safety measures are reinstated, the case numbers decline from their current highs, and/or it becomes feasible to vaccinate even the youngest visitors, it may be wise to reconsider that Florida theme park trip if you're anxious about contracting or spreading COVID-19.

Having recently gone through it myself, I would advise others that it might not be worth the risk at this time for unvaccinated children.

Despite our family's love for theme parks and the enjoyment we've found in our previous three trips during the pandemic, after our latest experience, we've decided to put away my children's Mickey ears until they are fully vaccinated or the situation improves significantly.